Bird and mammal diversity is declining with biological invasions
The introduction of invasive species leads to a decline in certain native species. A team of researchers from the CNRS and the University of Paris-Saclay has managed to show that 11% of the global phylogenetic diversity of birds and mammals, in other.....»»
More cows are being tested and tracked for bird flu. Here"s what that means
U.S. health and agriculture officials are ramping up testing and tracking of bird flu in dairy cows in an urgent effort to understand—and stop—the growing outbreak......»»
Uncovering the diversity of Micropsalliota: Seven new species and one newly recorded species in southern China
Species of Micropsalliota (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes, Agaricales, Agaricaceae) are mainly distributed in tropical and /or subtropical regions. These fungi are saprophytic in general and can decompose lignin and cellulose, and thus have significan.....»»
Researcher finds that wood frogs evolved rapidly in response to road salts
When we think of evolution, we think of a process that happens over hundreds or thousands of years. In research published in Ecology and Evolution a team led by Rick Relyea, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences and David M. Darrin Senior Endowed.....»»
Crises like pandemics or financial crashes could stall progress on gender diversity in boardrooms
Forget shattering the glass ceiling—a new research study published in The Leadership Quarterly warns that crises like the recent COVID-19 pandemic or a global financial crash could slam the brakes on progress toward improving gender diversity in bo.....»»
Why the term "DEI" is being weaponized as a racist dog whistle
A bridge in Baltimore collapsing, a door falling off an airplane and antisemitism—what do they have in common? In recent months, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been blamed for all three......»»
The high and mighty Himalayas: A biodiversity hotbed facing significant challenges
The Himalayas are home to a vast diversity of species, consisting of 10,000 vascular plants, 979 birds and 300 mammals, including the snow leopard, the red panda, the Himalayan tahr and the Himalayan monal......»»
Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch: Scientists share which forests can adapt to climate change
Climate change can be characterized as the Grim Reaper or some other harbinger of dire times for humanity and natural environment, including forests. Previous studies reporting a decline in forest productivity due to climate warming and long-term dro.....»»
Evolutionary biologists show that the color variants of female cuckoos are based on ancient mutations
Every cuckoo is an adopted child—raised by foster parents, into whose nest the cuckoo mother smuggled her egg. The cuckoo mother is aided in this subterfuge by her resemblance to a bird of prey. There are two variants of female cuckoos: a gray morp.....»»
New model extends theory of pattern formation to the nano-cosmos
A new model developed by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) extends the theory of elastic phase separation towards nanoscopic structures. Such patterns are frequent in biological systems and also used.....»»
Social change may explain decline in genetic diversity of the Y chromosome at the end of the Neolithic period
The emergence in the Neolithic of patrilineal social systems, in which children are affiliated with their father's lineage, may explain a spectacular decline in the genetic diversity of the Y chromosome observed worldwide between 3,000 and 5,000 year.....»»
Fragments of bird flu virus genome found in pasteurized milk, FDA says
The test cannot tell if the virus is live. The FDA still assess milk supply as safe. Enlarge / Cows being milked (credit: Getty | Edwin Remsberg) The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced that genetic fragmen.....»»
Supercomputer simulation reveals new mechanism for membrane fusion
An intricate simulation performed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers using one of the world's most powerful supercomputers sheds new light on how proteins called SNAREs cause biological membranes to fuse......»»
A universal framework for spatial biology
Biological processes are framed by the context they take place in. A new tool developed by the Stegle Group from EMBL Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) helps put molecular biology research findings in a better context of cellula.....»»
Advances in understanding the evolution of stomach loss in agastric fishes
Living beings can evolve to lose biological structures due to potential survival benefits from such losses. For example, certain groups of ray-finned fishes show such regressive evolution—medakas, minnows, puffera, and wrasses do not have a stomach.....»»
Concern grows as bird flu spreads further in US cows: 32 herds in 8 states
Experts say the US is not sharing as much data on the outbreak as it should. Enlarge / Greylag geese sit on a field and rest while a cow passes by in the background. (credit: Getty | Daniel Bockwoldt) Researchers aroun.....»»
Diamond-based quantum sensing microscope offers effective approach for quantifying cellular forces
Cells rely on constant interplay and information exchange with their micro-environment to ensure their survival and perform biological functions. Hence, precise quantification of tiny cellular adhesion forces, spanning from piconewtons to a few nanon.....»»
H5N1 strain of bird flu found in milk: WHO
The H5N1 bird flu virus strain has been detected in very high concentrations in raw milk from infected animals, the WHO said Friday, though how long the virus can survive in milk is unknown......»»
Key protein regulates immune response to viruses in mammal cells
Researchers have revealed the regulatory mechanism of a specific protein that plays a key role in balancing the immune response triggered by viral infections in mammal cells. These findings could help drive the development of antiviral therapies and.....»»
Research team resolves decades-long problem in microscopy
When viewing biological samples with a microscope, the light beam is disturbed if the lens of the objective is in a different medium than the sample. For example, when looking at a watery sample with a lens surrounded by air, the light rays bend more.....»»
Mapping plant functional diversity from space: Ecosystem monitoring with novel field-satellite integration
An international team of researchers, led by Professor Jin Wu from the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has made a promising advancement in mapping plant functional traits from space using time-series satellite data.....»»