How Antarctica"s tiny non-ice-dwelling species survived the ice age
New research published in Biology Letters on March 22 shows how tiny Antarctic life, which have lived on the continent since it was part of a forested Gondwana, have been able to survive as ice sheets have expanded and contracted over their ice-free.....»»
An evolutionary battleground: Plants vs. microbes
Gazing out on a freshwater pond, you may see tiny green plants with oval-shaped leaves floating in clusters. In overgrown ponds, these plants coat the water's surface. These plants—called duckweed or water lentils—can grow so fast that they can d.....»»
Rapid loss of Antarctic ice after 2100 likely under current emissions, climate scientists find
A Dartmouth-led study by more than 50 climate scientists worldwide provides the first clear projection of how carbon emissions may drive the loss of Antarctica's ice sheet over the next 300 years......»»
New fossil fish species scales up evidence of Earth"s evolutionary march
Climate change and asteroids are linked with animal origin and extinction—and plate tectonics also seems to play a key evolutionary role, "groundbreaking" new fossil research reveals......»»
Trilobite fossils from upstate New York reveal "extra" set of legs
A new study finds that a trilobite species with exceptionally well-preserved fossils from upstate New York has an additional set of legs underneath its head. The research, led by the American Museum of Natural History and Nanjing University in China,.....»»
Pair of rare Amur tiger cubs debuting at Minnesota Zoo are raising hopes for the endangered species
A pair of rare Amur tiger cubs are making their public debut at the Minnesota Zoo, raising hopes for preserving an endangered species that's native to far eastern Russia and northern China......»»
Modeling study explains why amazon is such a biodiverse paradise
The Amazon rainforest is home to a remarkable variety of plants and animals not found anywhere else on Earth, with some species only located in certain areas, but the reason for this has perplexed and divided scientists for decades......»»
Endangered species rebounds in California a century after being wiped out
All on its own, an endangered species is making a fierce comeback in California, newly published state wildlife data show......»»
Multiple ways to evolve tiny knee bone could have helped humans walk upright
The evolution of bones in primates' knees could have implications for how humans evolved to walk upright, a new study has found......»»
X-ray footage shows how Japanese eels escape from a predator’s stomach
It took escaping eels 56 seconds on average to free themselves from death. Enlarge / "The only species of fish confirmed to be able to escape from the digestive tract of the predatory fish after being captured.” (credit: Hasega.....»»
Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source
The Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica is the world's largest feeding ground for baleen whales—species like humpbacks that filter tiny organisms from seawater for food. In the 20th century, whalers killed roughly 2 million large whales in the Sou.....»»
Opinion: Researchers don"t take enough account of variation in biology—doing so could unlock new understanding
The natural world is filled with variety. Ecological systems can look very different in different parts of the Earth. Every species has genetic variation, which means individuals can look and behave very differently. Diseases can affect people differ.....»»
Researchers sequence the genome of the spur-thighed tortoise
Like many threatened land turtle species, the spur-thighed tortoise had no complete genome. Now for the first time, researchers from the Ecology departments at Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the University of Alicante (UA) have succe.....»»
How viruses move through insects for transmission of diseases
Viruses are master parasites that have adapted to infect many host species. Some viruses even use multiple hosts to spread their infections—such as arboviruses that use insects to move their infections to mammalian hosts like humans. Understanding.....»»
Atomic diffusion technique could lead to mass production of metal nanowires
A group from Nagoya University in Japan has created a new technique for growing the tiny metal nanowires (NWs) that are expected to be used in next-generation electronics. Their results suggest a way to mass produce pure metal NWs, which has until no.....»»
Genetic analysis reveals new giant fanged frog species in Philippines that is nearly identical to even larger species
Researchers from the University of Kansas have published findings in the journal Ichthyology & Herpetology describing a new species of fanged frog, named Limnonectes cassiopeia, from the Philippine island of Luzon......»»
Large theropod dinosaurs thrived near South Pole, Australian tracks show
A discovery of dinosaur tracks on Australia's southern coast—dating back to the Early Cretaceous when Australia was still connected to Antarctica—indicates that large theropod dinosaurs thrived in this polar environment, prowling the river floodp.....»»
Could alternative meat meet a growing demand?
Inside a UC Davis engineering lab, tiny round pellets swirl in a brown liquid inside a 5-liter glass tank. The tank, a bioreactor, is brewing edible fungi high in protein and designed to look and taste like meat......»»
Farming at the edges of nature reserves is helping exotic species invade New Zealand, finds study
Native shrublands were once common across the Canterbury Plains, but over time, conversion of land to other uses, including irrigated pasture, has contributed to their gradual decline. Now, a new study by scientists at Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Resea.....»»
New mass spectrometry technology could transform tiny sample analysis
Mass spectrometry is a powerful technique that allows scientists to break down and identify the building blocks of just about anything by measuring the mass of the tiny particles of which something is comprised. It has a major limitation, however—a.....»»
Video evidence: Japanese eels escape from their predator"s stomach
Many prey species have defensive tactics to escape being eaten by their would-be predators. But a study published in Current Biology on September 9, 2024 has taken it to another level by offering the first video evidence of juvenile Japanese eels esc.....»»