Latest News Releases 14 April

Autism is typically diagnosed in children ages 3 to 5 years old, but researchers at the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment are exploring whether signs of autism could be detected as early as the first year of life.

In the first report from their longitudinal study, researchers Erin Andres and Stephen Sheinkopf found that behavior at 9 months old can indicate the likelihood that a 1 year old will be at risk for autism.

Wild animals that have acquired adaptions to maximize their reproductive output in some of the world’s most extreme conditions may provide answers to some of the most pressing problems in the field of human reproductive health.

•           A new journal article by Michelle Shero, assistant scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Biology Department, examines how the study of seals in particular can benefit human health, and synthesizes various research on the topic.

Several aspects in the life history of seals that could provide significant insight into their reproductive physiology – as well as that of humans – include female seals’ ability to undergo lengthy fasting and lose about 30% of their body weight while nursing a pup. Seals also have an exceptional ability to hold their breath for up to two hours in some species for long dives. Additionally, seals have the ability to ‘pause’ pregnancy, through a process known as embryonic diapause, so they can give birth during benign environmental conditions.

•           In seeking ways to improve human health, we should be looking to the extraordinary feats of wild animals. They have often found the most innovative solutions.