Ancient trees help to protect an endangered species
The oldest trees in the forest help to prevent the disappearance of endangered species in the natural environment, according to a study led by the University of Barcelona. This is the case of the wolf lichen—threatened throughout Europe—which now.....»»
Topographic complexity: A blueprint for biodiversity conservation
In the intricate landscapes of karst regions, the subtle interplay of slopes, soils, and microclimates is shaping the survival of plant species. A new study published in Forest Ecosystems has revealed how the unique structure of dolines—topographic.....»»
How the loss of urban trees affects education outcomes
It's well established that urban tree cover provides numerous environmental and psychological benefits to city dwellers. Urban trees may also bolster education outcomes and their loss could disproportionately affect students from low-income families,.....»»
Wildfire risk climbs as trees reclaim eastern US landscapes
The eastern U.S. has more trees and shrubs than three decades ago. This growth, driven by processes such as tree and understory infilling in unmanaged forests, is helping fuel wildfires, contributing to changing fire regimes in the eastern half of th.....»»
New model maps monkey habitats to aid conservation efforts
A monkey mapping study could boost conservation of animal species that share their habitats with humans......»»
Critically endangered elephant found dead in Bali river
A critically endangered elephant living at a zoo on the Indonesian resort island of Bali was found dead in a river Tuesday after being swept away by strong currents following days of torrential rain, officials said......»»
UK"s inland bathing sites tainted by chemical pollutants and antibiotic resistant genes, researchers find
The U.K.'s rivers are contaminated with a mixture of chemical pollutants and antibiotic resistant genes, which could be causing severe harm to people and aquatic species, according to the findings of a new study......»»
Protective salt marshes along coasts are in danger across the globe but it"s not too late to act, researchers say
Salt marshes are among coastal habitats endangered by both rising sea levels and urban development......»»
Threat of abrupt mortality events keeps endangered monkey population at risk, despite decades of growth
Despite the population being almost four times larger than it was in 1982, a new study published in the journal Ecology suggests the northern muriqui monkeys remain at risk, especially in the face of ongoing habitat disturbances......»»
Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors—one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages
Twins have been rare in human history and for that reason can seem special. Many cultures associate twins with health and vitality, while others see them as a philosophical reminder of the duality of life and death, good and evil. Some famous twins a.....»»
A biochip for fish detection using eDNA
Dolly Varden is a rare species of fish found in the Nooksack River basin of northwestern Washington state. Although they have flyrods in tow, Trout Unlimited volunteers' primary tool of choice is an environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling kit. This tool en.....»»
Closest relative of "magic mushroom" discovered in Africa
A team of biologists, mycologists and microbiologists in the U.S., South Africa and Zimbabwe reports that a species of mushroom growing in parts of Africa is the closest relative of Psilocybe cubensis, the most widespread hallucinogenic mushroom know.....»»
Meta thinks social media can protect us from deep fakes
Deep fakes are arguably the most dangerous aspect of AI. It’s now relatively trivial to create fake photos, audio, and even video. See below for deep fakes of Morgan Freeman and Tom Cruise, for example. But while social media has so far been use.....»»
Completing the "timetree" of primates: A new way to map the evolutionary history of life on Earth
In a new article published in Frontiers in Bioinformatics, biologists Dr. Jack M Craig, Dr. Blair Hedges, and Dr. Sudhir Kumar, all at Temple University, have built an evolutionary tree that encompasses 455 primates, every species for which genetic d.....»»
Ancient genes pinpoint when humans and Neanderthals mixed and mingled
Neanderthals and humans likely mixed and mingled during a narrow time frame 45,000 years ago, scientists reported Thursday......»»
Huge and rare Mekong catfish spotted in Cambodia, raising conservation hopes
Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish—one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world—were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species......»»
Saturday Citations: M87* lashes out; a deep sleep discovery; proposal to build a digital cell
I love it when researchers observe an extra-weird particle, and this week, scientists reported the observation of a particle that only has mass when it's moving in a single direction. Good enough! An ancient DNA analysis suggests that Neanderthals an.....»»
AI tool enhances wildlife image analysis for climate change insights
A new AI image tool could aid the development of algorithms to analyze wildlife images to help improve understanding of how species around the world are responding to climate change, a study suggests......»»
Buried landforms reveal North Sea"s ancient glacial past
An international team of researchers, including a glaciologist at Newcastle University, UK, has discovered remarkably well-preserved glacial landforms buried almost 1 km beneath the North Sea......»»
Ancient Roman harbor wooden structures analyzed with MRI technology
In a recent study, rare wooden structures from the Roman Empire were investigated in a wide range of ways using NMR methods. These methods, widely known for their use in hospital MRI scans to produce detailed images of the human body, have proven equ.....»»
How an iconic desert tree survives extreme heat—and the unique risk it"s facing now
New research has found that the punishing summer temperatures and persistent drought conditions in much of Arizona and the Southwest are dealing a double whammy to trees attempting to regulate their own temperature, putting a critical part of the des.....»»