New magnolia tree species discovered in northern Honduras
Fauna & Flora's in-country partner in Honduras has discovered a new species of magnolia. Named in honor of two prominent Honduran conservationists, Magnolia ciroorum was found in Pico Bonito National Park during ongoing fieldwork to document and safe.....»»
Newly discovered degradation process for mRNA could lead to clinical treatments
Researchers at the University of Würzburg have discovered a process that breaks down mRNA molecules in the human body particularly efficiently. This could be useful, for example, in the treatment of cancer. The study is published in Molecular Cell......»»
Completing the "timetree" of primates: A new way to map the evolutionary history of life on Earth
In a new article published in Frontiers in Bioinformatics, biologists Dr. Jack M Craig, Dr. Blair Hedges, and Dr. Sudhir Kumar, all at Temple University, have built an evolutionary tree that encompasses 455 primates, every species for which genetic d.....»»
Huge and rare Mekong catfish spotted in Cambodia, raising conservation hopes
Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish—one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world—were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species......»»
AI tool enhances wildlife image analysis for climate change insights
A new AI image tool could aid the development of algorithms to analyze wildlife images to help improve understanding of how species around the world are responding to climate change, a study suggests......»»
A new twist: The molecular machines that loop chromosomes also twist DNA
Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Delft University of Technology and the IMP Vienna Biocenter have discovered a new property of the molecular motors that shape our chromosomes. While six years ago they found that these so-called SMC motor protei.....»»
Buried landforms reveal North Sea"s ancient glacial past
An international team of researchers, including a glaciologist at Newcastle University, UK, has discovered remarkably well-preserved glacial landforms buried almost 1 km beneath the North Sea......»»
How an iconic desert tree survives extreme heat—and the unique risk it"s facing now
New research has found that the punishing summer temperatures and persistent drought conditions in much of Arizona and the Southwest are dealing a double whammy to trees attempting to regulate their own temperature, putting a critical part of the des.....»»
Northern California earthquake prompts an endangered Death Valley fish species to get busy
Powerful earthquakes like the one felt last week across Northern California are stark reminders for people to plan—perhaps to fortify their home or business or, at minimum, finally build that earthquake kit......»»
How much permafrost will melt this century, and where will its carbon go?
Among the many things global warming will be melting this century—sea ice, land glaciers and tourist businesses in seaside towns across the world—is permafrost. Lying underneath 15% of the northern hemisphere, permafrost consists of accumulating.....»»
Plutonium isotope anomalies discovered in Southern Hemisphere glaciers
The results of the newest investigations carried out by scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN shed new light on the processes of accumulation of plutonium isotopes on glaciers of the Southern Hemisphere. Analyses of samples of cryoconi.....»»
Barn swallow research offers real-time insight on how new species form
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder—even if that beholder is a barn swallow. Depending on where the birds live, some of them may favor mates with a paler chest color while others find a redder chest more attractive. The difference in what these bi.....»»
Tidal streams of interstellar objects may flow through the Milky Way like braided rivers
We know that interstellar objects occasionally visit our solar system. So far, we have only discovered two interstellar objects (ISOs), but that's mainly because we can only distinguish them from solar system bodies by their orbital motion, and that.....»»
Single heat wave wiped out millions of Alaska"s dominant seabird
The common murre, a large black-and-white seabird native to northern waters, has become far less common in Alaska over the past decade due to the impacts of climate change......»»
Conservation leads to benefits: Large marine protected areas are boosting fish catch rates
Increases in catch rates for fish such as tuna have been demonstrated near recently created Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs), including Revillagigedo in Mexico. This shows that LSPMAs are large enough to protect highly migratory species su.....»»
New insights into the evolution and paleoecology of mosasaurs
Mosasaurs are extinct marine lizards, spectacular examples of which were first discovered in 1766 near Maastricht in the Netherlands, fueling the rise of the field of vertebrate paleontology. Paleontologist Michael Polcyn presented the most comprehen.....»»
Botanists name beautiful new species of "lipstick vine" from the Philippine rainforest
Scientists have today announced the discovery of a species of lipstick vine completely new to science, from the depths of the Philippine rainforest. The findings have been published today in the Nordic Journal of Botany......»»
Counting Uganda"s lions: We found that wildlife rangers do a better job than machines
Lions are a symbol of Africa's last wild places. It's a species central to many of the continent's cultures and religions. But lion populations have reportedly declined over the past 50 years, especially in parts of west and east Africa......»»
Neuronal adaptations shed light on anglerfish hunting behavior
Characterized by their unique adaptations to extreme environments, anglerfish are known for using lures to attract prey. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered in frogfish (a subgroup of anglerfish) a specialized motor neuron popul.....»»
Study finds catch-and-release affects giant trevally behavior
In an effort to conserve sensitive species of fish, some sport fishing is entirely catch-and-release, meaning that the fish are returned to the water once brought ashore. However, too much fishing may affect the behavior of the target species and th.....»»
Study: Lake ice becoming unsafe, increasing drowning risk
Sports and recreational activities on frozen lakes across the Northern Hemisphere are a popular pastime for millions, but according to new research out of York University, the safety of that ice is becoming more precarious and shorter in duration......»»