Hemp cannabinoids may have evolved to deter insect pests
Cannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds found in hemp plants, may have evolved to deter pests from chewing on them, according to experiments that showed higher cannabinoid concentrations in hemp leaves led to proportionately less damage from inse.....»»
UK police shocked to discover taser disguised as iPhone
A taser designed to resemble Apple's iPhone was taken from a boy, and UK police say it was capable of delivering 650,000 volts.iPhone-shaped tasers are easy to find in US marketsNon-lethal tasers are illegal in the UK, but that didn't deter someone f.....»»
Hollow bones that let dinosaurs become giants evolved at least three times independently, shows study
Dinosaurs as big as buses or five-story buildings would not be possible if their bones were dense and heavy like ours. Like present-day birds, dinosaurs had hollow bones with inner structures known as air sacs, which made their skeletons lighter and.....»»
Wings, not webs: Certain bugs are the winners of urbanization, impacting cities" insect diversity
Cities are bursting with life, both human and animal. The smallest of them—insects, spiders and ants—are easily overlooked, but their presence—or absence—in cities has wide-reaching effects. Scientists in Austria have published a study in Fro.....»»
What Scientists Are Learning about Women"s Health from Other Female Animals
Evolved adaptations of female animals could help solve women’s health challenges.....»»
These Researchers Used AI to Design a Completely New "Animal Robot"
“Xenobots” are living, swimming self-powered robots that measure less than a millimeter across. They are evolved by artificial intelligence and built out of frog stem cells—and they could open new medical fr.....»»
Sweetpotato clones with improved insect resistance and weed tolerance
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Clemson University are developing new, insect-resistant, and weed-tolerant sweetpotato germplasm that will improve weed management and sustainability.....»»
These Researchers Used A.I. to Design a Completely New "Animal Robot"
Xenobots are living, swimming, self-powered robots less than a millimeter across, evolved by artificial intelligence and built out of frog stem cells—and they could open new medical frontiers......»»
How the Woolly Bear Caterpillar Turns into a Popsicle to Survive the Winter
Some caterpillars have evolved with antifreeze in their body cavity, allowing them to become cater-Popsicles to survive cold winters. But climate change could threaten that......»»
How fish evolved to walk
When you think about human evolution, there's a good chance you're imagining chimpanzees exploring ancient forests or early humans daubing wooly mammoths on to cave walls. But we humans, along with bears, lizards, hummingbirds and Tyrannosaurus rex,.....»»
Thinking of getting a second cat? Here"s how to make sure your first pet doesn"t feel threatened
Many people choose to live with a cat for companionship. As a social species, companionship is something we often crave. But this cannot necessarily be said of our feline friends. Domestic cats evolved from a largely solitary species, defending their.....»»
Genomic study of Indigenous Africans paints complex picture of human origins and local adaptation
Africa, where humans first evolved, today remains a place of remarkable diversity. Diving into that variation, a new analysis of 180 Indigenous Africans from a dozen ethnically, culturally, geographically, and linguistically varied populations by an.....»»
Wasps harness power of pitcher plants in first-ever observed defense strategy
As the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, turn that tartness into little translucent balls in which to grow your young." At least, that's how the saying goes for a tiny insect called a cynipid wasp, whose larvae were recently discovered induci.....»»
Mulching time of forest meadows influences insect diversity
Mulching is a possible management method for forest meadows and is important to their upkeep. During the process, the meadow is cut and the cuttings are shredded and left on the meadow. Despite its significance, the effects of this method on insects.....»»
Weird world of Aussie bees: How one species creates gender balance in the nest
New Flinders University research gives insights into the fascinating world of Australian native bees, finding that one highly evolved species has been shaped by an unusual battle between male and female offspring numbers......»»
Shark from the Jurassic period was already highly evolved
Cartilaginous fish have changed much more in the course of their evolutionary history than previously believed. Evidence for this thesis has been provided by new fossils of a ray-like shark, Protospinax annectans, which demonstrate that sharks were a.....»»
Super-fast insect urination powered by the physics of superpropulsion
Saad Bhamla was in his backyard when he noticed something he had never seen before: an insect urinating. Although nearly impossible to see, the insect formed an almost perfectly round droplet on its tail and then launched it away so quickly that it s.....»»
Bitter substances spoil the appetite of oak moth caterpillars
Trees have a huge arsenal of ways to keep the pests that attack them under control. In the course of evolution, for example, some English oaks (Quercus robur) have developed the ability to release volatile signaling substances when attacked by oak mo.....»»
Rare insect found at Arkansas Walmart sets historic record, points to deeper ecological questions
A giant insect plucked from the façade of an Arkansas Walmart has set historic records. The Polystoechotes punctata (giant lacewing) is the first of its kind recorded in eastern North America in over 50 years—and the first record of the species ev.....»»
Researchers propose new mechanism for early chemical evolution
Scientists from The Ohio State University have a new theory about how the building blocks of life—the many proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids that compose every organism on Earth—may have evolved to favor a certain kind of molecula.....»»
How midgut development in insects reveals their evolutionary past
Insects have been around for millions of years, but their evolutionary relationships are still not fully known. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered that an old insect lineage can contribute to a clearer picture of their past......»»