How habitat and reproduction influence the diversity and evolution of frogs
Scientists from the Natural History Museum have led a new study reconstructing the evolution of the frog skull, to understand how habitat and reproduction influence the diversity and evolution of frogs......»»
From vine to wine: Decoding Malbec"s genetic diversity for clonal excellence
Grapevine genomes, known for their high heterozygosity, present significant challenges for accurate assembly. Traditional approaches often focus on nearly homozygous lines, which fail to capture the full genetic diversity of complex cultivars like Ma.....»»
Tiny bright objects discovered at dawn of universe baffle scientists
A recent discovery by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) confirmed that luminous, very red objects previously detected in the early universe upend conventional thinking about the origins and evolution of galaxies and their supermassive black ho.....»»
Mycotecture off planet: En route to the moon and Mars
A turtle carries its habitat. While reliable, it costs energy in transporting mass. NASA makes the same trade-off when it transports habitats and other structures off planet "on the back" of its missions. While this approach is reliable, to save upma.....»»
Phytochemical diversity and herbivory are higher in tropical forests, says study
It is widely accepted that biological interactions are stronger or more important in generating and maintaining biodiversity in the tropics than in temperate regions. However, this hypothesis has not been fully tested in ecology and evolutionary biol.....»»
New Understandings of Food, Fat, Fitness and Evolution
Quantum observers, migrating mangroves, the deep history of an asteroid and understanding appetite in this issue of Scientific American.....»»
Unlocking the world of bacteria—researchers introduce new approach to make bacteria amenable to genetic engineering
Bacteria populate virtually every habitat on Earth, including within and on our own bodies. Understanding and engineering bacteria can lead to new methods for diagnosing, treating, and preventing infections. Additionally, it presents opportunities to.....»»
Wolves reintroduced to Isle Royale temporarily affect other carnivores, humans have influence as well
In a rare opportunity to study carnivores before and after wolves were reintroduced to their ranges, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that the effects of wolves on Isle Royale have been only temporary. And even in the leas.....»»
Frog "saunas" help endangered frogs survive the devastating impacts of a deadly fungal disease
Macquarie University researchers have used heat to develop a simple and effective way to help endangered frogs survive the devastating impacts of a pandemic sweeping multiple species......»»
Bats use four key tactics for accurate target tracking
The ability of "target tracking," i.e., keeping a target object in sight, is essential for various activities and has improved in animals and machines through the evolution of life and technology, respectively. Because most sensing systems are inevit.....»»
Decoding apples: Nitrogen"s role in shaping fruit sugar content
Apple quality and yield are significantly affected by nitrogen levels in the soil, which influence various biochemical processes. Insufficient nitrogen can result in poor fruit quality, while excessive nitrogen leads to environmental pollution. Under.....»»
New tool maps microbial diversity with unprecedented details
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have developed the groundbreaking tool SynTracker. SynTracker expands traditional microbial analysis by considering genomic structural variation to complement existing SNP-based methods......»»
Hidden mechanisms behind hermaphroditic plant self-incompatibility revealed
A new study presents an evolutionary-biophysical model that sheds new light on the evolution of the collaborative non-self recognition self-incompatibility, a genetic mechanism in plants that prevents self-fertilization and promotes cross-fertilizati.....»»
Astronomers study evolution of a giant outburst in X-ray binary EXO 2030+375
An international team of astronomers has observed an X-ray binary system known as EXO 2030+375. Results of the observation campaign, presented in a research paper published June 18 on the pre-print server arXiv, provide more insights into the evoluti.....»»
US military launched a secret anti-vax campaign in the Philippines—here"s why one researcher isn"t surprised
Reuters recently published the bombshell report that in the spring of 2020, the US military began a social media disinformation campaign in the Philippines that aimed to undermine China's influence in the country by casting doubt on the effectiveness.....»»
Genetic switch in plants can turn simple spoon-shaped leaves into complex leaves with leaflets
The diversity of forms of living organisms is enormous. But how the individual cells together coordinate the formation of organs and tissues in complex organisms is still an open question......»»
Saturday Citations: Bulking tips for black holes; microbes influence drinking; new dinosaur just dropped
What did scientists do this week? Exactly four things, all of which are summarized below......»»
Unlocking broccoli"s genome: Key to enhanced health benefits
Broccoli is renowned for its health benefits, primarily due to its rich glucosinolate (GSL) content, which has anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant properties. Despite extensive studies on Brassica species, the genetic basis for GSL diversity remains un.....»»
Citing national security, US will ban Kaspersky anti-virus software in July
US cites Russian government's "capacity to influence Kaspersky's operations." Enlarge (credit: Kaspersky Lab) The Biden administration will ban all sales of Kaspersky antivirus software in the US starting in July, accord.....»»
Insecticides contribute to drop in butterfly species across US MidWest: Study
Insecticide use is a major factor causing a decrease in the size and diversity of butterfly populations across the US Midwest, reports Braeden Van Deynze of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and colleagues in a study published June 20 in.....»»
Exploring the relationship between civilians and military organizations through an experiment in Japan
In democracies where civilian control is followed, the power to make crucial decisions, like those of national security, is mainly exercised by elected officials, allowing the citizens who elect them to influence such decisions indirectly. This role.....»»