Mammals were not the first to be warm-blooded
Endothermy, or warm-bloodedness, is the ability of mammals and birds to produce their own body heat and control their body temperature......»»
Detecting odors on the edge: Researchers decipher how insects smell more with less
Whether it's the wafting aroma of our favorite meal or the dangerous fumes seeping from a toxic chemical, the human sense of smell has evolved into a sophisticated system that processes scents through several intricate stages. The brains of mammals h.....»»
Satellite radar data uncover "vigorous melting" at Antarctica"s Thwaites Glacier
A team of glaciologists led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine used high-resolution satellite radar data to find evidence of the intrusion of warm, high-pressure seawater many kilometers beneath the grounded ice of West Antarctica.....»»
New research suggests diverse headgear in hoofed mammals evolved from common ancestor
From the small ossicones on a giraffe to the gigantic antlers of a male moose—which can grow as wide as a car—the headgear of ruminant hooved mammals is extremely diverse, and new research suggests that despite the physical differences, fundament.....»»
Webb cracks case of inflated exoplanet
Why is the warm gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b so puffy? Two independent teams of researchers have an answer......»»
When the first warm-blooded dinosaurs roamed Earth
Scientists once thought of dinosaurs as sluggish, cold-blooded creatures. Then research suggested that some could control their body temperature, but when and how that shift came about remained a mystery......»»
Transformation and mechanisms of climate wet/dry change on the northern Tibetan Plateau under global warming
Historical patterns of climate change can provide ways to predict future climate change. During geological history, the earth has experienced many warm periods of different time scales, such as the mid-Holocene warm period, the medieval climate anoma.....»»
Study reveals late Pleistocene island weathering, precipitation in the Western Pacific Warm Pool
In a study published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science on April 18, researchers from China, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States have reconstructed the weathering history of the Western Pacific island arc over the past.....»»
Coastal hurricanes around the world are intensifying faster, new study finds
Hurricanes are among the world's most destructive natural hazards. Their ability to cause damage is shaped by their environment; conditions like warm ocean waters, guiding winds, and atmospheric moisture can all dictate storm strength......»»
Why do male chicks play more than females? Study finds answers in distant ancestor
Play is widespread, but far from ubiquitous, across the animal kingdom. Especially common in mammals, play is also known to occur in taxa as diverse as birds, fish, octopuses, and even insects. But what is its function, given that natural selection n.....»»
More than half of cats on farm died after drinking milk from cows infected with bird flu
In yet another sign that bird flu is spreading widely among mammals, a new report finds more than half of cats at the first Texas dairy farm to have cows test positive for bird flu this spring died after drinking raw milk......»»
Why you can taste more ethanol in a cold pint of beer or warm glass of baijiu
We all have our own preferred drinking temperatures for different alcoholic beverages, with people commonly enjoying beer or white wine chilled, red wine near room temperature, or baijiu (Chinese whisky) or sake warmed......»»
Remote Lake Superior island wolf numbers are stable but moose population declining, researchers say
Researchers forced to cut short an annual survey of wildlife on a remote Lake Superior island this winter due to unusually warm weather announced Tuesday that they managed to gather data that shows the wolf population is stable......»»
Mammals on "sky islands" may be threatened by climate change, human development
A new study sheds light on how climate change and human development threaten mammal species living in isolated biodiversity hotspots known as "sky islands.".....»»
Here"s why we should put a gravitational wave observatory on the moon
Scientists detected the first long-predicted gravitational wave in 2015, and since then, researchers have been hungering for better detectors. But the Earth is warm and seismically noisy, and that will always limit the effectiveness of Earth-based de.....»»
The high and mighty Himalayas: A biodiversity hotbed facing significant challenges
The Himalayas are home to a vast diversity of species, consisting of 10,000 vascular plants, 979 birds and 300 mammals, including the snow leopard, the red panda, the Himalayan tahr and the Himalayan monal......»»
A key gene helps explain how the ability to glide has emerged over-and-over during marsupial evolution
People say "When pigs fly" to describe the impossible. But even if most mammals are landlubbers, the ability to glide or fly has evolved again and again during mammalian evolution, in species ranging from bats to flying squirrels. How did that come a.....»»
Laser-treated cork absorbs oil for carbon-neutral ocean cleanup
Oil spills are deadly disasters for ocean ecosystems. They can have lasting impacts on fish and marine mammals for decades and wreak havoc on coastal forests, coral reefs, and the surrounding land. Chemical dispersants are often used to break down oi.....»»
Respiratory stress response that stunts temperate fish also affects coral reef fish
Coral reef fish, like the fish in other marine and freshwater ecosystems, are likely to reach smaller maximum sizes and start reproducing earlier with smaller and fewer eggs as climate change continues to warm up the ocean......»»
Twisted pollen tubes induce infertility in plants with multiple sets of chromosomes
Most mammals and humans have a double set of chromosomes—and as a rule, plants do, too: One set comes from the father, the other from the mother. Such organisms are called diploids. However, sometimes the number of chromosome sets doubles from one.....»»
How do Australia"s desert animals avoid inbreeding during dry spells?
Some Australian desert mammals use distinct strategies to promote evolutionary fitness in response to changing environmental conditions over short timescales, according to a new study......»»