Colombia orchid sanctuary collects and clones endangered species
Deep in Colombia's northwestern forests, an orchid enthusiast has gathered a colorful collection of nearly 25,000 specimens, some of which he is cloning to protect them from extinction......»»
A nature conservation paradox: Invasive species are often threatened in their native habitat
Non-native species introduced by humans are among the main causes of global species decline—they were partly responsible for 60% of the species that have become extinct worldwide in recent decades. Non-native mammals in Central Europe include speci.....»»
Robots give scientists unprecedented access to study coral reef biodiversity
Mesophotic coral ecosystems have some of the highest diversity of stony corals (Scleractinia) in the world, making them particularly important for researchers. These ecosystems are also unique because they host more native species compared to shallow.....»»
Autonomous imaging robot can assess embryos" response to environmental change
Scientists have used 3D-printed components to create a robotic instrument that can autonomously monitor the earliest stages of development in any aquatic species. The LabEmbryoCam has been created over the past decade by biologists and technologists.....»»
A microRNA solves an evolutionary mystery of butterfly and moth wing coloration
Lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) exhibit a splendid diversity of wing color patterns, and many species display black and white, or dark and bright, wing color pattern variants associated with the presence and absence of melanin. Many of these wi.....»»
Unlike other insects, desert ants may use polarity of geomagnetic field for navigation
Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth's magnetic field for spatial orientation, but these tiny insects rely on a different component of the field than other insects, a research team led by Dr. Pauline Fleischmann from the Univers.....»»
Triassic reptile with unusual jaws named as a new species
A new species of ancient reptile has been named after spending more than 200 million years buried in the ground. Threordatoth chasmatos was one of the last survivors of the procolophonids, a group of lizard-like animals that were once widespread duri.....»»
Cold storage and CO₂ extend life of Asian hornet baits for battling invasive species
A research group has found the key to solving one of the main problems in the fight against the Asian hornet: the limited time the baits can be used. This work, published in the Microchemical Journal, established that when stored under cold condition.....»»
Europe"s native oyster ecosystems have "collapsed," scientists say
European native oyster ecosystems have been classified as a "collapsed" species, after an assessment of historical and ecological data revealed it has faced extreme decimation......»»
Neanderthals and modern humans must be classed as separate species to best track our origins, study claims
A new study published by researchers at London's Natural History Museum and Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven has reinforced the claim that Neanderthals and modern-day humans (Homo sapiens) must be classed as separate species in order to best track.....»»
Four new mushroom species discovered in Sweden
A researcher at Uppsala University has discovered four new mushrooms, three of which are found in Sweden—where they are already threatened with extinction. It is a case of hidden species diversity in the group of hydnoid fungi......»»
Warming oceans are changing marine habitats. A new study explores the impact on thousands of species
Every year, human activities release billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the Sun, making the Earth warmer than it would be without them. Over 90% of the extra heat from greenhouse gases gets absorbed b.....»»
Deep seabed mining: Bad for biodiversity and terrible for the economy
The debate around deep seabed mining has been gaining attention as concerns mount about its potential impacts on ocean ecosystems. The ocean is host to countless species yet to be discovered, some of which could hold the key to breakthroughs in medic.....»»
Study confirms two forms of longtooth groupers in Asia are separate species of fish
A team of marine biologists from the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, also in Japan, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, has found via genetic and physical study that tw.....»»
Peat-bog fungi produce substances that kill tuberculosis-causing bacteria
An analysis of fungi collected from peat bogs has identified several species that produce substances toxic to the bacterium that causes the human disease tuberculosis. The findings suggest that one promising direction for development of better treatm.....»»
Apple Watch tracks more health metrics than you realize
Apple Watch collects much more health data than users realize. Let's walk through some of the lesser-known metrics so that you can better leverage them to better your health.Reviewing our sleep data on Apple WatchFor years now, Apple has been boastin.....»»
Wildlife commission lowers European wolf protections
Dozens of countries on Tuesday approved downgrading the protection status of the wolf in Europe, a move activists say will upset the recovery made by the species over the past 10 years after near extinction a century ago......»»
Scientists uncover new mollusk species co-habiting with an anemone in the North Atlantic abyss
A new species of tusk shell, a burrowing marine mollusk, has been discovered in deep, North Atlantic waters by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research. The newly discovered mollusk lives in the aby.....»»
Plant ecosystems study questions common assumption about biodiversity
Plant species can fulfill different functions within an ecosystem, even if they are closely related to each other. This surprising conclusion was reached by a global analysis of around 1.7 million datasets on plant communities......»»
20-year study in Congo"s largest protected park confirms that rangers are effective in preserving endangered bonobos
Scientists now know how many bonobos live in one of the largest pristine tropical forests, a place believed to be the world's stronghold for the endangered species......»»
Sustainable land management practice successfully "uproots" invasive Prosopis juliflora in East Africa
The adoption of a sustainable land management practice (SLM) to manage invasive Prosopis juliflora—considered one of the worlds most threatening non-native tree species—appears to have "uprooted" the problem in East Africa......»»