Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Wolverine spotted in California is only the second in 100 years
Wildlife officials in California said a wolverine spotted on multiple recent occasions is only the second of its species to be seen in the state in the past 100 years.
Human factors affect bees' communication, researchers find
Human influences have the potential to reduce the effectivity of communication in bees, adding further stress to struggling colonies, according to new analysis.
Look: Three sand cat kittens born at North Carolina Zoo
The North Carolina Zoo announced the birth of triplet sand cat kittens to a first-time mother.
Two new snail species discovered in Lake Biwa after systematic revision
Snails may look slow and sleepy, but evolutionarily the freshwater mollusks in Lake Biwa have been busy. However, despite evidence of morphological and genetic variation, new species divergence long went...
CRISPR/Cas9 reveals a key gene involved in the evolution of coral skeleton formation
New work led by Carnegie's Phillip Cleves uses cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to reveal a gene that's critical to stony corals' ability to build their reef architectures. It is...
Rare wolverine spotted in California is 2nd confirmed specimen in a century
A wild wolverine was spotted multiple times in California last month, only the second specimen to be verified by experts in the past century, according to the state Department of...
Great white sharks more common off California coast than previously thought, study says
If you swam off the coast of Santa Barbara or San Diego recently, chances are you had company. You just may not have noticed.
The digital dark matter clouding AI in genome analysis
Artificial intelligence has entered our daily lives. First, it was ChatGPT. Now, it's AI-generated pizza and beer commercials. While we can't trust AI to be perfect, it turns out that...
Discovery of a new animal parasitic euglenid species in rice fields
A detailed investigation has led to the discovery of a new species of parasitic euglenid found in ostracods and other creatures residing in rice fields. This euglenid has undergone a...
How do you track biodiversity loss? Check air filters, say scientists
A new study shows air filtering systems across the world have been collecting DNA from wildlife for decades, which could be used to help researchers identify and quantify biodiversity.
Multi-omics resources for targeted agronomic improvement of pigmented rice
Pigmented rice is known to be much more nutritious than white rice and could be an important resource to improve human health and combat malnutrition. However, improved yield and agronomic...
Scientists Use Machine Learning to 'See' How the Brain Adapts to Different Environments
Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a method involving artificial intelligence to visualize and track changes in the strength of synapses -- the connection points through which nerve cells in the...
Scientists expand understanding of limb evolution in earliest birds
The assembly of the volant bird body plan from the ancestral bulky dinosaurian condition is an enduring topic of evolutionary biology. The body plan of volant birds demonstrates a pronounced...
The rise of pelagic fungi and their crucial role in oceanic ecosystems
Fungi play a vital and previously neglected role in the complex tapestry of marine ecosystems, a study by Eva Breyer and Federico Baltar of the University of Vienna reveals. The...
Researchers build on Human Genome Project advances
The Human Genome Project (HGP), the world's largest collaborative biological project, was a 13-year effort led by the U.S. government with the goal of generating the first full sequence of...
Scientists identify fungal proteins responsible for suppressing host plant immunity from infection
While infectious fungal plant diseases relentlessly wreak havoc on many crops, they are also picky when choosing their hosts. Each fungus generally exhibits a specific host range, but the mechanism...
Air pollution monitoring may accidentally help scientists track biodiversity
The ability to track animals and plants is up in the air — literally — thanks to help from an unexpected source. Around the globe, many air quality control stations filter air...
The stories about whales helping tackle climate change are overblown, says new research
Whales have long fascinated us with their size and beauty. Once we stopped whaling, their populations have begun to recover, in a major win for conservation.
'Butterfly chaos effect' discovered in swarms and herds of animals
Researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) have discovered a phase shift between chaotic states that can appear in herds of...
How a microbe creates its own sulfate reduction machinery
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, have uncovered the molecular secrets of a methane-generating microbe that can transform sulfate into sulfide—a ready-to-use cellular building...
Identifying new genes may elevate efficiency of photosynthesis in crops, could boost yields
Awash in a rowed sea of its brethren, a corn leaf relegated to the lowest rung of its stem spends much of a June afternoon doused in shade cast by...
How studying poop may help boost white rhino populations
Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified significant differences in the gut microbiome of female southern white rhinos who are reproducing successfully in captivity, as compared to females who...
Protein serves as a breaking point for cell membrane rupture during cell death
Every day, millions of cells die in our body. Cells do not simply burst at the end of their lives but rather, a specific protein serves as a breaking point...
A simplified method to assess the synchronization properties of the body clock
Numerous organisms are equipped with circadian clocks (internal body clocks) that help them adapt to daily environmental changes in light and temperature. For synchronizing the clock phase (timing) with these...
Ultrasound Puts Animals into a Curious Hibernation-Like State
A state of torpor might rescue oxygen-starved brain cells or aid extended human space missions
Fungi seem to 'sweat' to stay cool and scientists don't know why
This discovery reveals a mostly unstudied but apparently universal aspect of fungal life.
California launches investigation into migrants flown from Texas to Sacramento
Officials in California said they have launched an investigation after more than a dozen migrants were left on the doorstep of a Sacramento church without prior arrangement or care over...
Saving moths may be just as important as saving the bees
Night-time pollinators such as moths may visit just as many plants as bees, and should also be the focus of conservation and protection efforts, a new study from the University...