Nature Podcast5 Nov 2025

Meet the ‘Wee-rex’. Tiny tyrannosaur is its own species

00:45 The debate around Nanotyrannus

A hotly debated species of dinosaur, assumed by many to be a juvenile T. rex, is actually a separate species, according to new research. Nanotyrannus was a dinosaur anatomically similar to T. rex, but about a tenth of the size, leading many to argue it was a young version of the iconic species. However, examination of the limb bones of a well-preserved Nanotyrannus fossil suggests it was close to finishing its growth and so would never become as large as a T. rex, leading the authors to argue that it is, in fact, a different species.

Research Article: Zanno and Napoli

News and Views: T. rex debate settled: contested fossils are smaller rival species, not juveniles

News: ‘Teenage T. rex’ fossil is actually a different species

Video: Hotly debated dinosaur is not a tiny T. rex after all

08:46 Research Highlights

An artificial ‘neuron’ could pave the way to build a brain-inspired computer — plus, how bats buck the trend by hunting prey their own size.

Research Highlight: Artificial brains with less drain

Research Highlight: By the time you hear these bats, it’s too late

11:19 A less invasive way to prevent breast cancer

An ‘anti-hormone’ therapy has shown promise in halting the onset of hallmarks associated with breast cancer, in a small trial. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women worldwide, but preventative measures, such as mastectomies, are invasive. A new study examined the efficacy of a treatment that blocks progesterone, a hormone thought to play an important role in breast cancer progression. The therapy reduced both specific clinical markers of breast cancer and the number of cells that can become cancerous. Larger, longer trials are needed to show that this treatment could ultimately become part of a breast cancer prevention strategy, but the team think that this work shows the promise of this approach.

Research Article: Simões et al.

18:41 Briefing Chat

A new approach to speed up CRIPSR therapies reaching clinical trials, and how vocal cords could be healed using a tiny 3D printer.

Nature: Personalized gene editing helped one baby: can it be rolled out widely?

Nature: World’s smallest 3D bioprinter could rebuild tissue during surgery

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