Prion disease: PRNP sequences of wild animals from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Tibetan antelope (Rhinopithecus), blue sheep (Pseudois nayauris), and plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) are wild animals living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. There have been no reports of naturally occurring transmissible spongioform encephalopathies.....»»
Phosphorus fertilization boosts young almond tree growth
Young almond orchards face numerous biotic stressors during their early growth stages, particularly when replanted in areas where old stone fruit orchards once stood. Among these challenges is the almond/stone fruit replant disease (ARD), which can s.....»»
Q&A: How do animals react to a solar eclipse?
On April 8, many of us will be huddling behind protective glasses and feasting our eyes on a rare solar stunner. But the sun's eye-catching performance won't be the only thing on display. You may also notice our animal friends behaving oddly......»»
Unlocking the secrets of disease resistance in chrysanthemums: A holistic approach to combating black spot disease
Chrysanthemum, celebrated for its ornamental, medicinal, and beverage value, faces significant threats from bacterial and fungal infections, particularly black spot disease caused by Alternaria alternate, which leads to severe economic losses. Curren.....»»
Research shows animals can live alongside humans by being experts at judging risk
New research suggests animals can thrive in human-dominated environments by being expert judges of risk. Alexis Breen from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, and Dominik Deffner from the Max Planck Institute for Human.....»»
Hundreds of animals were rescued after the Black Summer bushfires, but how many actually survived?
The horrific Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20 burned more than 8 million hectares of vegetation across southeastern Australia. An estimated 3 billion animals were caught in the fire zone......»»
Tracking the virus behind India"s lumpy skin cattle crisis
In May 2022, cattle across India began dying of a mysterious illness. Since then, about 1,00,000 cows have lost their lives to a devastating outbreak of what scientists have identified as lumpy skin disease. The outbreak has severely affected India's.....»»
New research reveals that chickens were widely raised across southern Central Asia from 400 BCE
Chickens are one of the most economically important animals in the world today. However, the story of their origins and dispersal across the ancient world is still poorly understood. In fact, new archaeological techniques have recently led to the rec.....»»
Ancient Adélie penguin DNA reveals that small repeats persist for hundreds of millions of years
Microsatellites are valuable tools for studying inheritance, genetic diversity, and population dynamics across a wide range of organisms including bacteria, plants, animals, and fungi. These short, repeating sequence motifs are a common feature of bo.....»»
I turned my phone into a camera, and I don’t want to go back
What happens when you take one of 2024's best smartphone cameras and add a wild photography accessory to it? Something incredible, that's what......»»
Abrupt climate fluctuations in Tibet as imprints of multiple meltwater events during the early to mid-Holocene
A recent study published in the journal Science Bulletin was led by Dr. Shugui Hou (Nanjing University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University) and Dr. Hongxi Pang (Nanjing University). Shugui Hou drilled an ice core with a length of 127.8 m from the Zangs.....»»
An ultracompact multimode meta-microscope
Versatility and miniaturization of imaging systems are of great importance in today's information society. Microscopic imaging techniques have always been indispensable for scientific research and disease diagnosis in the biomedical field, which is a.....»»
Q&A: Archaeologist"s fieldwork finds movement of crops, animals played a key role in domestication
Archaeologist Xinyi Liu at Washington University in St. Louis teamed up with Martin Jones of the University of Cambridge to write a new paper for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that explains how recent research is connecting the.....»»
Wild desert plants face viral surprise
Just as many people battle seasonal colds and flu, native plants face their own viral threats. People have long known that plants can succumb to viruses just like humans. Now, a new study led by Michigan State University and the University of Califor.....»»
Impact of synbiotic supplements on the gut microbiome and overall health of penguins
The gut microflora plays a pivotal role in the overall well-being of all living organisms. Like their multifaceted and beneficial role in humans, the role of the gut microbiome in maintaining health, behavior, and ecology of animals is unequivocal. N.....»»
Study suggests starvation decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast: Can the giants ever recover?
When large numbers of gray whales began washing up along North America's Pacific Coast nearly six years ago, marine scientists could only speculate on the reason: Was it disease? Ocean pollution? Increasing ship collisions?.....»»
Discovering van Gogh in the wild: Scientists unveil a new gecko species
You've probably seen nature depicted in art, but how often do you see an artwork hiding in nature?.....»»
Veterinarians diagnose rare autoimmune disease, put dog on road to recovery
Having two autoimmune diseases is unusual for a dog, but having three is exceptionally rare......»»
Tuberculosis vaccine may enable elimination of the disease in cattle by reducing its spread
Vaccination not only reduces the severity of TB in infected cattle, but reduces its spread in dairy herds by 89%, research finds. The research, led by the University of Cambridge and Penn State University, improves prospects for the elimination and c.....»»
Study finds wild nematode worms learn to avoid harmful bacteria—and their offspring inherit this knowledge
The nematode worm C. elegans will stay away from dangerous bacteria in its environment when exposed to certain bacterial RNAs—and can transmit that learned behavior to future generations. A team led by Coleen Murphy at Princeton University report t.....»»
Researchers discover key gene for toxic alkaloid in barley
All plants mediate their environmental interactions via chemical signals. An example is the alkaloid gramine produced by barley, one of the world's most widely-grown cereals. Gramine provides protection against herbivorous insects and grazing animals.....»»