The origins of farming insects
A beetle bores a tree trunk to build a gallery in the wood in order to protect its lay. As it digs the tunnel, it spreads ambrosia fungal spores that will feed the larvae. When these bore another tree, the adult beetles will be the transmission vecto.....»»
Ryugu asteroid origins in the solar nebula decoded by carbonates
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency sent the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to 162173 Ryugu in 2019, an asteroid in orbit near Earth that is comprised of rocky fragments originating from a larger parent body. Multiple rovers brought samples from the asteroid'.....»»
Back to the future for India"s rice farmers
India, the world's biggest rice exporter, is turning to old varieties and new farming techniques......»»
Trapped: Australia"s extraordinary alpine insects are being marooned on mountaintops as the world warms
We may not pay invertebrates much thought, but they're the workhorses of all ecosystems. Insects and other invertebrates do essential jobs such as pollinating plants, improving soils and controlling pests. They're also food for many larger animals, w.....»»
Origins of the plantation system revealed
The first-ever investigation of an archaeological site on São Tomé is revealing the African island's involvement in the inception of the plantation economic model later exported to the Americas......»»
Transforming flies into degradable plastics
Imagine using insects as a source of chemicals to make plastics that can biodegrade later—with the help of that very same type of bug. That concept is closer to reality than you might expect. Researchers describe their progress to date, including i.....»»
High-precision genome sequencing of buckwheat breeds hope for future harvests
A research group led by Kyoto University's Graduate School of Agriculture has deciphered buckwheat's high-precision chromosomal-level genome sequence, a key step toward unraveling the evolution of the buckwheat genome and the origins of the cultivate.....»»
Lion farming in South Africa: Fresh evidence adds weight to fears of link with illegal bone trade
In South Africa an estimated 8,000 lions are bred and kept in captivity for commercial purposes in more than 350 facilities. This is far more than the country's wild population, estimated at 3,500 individuals......»»
Ivy, dandelions and other common wildflowers are a crucial resource for pollinating insects
Since the end of the second world war, factors such as more intensive farming and urbanization have reduced the abundance of wildflowers in Britain. In fact, the past 90 years have seen the loss of over 97% of the UK's wildflower meadows......»»
Computer science can help farmers explore alternative crops and sustainable farming methods
Humans have physically reconfigured half of the world's land to grow just eight staple crops: maize (corn), soy, wheat, rice, cassava, sorghum, sweet potato and potato. They account for the vast majority of calories that people around the world consu.....»»
Common ancestors of bats were omnivorous, according to resurrection of ancestral sweet receptors
The origins of powered flight and laryngeal echolocation in bats are widely cited as evidence that ancestral bats evolved as insectivores. Moreover, others have hypothesis that suggesting early bats were diurnal herbivores and that insectivory emerge.....»»
Study reveals successful strategies for removing invasive caimans from Florida Everglades
The spectacled caiman, a species native to Central and South America, has been established in Florida since the 1970s. The pet trade and crocodilian farming industries, escapes and deliberate releases made it possible for caimans to invade the Florid.....»»
A Background "Hum" Pervades the Universe. Scientists Are Racing to Find Its Source
Astronomers are now seeking to pinpoint the origins of an exciting new form of gravitational waves that was announced earlier this year.....»»
Exploring the self-organizing origins of life
Catalytic molecules can form metabolically active clusters by creating and following concentration gradients—this is the result of a new study by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS). Their model pred.....»»
Study finds new methods for more sustainable farming with renewable energy systems
A study led by researchers at the Energy Institute has proposed a new energy system for a "smart farm" in South Korea which could reduce emissions, providing a blueprint for more sustainable farming practices......»»
X marks the unknown in algebra, but X"s origins are a math mystery
Even though "x" is one of the least-used letters in the English alphabet, it appears throughout American culture—from Stan Lee's X-Men superheroes to "The X-Files" TV series. The letter x often symbolizes something unknown, with an air of mystery t.....»»
Austria farmers up in arms over Brussels GMO plans
The European Commission's proposal to ease current restrictions on genetically modified crops has riled up EU organic farming leader Austria and its farmers......»»
Feeding traces on fossil leaves help researchers identify factors leading to enormous herbivore diversity
Researchers from the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt have uncovered the factors that determine the enormous diversity of herbivorous insects......»»
Munching Bugs Gave the First Mammals an Edge
Early mammals got ahead by eating insects.....»»
Wildlife lovers urged to join UK"s annual butterfly count
Wildlife enthusiasts across Britain are being encouraged to log sightings of butterflies and some moths, as the world's largest annual survey of the increasingly endangered pollinating insects returns......»»
Be a "good farmer" or follow new regulations: The struggle for Otago farmers
A new national freshwater policy is causing tension for Otago farmers, as many of the new regulations oppose their perception of a "good farmer" and good farming practices, University of Otago research shows......»»