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.....»»
Study finds timing of drought is more damaging to invertebrates than severity
Populations of various species of aquatic insects and other invertebrates respond to flooding and waterway drying due to drought in different ways that can be anticipated, according to a new Penn State-led study that employed a novel method to assess.....»»
Earwigs are the hero single mothers of the insect world, and good for your garden too
You lift a stone and staring up at you is a little insect with its tail curled and pincers ready to inflict who knows what. Then you see its attendants—tiny white insects, huddled underneath. Should you drop the stone and quash them, or leave them.....»»
Genetic diversity of the Saimaa ringed seal decreased in the 20th century as a result of human actions: Study
A new study confounds conceptions about the origins of the Saimaa ringed seal. In addition, scientists have observed that the genetic diversity of the Saimaa ringed seal decreased in the 20th century as a result of human actions. The evolutionary his.....»»
Rosy finches are Colorado"s high-alpine specialists, and researchers want to know why
Mountaineers who venture high into the Colorado Rockies have likely spotted medium-sized, brown-and-pink birds rummaging around on snow patches for insects and seeds. These high-elevation specialists are rosy finches, a type of bird that's evolved to.....»»
Farming more seaweed to be food, feed and fuel
A University of Queensland–led study has shown that expanding global seaweed farming could go a long way to addressing the planet's food security, biodiversity loss and climate change challenges......»»
New geosciences study shows Triassic fossils that reveal origins of living amphibians
The smallest of newly found fossils can upend what paleontologists know about our history......»»
EU eyes more help for shrinking bee populations
The EU on Tuesday announced proposals to try to reverse an "alarming decline" in the number of bees—and other insects that pollinate the bloc's crops—including by rewarding organic farming......»»
Tigers in South Africa: A farming industry exists—often for their body parts
A tiger escaped from a residence and roamed the countryside outside Johannesburg, South Africa, for four days this month. It attacked a man and killed several animals, and was eventually shot by the authorities......»»
A mixture of crops provides ecological benefits for agricultural landscapes, find researchers
There are often too few flowering plants in agricultural landscapes, which is one reason for the decline of pollinating insects. Researchers at the University of Göttingen have now investigated how a mixture of crops of fava beans (broad beans) and.....»»
Violence was widespread in early farming society, says new study
Violence and warfare were widespread in many Neolithic communities across Northwest Europe, a period associated with the adoption of farming, new research suggests......»»
Using the shadows of clusters to measure the universe
Astronomers have begun using a sophisticated suite of simulations, an advanced machine learning model of the formation of galaxy clusters, and an exotic relationship between galaxies to understand the origins of dark matter and dark energy......»»
Homo sapiens or insapiens? A new insect species from Kosovo cries for help
Lying at the center of the Balkan Peninsula, Kosovo harbors a diversity of ecosystems and conditions that have favored processes leading to the existence of many endemic and rare species. In the past few years, several new species of aquatic insects.....»»
Light-based tech could inspire moon navigation and next-gen farming
Super-thin chips made from lithium niobate are set to overtake silicon chips in light-based technologies, according to world-leading scientists in the field, with potential applications ranging from remote ripening-fruit detection on Earth to navigat.....»»
Study finds flower patterns make bumblebees more efficient
The search for nectar costs insects a lot of energy, so they have to be as efficient as possible. Colorful patterns on the petals can help with that......»»
Farming in South Africa: 6 things that need urgent attention in 2023
South Africa's agriculture remains an important sector of the economy and holds great potential to reduce poverty. It's also central to the political economy of the country, as evident in the governing African National Congress's (ANC) recent policy.....»»
How drones could be the future of Indian farming
Companies in India are encouraging farmers to switch to drones - but is that working?.....»»
Making the case for using insects as food for both humans and livestock
Two pairs of academics are making the case for using insects as a food source in Perspectives pieces published in the journal Science......»»
South Korea to ban bear farming, but what to do about hundreds of captive animals that remain?
South Korea's successful restoration of a wild Asiatic black bear population to Jirisan National Park is a huge conservation success story. But the fortune of this wild population stands in contrast to the plight of more than 300 captive bears that r.....»»
Ancient farming strategy holds promise for climate resilience
Morgan Ruelle was living in the remote mountains of Ethiopia in 2011, researching his dissertation on food diversity, when he kept hearing about a crop that confused him......»»
Cosmic superbubble"s magnetic field charted in 3D for the first time
Astronomers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) have unveiled a first-of-its-kind map that could help answer decades-old questions about the origins of stars and the influences of magnetic fields in the cosmos......»»