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?.....»»
Floral time travel: Flowers were more diverse 100 million years ago than they are today
An international team of researchers led by botanists at the University of Vienna, Austria, has analyzed the morphological diversity of fossilized flowers and compared it with the diversity of living species. They found that flowering plants had alre.....»»
Fish brains may provide insight into the molecular basis of decision-making
How do animals make decisions when faced with competing demands, and how have decision making processes evolved over time? In a recent publication in Biology Letters, Tina Barbasch, a postdoctoral researcher at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic.....»»
Genomic studies shed light on the origins of bee venom
Bees, wasps and ants belong to the Hymenoptera order and inject a whole cocktail of venomous ingredients when they sting. Despite their tremendous ecological and economic importance, little was previously known about the origins of their venom......»»
Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations, study shows
A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees—one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite.....»»
Political ideology affected how COVID-19 news was consumed, study finds
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the speed with which available health and safety information evolved was novel to most people around the world. To assess how the public handled the changing guidance, an international research team compared information.....»»
Opinion: Responsible ESG investing in the Global South requires overcoming the Global North"s savior complex
ESG standards (Environment, Social and Governance) are metrics designed to guide responsible investing. The "S" in ESG has evolved into the financial innovation of social impact investing (SII), which promotes social benefits such as environmental pr.....»»
The Ars guide to time travel in the movies
We picked 20 time-travel movies and rated them by scientific logic and entertainment value. Enlarge / The selected films span several decades to show how Hollywood's treatment of time travel in Hollywood has evolved. (credit: Aur.....»»
Northern bees at risk from insecticide
James Cook University scientists say a common tropical bee species is vulnerable to widely-used insecticides—which will decrease their heat tolerance at the same time as the climate is warming......»»
Bay Area scientist with bees in his bonnet gives Gov. Newsom a buzz in his ear
Among the presidents of nations, high-profile dignitaries, and leaders of household-name companies like Visa, ExxonMobil and Microsoft who descended on San Francisco last week to speak at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation events was a Santa Cruz comp.....»»
Dwarf galaxies use 10-million-year quiet period to churn out stars
If you look at massive galaxies teeming with stars, you might be forgiven for thinking they are star factories, churning out brilliant balls of gas. But actually, less evolved dwarf galaxies have bigger regions of star factories, with higher rates of.....»»
First comprehensive look at effects of 2020–2021 California megafires on terrestrial wildlife habitat
The only thing constant is change—isn't that how the saying goes? We know that wildlife in western forests evolved with changing habitats and disturbances like wildfire. Each species responds differently, some benefiting from openings, others losin.....»»
Outsmarting cybercriminals is becoming a hard thing to do
Cybercriminals have evolved into organized and highly adaptive networks, collaborating globally to exploit weaknesses in cybersecurity defenses. Their motivations range from financial gain and information theft to political espionage and ideological.....»»
New study reveals that bees cannot taste even lethal levels of pesticides
New research from the University of Oxford has revealed that bumblebees cannot taste pesticides present in nectar, even at lethal concentrations. This means bumblebees are not able to avoid contaminated nectar, putting them at high risk of pesticide.....»»
Hemp cannabinoids may have evolved to deter insect pests
Cannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds found in hemp plants, may have evolved to deter pests from chewing on them, according to experiments that showed higher cannabinoid concentrations in hemp leaves led to proportionately less damage from inse.....»»
Tracing multiple evolutionary trajectories in aquatic crocodiles
In the geological past, several groups of crocodiles evolved towards a morphology adapted to marine life. However, the extent of these adaptations and their evolutionary trajectories remained unknown. An exhaustive study of their morphology by a scie.....»»
How bacteria recognize viral invasion and activate immune defenses
There's no organism on Earth that lives free of threat—including bacteria. Predatory viruses known as phages are among their most dire foes, infiltrating their cells to replicate and take over. Bacteria have evolved an array of strategies to counte.....»»
Best Wearables – 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
Here are the best wearables to gift during the 2023 holiday season. The post Best Wearables – 2023 Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Phandroid. There is no denying the fact that technology has improved and evolved exponentially in.....»»
Fungi"s secrets for surviving a hypersaline environment
Many organisms have evolved to survive in some of the Earth's harshest conditions, tolerating freezing temperatures, crushing pressures and other extremes. In studying these organisms, scientists deepen our understanding of how life has adapted on ou.....»»
First release of images demonstrates Euclid space telescope"s potential
Two things are needed to understand how the universe came into being and how it has evolved to its present form. Cosmological computer models employ the laws of physics to depict the universe's expected appearance today, while observations made with.....»»
Dangerous bee virus less deadly in at least one US forest, researchers find
This year's cold and flu season is bringing good news for honey bees. Penn State researchers have found that the deadly deformed wing virus (DMV) may have evolved to be less deadly in at least one U.S. forest. The findings could have implications for.....»»