Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Herbivores at greater risk of extinction than carnivores, study says
Plant-eaters, not predators, are at a greater risk of extinction, according to a new survey of more than 24,500 species.
Management gender diversity essential in adversity
A study by an international team of researchers suggests that gender-balanced teams help businesses, especially in adverse times.
Study sheds new light on vein formation in plants
An international team of researchers including the University of Adelaide, has found plant hormones known as strigolactones suppress the transportation of auxin, the main plant hormone involved in vein formation,...
Yu Darvish, Cubs bats spark 6-1 win over Royals
Pitcher Yu Darvish allowed just five hits and one run in seven innings and the top of the Chicago Cubs batting order came alive to spark a lopsided win Wednesday...
Shark sighting a surprise for St. Martins kayakers
Kayakers at St. Martins say they were surprised to spot a shark swimming about 50 feet from them in the water near the sea caves on Wednesday.
State Dept.: Russia spreads disinformation through 'a propaganda ecosystem'
Russia is spreading disinformation and propaganda through the use of official, proxy and unattributed communications channels, the State Department said in a new report.
Virus lockdown for world's smallest and rarest wild pigs
Pygmy hogs—the world's smallest and rarest wild pig—are under a virus lockdown.
New research shows parasites 'mite' help curb the spread of invasive lizards
Native lizards may have a powerful, very tiny, secret weapon when it comes to resisting invasion by invasive species—parasites.
Trade and climate change increase pest threat to Europe's forests
Europe's forests face a growing threat from pests due to global trade and climate change, but scientists are developing techniques that can give an early warning of infestations to help...
A 'Devonian' aquarium: Modern mutant fishes replicate creatures of ancient oceans
Zebrafish are a common aquarium species, of value to hobbyists and scientists alike. Researchers have now engineered an unusual change in them that has echoes of Jurassic Park—but looks alone...
How cells keep growing even when under attack
In an unexpected new finding, biochemists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report observing that a damage-containment system in stressed bacteria can become overrun and blocked, but that this leads...
'Paradise island' hosts untold botanical treasures
The first checklist of plants found on the tropical island of New Guinea reveals incredible plant diversity.
The yin and yang of inflammation controlled by a single molecule
Researchers have now identified a protein called histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) as the orchestrator of the immune system's inflammation response to infection. By using both specially cultured cells and small...
Land use changes may increase disease outbreak risks
Global changes in land use are disrupting the balance of wild animal communities in our environment, and species that carry diseases known to infect humans appear to be benefiting, finds...
Algal symbiosis could shed light on dark ocean
New research has revealed a surprise twist in the symbiotic relationship between a type of salamander and the alga that lives inside its eggs. A new paper reports that the...
Whiteness of AI erases people of color from our 'imagined futures', researchers argue
The overwhelming 'Whiteness' of artificial intelligence—from stock images and cinematic robots to the dialects of virtual assistants—removes people of colour from the way humanity thinks about its technology-enhanced future.
Study clarifies kinship of important plant group
Asterids comprise around 100,000 flowering plants, from heather to tomatoes. Up to now, their family relationships had not yet been fully clarified. A new study by the University of Bonn,...
Study reveals long-term human impacts on reef fish
Resource fishes—species targeted for human consumption—play a key role in reef ecosystems long before they end up on the dinner table. In Hawai'i, subsistence and recreational fishing of local resource...
Study clarifies kinship of important plant group
Asterids comprise around 100,000 flowering plants, from heather to tomatoes. Up to now, their family relationships had not yet been fully clarified. A new study has now somewhat closed this...
New light on how ovarian cancer grows and evolves
Medical researchers provide new insights into how ovarian cancer grows and evolves within a person.
Discovery shows promise for treating Huntington's Disease
Scientists have identified a new enzyme called 'TBK1' that plays a central role in regulating the degradation and clearance of the huntingtin protein and introduces chemical modifications that block its...
Gut microbes shape our antibodies before we are infected by pathogens
Because the microbiota is so complex, containing hundreds of different bacterial species, it is not known how the presence of microbes in the intestine shaped the antibodies that are present...
No Air, No Problem: How Parasites Survive Without Oxygen Inside Host
Around one billion people on the planet are infected with parasitic helminths, round worms that live in soil and colonize human guts through dirty water. The helminths owe their ability...
Dinosaur relative's genome linked to mammals: Curious genome of ancient reptile
Biologists have sequenced the genome of the tuatara, a lizard-like creature that lives on the islands of New Zealand.
Algal symbiosis could shed light on dark ocean
New research has revealed a surprise twist in the symbiotic relationship between a type of salamander and the alga that lives inside its eggs. A new paper in Frontiers in...
Scientists find how clock gene wakes up green algae
A team of researchers from Nagoya University, Japan, has found the mechanism of the night-to-day transition of the circadian rhythm in green algae. The findings, published in the journal PLOS...
Trifluoroacetic acid acts as trifluoromethylating agent in arene C-H functionalization
Researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a catalytic system that directly installs the trifluoromethyl group onto arenes. The new reaction...
Land use changes could increase risk of infectious disease outbreaks
When land use changes disrupt ecosystems, new research suggests species known to carry diseases that infect humans benefit from the disruptions.