Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Shelling out for dinner: Dolphins learn foraging skills from peers
A new study demonstrates for the first time that dolphins can learn foraging techniques outside the mother-calf bond—showing that they have a similar cultural nature to great apes.
Tiny brains, big surprise: Eavesdropping wasps gain insights about fighting abilities of potential rivals
Paper wasps eavesdrop on fighting rivals to rapidly assess potential opponents without personal risk. This new finding adds to mounting evidence that even mini-brained insects have an impressive capacity to...
The tug-of-war at the heart of cellular symmetry
Symmetry and asymmetry are fundamental properties of nature. Seen from above, butterflies have left-right symmetry, while male fiddler crabs show dramatic asymmetry. This is also the case for the fundamental...
From Jekyll to Hyde: New study pinpoints mutation that makes E. coli deadlier
As far as humans are concerned, bacteria can be classified as either harmful, pathogenic bacteria and harmless or beneficial non-pathogenic bacteria. To develop better treatments for diseases caused by pathogenic...
Plants: the known unknowns which are undermining conservation
We got the 'green' in green issues from the chlorophyll in plants. But the botanical world—which drives the planet's ecosystems—is the Cinderella science, struggling for resources and recognition, struggling even...
Decades‑old teeth are teaching researchers about the life cycles of bottlenose whales
Northern bottlenose whales live in deep waters off the coast of Nova Scotia and southern Newfoundland. An endangered species, they were targets of a century of commercial whaling across the...
Bugs resort to several colors to protect themselves from predators
New research has revealed for the first time that shield bugs use a variety of colors throughout their lives to avoid predators. For years it has been thought that animals...
WWE's Renee Young says she has COVID-19
WWE announcer Renee Young said on Twitter she has COVID-19.
These dogs help keep Alberta free of invasive mussels
A trio of specially trained dogs are on the front lines in Alberta’s battle to keep invasive mussels out of the province’s water bodies.
Resource curse or resource blessing: How major oil discoveries keep autocrats in power
Oil is the most effective natural resource when it comes to keeping despots in power, new research shows.
Look: Bekah Martinez names son Franklin James
"Bachelor" alum Bekah Martinez and her boyfriend, Grayston Leonard, named their newborn son Franklin James.
Bugs resort to several colours to protect themselves from predators
New research has revealed for the first time that shield bugs use a variety of colors throughout their lives to avoid predators.
Agricultural conservation schemes not enough to protect Britain's rarest butterflies
Conservation management around the margins of agriculture fail to protect butterfly species at greatest risk from the intensification of farming, a new study says.
Environmental DNA detection could cut pathogens in pet trade
As the SARS-CoV-2 puts new focus on zoonotic pathogens, a researcher has developed a method to use environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect disease in the vast international trade of aquatic...
Jellyfish contain no calories, so why do they still attract predators?
New study shows that jellyfish are an important food source for many animals. As jellyfish blooms become more frequent and more massive, this could affect marine ecosystems.
Shy species detected through new DNA technique
New species-specific tests that can detect endangered and hard-to-find aquatic animals through the DNA they shed in the water has been created by researchers at the University of Adelaide and...
Bremer sub-basin is a killer whale feeding range, and wildlife tourism helps study their behavior
Researchers have uncovered more information about the numbers and habits of killer whales in south Western Australian waters, with a Curtin University study providing the first baseline assessment of the...
Former MLB player, manager and executive Eddie Kasko dies at 88
Eddie Kasko -- a former Major League Baseball All-Star infielder, manager and executive -- has died at the age of 88, his former team said.
How Long Do Neutrons Live? Space Probe Could Put Debate to Rest
Scientists used Venus to measure neutrons’ lifetime, offering hope for an answer to a decades-old mystery -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Editorial: You can't furlough ferrets and tigers. Zoos need federal funds during the pandemic, too
Zoos closed but they still have to take care of animals. They deserve stimulus funds too.
Conservation efforts to open up rattlesnake habitat bring in much-needed sunlight but could attract more predators
Conservation efforts that open up the canopy of overgrown habitat for threatened timber rattlesnakes—whose venom is used in anticoagulants and other medical treatments—are beneficial to snakes but could come at...
Netflix: What's coming and going in July 2020
"The Baby-Sitters Club," "The Umbrella Academy" Season 2, "The Kissing Booth 2" and "Unsolved Mysteries" are headed to Netflix.
Summer might kill coronavirus, but only if people stay outside, researchers say
A gradual reopening that gets people outdoors where the new coronavirus is less likely to survive is key to successful containing the COVID-19 outbreak, experts said.
Quantifying the building blocks of DNA is now easier thanks to a novel technique
A highly sensitive and easy-to-use technique applicable for tissue samples can be useful, for example, to researchers specialized in mitochondrial diseases and cancer.
Better way to keep birds from hitting power lines
Suspended, rotating devices known as ''flappers'' may be the key to fewer birds flying into power lines, a new study suggests.
How to 3-D print tissue-repairing implants inside live mice
Structures made in skin, brain, and muscle could regenerate tissues without the need for surgery
Effects from low-level concentrations of harmful chemicals preserved in three generations of fish
Fish exposed to very low levels of chemicals commonly found in waterways can pass the impacts on to future generations that were never directly exposed to the chemicals, according to...
Puget Sound eelgrass beds create a 'halo' with fewer harmful algae, new method shows
Eelgrass, a species of seagrass named for its long slippery texture, is one of nature's superheroes. It offers shade and camouflage for young fish, helps anchor shorelines, and provides food...