Latest science news in Biology & Nature

Megalodon may have grown up to 80 feet long — far larger than previous estimates

1 year ago from Live Science

New study suggests megalodons may have grown 15 feet longer than some previous estimates, had enormous babies, and didn't look like supersized great white sharks.

Crickets and flies face off in a quiet evolutionary battle

1 year ago from Sciencenews.org

Male crickets in Hawaii softened their chirps once parasitic flies started hunting them. Now, it seems, the flies are homing in on the new tunes.

Dolphins and humans team up to catch fish in Brazil

1 year ago from Sciencenews.org

In Brazil, where humans and dolphins fish in tandem, cooperation both within and between species is essential for the longstanding tradition.

Sand Topdressing in Turfgrass Management: Insights Into Organic Matter Control and Soil Health

1 year ago from Newswise - Scinews

A research team sheds light on the longstanding debate regarding sand topdressing and its role in managing organic matter in turfgrass systems.

Small and Nutritious Fish: A Healthy and Sustainable Alternative for the Amazon Region

1 year ago from Newswise - Scinews

A study conducted by Cornell University and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), both members of the Amazon Waters Alliance, reveals that small, abundant, and nutritious fish species in the Amazon...

20% of Butterflies in the U.S. Have Disappeared Since 2000

1 year ago from Newswise - Scinews

According to new research featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, butterflies are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Researcher Discusses Decline in Butterfly Populations

1 year ago from Newswise - Scinews

Butterfly populations have been declining at an alarming rate, raising concerns about the broader implications for the environment. Experts from Binghamton University are available in this live virtual event to...

Study Raises the Possibility of a Country Without Butterflies

1 year ago from Newswise - Scinews

Butterflies are disappearing in the United States. All kinds of them. With a speed scientists call alarming.

Bringing Expansion Microscopy to Plants

1 year ago from Newswise - Scinews

Biologists have discovered a low-cost way to more easily study the detailed makeup of plant cells. The ultimate goal is to help grow better crops, improving food security.

Bat is the prime suspect in ultra-rare human rabies fatality in Central California

1 year ago from LA Times - Health

An unidentified Fresno County individual died of rabies despite treatment after probably being bitten by a bat, the first human case in the area in 32 years.

Stressed? Take the fast track to 'womb-like' euphoria at this new L.A. art experience

1 year ago from LA Times - Health

The walk-through art installation aims to get participants to hear color and see sound. The goal? Calmness.

Evacuated? Hosting someone who is? Try these 9 tips for harmonious communal living

1 year ago from LA Times - Health

Thousands have been displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires. Communal living is stressful, even in the best of times. Here's how to cohabitate harmoniously.

Stretching spider silk makes it stronger by aligning protein chains

1 year ago from Physorg

When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk threads from their spinnerets. This pulling action doesn't just help the spider release the silk, it's also...

New technique expands plant cells for better microscopic imaging

1 year ago from Physorg

The way we study plant cells is expanding—literally—thanks to new research from Kevin Cox, an assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and...

First national analysis finds America's butterflies are disappearing at 'catastrophic' rate

1 year ago from Physorg

America's butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.

New research shows bigger animals get more cancer, defying decades-old belief

1 year ago from Physorg

A longstanding scientific belief about a link between cancer prevalence and animal body size has been tested for the first time in our new study ranging across hundreds of animal...

A 'yoga pill' to end anxiety? Neuroscientists discover a brain circuit that instantly deflates stress

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

A new study from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has identified a brain circuit that slows the breath to calm the mind.

L.A.'s mountain lions become more nocturnal to avoid people. Does it come at a cost?

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

A new study found mountain lions in the L.A. area are shifting to a later schedule to avoid people, a hopeful coexistence strategy that may have downsides.

A wave of cat deaths from bird flu prompts new rules on pet food production

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

Cats — both large cats in captivity and pet house cats — across multiple states have been dying from H5N1 bird flu. Now, federal agencies are enforcing new rules to help...

A new strain of bird flu is found on a California duck farm

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

A new strain of H5N9 bird flu was detected at a commercial duck operation in California's Merced County. All the ducks were euthanized.

A new bill could require California to monitor wastewater for disease in the Central Valley

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

The Wastewater Surveillance Act, if passed, would require at least one wastewater monitoring site in every California county.

Weird 'Obelisks' Found in Human Gut May be Virus-Like Entities

1 year ago from Scientific American

Rod-shaped fragments of RNA called “obelisks” were discovered in gut and mouth bacteria for the first time

What Apple's New Vision Pro Headset Might Do to Our Brain

1 year ago from Scientific American

The release of Apple’s mixed-reality headset raises questions about hours spent in a virtual replacement of our world

Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Surprisingly Different Parenting Styles

1 year ago from Scientific American

Chimpanzee “helicopter moms” often protect their offspring from bullies, but bonobo moms are more hands-off

An Evolutionary 'Big Bang' Explains Why Snakes Come in So Many Strange Varieties

1 year ago from Scientific American

Snakes saw a burst of adaptation about 128 million years ago that led to them exploding in diversity and evolving up to three times faster than lizards

Endangered frog dads travel 7,000 miles to 'give birth'

Male frogs carrying tadpoles made an incredible journey to the UK by boat, plane, and car.

Woolly mice designed to engineer mammoth-like elephants

Experiments on mice could see hairy, genetically modified elephants living in the Arctic, a US company claims.

US lost a fifth of its butterflies within two decades

However the researchers say butterflies may be able to recover if urgent conservation measures are taken.