How a butterfly tree becomes a web
Evolution is often portrayed as a tree, with new species branching off from existing lineages, never again to meet. The truth however is often much messier. In the case of adaptive radiation, in which species diversify rapidly to fill different ecolo.....»»
A butterfly"s first flight inspires a new way to produce force and electricity
The wings of a butterfly are made of chitin, an organic polymer that is the main component of the shells of arthropods like crustaceans and other insects. As a butterfly emerges from its cocoon in the final stage of metamorphosis, it will slowly unfo.....»»
Spurge purge: Plant fossils reveal ancient South America-to-Asia "escape route"
Anyone who has taken a long road trip or bike ride has used a product of the spurge plant family—rubber. The spurge family, or Euphorbiaceae, includes economically valuable plants like the rubber tree, castor oil plant, poinsettia and cassava. Newl.....»»
102.3 meters: Research team finds Asia"s tallest tree in China"s Xizang
If you look up "the tallest tree in Asia" on the internet, it may mention Menara, a yellow meranti (Shorea faguetiana) tree with a height of 100.8 meters found in Malaysia. The record, however, has now been broken......»»
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe in Texas uses fire to save a tree that is part of its identity
The longleaf pine's branches arch toward the sky, each bud bursting with spindly green fingers. As flames sweep the landscape, setting yuccas and loblolly pine saplings ablaze, the longleaf's thick bark peels but protects the solid trunk underneath......»»
‘Fauxstalgic’ branding is having a moment
Nostalgia is an effective marketing tool, but brands don’t need a long legacy to harness the same feeling. The smell of sweet coconut. The simple palm tree graphic. The ’80s sea foam green. Vacation sunscreen’s packaging and pro.....»»
Why trees outcompete shrubs to shift upward
Climatic warming is altering the structure and function of alpine ecosystems, including shifts of vegetation boundaries. The upward shift of alpine treelines, the uppermost limit of tree growth forming the boundary between montane forest and alpine c.....»»
Butterfly species" big brains adapted to give them a survival edge, study finds
Heliconius butterflies' brains grew as they adopted a novel foraging behavior, scientists at the University of Bristol have found......»»
Study reveals how a tall spruce develops defense against hungry weevils
A study led by a North Carolina State University researcher identified genes involved in development of stone cells—rigid cells that can block a nibbling insect from eating budding branches of the Sitka spruce evergreen tree. The insect's attack ha.....»»
Study examines centuries of identity lost because of slavery
Many Americans can trace some lines of their family tree back to the 1600s. However, African Americans descended from enslaved Africans, who began arriving in North America in 1619, lack ancestral information spanning several centuries......»»
Biotechnology offers holistic approach to restoration of at-risk forest tree species
Many at-risk forest tree species will probably need biotechnology along with traditional tree-breeding approaches to survive, according to insights published in the July issue of the journal New Forests......»»
Researchers uproot decades of buckthorn management practices
According to new research from the University of Minnesota, buckthorn managers have long overestimated the plant, and in doing so, have given the invasive tree a significant advantage in spreading widely and pushing native species out of woodlands an.....»»
Under the canopy: Researchers study beech leaf disease in Pennsylvania forests
In the woods of the northeastern U.S., a strange disease is creeping through the canopies. Spreading quickly, it causes leaves and branches to wither and, in many cases, the tree to eventually die......»»
Monarchs" white spots shown to aid migration
If you've ever wondered how the monarch butterfly got its spots, University of Georgia researchers may have just found the answer......»»
Researchers focus on function to help identify genetic changes that made us human
Humans split away from our closest animal relatives, chimpanzees, and formed our own branch on the evolutionary tree about seven million years ago. In the time since—brief, from an evolutionary perspective—our ancestors evolved the traits that ma.....»»
New butterfly species named after Smithsonian"s retired museum specialist
When introducing a new species to science, taxonomists always get to choose its scientific name. And while there are some general rules to naming, there's also relative freedom......»»
Centuries-old sequoias damaged during prescribed burn at California park; one may not survive
Two historic giant sequoias were damaged in a prescribed burn last fall at Calaveras Big Trees State Park—and one of them may not survive, park officials and tree enthusiasts agree......»»
Trees as old as time: Using tree resin to reconstruct million-year old ecosystems
Fossil tree resins open a window into the deep past as their organic compounds, termed biomarkers, can be used to identify the botanical provenance of these ancient trees, as well as the paleoenvironmental conditions in which they grew. Amber, one su.....»»
Study suggests long-lived tree species play greater role in generating genetic diversity
A study of the relationship between the growth rate of tropical trees and the frequency of genetic mutations they accumulate suggests that older, long-lived trees play a greater role in generating and maintaining genetic diversity than short-lived tr.....»»
"Sooty bark disease," harmful for maples and humans, can be monitored by pollen sampling stations
Especially after the last few COVID-affected years, nobody doubts that emerging infectious diseases can threaten the whole world. But humans are not the only ones at risk. With intensive global trade, many tree parasites are accidently introduced to.....»»
The other side of the story: How evolution impacts the environment
The story of the peppered moths is a textbook evolutionary tale. As coal smoke darkened tree bark near England's cities during the Industrial Revolution, white-bodied peppered moths became conspicuous targets for predators and their numbers quickly d.....»»