Genetic drift, not natural selection, identified as main factor driving speciation in endangered pupfish species
Scientists have identified a new member on the genetic family tree of an endangered pupfish native to south-central New Mexico......»»
Optimism fuels national productivity and innovation
A study of 42 countries over a 20-year span found one factor had a significant impact on investment in research and development. Economic optimism plays a crucial role in boosting national productivity and research and development, according to a new.....»»
Love island: Bird"s refusal to leave resort life leads to genetic change
A little yellow-and-white bird that prefers to date its mates in an idyllic island lifestyle rather than fly to the mainland to mingle is an example of avian species evolution in action, according to new Australian research......»»
Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal origins
A new international collaborative study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019. The study is based on a new analysis of meta.....»»
NASA watches a peanut-shaped asteroid drift past Earth
Peanuts! Get your peanuts here! The solar system has been passing out peanuts lately in the form of two different oddly shaped asteroids that recently passed by Earth, and both look like over-sized peanuts......»»
Moderate levels of exotic species invasions may help maintain biodiversity, study suggests
Globally, more than 13,000 plant species, equivalent to the entire native flora of Europe, have been naturalized outside their native ranges. A study, jointly conducted by scientists from China and the U.S., provides new insights about biodiversity,.....»»
Decoding "Chachi" citrus: Unveiling the secrets of flavorful phytonutrients
Citrus reticulata "Chachi" (CRC), a staple in traditional medicine and modern pharmacology, is renowned for its rich flavonoid content, which underpins its health-promoting properties. Despite its widespread use, the biosynthetic pathways and genetic.....»»
Microplastics: Meant to last, just not forever and not in our bodies
Megan Hill is an assistant professor of chemistry and leader of the Hill Lab in Colorado State University's College of Natural Sciences. Her research leverages organic chemistry to design advanced polymeric materials for applications in sustainabilit.....»»
New technique zeros in on the genes that snakes use to produce venom
Only about 10% of the world's roughly 4,000 snake species have venom strong enough to seriously hurt a human, but that's enough for snake bites to be an important public health concern. To help better understand how snakes make their venom and how ve.....»»
Endangered sea corals moved from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restoration
Scientists have moved about 300 endangered sea corals from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restoration......»»
Study identifies possible novel species in fish genus endemic to Neotropics
With 84 species currently described, Characidium may be the most diverse fish genus known to science. This is the conclusion reached by Brazilian scientists after analyzing more than 4,400 specimens of this genus of South American darters endemic to.....»»
Bioengineers create new substrate to study wood-decomposing enzyme
Researchers want to transform the natural and abundant resource wood into useful materials, and central to that is a molecular machine found in fungi that decomposes the complex raw material into its basic components......»»
Partial automation technology encourages distraction, IIHS finds
Automated driving systems in a Volvo and Tesla increased complacency, even among experienced drivers......»»
Patents for software and genetic code could be revived by two bills in Congress
PERA and PREVAIL want to re-enable patents struck down by Supreme Court rulings. Enlarge / An image from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where in 1874, the newest thing was not software or genetic compositions, but shutter.....»»
Greenhouse gains: Cucumbers genetic upgrade through innovative pollen tech
Genetic modification in horticultural crops, particularly within the Cucurbitaceae family, is often hindered by complex tissue culture requirements and environmental pressures such as climate change. Traditional transformation techniques, like Agroba.....»»
Oh good, a new species of ‘horror wasp’ is invading the US
Oh good, a new species of ‘horror wasp’ is invading the US.....»»
Another new wasp species discovered by researchers
A newly identified wasp species, Chrysonotomyia susbelli, has been discovered in Houston, Texas, marking the 18th new species identified by Rice University's Scott Egan and his research team since 2014. The discovery, the fourth wasp species found on.....»»
Scientists have found evidence of past extreme solar storms—they could be disastrous for technology-based society
In September 1859, the same year that Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," telegraph systems across Europe and North America stopped working and started sparking, leading to fires in some cases......»»
Silencing in action: How cells "repress" genomic remnants of ancient viruses
Researchers have identified key cellular control sites that regulate gene expression and prevent the activation of "cryptic" genomic regions, including ancient viral sequences......»»
"Emergency" declared over falling UK butterfly numbers
Conservationists on Wednesday voiced concern at a fall in the number of butterflies found in the UK, declaring a "butterfly emergency" and calling for greater protections for under-threat species......»»
Magnifying deep space through the "Carousel Lens"—rare alignment offers unique opportunity to study cosmology
In a rare and extraordinary discovery, researchers have identified a unique configuration of galaxies that form the most exquisitely aligned gravitational lens found to date. The Carousel Lens is a massive cluster-scale gravitational lens system that.....»»