Humans found to prey on approximately one-third of all vertebrate species
An international team of ecologists, life scientists, conservationists and biologists has found that humans prey on approximately one-third of all vertebrate species in existence. In their study, reported in the journal Communications Biology, the gr.....»»
Right whale population grows 4% but extinction remains a threat
One of the rarest species of whale in the world has increased slightly in population, encouraging conservationists to call on the federal government and the shipping and fishing industries to do more to bring the giant animals back from the brink of.....»»
Genomic study offers hope for endangered Oriental stork
A new genomic study of the endangered Oriental stork reveals that the population's genetic health is still surprisingly strong, with high genetic diversity and low levels of inbreeding. This is an uncommon finding in most endangered species populatio.....»»
Accurately weighing costs and benefits of different methods for controlling invasive species
Invasive insect species bring a host of health, social, ecological and economic consequences, including crop damage, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, human disease transmission and rising allergy rates......»»
Understanding the relationship between food waste, climate change and an aging population
Producing food and getting it to people's plates entails a significant expenditure of energy and resources. Unfortunately, approximately one third of all food produced globally is not consumed and discarded. Hence, to build sustainable societies, it.....»»
Invasive flathead catfish impacting Susquehanna"s food chain, researchers find
Flathead catfish—native to the Mississippi River basin—were first detected in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania in 2002, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the two decades since then, the invasive species has spread throughout the ri.....»»
Fungi finding: mushroom hunters seek new species and recognition
You can't walk very far through a forest in this part of the United States without stumbling upon a mushroom, an eruption from a vast fungal kingdom that all life depends on, but about which we know very little......»»
Saturday Citations: Brown dwarf actually brown dwarfs; the adaptability of ice-age humans; archaeologists excited
This week, researchers discovered a near-Earth microquasar that sheds new light on sources of relativistic outflows. Doctors reported finding a triphallic gentleman. And neuroscientists reported on modest cognitive boosts from short (or "acute," in c.....»»
Dolphins Are Exhaling Microplastics
New research highlights how extensive plastic pollution is—and how nonhuman species, including dolphins, are exposed......»»
Bizarre fish has sensory “legs” it uses for walking and tasting
Some sea robin species can use their legs to sense prey. Evolution has turned out bizarre and baffling creatures, such as walking fish. It only gets weirder from there. Some of th.....»»
Butterfly brains reveal the tweaks required for cognitive innovation
A species of tropical butterfly with unusually expanded brain structures displays a fascinating mosaic pattern of neural expansion linked to a cognitive innovation......»»
Q&A: Experts discuss the beaver, a controversial mammal
When an endangered species succeeds in repopulating its former habitat, the immediate reaction is one of joy. In the long term, however, its spread is often associated with conflict. One example is the beaver, a keystone species. Other keystone speci.....»»
Controlling sound waves with Klein tunneling improves acoustic signal filtration
In the context of sensory modalities, eyes work like tiny antennae, picking up light, electromagnetic waves traveling at blistering speeds. When humans look at the world, their eyes catch these waves and convert them into signals the brain reads as c.....»»
The BC election could decide the future of the province"s species at risk laws
With British Columbians going to the polls this week, a whole host of key issues are on the agenda. Among these issues stands the future of species at risk legislation in B.C.—and perhaps with it Canada as a whole......»»
Resolving biology"s dark matter: DNA barcoding reveals hidden insect diversity
There are millions of species on Earth that we still know nothing about. Researchers call these species "biological dark matter," but new methods can provide us with a better overview more quickly......»»
It’s increasingly unlikely that humans will fly around the Moon next year
It's not just Orion's heat shield; the mission's ground systems are running out of time. Don't book your tickets for the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission next year just yet. W.....»»
Biofilms study reveals how multiple bacteria species manage to coexist
Biofilms—slimy communities of bacteria—grow on all sorts of surfaces: from glaciers and hot springs to plant roots, your bathtub and fridge, wounds, and medical devices such as catheters. Most biofilms are composed of multiple bacterial species,.....»»
Catching prey with grappling hooks and cannons: The unusual weapons arsenal of a predatory marine bacterium
Countless bacteria call the vastness of the oceans home, and they all face the same problem: the nutrients they need to grow and multiply are scarce and unevenly distributed in the waters around them. In some spots they are present in abundance, but.....»»
Stem carbohydrate richness in two cycad species
Terrestrial plants have developed strategies to cope with suboptimal conditions. Storage of nonstructural resources is one of those strategies. Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) of plants are primarily sugars and starch, and have been studied extens.....»»
Pathogenic system found on Providencia rustigianii has virulence gene akin to Salmonella"s
Salmonella and E. coli are well-known bacteria that cause food poisoning, but less understood are species of Providencia, another causative agent of serious symptoms......»»
Microbiome studies in humans and zoo animals pave the way for new drug development
Microorganisms do not just colonize the body of mammals during infections. Billions of microbes can be found on and in healthy humans and animals at any given time, communicating with each other via chemical signals and thus influencing their health......»»