Forests found to benefit from tree species variety and genetic diversity
Reforestation projects should include a variety of tree species and ensure genetic diversity within each species to maximize new forests' health and productivity, suggests a study published today in eLife......»»
Adaptation of photosynthetic mechanism in air plants occurs through gene duplication, study finds
Researchers at the University of Vienna, along with collaborators from France, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S., have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how genetic drivers influence the evolution of a specific photosynthesis mechanism in Till.....»»
Missing link in species conservation: Pharmacists, chemists could turn tide on plant, animal extinction
As the world faces the loss of a staggering number of species of animals and plants to endangerment and extinction, one University of Michigan scientist has an urgent message: Chemists and pharmacists should be key players in species conservation eff.....»»
Genetic adaptations have impacted the blood compositions of two populations from Papua New Guinea, finds study
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a wide range of environments, each presenting unique challenges to human survival. Highlanders and lowlanders of PNG are striking examples of populations facing distinct environmental stress. Whereas the highlanders encount.....»»
Maps developed with artificial intelligence confirm low levels of phosphorus in Amazonian soil
As the impacts of climate change increasingly affect the daily lives of residents in several countries, including Brazil, the resilience of forests, especially tropical ones such as the Amazon, has become a frequent topic of research. In addition to.....»»
Climate change reveals intricate dynamics of reproductive barriers in marine species
Monash University scientists have uncovered insights into how rising temperatures influence the reproductive interactions and species boundaries of marine organisms......»»
Aggressive wall lizard provides clues to understanding evolution
Body shape, color and behavior often evolve together as species adapt to their environment. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have studied this phenomenon in a specific type of large, bright green and aggressive common wall lizard found near.....»»
Scientists" research on RNA editing illuminates possible lifesaving treatments for genetic diseases
A team at Montana State University published research this month that shows how RNA, the close chemical cousin to DNA, can be edited using CRISPRs. The work reveals a new process in human cells that has potential for treating a wide variety of geneti.....»»
Hornets found to be primary pollinators of two Angelica species
Researcher Ko Mochizuki of the University of Tokyo discovered that two species in the genus Angelica are pollinated primarily by hornets. This overturns the conventional belief that Angelica species are "generalists," meaning that there is not one pr.....»»
Reforestation study finds only a few tree species can survive a century of rapid climate change
Europe's forests have already been severely affected by climate change. Thousands of hectares of trees have already died due to drought and bark beetles. Scientists from the University of Vienna and the Technical University of Munich TUM have now inv.....»»
Mammals on "sky islands" may be threatened by climate change, human development
A new study sheds light on how climate change and human development threaten mammal species living in isolated biodiversity hotspots known as "sky islands.".....»»
Study sheds light on the diversity of carnivore skull shapes and their function
In a study published in Nature Communications, a team of international researchers led by Gabriele Sansalone and Carmelo Fruciano has made a significant discovery about the diversity of skull shapes in carnivores......»»
More than 2 million gazelle still roam the Mongolian steppe
A study published in Oryx sheds light on the status of Mongolian gazelle populations across Mongolia, Russia, and China, revealing both successes and challenges in the conservation efforts of this iconic species.....»»
Species living closely together in symbiosis is far older and way more common than you might think
Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate relationship of different species living together. It's much more common and older than many of us might realize......»»
Umami-rich scrap fish and invasive species can liven up vegetables, says gastrophysicist
Greening the way we eat needn't mean going vegetarian. A healthy, more realistic solution is to adopt a flexitarian diet where seafoods add umami to "boring" vegetables. University of Copenhagen gastrophysicist Ole G. Mouritsen puts mathematical equa.....»»
AI deciphers new gene regulatory code in plants and makes accurate predictions for newly sequenced genomes
Genome sequencing technology provides thousands of new plant genomes annually. In agriculture, researchers merge this genomic information with observational data (measuring various plant traits) to identify correlations between genetic variants and c.....»»
Automated machine learning robot unlocks new potential for genetics research
University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have constructed a robot that uses machine learning to fully automate a complicated microinjection process used in genetic research......»»
Researchers decipher how an enzyme modifies the genetic material in the cell nucleus
Inside the cell nucleus, the DNA molecule is found in a densely packed DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. Here the DNA is wrapped around a core of histone proteins and densely packed to form nucleosomes. The structure of the nucleosomes determin.....»»
Genetic hope in fight against devastating wheat disease
Fungal disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) is on the rise due to increasingly humid conditions induced by climate change during the wheat growing season, but a fundamental discovery by University of Adelaide researchers could help reduce its economic.....»»
Genomic analysis of a species of zooplankton questions assumptions about speciation and gene regulation
When two animals look the same, eat the same, behave the same way, and live in similar environments, one might expect that they belong to the same species......»»
Gigantic Jurassic raptor footprints unearthed in China
Scientists have discovered the tracks of a 5 meter-long raptor dinosaur, challenging what was previously known about the species' size range......»»