Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Viruses could be harder to kill after adapting to warm environments
Enteroviruses and other pathogenic viruses that make their way into surface waters can be inactivated by heat, sunshine and other microbes, thereby reducing their ability to spread disease. But researchers...
Common, rare species equally vulnerable to climate change
New research suggests populations of common animals are just as likely as rare species to rise or fall in response to climate change.
Eat more to grow more arms… if you're a sea anemone
Your genetic code determines that you will grow two arms and two legs. The same fate is true for all mammals. Similarly, the number of fins a fish has and...
Scientists shed light on how praying mantises use the element of surprise to survive
A new study has for the first time illuminated the evolutionary history of the bizarre anti-predator defense—the praying mantis startle display—and suggests that the element of surprise may be key...
Ugandan gorillas in Bwindi park have 'baby boom'
Five baby gorillas are born in six weeks in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Curlew conservation project sees birds released at Lough Neagh
Five curlew fledglings are released near Lough Neagh after they were saved as eggs in late spring.
Common species mirror rare animals' response to global change
The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global change as those of rare species, a study suggests.
How to get the upper body of a burrowing frog
You might think the buffest frogs would be high jumpers, but if you want shredded pecs, you should train like a burrowing frog. Though famously round, these diggers are the...
Reef manta rays make long-term use of marine-protected areas
Marine animals are notoriously difficult to track, creating big gaps in how scientists understand their behavior and migration patterns—key insights for helping conserve important habitats. Researchers in Australia, using satellite...
How to get the upper body of a burrowing frog
If you want shredded pecs, you should train like a burrowing frog. Though famously round, these diggers are the unsung bodybuilders of the frog world.
Flamboyant cuttlefish save their bright patterns for flirting, fighting and fleeing
Don’t let the name fool you. Flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) look anything but flashy most of the time. Images and videos of the marine mollusks flashing bright purple and yellow hues litter the...
Scientists shed new light on pollen tube growth in plants
New insight on how an enzyme ensures the correct growth of pollen tubes in flowering plants has been published today in the open-access journal eLife.
Small fish populations accumulate harmful mutations that shorten lifespan
Population bottlenecks contribute to the accumulation of several harmful mutations that cause age-related illnesses in killifish—a finding that may help answer a key question about aging.
Eye of a fly: Researchers reveal secrets of fly vision for rapid flight control
By examining how fruit flies use eye movements to enhance flight control with a staggeringly fast reaction speed—about 30 times faster than the blink of an eye—Penn State researchers have...
Watch: Bears make repeated visits to California convenience store
Security cameras at a California convenience store captured video of repeated visits from a group of unusual shoplifters -- bears.
Differing diets of bonobo groups may offer insights into how culture is created
Besides humans, many other social animals are believed to exhibit forms of culture in various ways, too. According to primatologists, bonobos, one of our closest living relatives, could be the...
Watch: SuperM frees the 'Tiger Inside' in new video
K-pop supergroup SuperM released a video for "Tiger Inside," a new single from its album "Super One."
Bonobo prey preference as potential sign of culture
Human societies developed food preferences based on a blend of what was available and what the group decided it liked most. Those predilections were then passed along as part of the set...
Neglected for over a century, Black sea spider crab re-described
Even though recognized in the Mediterranean Sea, the Macropodia czernjawskii spider crab was ignored by scientists (even by its namesake, 19th-century biologist Vladimir Czernyavsky) in the regional faunal accounts of...
Scientists shed new light on pollen tube growth in plants
New insight on how an enzyme ensures the correct growth of pollen tubes in flowering plants has just been published.
Small fish populations accumulate harmful mutations that shorten lifespan
Population bottlenecks contribute to the accumulation of several harmful mutations that cause age-related illnesses in killifish - a finding that may help answer a key question about aging.
Monitoring and reporting framework to protect World Heritage Sites from invasive species
Scientists have devised a new monitoring and reporting framework to help protect World Heritage Sites from almost 300 different invasive alien species globally including rats, cats and Argentine ants.
A multinational study overturns a 130-year old assumption about seawater chemistry
There's more to seawater than salt. Ocean chemistry is a complex mixture of particles, ions and nutrients. And for over a century, scientists believed that certain ion ratios held relatively...
Study finds gene targets to combat microorganisms binding to underwater surfaces
A group of synthetic biologists at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have identified new genetic targets that could lead to safe, biologically-based approaches to combat marine biofouling—the process of sea-based microorganisms,...
Monitoring and reporting framework to protect World Heritage Sites from invasive species
A team of international scientists have devised a new monitoring and reporting framework to help protect World Heritage Sites from almost 300 different invasive alien species globally including, rats (Rattus...
Notice me! Neglected for over a century, Black Sea spider crab re-described
Even though recognised in the Mediterranean Sea, the Macropodia czernjawskii spider crab was ignored by scientists (even by its namesake Vladimir Czernyavsky) in the regional faunal accounts of the Black...
Giant leap for molecular measurements
Spectroscopy is an important tool of observation in many areas of science and industry. Infrared spectroscopy is especially important in the world of chemistry where it is used to analyze...
Different responses in individual cells give muscles more control
Minute differences in individual muscle cell contractions allow the entire muscle to flex with greater control and accuracy. Long dismissed as "noise" or error, experts now suspect that biological systems...