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?.....»»
A few essential genetic differences tailor flowers to bee or hummingbird pollinators
Large differences in flower characteristics between wildflowers with different pollinators are achieved by a few key genetic differences, according to a study by Carolyn Wessinger at the University of South Carolina, US, and colleagues, published in.....»»
Researchers advance understanding of why cell parts look the way they do
Scientists have long understood that parts of cells, called organelles, evolved to have certain shapes and sizes because their forms are closely related to how they function. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a bacteria-based tool to test.....»»
Farmers turn to tech as bees struggle to pollinate
With bee populations struggling, mechanical pollination may be increasingly needed as a back-up......»»
A fossil jumping spider"s 15-million-year journey
Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are a recently evolved family of spiders. They are known for their distinctive large eyes and ability to jump long distances relative to their small size. Australia has about 1,200 to 1,500 species of this spider family......»»
New origin story for key regulatory gene: PRC2 repressed jumping genes in ancestors of eukaryotes
The key protein complex PRC2 was discovered decades ago to silence genes, but new findings by Frederic Berger and his group at the Gregor Mendel Institute show that PRC2 represses transposons in a range of eukaryotes and only gradually evolved to sil.....»»
Parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh—it"s also an extreme example of genome shrinkage
If you happen to come across plants of the Balanophoraceae family in a corner of a forest, you might easily mistake them for fungi growing around tree roots. Their mushroom-like structures are actually inflorescences, composed of minute flowers......»»
Xbox exec says leaked “old emails and documents” have “outdated” info
Spencer: Real plans have "evolved" from what's in docs Microsoft accidentally shared. Enlarge / Microsoft's Phil Spencer speaks at the DICE conference in Las Vegas. (credit: Kyle Orland) Yesterday's massive leaks from th.....»»
How bats evolved to avoid cancer
A new paper titled "Long-read sequencing reveals rapid evolution of immunity and cancer-related genes in bats" in Genome Biology and Evolution shows that rapid evolution in bats may account for the animals' extraordinary ability to both host and surv.....»»
Researchers issue urgent call to save the world"s largest flower, Rafflesia, from extinction
An international group of scientists, including botanists at the University of Oxford's Botanic Garden, has issued an urgent call for coordinated action to save the iconic genus Rafflesia, which contains the world's largest flowers. This follows a ne.....»»
Range of pesticides, including neonicotinoids, found in pollen of different bee species
New research paints a worrying picture for the different species of bees that provide multi-million-euro pollination services in Ireland each year......»»
Lack of maternal care found to affect development, microbiome and health of wild bees
Most wild bees are solitary, but one tiny species of carpenter bees fastidiously cares for and raises their offspring, an act that translates into huge benefits to the developing bee's microbiome, development and health, found York University researc.....»»
A rooftop garden in Chicago has thousands of native plants—and a mission
Three stories above a busy stretch of North Halsted Street, on a rooftop with views of downtown skyscrapers, crickets chirp and prairie flowers dance in the breeze......»»
Illinois nature lovers and scientists warn of population declines among native bees and other pollinators
Barbara Williams zeros in on a patch of yellow wildflowers with her binoculars. She leans in slightly, her beetle earrings jangling, and proclaims "that's definitive.".....»»
Bees and other flying insects at greater risk of extinction as they migrate to higher elevations in changing climate
In response to rising global temperatures, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations to survive in cooler temperatures. But a new study from the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech.....»»
You say tomato, these scientists say evolutionary mystery
Biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have found evidence for evolutionary "syndromes"—sets of traits that occur together—that help to explain how tomatoes first evolved their distinctive blend of color, sweetness, acidity and aro.....»»
BA.2.86 fears fizzle as other variants drive up hospitalizations, deaths
Three preliminary studies suggest BA.2.86 may not be the scary subvariant some feared. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Justin Sullivan) Concern over the highly evolved omicron subvariant BA.2.86 is easing as the first batch of.....»»
Study suggests human shoulders and elbows first evolved as brakes for climbing apes
The rotating shoulders and extending elbows that allow humans to reach for a high shelf or toss a ball with friends may have first evolved as a natural braking system for our primate ancestors who simply needed to get out of trees without dying......»»
Research sheds surprising new light on evolution of plant kingdom
A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the evolution of plant biology, effectively rewriting the history of how plants evolved over the past billion years......»»
Air pollution prevents pollinators from finding flowers, study shows
Air pollution dramatically reduces pollination because it degrades the scent of flowers, affecting bees' ability to find them, a study has found......»»
Patrolling honey bees expose spread of antimicrobial resistance
Bees could become biomonitors, checking their neighborhoods to determine how far antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has spread, according to research by Macquarie University scientists......»»