News to Note, May 5, 2007

1. Simian Sign Language

Simian use of gestures is the latest evidence of evolution—at least, that’s the impression given by a BBC NEWS article (and others) this week that describes research into how bonobos and chimpanzees gesticulate as a form of communication.

2. Helpful Parasites?

Charles Q. Choi, writing for LiveScience, describes the “surprisingly rapid” evolution many parasites exhibit that causes them “to become helpful instead of harmful.”

3. Living Fossil: Lobster

The “living fossil” for this week is “the world’s oldest lobster,” according to National Geographic News, which reports on a fossil lobster found in Mexico in 1995.

4. Noah's Ark Lands in the Netherlands

Johan Huibers’ one-fifth-scale replica of the famous boat opened its big door to visitors last Saturday in the Dutch city of Schagen. The replica was built “mostly with [Huibers’s] own hands” as “a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.”1