Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Reduce insecticide spraying by using ant pheromones to catch crop pests
Scientists have developed a molecular sponge that soaks up the pheromones of ants and releases them slowly to attract the pests to an insecticide trap.
How a 19-year-old lion fathered 35 cubs in 18 months
Lion tamer at work. Though no evidence is available, the mustachioed man is unlikely to have survived this scene. (Library of Congress, 1873/)Popular Science’s WILD LIVES is a monthly video series that dives...
Research illuminates new element of plant immune defense response to biotic stress
Plants are at the mercy of many stresses, both abiotic, such as drought and heat, and biotic, such as pathogens. Researchers know that the plant immune system often responds to...
Antarctic fossil suggests animals have been hibernating for 250 million years
The discovery of a hibernation-like state in an Early Triassic species suggests animals may have been using torpor to avoid the challenges of winter for at least 250 million years.
Need a mood lift? We've tracked 4 ways Australia's environment has repaired itself in 2020
When the clock ticked over to 2020, Australia was in the grip of a brutal drought and unprecedented bushfires. But in the months since, while many of us were indoors...
When good intentions aren't enough: Where New Zealand's border quarantine system really went wrong
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shown a remarkable grasp of fine detail and an ability to communicate it under pressure. But short of monitoring every flight, border interaction and hotel...
Watch: Marvel heroes, villains join 'Fortnite' Season 4 for 'Nexus War'
A number of Marvel heroes and villains are joining "Fortnite."
Rapid evolution under climate change
Certain plant species can evolve very quickly under drought conditions. This means that the modified plant traits are genetically fixed and passed on to the next generation. A research team...
Japanese sake: The new pick-me-up? Yeast strain makes fatigue-fighting amino acid
Fans of sake, the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage, may have even more reason to enjoy it now: Japanese scientists have discovered that a mutant strain of sake yeast produces high...
Engineers use heat-free technology to make metallic replicas of a rose's surface texture
Nature has worked for eons to perfect surface textures that protect, hide and otherwise help all kinds of creatures survive.
Plant scientists study the interaction of heat stress responses in corn
Environmental extremes driven by climate change create stresses in crops, and plant breeders are attempting to untangle the genetic factors that endow plants with tolerance to stress. A new study...
Netflix cancels 'Altered Carbon' after two seasons
Netflix has canceled sci-fi series "Altered Carbon" after two seasons and an anime film.
Shedding light on rapid emergence of new species
New international research led by Monash University scientists has changed our understanding of the evolutionary processes that can lead to the rapid emergence of new species.
Binding sites for protein-making machinery
ETH Zurich researchers can predict how tightly a cell's protein synthesis machinery will bind to RNA sequences—even when dealing with many billions of different RNA sequences. This binding plays a...
U.S. navy exercises will put further pressure on West Coast's endangered killer whales, experts say
Conservationists say the endangered southern resident killer whales will be further affected if the navy is allowed to fire torpedoes, deploy sonar and detonate bombs at sea.
Daylight study reveals how animals adapt between seasons
Scientists have discovered how a biological switch helps animals make the seasonal changes crucial for survival, such as growing a warm winter coat and adjusting body temperatures.
Fossil evidence of 'hibernation-like' state in 250-million-year-old Antarctic animal
Hibernation is a familiar feature on Earth today. Many animals—especially those that live close to or within polar regions—hibernate to get through the tough winter months when food is scarce,...
Reduce insecticide spraying by using ant pheromones to catch crop pests
Scientists at the Universities of Bath and Sussex have developed a new system that slowly releases ant pheromones to attract pests to an insecticide bait. This means that instead of...
Dying people may still be able to hear, brain wave study shows
Even if they appear unresponsive, dying people may still be able to hear.
Overfishing erased sharks from many of the world's reefs, researchers say
Teams of researchers around the world recently confirmed what many of them suspected -- that overfishing wiped out sharks on up to 20 percent of the world's reefs.
Overlooked 'housekeeping' gene plays unexpected role in seizures
Molecules known as tRNAs are often overlooked in studies of disease processes. Researchers have found that a mutation in a tRNA gene called n-Tr20 -- expressed only in the brain...
What's open and closed for Labor Day at local beaches, parks, zoos and trails
The L.A. Zoo opens today and part of SeaWorld San Diego opens Friday, but coronavirus restrictions and fire-related park closures continue around California
Imaging chromatin architecture at the genome scale
Fluorescence method visualizes spatial arrangement of more than 1,000 DNA loci across the genome
Native desert bighorn sheep in ecologically intact areas are less vulnerable to climate change
In the American Southwest, native desert bighorn sheep populations found in landscapes with minimal human disturbance, including several national parks, are less likely to be vulnerable to climate change, according...
Overlooked ‘Housekeeping’ Gene Plays Unexpected Role in Seizures
Within cells, molecules known as transfer RNAs, or “tRNAs,” play an important but unglamorous workhorse role in keeping the genetic translation process moving along from codes of DNA to functional...
Native desert bighorn sheep in ecologically intact areas are less vulnerable to climate change
In the American Southwest, native desert bighorn sheep populations found in landscapes with minimal human disturbance, including several national parks, are less likely to be vulnerable to climate change.
Native desert bighorn sheep in ecologically intact areas are less vulnerable to climate change
In the American Southwest, native desert bighorn sheep populations found in landscapes with minimal human disturbance, including several national parks, are less likely to be vulnerable to climate change, according...
Key immune system protein discovered in plants
A new study has discovered the key calcium channel responsible for closing plant pores as an immune response to pathogen exposure. The findings are a major step toward understanding the...