Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Silent spread of virus keeps scientists grasping for clues
Researchers have exposed the frightening likelihood of silent spread of the virus by asymptomatic and presymptomatic carriers.
People are using artificial intelligence to help sort out their divorce. Would you?
An online app called Amica is now using artificial intelligence to help separating couples make parenting arrangements and divide their assets.
Science sweetens native honey health claims
Science has validated Indigenous wisdom by identifying a rare, healthy sugar in native stingless bee honey that is not found in any other food.
Climate change is impacting the spread of invasive animal species
What factors influence the spread of invasive animal species in our oceans? This question was the focus for a team of experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for...
Siblings can also differ from one another in bacteria
In human reproduction, the genes of the mother and father are combined and mixed in countless variations. Their offspring can differ significantly from one another. However, bacteria multiply by simple...
Kangaroo on the loose after escape from Texas ranch
A Texas ranch owner is asking members of the public to keep an eye out for an unusual escaped animal -- a kangaroo.
Cells communicate by doing the 'wave'
Cells work around the clock to deliver, maintain, and control every aspect of life. And just as with humans, communication is a key to their success.
Sharks almost gone from many reefs
A massive global study of the world's reefs has found sharks are 'functionally extinct' on nearly one in five of the reefs surveyed.
Genomic basis of bat superpowers revealed: Like how they survive deadly viruses
The genetic material that codes for bat adaptations and superpowers—such as the ability to fly, to use sound to move effortlessly in complete darkness, to tolerate and survive potentially deadly...
Proteins—and labs—coming together to prevent Rett syndrome
New discoveries about the disruption of condensates in the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome provide insights into how cells compartmentalize chromosomes as well as new potential paths for therapies.
Dalhousie study reveals sharks 'functionally extinct' in 20% of world's coral reefs
A new global study authored by a Dalhousie University professor has determined that sharks are "functionally extinct" in nearly 20 per cent of the world's coral reefs, raising concerns about...
Coronavirus: Cracking the secrets of how bats survive viruses
Bats' codes of life contain genetic clues to their "exceptional immunity", which protects them from viruses.
16% of U.S. museums say they risk closing forever in a prolonged pandemic
'Devastating': American Alliance of Museums survey reflects the financial threat to art museums, aquariums, botanical gardens and other institutions.
Weather-based decisions may reduce fungicide sprays on table beets
A plant pathologist at Cornell University, Sarah J. Pethybridge supplies New York vegetable growers with the information they need to control soilborne diseases and adopt effective management strategies. She crafts...
US wildlife agency rejects protections for rare fish species
U.S. wildlife officials on Wednesday plan to reject special protections for a rare, freshwater fish species that's been at the center of a long-running legal dispute.
Snowshoe hare carcasses feed more than usual predator suspects, study shows
Snowshoe hare carcasses may provide a vital food source for a wide variety of species in Canada's boreal forest—including lynx, ravens, flying squirrels and even other hares, according to a...
Computationally classifying fungal lifestyles
As a proof of concept, researchers developed an algorithm that "taught" a computer how to classify 101 representative genomes of Dothideomycetes, the largest class of fungi, by lifestyles. The machine...
Giant whale washes up on Indonesian beach
A giant 23-metre (75-foot) whale briefly washed up near a beach in Indonesia but it was unclear how the enormous marine mammal died, a conservation official said Wednesday.
Lifeguards with drones keep humans and sharks safe
A teenager in New South Wales recently died after a fatal shark bite, adding to four other unprovoked shark-related deaths this year. These tragic events send shockwaves through the community...
Giant Sunfish larva identified for the first time
Australian and New Zealand scientists have, for the first time, successfully identified the tiny larva of the giant Bump-head Sunfish (Mola alexandrini). Led by sunfish expert, Dr. Marianne Nyegaard from...
Spider monkey groups use collective computation to forage for food
When foraging for food, spider monkey groups utilize collective computation to organize the hunt for fruit-filled trees.
DNA analysis confirms a zooplankton community border along Baja California
Marine ecosystems don't recognize national boundaries—but they do sometimes have invisible borders of their own. Thanks to metabarcoding, a sweeping DNA analysis technique, MBARI researchers explored these watery borderlands along...
DNA shows southwestern Australia's largest parasitic plant adapts to climate
A closer look at DNA from southwestern Australia's native Nuytsia floribunda, known as the WA Christmas Tree, has found that temperature, rather than rainfall, impacts the tree's resilience and reproductive...
Scientists make wine and cheese using weeds
Scientists at South Ural State University (SUSU) have discovered that the extract of a common weed plant, Bidens pilosa, is a promising source of enzymes for the food industry. According...
Plastics found in sea-bed sharks
Microplastics have been found in the guts of sharks that live near the seabed off the UK coast. University of Exeter scientists studied four species of demersal (seabed-dwelling) shark.
Life in the shallows becomes a trap for baby sharks
Scientists can now explain how baby reef sharks tolerate living in the sometimes-extreme environments of their nurseries—but, they also say these habitats face an uncertain future which may leave newborn...
Column One: Coronavirus has torn this tight-knit Texas valley apart: 'We're in hell right now'
On the Texas border, a culture of hard work and family gatherings helped spread coronavirus since the state reopened, filling hospitals and morgues.
Spider monkey groups as collective computers
New research shows that spider monkeys use collective computation to figure out the best way to find food.