Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans in Africa, says ecologist
That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it's not generally recognized how unique features of Africa's ecology were responsible for the crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to savanna-dwelling hunter. Th.....»»
Astronomers have solved the mystery of why this black hole has the hiccups
Blame it on a smaller orbiting black hole repeatedly punching through the accretion disk. Enlarge / Scientists have found a large black hole that “hiccups,” giving off plumes of gas. (credit: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT).....»»
Wild desert plants face viral surprise
Just as many people battle seasonal colds and flu, native plants face their own viral threats. People have long known that plants can succumb to viruses just like humans. Now, a new study led by Michigan State University and the University of Califor.....»»
Small birds spice up the already diverse diet of spotted hyenas in Namibia
Spotted hyenas are known for hunting (or scavenging) larger mammals such as antelopes and occasionally feed on smaller mammals and reptiles. Being flexible in the choice of prey is a strategy of generalists—and this even extends to small passerine.....»»
Impact of synbiotic supplements on the gut microbiome and overall health of penguins
The gut microflora plays a pivotal role in the overall well-being of all living organisms. Like their multifaceted and beneficial role in humans, the role of the gut microbiome in maintaining health, behavior, and ecology of animals is unequivocal. N.....»»
Comprehensive study explores influence of gene expression on primate brain evolution
An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published the results of a first-of-its-kind study investigating the links between gene expression and brain evolution across 18 primate sp.....»»
Tesla’s $25,000 car means tossing out Henry Ford"s 100-year-old assembly line
Instead of a large, rectangular car moving along a linear conveyer belt, parts are assembled simultaneously in dedicated areas and then all put together at the end......»»
Fisker price cuts mark latest turn in downward spiral
The company's price cuts come after a steady barrage of issues, including the dissolution of talks with a large automaker for a financial lifeline, halted production and a scathing report from Consumer Reports......»»
Mercury could be the perfect destination for a solar sail
Solar sails rely upon pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces. Get the sail closer to the sun and, not surprisingly, efficiency increases. A proposed new mission called Mercury Scout aims to take advantage of this to explore Mercury. The missi.....»»
What do scientists hope to learn from total solar eclipse in US?
When a rare total solar eclipse sweeps across North America on April 8, scientists will be able to gather invaluable data on everything from the sun's atmosphere to strange animal behaviors—and even possible effects on humans......»»
Study suggests starvation decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast: Can the giants ever recover?
When large numbers of gray whales began washing up along North America's Pacific Coast nearly six years ago, marine scientists could only speculate on the reason: Was it disease? Ocean pollution? Increasing ship collisions?.....»»
Venomous snakes could start migrating in large numbers if we hit 5ºC warming, predict scientists
A global group of scientists has predicted that climate change may cause dramatic movements in venomous snake populations across many countries in Africa. The scientists took into account climate change predictions about changes to the current habita.....»»
Kia recalls 427,000 Telluride crossovers over risk of rolling
The recall covers 2020-24 Telluride large crossovers......»»
Ancient isolation"s impact on modern ecology: How deep biogeographic divides drive divergent evolutionary paths
A new study led by Michigan State University researcher Peter Williams sheds light on the profound influence of deep geographic isolation on the evolution of mammals. Published in Nature Communications, the research reveals how long-lasting separatio.....»»
Spatiotemporal variations of rainy season precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau during the past two millennia
The quantitative reconstruction of the length of the rainy season and precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is crucial for revealing the spatiotemporal evolution of the Westerlies and South Asian monsoon, as well as its ecological and environment.....»»
Scientists warn that the Baltic Sea gray seal hunt is too large
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg warn that today's hunting quotas of about 3,000 animals pose a risk to the long-term survival of the gray seal in the Baltic Sea. The conclusions of this new study are based on statistics from 20th century.....»»
Organoids research identifies factor involved in brain expansion in humans
What makes us human? According to neurobiologists it is our neocortex. This outer layer of the brain is rich in neurons and lets us do abstract thinking, create art, and speak complex languages. An international team led by Dr. Mareike Albert at the.....»»
Effective data management plays vital role for smallholder sheep and goat breeding programs
Sheep and goat breeding plays a vital socioeconomic role in the agricultural sector across Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) and beyond, providing valuable resources such as meat, milk, and wool. However, insufficient or ill-adapted bree.....»»
Microsoft just discovered the next big evolution in displays
A new Microsoft patent tells us that the company is working on a new technology that can dim and brighten individual pixels instead of the entire display......»»
Low resting heart rate in women is associated with criminal offending, unintentional injuries
In women, a low resting heart rate is associated with a slightly raised incidence of criminal offending as well as unintentional injuries, in a large all-female study published March 27 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sofi Oskarsson of School.....»»
Physicists propose new way to search for dark matter: Small-scale solution could be key to solving large-scale mystery
Ever since its discovery, dark matter has remained invisible to scientists despite the launch of multiple ultra-sensitive particle detector experiments around the world over several decades......»»