Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Recent shark bites scary, but serious injuries remain vanishingly rare
Recent shark bites in Florida and Hawaii and a suspected case in New Jersey have piqued interest in an age-old summer question for beachgoers—is it safe to go in the...
New orchid species found in Tibet
Bulbophyllum is one of the largest genera in the orchid family, with about 2,200 species, and is widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics. In the course of botanical exploration...
Researchers clarify neuronal function that prevents insects from producing eggs in winter
Dormancy is a survival strategy for many organisms that involves suppressing development and reproduction for a period of time to reduce energy consumption in unfavorable environments. In some insects, reproductive...
Grill smells attract black bear to Connecticut garage
Wildlife officials in Connecticut said a hungry bear attracted by the smell of a recently used grill wandered into a resident's garage.
Elephants particularly enjoy presence of zoo visitors, study shows
Animal behavior experts at Nottingham Trent University and Harper Adams University investigated more than 100 previous research papers exploring the various ways in which visitors impacted behavior across more than...
Customs and Border Protection agents fatally shoot man in Arizona
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that three of their agents shot and killed a man in Arizona, after the man allegedly threw an object at them.
Watch: Lana Condor discovers her powers in 'Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken' trailer
"Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken," an animated film featuring the voices of Lana Condor and Jane Fonda, opens in theaters in June.
Drones and satellites among new tools to track biodiversity
UC researchers believe remote sensing technologies such as satellites, planes, and drones will cause a paradigm shift in auditing Aotearoa's biodiversity.
Establishing Amazonian Morpho butterflies as a new eco-evolutionary model
Morpho butterflies are emblematic species of the Amazonian rainforest known for their metallic shades of blue and green. Despite their conspicuous looks and fascinating biology, large-scale genome sequencing efforts have...
How a sniff test could make ‘sexing’ chicks more humane
Demand has grown for technologies that can tell the sex of a chicken before it hatches. Deposit Photos One large part of managing egg-laying hens is a process called sexing, or determining the...
Leishmania parasite manipulates organism's defense system to continue replicating, study shows
In an article published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil show how protozoans of the genus Leishmania that cause leishmaniasis manipulate...
A lab deep underground could hold the key to habitability on Mars
Tunnels deep underground in North Yorkshire are providing a unique opportunity to study how humans might be able to live and operate on the moon or on Mars.
Fruits like apples, blackberries may prevent frailty
Apples and blackberries are among the fruits that contain a particular flavonoid called quercetin that may be the most important to prevent frailty, investigators said.
Guardians' Will Brennan apologizes to bird lovers after lethal line drive
Outfielder Will Brennan took to Twitter -- an app named after bird calls -- to apologize after he hit and killed an avian with a line drive during a Cleveland...
Laboratory 'fishing expedition' reels in a big catch: Hidden pathogenic role of a housekeeping enzyme in Listeria
Purdue University doctoral student Dongqi Liu has identified a previously unknown strategy that the foodborne bacterium Listeria monocytogenes uses to invade and infect humans and animals.
Newly discovered signaling pathway protects stem cells in plant roots from salt stress
A team of researchers, including Prof Jörg Kudla from the Institute of the Biology and Biotechnology of Plants at Münster University, has found a mechanism in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana)...
A new approach to warding off mice eating wheat seed using camouflage scents
A team of life and environmental scientists from The University of Sydney has found that spraying wheat fields with wheat germ oil after seeding deters mice that feed on seeds....
Biodiversity: Almost half of animals in decline, research shows
A study led by Queen's University Belfast finds 48% of species are undergoing population declines.
Rewilding Australia, one devil at a time
Aussie Ark is undertaking a mammoth project to return native wildlife to its wild places
Gorillas' Resilience after Early-Life Trauma Holds Lessons for Humans
A young mountain gorilla who is able to survive the tough early years may live as long or longer than peers who coasted through their youth without incident
Around the bed in 60 days
Lying in bed for a full 60 days – with one shoulder always touching the mattress – might sound like bliss, but add cycling, spinning and constant medical tests to...
Why do people like spicy food?
The chemicals that make food spicy don't target taste receptors, but rather temperature receptors in the tongue.
Zach Galligan: 'Mogwai' is new mythic adventure, not 'Gremlins' rehash
Zach Galligan says he is happy the new animated series, "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai," is a prequel to and not a remake of his 1984 live-action horror-comedy Gremlins.
Ivory ban to extend to hippos and killer whales
The government plans to extend a ban on dealing ivory to five endangered species.
Q&A: Researcher discusses a new model of nervous system form, function, and evolution
How does animal behavior emerge from networks of connected neurons? How are these incredible nervous systems and behaviors actually generated by evolution? Are there principles shared by all nervous systems...
Sexing chicken eggs by scent
Fertilized chicken eggs can be sexed by "sniffing" volatile chemicals emitted through the shell, according to new work by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and Sensit Ventures Inc.,...
How plants use sugar to produce roots
Along with sugar reallocation, a basic molecular mechanism within plants controls the formation of new lateral roots. An international team of plant biologists has demonstrated that it is based on...
Time is of the essence: 100 years of data identify the right time to regenerate perennial grasses
Perennial grasses are economically and biologically important in the Southwest U.S. region, but the abundance of these plants can change dramatically over time. There is concern that declines in grasses...