Marsupials might be the more evolved mammals
Mammal evolution has been flipped on its head, according to new research that suggests marsupials are the more evolved mammals......»»
Seals stay warm and hydrated in the Arctic with larger, more convoluted nasal passages
Arctic seals have evolved many adaptations to cope with their frosty environment—one that you might not immediately think of is the bones in their nasal cavity. Arctic seals have more convoluted nasal passages than seal species that live in milder.....»»
Eelgrass proves to be evolutionarily much younger than we thought
Eelgrass, one of the most abundant plants in the ocean, originated in Japan before spreading around the globe. Now, scientists have shed light on both when and how eelgrass adapted and evolved throughout its history......»»
Beluga whales" calls may get drowned out by shipping noise in Alaska"s Cook Inlet
Beluga whales are highly social and vocal marine mammals. They use acoustics to navigate, find prey, avoid predators and maintain group cohesion. For Alaska's critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga population, these crucial communications may compet.....»»
Parrots and songbirds have evolved distinct brain mechanisms, study shows
When humans learn to speak a language, we learn to produce new vocalizations and use them flexibly for communication, but how the brain is able to achieve this is an important but largely unanswered question, according to Zhilei Zhao, Klarman Fellow.....»»
Study suggests climate played a crucial role in human migration from Africa
About 6 million years ago, in the deep forests of eastern Africa, something spectacular happened. Chimpanzees, our closest relative in the animal kingdom, evolved in one direction, while our earliest ancestors continued in another......»»
Measuring the distances to galaxies with space telescopes
One of the James Webb Space Telescope's science goals is to understand how galaxies in the early universe formed and evolved into much larger galaxies like our own Milky Way. This goal requires that we identify samples of galaxies at different moment.....»»
In hotter regions, mammals shown to seek forests and avoid human habitats
The cool of the forest is a welcome escape on a hot day. This is especially true for mammals in North America's hottest regions, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study indicates that, as the climate warms, preserving.....»»
MicroRNA holds clues to why some mammals are cancer-prone
Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) have identified an important pathway that reveals why some mammals, like humans, dogs, and cats, regularly develop mammary cancer while others, such as horses, pigs, and cows, rarely do......»»
Toxic chemicals in UK whales and dolphins are exceeding safe limits
Almost half of marine mammals around the UK are being poisoned by banned chemicals......»»
Scientists navigate uncharted waters in fish immunology research
Upon infection or immunization, all jawed vertebrate species generate proteins called antibodies that bind and neutralize pathogens. Strong and long-lasting antibody responses in warm-blooded species such as mammals are produced in secondary lymphoid.....»»
Snake skulls show how species adapt to prey
By studying the skull shapes of dipsadine snakes, researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found how these species of snakes in Central and South America have evolved and adapted to meet the demands of their habitats and food sources......»»
Fish brains may provide insight into the molecular basis of decision-making
How do animals make decisions when faced with competing demands, and how have decision making processes evolved over time? In a recent publication in Biology Letters, Tina Barbasch, a postdoctoral researcher at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic.....»»
Political ideology affected how COVID-19 news was consumed, study finds
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the speed with which available health and safety information evolved was novel to most people around the world. To assess how the public handled the changing guidance, an international research team compared information.....»»
Opinion: Responsible ESG investing in the Global South requires overcoming the Global North"s savior complex
ESG standards (Environment, Social and Governance) are metrics designed to guide responsible investing. The "S" in ESG has evolved into the financial innovation of social impact investing (SII), which promotes social benefits such as environmental pr.....»»
The Ars guide to time travel in the movies
We picked 20 time-travel movies and rated them by scientific logic and entertainment value. Enlarge / The selected films span several decades to show how Hollywood's treatment of time travel in Hollywood has evolved. (credit: Aur.....»»
Skunks" warning stripes less prominent where predators are sparse, study finds
Striped skunks are less likely to evolve with their famous and white markings where the threat of predation from mammals is low, scientists from the University of Bristol, Montana and Long Beach, California have discovered......»»
Dwarf galaxies use 10-million-year quiet period to churn out stars
If you look at massive galaxies teeming with stars, you might be forgiven for thinking they are star factories, churning out brilliant balls of gas. But actually, less evolved dwarf galaxies have bigger regions of star factories, with higher rates of.....»»
First comprehensive look at effects of 2020–2021 California megafires on terrestrial wildlife habitat
The only thing constant is change—isn't that how the saying goes? We know that wildlife in western forests evolved with changing habitats and disturbances like wildfire. Each species responds differently, some benefiting from openings, others losin.....»»
These bats use their penis as an "arm" during sex but not for penetration
Mammals usually mate via penetrative sex, but researchers report Nov. 20 in the journal Current Biology that a species of bat, the serotine bat, (Eptesicus serotinus) mates without penetration. This is the first time non-penetrative sex has been docu.....»»
Outsmarting cybercriminals is becoming a hard thing to do
Cybercriminals have evolved into organized and highly adaptive networks, collaborating globally to exploit weaknesses in cybersecurity defenses. Their motivations range from financial gain and information theft to political espionage and ideological.....»»