Humans ditched swiveling hips for shorter stride than chimps
Humans were thought to have the longest primate strides for their height, but now it turns out that chimpanzees take 25% longer strides than we do, thanks to their swiveling hips, which rotate by as much as 61deg every time they take a step to compen.....»»
How is the Anthropocene helping to rethink the contemporary issue of environmental degradation?
The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch whereby humans are deemed to be the primary drivers of ecological and environmental change, through activities that lead to environmental degradation. This theory that human activity poses more of a thr.....»»
Yeast meiosis study finds temperature changes result in shorter meiotic chromosome axes and more crossovers
In a study of meiosis in budding yeast, a research team found that yeast senses temperature changes by increasing the level of DNA negative supercoils to increase crossovers and modulate chromosome organization during meiosis......»»
From recycling to food: Can we eat plastic-munching microbes?
Researchers are trying to turn plastic-eating bacteria into food source for humans. Enlarge (credit: Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images) In 2019, an agency within the US Department of Defense released a call for resear.....»»
Bonobo evidence suggests ancient origin of the "common enemy effect"
In the face of threats from other groups, humans, chimpanzees, and a selection of other species get closer to their own. Now an international team led by Kyoto University has shown that even our more peaceful cousins, bonobos—who have never been ob.....»»
Mosquitoes sense infrared from body heat to help track humans down, study shows
While a mosquito bite is often no more than a temporary bother, in many parts of the world it can be scary. One mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, spreads the viruses that cause over 100,000,000 cases of dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other diseases ev.....»»
German warship floats down Thames while playing Darth Vader’s theme
"No deeper meaning," says German navy. The German navy going "full Empire" down the Thames. The FGS Braunschweig is a German naval corvette made for stealthy littoral (shoreline) operations, but the Braunschweig ditched the stealth.....»»
Eyes in the sky and on the ground: Enhanced dryland monitoring with remote sensing
While animals in drylands hone their natural senses to find vegetation, humans have developed "external eyes" to track these vital resources......»»
Tissue fluidization during skin repair is crucial for wound healing, study reveals
The ability to repair tissue following injuries is essential for the survival of all animals. Following wounding, the skin is repaired by activating, migrating, and dividing skin stem cells. Defects of wound healing in humans lead to chronic wounds t.....»»
Study says ChatGPT could help people with creativity in everyday tasks
ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence technology developed by OpenAI, could help humans with daily, creative tasks—even those typically thought to require the human ability to "read between the lines," according to new research by the Uni.....»»
Humans can work with nature to solve big environmental problems—but there"s no quick fix, researchers say
"Nature-based solutions" are gaining momentum in environmental policy, including in Australia. They involve working with nature to protect, restore or manage ecosystems in a way that benefits both people and the environment......»»
Ancient tree resin artifacts provide earliest-known evidence of humans dispersing through the Pacific
Exactly when and how humans dispersed into and through the Pacific remains an intensely debated topic. Previous studies have been hampered by imprecise chronometric dating, making the exact timing and movement of people into the Pacific difficult to.....»»
How "winner and loser effects" impact social rank in animals—and humans
Research has shown that in many animals, the winners of a fight are more likely to win subsequent contests, while the losers tend to lose their following fights. In experiments where male stickleback fish were randomly introduced to another fish, 65%.....»»
How researchers reconstructed the ancestor of all life on Earth
Understanding how life began and evolved on Earth is a question that has fascinated humans for a long time, and modern scientists have made great advances when it comes to finding some answers. Now, our recent study hopes to offer new insights into t.....»»
California is home to millions of urban trees: What happens when they die?
To stop California's 6 million urban trees from knocking out power lines, crashing through houses, or lying across streets when they die, humans have to intervene......»»
City birds found to be carriers of antimicrobial resistant bacteria
Research led by scientists at the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research at Oxford University has found that wild birds such as ducks and crows living close to humans, for example in cities, are likely to carry bacteria with antimicrobial.....»»
How color shapes which animals we fear—and which we protect
Around the world, animals that exhibit rare color morphisms—including lighter-colored variants with albinism or leucism and dark-colored variants with melanism—are often the subject of both veneration and fear in humans......»»
Bumblebees" sense of direction rivals that of humans, study shows
Bumblebees have a great capacity to navigate despite their small brain size. This is borne out of new research conducted at Lund University in Sweden. The research results can potentially benefit the development of navigation robots in crisis situati.....»»
Early improvement of sandy habitat led to origin of agriculture in the farming-pastoral zone of northern China: Study
The beginning of agriculture is one of the most significant events in human history. The origin and spread of agriculture accelerated the development of human society and economy and fundamentally altered humans' role in the Earth's ecosystem. This a.....»»
New evidence from West Papua offers fresh clues about how and when humans first moved into the Pacific
In the deep human past, highly skilled seafarers made daring crossings from Asia to the Pacific Islands. It was a migration of global importance that shaped the distribution of our species—Homo sapiens—across the planet......»»
A new robotic platform to reproduce and study complex ciliary behavior
Cilia are sensory structures extending from the surface of some cells. These hair-like structures are known to contribute to the sensorimotor capabilities of various living organisms, including humans......»»