Skull shape can predict how extinct vultures fed on carrion
Variations in the skull shape of vultures have been found to coincide with the preferred method each species uses to feed on a carcass......»»
Physicists explore how fluctuations shape transport networks
Understanding how transport networks, such as river systems, form and evolve is crucial to optimizing their stability and resilience. It turns out that networks are not all alike. Tree-like structures are adequate for transport, while networks contai.....»»
How many giraffe species are there? Understanding this maybe key to their protection
Giraffes, with their distinctive body shape and variations in coat patterns, have long been an example in evolutionary biology teachings. They are a textbook example of how species adapt to their surroundings and survive under harsh conditions. Despi.....»»
How zoning affects greenhouse gas emissions
Climate change is a global challenge often met on a local level. Local governments shape how their communities are developed through land use controls. Their policy decisions related to housing density, location, and building standards have a profoun.....»»
Scientists predict high groundwater depletion risk in South Korea by 2080
Groundwater forms when precipitation such as rain and snow seeps into the soil, replenishing rivers and lakes. This resource supplies drinking water. However, a recent study has alarmed the scientific community by predicting that approximately three.....»»
Fossil places extinct saber-toothed cat on Texas coast
Important scientific finds don't always come in the biggest, buzziest packages. Sometimes new discoveries come in little ugly rocks. Such is the case of a 6-centimeter-wide, nondescript mass of bone and teeth that helped a scientist at The University.....»»
Microscopic defects in ice influence how massive glaciers flow, study shows
As they seep and calve into the sea, melting glaciers and ice sheets are raising global water levels at unprecedented rates. To predict and prepare for future sea-level rise, scientists need a better understanding of how fast glaciers melt and what i.....»»
Scientists create the thinnest lens on Earth, enabled by excitons
Lenses are used to bend and focus light. Normal lenses rely on their curved shape to achieve this effect, but physicists from the University of Amsterdam and Stanford University have made a flat lens of only three atoms thick that relies on quantum e.....»»
Q&A: Studies challenge widely held beliefs on applicant diversity and women in the workplace
Justin Frake is interested in cause-and-effect relationships in real-world data and the hidden dynamics that shape workplace behavior and equality—or inequality, as the case might be......»»
"Extraordinary" 4,000-year-old Egyptian skull may show signs of attempts to treat cancer
From ancient texts we know that—for their times—the ancient Egyptians were exceptionally skilled at medicine. For example, they could identify, describe, and treat diseases and traumatic injuries, build protheses, and put in dental fillings. Othe.....»»
Apple versus donut: How the shape of a tokamak impacts the limits of the edge of the plasma
Harnessing energy from plasma requires a precise understanding of its behavior during fusion to keep it hot, dense and stable. A new theoretical model about a plasma's edge, which can become unstable and bulge, brings the prospect of commercial fusio.....»»
What causes landslides? Can we predict them to save lives?
A devastating landslide struck several remote villages in the mountainous Enga province in Papua New Guinea late last week......»»
Setting minimum targets for wildlife conservation excludes restoration and ecosystem management, researcher argues
Although the grizzly is featured prominently on the California state flag, the golden bear has been extinct in the wild since the 1920s......»»
What Is Wind Shear, and How Does It Shape Hurricanes?
An atmospheric scientist explains what wind shear is and how it influences hurricanes.....»»
Researchers reconstruct genome of extinct species of flightless bird that once roamed the islands of New Zealand
A team of evolutionary biologists at Harvard University, working with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, East Carolina University, Osaka University and the University of Toronto, has reconstructed the genome of an e.....»»
Study identifies high-performance alternative to conventional ferroelectrics
Lighting a gas grill, getting an ultrasound, using an ultrasonic toothbrush—these actions involve the use of materials that can translate an electric voltage into a change in shape and vice versa......»»
Children in England struggling at school entry more likely to face disadvantage at age 16–17, according to study
School readiness at age 4–5 could help predict unemployment and education drop-out at age 16–17, according to a study led by the University of Leeds with Lancaster University. Children who were behind in their development at age 4–5 were almost.....»»
Lawmakers say Section 230 repeal will protect children—opponents predict chaos
Repeal bill is bipartisan but has opponents from across the political spectrum. Enlarge / US Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), right, speaks as House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) looks on during a hea.....»»
Why it"s hard to predict the weather
Will it rain tomorrow or will it be sunny? Better data and more computing power have made weather forecasts more accurate......»»
Ancient people hunted now extinct elephants at Tagua Tagua Lake in Chile 12,000 years ago, study finds
Thousands of years ago, early hunter-gatherers returned regularly to Tagua Tagua Lake in Chile to hunt ancient elephants and take advantage of other local resources, according to a study published May 22 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Rafael.....»»
Peach perfection: Advanced gene networks reveal fruit traits
A study has tapped into the peach genome, creating large-scale gene co-expression networks (GCNs) that predict gene functions and streamline the peach breeding process. This innovative approach addresses the complex task of identifying genes linked t.....»»