Polygamous birds shown to have fewer harmful mutations
Bird species that breed with several sexual partners have fewer harmful mutations, according to a study led by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath. The study, published in Evolution, shows for the first time how polygamy increas.....»»
Emperor penguins perish as ice melts to new lows: Study
Colonies of emperor penguin chicks were wiped out last year as global warming eroded their icy homes, a study published Thursday found, despite the birds' attempts to adapt to the shrinking landscape......»»
Narcissistic CEOs appoint other narcissists to the management board, study finds
Birds of a feather flock together, as the popular saying goes. It seems that this also applies to narcissistic managers, as a research team led by Professor Lorenz Graf-Vlachy from TU Dortmund University has discovered. Narcissistic CEOs are inclined.....»»
Computer game helps students get better at detecting fake news
A computer game helped upper secondary school students become better at distinguishing between reliable and misleading news. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University and elsewhere......»»
How evolution has optimized the magnetic sensor in birds
Migratory birds are able to navigate and orientate with astonishing accuracy using various mechanisms, including a magnetic compass. A team led by biologists Dr. Corinna Langebrake and Prof. Dr. Miriam Liedvogel from the University of Oldenburg and t.....»»
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......»»
Evolutionary biologists show that the color variants of female cuckoos are based on ancient mutations
Every cuckoo is an adopted child—raised by foster parents, into whose nest the cuckoo mother smuggled her egg. The cuckoo mother is aided in this subterfuge by her resemblance to a bird of prey. There are two variants of female cuckoos: a gray morp.....»»
Nanofibers rid water of hazardous dyes: Researchers develop efficient filters based on cellulose waste
Using waste to purify water may sound counterintuitive. But at TU Wien, this is exactly what has now been achieved. Researchers have developed a special nanostructure to filter a widespread class of harmful dyes from water......»»
Urgent need for logging loophole remedy within proposed Great Koala National Park
A team of conservation and policy researchers have called for a logging loophole within the proposed Great Koala National Park to be urgently remedied to stem the tide of harmful outcomes impacting the South East Australian koala population......»»
East Africa"s "soda lakes" are rising, threatening their iconic flamingos
Huge pink flocks of millions of flamingos—flamboyances of flamingos—are one of nature's great spectacles. But colleagues and I have uncovered worrying trends in the salty and highly-alkaline "soda lakes" of east Africa where most of these birds l.....»»
Wild turkey numbers are falling in some parts of the US—the main reason may be habitat loss
Birdsong is a welcome sign of spring, but robins and cardinals aren't the only birds showing off for breeding season. In many parts of North America, you're likely to encounter male wild turkeys, puffed up like beach balls and with their tails fanned.....»»
Polystyrene microplastics shown to enhance invasion of exotic submerged macrophytes
Submerged macrophyte invasions and microplastic pollution are major challenges in the context of global change and pose a serious threat to aquatic environments. The presence of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems alters plant function, sediment micr.....»»
Social media for sex education: South African teens explain how it would help them
Most teenagers dread talking about sex with their parents. Their parents feel the same way. In some societies it's considered taboo to even broach the subject. And, even where sexuality education is taught at schools, research has shown that effectiv.....»»
Team finds direct evidence of "itinerant breeding" in East Coast shorebird species
Migration and reproduction are two of the most demanding events in a bird's annual cycle, so much so that the vast majority of migratory birds separate the two tasks into different times of the year......»»
New model finds previous cell division calculations ignore drivers at the molecular scale
When a single bacterial cell divides into two during periods of rapid growth, it doesn't split in half once it reaches a predetermined size. Instead, data has shown, a cell will divide once it has added a certain amount of mass......»»
Migratory birds are on the move and nature-friendly farms can help them on their way
Every spring, hundreds of thousands of birds leave their winter habitat on Poyang, the largest freshwater lake in China, and fly north over the most densely populated region on Earth to reach their breeding grounds in Siberia. As with any long-distan.....»»
Studying spaceflight atrophy with machine learning
Even intense exercise by astronauts cannot compensate for muscle atrophy caused by microgravity. Atrophy occurs, in part, by way of an underlying mechanism that regulates calcium uptake. Recent research has shown exposure to spaceflight alters the up.....»»
Birds of a feather flocking together: Research shows storks prefer to fly with conspecifics during migration
With long legs and large wings, the white stork is a prominent star of the pageant that is animal migration. Flying from Europe towards Africa in autumn, and then back again in spring, birds can be seen taking to the sky in conspicuous flocks that he.....»»
Researchers find babbling by zebra finch chicks is important step to memorizing songs
When babies learn to talk or birds learn to sing, the same principle applies: listen and then imitate. This is how the first babble becomes the first word or vocalization. Male zebra finch chicks initially memorize the song of an adult bird. Later, t.....»»
How futuristic display tech is trying to save your eyes
We can't escape screens, but a few brands are trying to make the ordeal less harmful for eyes. Science, however, has other thoughts about our screen habits......»»
Nanoparticle delivery of FZD4 to lung endothelial cells inhibits lung cancer progression and metastases
A recent study from the lab of Tanya Kalin, MD, Ph.D., professor of Child Health and Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix, has shown potential to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients suffering from lung ca.....»»