How a Carnivorous Mushroom Poisons Its Prey
Scientists have known for decades that oyster mushrooms feasted on roundworms—and they’ve finally figured out how their toxins work -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»
Finding the genes that help kingfishers dive without hurting their brains
If you've ever belly-flopped into a pool, then you know: water can be surprisingly hard if you hit it at the wrong angle. But many species of kingfishers dive headfirst into water to catch their fishy prey. In a new study in the journal Communication.....»»
Video: An antidote for deadly mushrooms?
Almost all mushroom-related fatalities worldwide are caused by a single group of molecules, cyclopeptides, which are found in death caps and destroying angels......»»
Reef-devouring predator survives coral bleaching and feasts on the survivors
Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney has found juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish can withstand tremendous heat waves well above levels that kill coral. These starfish then develop into carnivorous predators that devou.....»»
Peregrine falcons set off false alarms to make prey easier to catch, study finds
Predators must eat to survive—and to survive, prey must avoid being eaten. One theory, the Wolf-Mangel model, suggests predators could use false attacks to tire prey out or force them to take bigger risks, but this has been hard to show in practice.....»»
Predator-prey defense mechanisms could unlock key to marine biofuel production
Researchers have unpicked the mechanism behind a marine feeding strategy that could provide a valuable renewable source of biofuel......»»
Mushroom-derived materials could offer benefits for developing nations in Africa
A research team from the University of Bristol has suggested that mycelium composites could offer a sustainable alternative to traditional building materials and help address socio-economic and environmental challenges in Africa......»»
Climate change and carnivores: Shifts in the distribution and effectiveness of protected areas in the Amazon
A new article published in PeerJ, authored by Camila Ferreira Leão at Universidade Federal do Pará sheds light on the effects of climate change on carnivorous mammals in the Amazon and their representation within Protected Areas (PAs). "Climate cha.....»»
Parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh—it"s also an extreme example of genome shrinkage
If you happen to come across plants of the Balanophoraceae family in a corner of a forest, you might easily mistake them for fungi growing around tree roots. Their mushroom-like structures are actually inflorescences, composed of minute flowers......»»
Here Come the Glow-in-the-Dark Houseplants
Startup Light Bio has created a bioluminescent petunia using mushroom genes and plans to start shipping the plants next spring......»»
smdh: New Unicode 15.1 emoji include nodding/shaking heads, “edible mushroom”
New emoji are technically all modifications of existing designs. Enlarge / Examples of new and modified emoji in Unicode 15.1. (credit: Emojipedia) The Unicode Consortium has finalized version 15.1 of the Unicode standa.....»»
What"s the real story about shark populations in New York waters?
The lack of evidence about shark biology, their prey, and changes in the ecosystems of New York area coastal waters is a driving force to expand research about sharks and their populations in the region, so say a team of scientists in an article publ.....»»
Study finds more Texas owls are testing positive for rat poisons
New research suggests that owls in Texas have high rates of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR)—blood thinning rat poisons—in their systems. Jennifer Smith, a professor of integrative biology in the UTSA College of Sciences, co-authored a research ar.....»»
Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals, study shows
Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the.....»»
Researchers reveal the hidden world of Toronto"s urban predators, and their prey
Raccoons may be Toronto's unofficial mascot, but the furry creatures that plunder our green bins are far from the only wild animals that live among us......»»
Contours that kill: Geometry influences prey capture in carnivorous pitcher plants
Researchers at the University of Oxford's Botanic Garden and the Mathematical Institute have shown that the shape, size, and geometry of carnivorous pitcher plants determines the type of prey they trap. The results have been published today in the Pr.....»»
Small prey compelled prehistoric humans to produce appropriate hunting weapons and improve their cognitive abilities
A new study from the Department of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University found that the extinction of large prey, upon which human nutrition had been based, compelled prehistoric humans to develop improved weapons for hunting small prey, thereby driving.....»»
Echoes of extinctions: Novel method sheds light on future challenges for mammals
Large-bodied mammals play crucial roles in ecosystems. They create habitats, serve as prey, help plants thrive, and even influence how wildfires burn. But now, fewer than half of the large mammal species that were alive 50,000 years ago exist today,.....»»
Little African snake can swallow biggest prey relative to its size
Pythons have huge appetites, but which snake around the world would win an eating contest?.....»»
Nauseous territory: Outfoxing predators using baits that make them ill
Introduced foxes, dogs, cats, rats, and other predators kill millions of native animals every year, but what if they were conditioned to associate this prey with food that made them ill?.....»»
Thick ones, pointy ones—how albatross beaks evolved to match their prey
Albatross are among the world's largest flying birds, with wingspans that can stretch beyond a remarkable three meters. These majestic animals harness ocean winds to travel thousands of kilometers in search of food while barely flapping their wings......»»