Monarchs evolved mutations to withstand milkweed toxins; so did their predators
Monarch butterflies and their close relatives thrive on poisonous milkweed, thanks to genetic mutations that block the effects of the plant's toxins while allowing the poisons to accumulate in the caterpillar or adult insects as deterrents to hungry.....»»
Why eukaryotes, not bacteria, evolved complex multicellularity
Prokaryotic single-celled organisms, the ancestors of modern-day bacteria and archaea, are the most ancient form of life on our planet, first appearing roughly 3.5 billion years ago. The first eukaryotic cells appeared around 1–1.5 billion years la.....»»
Here’s how to protect against ‘GoldPickaxe’, the first iPhone trojan [U]
An Android trojan called GoldDigger surfaced last year that can steal biometric data and more from victims to compromise their bank accounts. Now the threat has evolved into the GoldPickaxe trojan that can infect iOS and Android. Fortunately, there a.....»»
Monarch caterpillar found to switch from avoiding milkweed-toxin-rich latex to eating it as they age
A trio of German entomologists has found that young monarch caterpillars switch from avoiding milkweed-toxin-rich latex to eating it as they get older. Their paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B......»»
New study finds limited correlation between canine lymphoma and proximity to environmental toxins
As awareness of the health risks associated with radon and fracking exposure in connection to cancer continues to rise in human medicine, a recent study explored these ties with multicentric lymphoma, a prevalent canine cancer. Surprisingly, the stud.....»»
Research reveals traits that make fish prey tasty to tuna
A cross-border science collaboration has yielded a global database that will help researchers understand how climate change is affecting ocean predators like the albacore tuna—which also happens to be an important food source for people around the.....»»
Natural tech for "dimming" genes brings transformative potential to agriculture
Until the 1992 advent of a tomato that could delay softening, the fruit was picked green to withstand shipping. The delayed-softening trait was an example of the gene-silencing technique RNA interference, RNAi, before the underlying mechanism was und.....»»
New analysis uncovers major issues with earlier suggestions that Spinosaurus pursued prey underwater
For years, controversy has swirled around how a Cretaceous-era, sail-backed dinosaur—the giant Spinosaurus aegyptiacus—hunted its prey. Spinosaurus was among the largest predators ever to prowl the Earth and one of the most adapted to water, but.....»»
Birds, beetles, bugs could help replace pesticides: Study
Natural predators like birds, beetles and bugs might be an effective alternative to pesticides, keeping crop-devouring pests populations down while boosting crop yields, researchers said Wednesday......»»
Why cyber maturity assessment should become standard practice
Understanding risk is one thing, but how do you know if your organization has what it takes to withstand those risks being realized? Establishing cyber maturity can help determine resilience, where the strengths and weaknesses lie, and what needs to.....»»
Unveiling rare diversity: The origin of heritable mutations in trees
What is the origin of genetic diversity in plants? Can new mutations acquired during growth be passed on to seeds? INRAE scientists, in collaboration with CIRAD and the CNRS, have used the French Guiana forest as the setting for their research, leadi.....»»
Anyone can play Tetris, but architects, engineers and animators alike use the math concepts underlying the game
With its bright colors, easy-to-learn rules and familiar music, the video game Tetris has endured as a pop culture icon over the last 40 years. Many people, like me, have been playing the game for decades, and it has evolved to adapt to new technolog.....»»
Butterflies mimic each other"s flight behavior to avoid predators, show scientists
Researchers have shown that inedible species of butterfly that mimic each others' color patterns have also evolved similar flight behaviors to warn predators and avoid being eaten......»»
Native animals are easy prey after a fire. Could artificial refuges save them?
Australia is home to some of the most spectacular and enigmatic wildlife on Earth. Much of it, however, is being eaten by two incredibly damaging invasive predators: the feral cat and the red fox......»»
Predatory fish use rapid color changes to coordinate attacks, scientists discover
Striped marlin are some of the fastest animals on the planet and one of the ocean's top predators. When hunting in groups, individual marlin will take turns attacking schools of prey fish one at a time. Now a new study reported in the journal Current.....»»
Big lemming populations are important for far more than just predators
The number of lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) in the mountains can fluctuate sharply from one year to the next. Years when populations explode are called lemming years. These population explosions are important for many other species. More predators and bir.....»»
Killer instinct drove evolution of mammals" predatory ancestors, scientists suggest
The evolutionary success of the first large predators on land was driven by their need to improve as killers, researchers at the University of Bristol and the Open University suggest......»»
iMessage gets a major makeover that puts it on equal footing with Signal
How Kybers and ratcheting are boosting the resiliency of Apple's messaging app. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) iMessage is getting a major makeover that makes it among the two messaging apps most prepared to withstand th.....»»
Universal antivenom for lethal snake toxins developed by researchers
Scripps Research scientists have developed an antibody that can block the effects of lethal toxins in the venoms of a wide variety of snakes found throughout Africa, Asia and Australia......»»
Baleen whales evolved a unique larynx to communicate but cannot escape human noise
Baleen whales are the largest animals to have ever roamed our planet and as top predators play a vital role in marine ecosystems. To communicate across vast distances and find each other, baleen whales depend critically on the production of sounds th.....»»
Unlocking the energetic secrets of collective animal movement: How group behavior reduces energy costs in fish
Many animals, including apex predators, move in groups. We know this collective behavior is fundamental to the animal's ability to move in complex environments, but less is known about what drives the behavior because many factors underlie its evolut.....»»