To recreate the ancient marine environment, researchers examined fossils from South China, a shallow sea during the Permian-Triassic transition. The team was able to analyze prey-predator relationships and determine the functions ancient species performed by categorizing species into guilds, or groups of species that exploit resources in similar ways. These simulated food webs represented the ecosystem before, during, and after the extinction event in a plausible way.

According to our research, we believe that straightforward blood tests for these proteins could serve as an effective screening tool for some types of cancer and other human diseases "Griffith, a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, made the statement. "Because telomeres shorten with age, these tests may also provide a measure of "telomere health."