Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Pollen on bullets could help solve gun crimes
Pollen makes an ideal 'identity tag' for bullets, having evolved an extraordinary stickiness and resilience
Researchers Tag First-ever Free-swimming Leatherback Turtles In New England
University of New Hampshire researchers have tagged one male and two female leatherback turtles off Cape Cod. They are the first free-swimming leatherbacks ever tagged in New England. The 700-800-pound...
Newfound Monkey Species "Rarest in Africa," Experts Say
Just discovered in 2005, the kipunji of Tanzania is now listed as "critically endangered" by the IUCN.
Spotting Tomorrow’s Forest Fires
A WiMAX-based connection to the internet enables fire-monitoring efforts in remote and mountainous regions. A forest fire remote monitoring system has been successfully tested in Portugal that could prevent the...
Multiple Sclerosis: New MRI Contrast Medium Enables Early Diagnosis In Animal Model
In an animal model of multiple sclerosis, neurologists have been able to visualize inflammatory tissue damage, most of which had remained unrecognized up to now, with the aid of a...
Snake fangs explained
Researchers have developed a new model to explain the evolution among different snake species of earlier teeth into specialised fangs for delivering venom.
Fruit-fly Study Adds Weight To Theories About Another Type Of Adult Stem Cell
Researchers have found that mature, specialized cells naturally regress to serve as a kind of de facto stem cell during the fruit-fly life cycle.
Cutting The Brakes On The Immune System; Newly Discovered Gene Variant Implicated In Lupus
A new study has found that variation of a particular gene -- known as TNFAIP3 -- may cause the immune system to lose its ability to shut off, leading to...
New-style malaria vaccine could save millions
Scientists have developed a revolutionary vaccine that provided complete protection when tested on animals
Settlement will reduce carcinogens in potato chips
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Snack lovers, rejoice: Munching on potato chips just got a little healthier....
The shrew that drinks like a fish
The pen-tailed tree shrew of Malaysia holds its liquor well despite imbibing prodigious amounts of naturally fermented bertram palm nectar, scientists report. ...
'Fitness pill' being developed
Scientists are moving closer to developing an "exercise pill" which will help you to get fit, even if you don't move a muscle
Stranded sick whale put to sleep
A 26ft (8m) whale that beached on a mudflat off the south coast of England is put to sleep with a lethal injection, rescuers say.
Winnipeg zoo's polar bear, world's oldest, dying: officials
The Assiniboine Park Zoo's polar bear Debby, famous for being the oldest living polar bear in the world, is dying from age-related medical complications, zoo officials said Thursday.
FYI Live: You're The Expert
We know why the sky is blue, but reader "wondering..." wonders: "why is our urine always white or yellow? even after we drink orange juice or cola our urine is...
Dolphin calf born at aquarium in Baltimore
Watching for the first breath seemed like forever, but after a normal, tail-first delivery, a healthy female dolphin was born at the National Aquarium in Baltimore — taking its first...
Survival of the fittest: even cancer cells follow the laws of evolution
Scientists from The Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton and the University of California discovered that the underlying process in tumor formation is the same as for life itself—evolution. After...
Emerging Scientific Discipline Of Aeroecology
Aeroecology is the emerging discipline for studying how airborne organisms -- birds, bats, arthropods and microbes -- depend on the support of the lower atmosphere that is closest to the...
Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Associated With Risk Of Kidney Cancer
Genetic factors were shown to influence the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in healthy cells. A lower mtDNA copy number was associated with an increased risk of renal...
Novel Kind Of Learning Gene Discovered
Scientists have come one step closer to unraveling the molecular basis of learning. Neurobiologists have now discovered the first gene for operant conditioning in the fruit fly Drosophila. Their discovery...
Fungi Expert Finds New Species In Aberdeen City Centre, Scotland
A leading fungi expert has accidentally stumbled upon a new species in Scotland – as he walked home from work.
South Korea rejects disgraced clone scientist's license
SEOUL (Reuters) - The South Korean government on Friday barred disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk from resuming his research into cloned human embryonic stem cells.
Formosan termites spreading in Florida
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 31 (UPI) -- Formosan subterranean termites, also known as "super termites," are spreading through Florida, an entymology professor said.
U.S. Blacks, if a Nation, Would Rank High on AIDS
If black America were a country, it would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with the AIDS virus, the Black AIDS Institute says.
Magnets repel sharks
Sharks are repelled by magnets thanks to sensory organs for magnetic fields, offering a means of keeping them away from fishing nets, according to research.
Hungry seals 'steer by the stars'
Scientists find evidence that marine mammals, like humans, navigate by the stars to get to feeding grounds.
Inherited form of hearing loss stems from gene mutation
Pat Phalin learned she had hearing loss at 30, when she volunteered to give hearing tests at her local school. The pupils heard sounds she could not hear.
Toward Designer Bourbon Whiskeys With Custom-tailored Aromas
In the latest chapter in a 40-year scientific quest to unravel the flavor and aroma secrets of the world's whiskeys, scientists in Germany are reporting discovery of key substances responsible...