Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Weevils, long-nosed beetles, are unsung heroes of pollination
Butterflies, bees, and even bats are celebrated as pollinators: creatures that travel from flower to flower to feed, and in the process, help fertilize the plants by spreading pollen. But...
Six to receive honorary degrees from Harvard
Harvard will present six honorary degrees during today’s Commencement ceremony in Tercentenary Theatre. Jennifer A. Doudna Doctor of Science Jennifer Doudna has dedicated her career to understanding the molecular structure of RNA and...
New study raises alarm over rapid global wildlife loss
A new study is sounding the alarm over global wildlife loss, painting what the authors call "a considerably more alarming picture" of worldwide species population declines than previously thought.
Yellowstone baby bison put to death after visitor picks it up, leading herd to reject it
A man who picked up a bison calf in Yellowstone National Park caused it to be shunned by its herd, prompting park officials to kill the animal rather than allow...
Norway issues warning to avoid 'spy' whale spotted near Oslo
Norway is urging people and boaters to "avoid contact" with a harness-wearing beluga, dubbed the "spy" whale. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries issued the directive Wednesday to protect the whale...
Most effective ways of foraging can attract predators, scientists find
Animals using the most of efficient methods of searching for resources may well pay with their lives, scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered.
Watch tiny newborn meerkats explore zoo enclosure
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is celebrating the birth of meerkat pups for the first time in 16 years.
The most effective ways of foraging can attract predators, scientists find
Animals using the most of efficient methods of searching for resources may well pay with their lives, scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered.
Capitol rioter Richard Barnett, pictured in Pelosi's office, sentenced to 4.5 years
Richard Barnett, photographed with his foot propped on a desk in Nancy Pelosi's office during the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in...
Scientists discover possible antidote for death caps, the world's deadliest mushroom
A potential antidote for death cap mushrooms has been discovered and tested in lab dish studies and in mice.
Look: Seal wanders into California hotel, climbs stairs
Police responded to a hotel in California to eject an unusual trespasser -- a wayward seal.
White-bellied pangolins have second-highest number of chromosomes among mammals
There's a lot scientists don't know about the pangolin—a peculiar, scaly mammal that looks like a cross between an aardvark and an armadillo. Now, a new paper published in the...
Phytophthora 'the plant destroyer' meets its match with a new identification tool
Known as the "plant destroyer," the genus Phytophthora is considered one of the most important groups of plant pathogens—causing significant economic and environmental losses throughout history and into today. There...
Increasing heat likely a major factor in human migration
Rising temperatures due to climate change are likely influencing human migration patterns, according to a new study by Rita Issa of University College London and colleagues, published May 24 in...
Watch: California couple rescue kitten from sewer
A California couple came to the rescue of a kitten they heard crying for help from a sewer and nursed the abandoned animal back to health.
Publication of the first global macrogenetic map of marine habitat-forming species
Species known as marine habitat-forming species —gorgonians, corals, algae, seaweeds, marine phanerogams, etc.— are organisms that help generate and structure the underwater landscapes. These are natural refuges for other species,...
Large-scale long terminal repeat insertions found to produce a significant set of novel transcripts in cotton
TEs (transposable elements), especially LTRs, are known to play an important role in determining the basic genome structure and influencing the expression of functional genes. Insertion of TE or LTR...
The first global macrogenetic map of marine habitat-forming species
Species known as marine habitat-forming species --gorgonians, corals, algae, seaweeds, marine phanerogams, etc.-- are organisms that help generate and structure the underwater landscapes.
These spiny mice have a highly unusual feature among living mammals: tails armored with bony plates
Spiny mice in the genus Acomys look much like more familiar house mice in the genus Mus, although their coats do have stiff guard hairs that give them their name.
Researchers introduce valuable traits in plants without creating transgenic plants
Academic researchers and companies in the agricultural biotechnology sector will be able to use a patent-pending Purdue University biology innovation to introduce valuable traits to plants without integrating novel DNA...
Increasing heat likely a major factor in human migration
Rising temperatures due to climate change are likely influencing human migration patterns, according to a new study by Rita Issa of University College London and colleagues, published May 24 in...
'Brain-eating' amoeba ruled out in 'cluster of illnesses' in Oklahoma. What could the cause be?
Oklahoma's state health department is investigating reports of suspected meningitis in people who swam in local lakes and rivers. The cause remains unknown, but a dangerous brain-eating amoeba has been...
U.S. gives nearly $524 million in drought aid to Horn of Africa
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield Wednesday announced nearly $524 million in drought aid for the Horn of Africa.
Heat-stressed fish embryos can induce stress in nearby embryos
Heat-stressed fish embryos release chemical signals that change the appearance, behavior, and development of fish embryos that were not heat stressed, according to a study. Stress during development can change...
Endangered chimpanzees contaminated with pesticides and flame retardants
Wild chimpanzees are being exposed to a cocktail of harmful chemicals.
Precisely measuring the differing filamentary cytoskeletal characteristics of mobile and stationary cells
Most biological cells have a fixed place in an organism. However, cells can become mobile and move through the body. This happens, for example, during wound healing or when tumor...
African spiny mouse joins a small but mighty group of bony plated mammals
Spiny mice can regenerate skin, muscle, nerves, spinal cord, and possibly cardiac tissue. Deposit Photos The armadillo is beloved for its ability to scrunch itself up in a ball with their protective flexible...
Where do our limbs come from? Study uncovers new clues about the origin of paired appendages
An international collaboration that includes scientists from the University of Colorado School of Medicine has uncovered new clues about the origin of paired appendages—a major evolutionary step that remains unresolved...