Latest science news in Biology & Nature
When Bears Steal Human Food, Mom's Not To Blame
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society found that the black bears that become habituated to human food and garbage may not be learning these behaviors exclusively from their mothers, as...
Oldest gorilla looks fabulous at 55
A gorilla recognized as the world's oldest in captivity celebrated her 55th birthday by munching down a four-layer frozen fruit cake and banana leaf wrapped treats.
Flame retardant found in falcon eggs
SAN FRANCISCO, May 8 (UPI) -- California researchers said high levels of flame retardant have been found in the eggs of peregrine falcons living in urban areas.
Priority Regions For Threatened Frog And Toad Conservation In Latin America
Nearly 35% of all amphibians are now threatened of extinction raising them to the position of the most endangered group of animals in the world. Decline of amphibian populations and...
Study: Developing neurons fight to survive
BALTIMORE, May 8 (UPI) -- U.S. neuroscientists say they have discovered how body tissue aids new peripheral nerve cells to kill neighboring nerves.
Method found to make tumors easier to kill
ST. LOUIS, May 8 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists have found a vulnerability they say can be used to make cancer cells easier to heat and radiate and,...
Cell's 'Power Plant' Genes Raise Vision Disorder Risk
Genetic variation in the DNA of mitochondria -- the "power plants" of cells -- contributes to a person's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, investigators report. The study is the...
It started with a squeak: Moonlight serenade helps lemurs pick mates of the right species
Lonely hearts columns testify that finding a partner can be hard enough, but at least most human beings can be fairly certain that when we do we have got one...
Common herbicide disrupts human hormone activity in cell studies
A common weedkiller in the U.S., already suspected of causing sexual abnormalities in frogs and fish, has now been found to alter hormonal signaling in human cells, scientists from the...
Screw Worm Outbreak In Yemen
An outbreak of the insidious "screw worm" fly in Yemen, is threatening livelihoods, in a country where rearing livestock is a traditional way of life. The menacing fly lays its...
Humans And Fruit Flies Have Same Insulin-regulated Molecular Pathway To Maintain Energy Balance When Starved
Humans and fruitflies -- those pesky little buggers that are irresistibly attracted to overripe fruit -- share more than a sweet tooth. Both rely on the same insulin-regulated molecular pathway...
Anesthetics Interfere with Nerve Regeneration
A hair strand-thin worm is providing substantial clues on how nerves regenerate, offering insight and hope to finding genes that affect nerve generation and ultimately new drugs and therapies for...
Probe into giant iguana slaughter
Cayman Island authorities investigate the killing of six critically endangered giant blue iguanas.
Brittlestars can survive acid oceans
But the biological cost of maintaining their skeletons may be to high.
Blocking brain enzyme helped mice stay slim
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blocking a single brain enzyme helped short-circuit a key hunger signal in mice and made them eat less, lose weight and have better blood sugar control, U.S....
Rice Plants That Resist Uptake Of Arsenic Could Ease Shortage
Genetically engineered rice plants that resist the uptake of toxic metals could boost production and ease the shortage of this staple crop in Asia, India and Bangladesh, where irrigation with...
Gut Hormone Makes Food Look Even Yummier
A gut hormone that causes people to eat more does so by making food appear more desirable, suggests a new report in Cell Metabolism. In a brain imaging study of...
Observatory: Bird-Babble to Song Takes Surprising Route
Like humans, birds babble before they sing and new research sheds light on the part of the brain that controls this behavior.
Unboxed: Can You Become a Creature of New Habits?
Brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can encourage a way to innovation.
Lots of Animals Learn, but Smarter Isn’t Better
New research indicates that growing smarter has dangerous side effects that make its evolution even more puzzling.
Fat transplantation can have metabolic benefits
When transplanted deep into the abdomen, fat taken from just under the skin comes with metabolic benefits, or at least it does in mice, reveals a new study in the...
Mouse can do without man's most treasured genes
The mouse is a stalwart stand-in for humans in medical research, thanks to genomes that are 85 percent identical. But identical genes may behave differently in mouse and man, a...
Test of maturity for stem cells
Stem cells are extremely versatile: They can develop in 220 different ways, transforming themselves into a correspondingly diverse range of specialized body cells. Biologists and medical scientists plan to make...
Unraveling the Genomic Code for Development
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have produced the first complete description of the complex network of genes that create a particular type of cell in an organism.
Foreign water fleas trouble in Canada
KINGSTON, Ontario, May 6 (UPI) -- Freshwater fishermen in Ontario are being asked to help stop the spread of a non-native water flea by a Queen's University biologist...
Studies yield malaria target proteins
Separate research teams have discovered proteins that could aid the development of antimalarial techniques.
Understanding Plants' Coping Skills May Yield Tougher Plant Varieties
It's a familiar notion that an individual might interpret and respond to stressful events in a unique way based on previous experience and genetic predispositions. A new study by researchers...
Seaweed May Create Cloudy Coasts
Scientists at The University of Manchester have helped to identify that the presence of large amounts of seaweed in coastal areas can influence the climate. read more