The first flowers evolved before bees—so how did they become so dazzling?
Colorful flowers, and the insects and birds that fly among their dazzling displays, are a joy of nature. But how did early relationships between flower color and animal pollinators emerge?.....»»
Independent origins of frog glue and its role in predator evasion
Skin-secreted adhesives, or glues, are highly effective defense adaptations that have evolved recurrently in a small number of amphibians. From an ecological standpoint, this rapidly solidifying material—essentially, a sticky slime—encumbers the.....»»
Russian state media outlet RT banned by Facebook “for foreign interference”
US said Russian media worked with Kremlin to influence election, foment unrest. Enlarge / Russia President Vladimir Putin presents flowers to editor-in-chief of Russian broadcaster RT Margarita Simonyan after awarding her with th.....»»
Possum shrimp use their cave"s special smell to trace their way home, study finds
Homing is an animal's ability to navigate towards an original location, such as a breeding spot or foraging territory. Salmon and racing pigeons are famous for homing, but similar behaviors occur in groups as diverse as bees, frogs, rats, and sea tur.....»»
Flowers use adjustable "paint by numbers" petal designs to attract pollinators, researchers discover
Flowers like hibiscus use an invisible blueprint established very early in petal formation that dictates the size of their bullseyes—a crucial pre-pattern that can significantly impact their ability to attract pollinating bees......»»
Early dark energy could resolve cosmology"s two biggest puzzles
A new study by MIT physicists proposes that a mysterious force known as early dark energy could solve two of the biggest puzzles in cosmology and fill in some major gaps in our understanding of how the early universe evolved......»»
Image: Chili flowers bloom in International Space Station
In July 2021, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station started growing chili peppers in the Advanced Plant Habitat, as part of the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment......»»
Corn-shaped seed pellets to boost habitat for monarchs, bees
Crop fields are low in biodiversity, but farmers may soon be part of the solution thanks to a Cornell innovation that allows growers to use corn or other crop seed planting machines to plant strips of milkweed or wildflowers next to their fields......»»
Astronomers discover a long-hidden small black hole in an unusually evolved binary system
Chinese researchers have discovered a promising mass-gap black hole using radial velocity and astrometry methods. The study was published online in Nature Astronomy on Sept. 10, and was conducted by a team led by Dr. Wang Song, an associate researche.....»»
Long stems on flowers are an adaptation that encourages bat pollination, research suggests
Flowers that are pollinated by bats tend to have long stems that make them stand out from the surrounding foliage. New research published in New Phytologist reveals the evolutionary advantage that this characteristic provides to plants to ensure that.....»»
Multiple ways to evolve tiny knee bone could have helped humans walk upright
The evolution of bones in primates' knees could have implications for how humans evolved to walk upright, a new study has found......»»
The fascinating secrets of plant reproduction that scientists are still uncovering
You might think flowers don't have much choice about who they mate with, given they are rooted to the ground and can't move......»»
The amazing flowers growing in pavement cracks and why you shouldn"t pass them by
In spring and summer flowers pop up spontaneously in lawns, playgrounds, fields and even cracks in the pavement. But what do you see: weeds or wildflowers?.....»»
Plant thermogenesis has played key role in attracting pollinating insects for at least 200 million years, study suggests
Thermogenesis is a process by which organisms generate internal heat. Although it is usually associated with animals, some plants have also developed this ability. This metabolic process allows certain parts of the plant, such as flowers and inflores.....»»
Replacement crop treatment not safe for important pollinator, experts say
A novel pesticide thought to be a potential successor to banned neonicotinoids caused 100% mortality in mason bees in a recent test. The novel pesticide, flupyradifurone, is thought to pose less risk to pollinators and, consequently, has been license.....»»
Plankton mark seasons in the sea, just like leaves and flowers on land
Britain's seas are rich in wildlife, but many of its species can only be seen with a microscope. These are the plankton—tiny algae and animals found throughout the ocean that are the foundation of the entire marine food web......»»
Providing blooms all season long may be key to attracting pollinators, no matter what landscape is near your garden
A diverse and abundant flower planting that provides flowers in bloom all season may be more important to bees and other pollinators than whatever is surrounding the flower garden, according to a study published September 4, 2024 in PLoS ONE by Devon.....»»
They come from above: Here"s why magpies, magpie-larks and lapwings swoop in spring
If you live in Australia or New Zealand, the coming of spring is a mixed blessing. The days get warmer. Flowers bloom. Birds nest......»»
The Mac mini doesn"t sell in huge volumes, but is a crucial part of Apple"s ecosystem
The Mac mini, initially an affordable entry into Apple's ecosystem, has evolved into a versatile machine, though sales data paint a mixed picture of its popularity.Mac mini computerFirst introduced in 2005, the Mac mini was designed as an entry point.....»»
Volunteers record bee biodiversity and discover new species in Pennsylvania
Community scientists in Pennsylvania have reported multiple new species of bees never before found in the commonwealth through a monitoring program led by Penn State......»»
"Bees starving" in disastrous year for French honey
Beekeepers across France say it has been a disastrous year for honey, with bees starving to death and production plummeting by up to 80 percent......»»