Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Life in the shallows becomes a trap for baby sharks
Baby reef sharks tolerate living in the sometimes-extreme environments of their nurseries -- but these habitats face an uncertain future which may leave newborn sharks 'trapped'.
Crown-of-thorns enhance their growth by switching diets early
Crown-of-thorns starfish are renowned for eating coral and destroying coral reefs—but when juvenile crown-of-thorns first settle in reef environments they start out by eating rock-hard coralline algae. In a new...
Popular seafood species in sharp decline around the world
Fish market favorites such as orange roughy, common octopus and pink conch are among the species of fish and invertebrates in rapid decline around the world, according to new research.
Lab-made virus mimics COVID-19 virus
Researchers have created a virus in the lab that infects cells and interacts with antibodies just like the COVID-19 virus, but lacks the ability to cause severe disease. This safer...
A developmental clock with a checkpoint function
The group of Helge Grosshans characterized the "C. elegans oscillator", over 3,700 genes that are rhythmically expressed during the larval development of C. elegans. They demonstrated the coupling of the...
Spider monkeys use groups to develop knowledge of their environment, study finds
The wild spider monkeys living in a protected area near Punta Laguna, Mexico, collectively figure out good ways to divide up and conquer the forest. These monkeys live in a...
The hair-raising reason for goosebumps is revealed
If you’ve ever wondered why we get goosebumps, you’re in good company — so did Charles Darwin, who mused about them in his writings on evolution. Goosebumps might protect animals...
Ultra-small, parasitic bacteria found in groundwater, moose... and you
Inside your mouth right now, there is a group of bacteria whose closest relatives can also be found in the belly of a moose, in dogs, cats, and dolphins, and...
How adding green tea extract to prepared foods may reduce the risk for norovirus
Infusing prepared foods with an edible coating that contains green tea extract may lower consumers' chances of catching the highly contagious norovirus by eating contaminated food, new research suggests.
Neural vulnerability in Huntington’s disease tied to release of mitochondrial RNA
In the first study to comprehensively track how different types of brain cells respond to the mutation that causes Huntington’s disease (HD), MIT neuroscientists found that a significant cause of...
Watch: Bear approaches woman in ecological park, appears in selfie
A visitor to a park in Mexico captured video of a black bear approaching a young woman and sniffing her hair as she snapped a selfie with the wild animal.
Study shows highly reproducible sex differences in aspects of human brain anatomy
A scientific analysis of more than 2,000 brain scans found evidence for highly reproducible sex differences in the volume of certain regions in the human brain. This pattern of sex-based...
Droplet biosensing method opens the door for faster identification of COVID-19
Researchers have developed an ultrasensitive biosensing method that could dramatically shorten the amount of time required to verify the presence of the COVID-19 virus in a sample.
New study takes closer look at how environment affects daily life of sloths
Scientists studying brown-throated three-toed sloths, where predators are extinct and food is more accessible, have found that the animals adapt to have a primarily diurnal, or daytime, schedule.
Neural vulnerability in Huntington’s disease tied to release of mitochondrial RNA
In the first study to comprehensively track how different types of brain cells respond to the mutation that causes Huntington’s disease (HD), MIT neuroscientists found that a significant cause of death for an...
Identification of distinct loci for de novo DNA methylation by DNMT3A and DNMT3B during mammalian development
DNA methylation performs an essential function in mammalian ontogeny. It is also known that abnormalities in this process cause the development of cancers such as leukemia.
Debate needed on the potential culling of crows and foxes to protect Europe's declining ground-nesting birds
Further studies and debate are needed on the potential culling of generalist predators such as crows and foxes as a means of protecting Europe's ever declining number of ground-nesting birds,...
'Winter is coming': The influence of seasonality on pathogen emergence
Seasonal fluctuations drive the dynamics of many infectious diseases. For instance, the flu spreads more readily in winter. Two scientists from the University of Nantes and the CNRS in Montpellier...
A comprehensive description of the human tissue virome in healthy individuals
Human-resident microbes can influence both health and disease. Investigating the microbiome using next-generation sequencing technology has revealed examples of mutualism and conflict between microbes and humans.
Eating habits of baby predator starfish revealed
Adult crown-of-thorns starfish pose one of the greatest threats to the Great Barrier Reef due to their coral diet. Marine life, including fish, crabs, seahorses, and turtles, depend on coral...
Going in the water again: 'Jaws' boat clone supports sharks
The Orca is headed back to the waters of New England, but this time, its mission isn't to hunt sharks. It's to help save them.
Microplastics in shrimp harmless to animal health and no effects on consumption quality
A research team from the SEAaq group at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona conducted analyses to determine whether the microplastics contaminating the Mediterranean Sea can also be found inside the...
Skepticism of male bisexuality unfounded, researchers say
Is male bisexuality real? According to a new review, the answer is a definitive "yes."
Artificial cells produce parts of viruses for safe studies
Scientists searching for better diagnostic tests, drugs or vaccines against a virus must all begin by deciphering the structure of that virus. And when the virus in question is highly...
Researchers boost koala spotting system
QUT researchers have published an improved and innovative method for estimating the number of koalas in an area detected by using drones and an artificial intelligent algorithm as they continue...
Researchers study protein biosynthesis in bacteria
Researchers of the University of Bayreuth and the Columbia University in New York reported groundbreaking findings on protein biosynthesis in bacteria in the journal iScience. The small protein NusG links...
Researchers develop gene regulation strategies for plants
A team of scientists from the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP), a mixed center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Valencia's Polytechnic University (UPV), has developed two...
New study takes closer look at how environment affects daily life of brown-throated three-toed sloth
Scientists studying brown-throated three-toed sloths, where predators are extinct and food is more accessible, have found that the animals adapt to have a primarily diurnal, or daytime, schedule.