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.....»»
From robots and drones to sheep trackers, new tech can help farmers monitor and improve soil health
Twelve million hectares of agricultural soils are lost globally through soil degradation every year. As an ecologist, I work alongside farmers and growers in the field and have seen how farming can help solve this global soil crisis......»»
Warming Baltic Sea: a red flag for global oceans
Climate change combined with pollution from farming and forestry could flip northern Europe's Baltic Sea from being a sponge for CO2 to a source of the planet-warming gas, scientists studying told AFP......»»
AI-powered atlas reveals how proteins behave inside cells
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed an atlas of proteins describing how the proteins behave inside human cells. This tool could be used to search for the origins of diseases related to proteins misbehaving, such as dementia and m.....»»
Archaeologists report earliest evidence for plant farming in east Africa
A trove of ancient plant remains excavated in Kenya helps explain the history of plant farming in equatorial eastern Africa, a region long thought to be important for early farming but where scant evidence from actual physical crops has been previous.....»»
From fields to policy: Conserving China"s agricultural heritage systems
Agricultural heritage systems, the custodians of ancient farming practices, face unprecedented challenges from climate change and urbanization. A recent study presents a detailed geographical analysis coupled with strategic management approaches to c.....»»
NASA mission to study mysteries in the origin of solar radio waves
NASA's CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment, or CURIE, is scheduled to launch July 9, 2024, to investigate the unresolved origins of radio waves coming from the sun......»»
Researchers discover mysterious new beetle species in Guatemala
Together with a Brazilian–German team, Senckenberg researcher Vinicius S. Ferreira has described a new species from the glowworm beetle genus Adendrocera. This group of insects is rare and only documented by very few specimens in scientific collect.....»»
Five common English words we don"t know the origins of—including "boy" and "dog"
The naming process, the act of naming the items of the world, is as old as the first words spoken by our ancestors. We can reconstruct the stages of this process through etymology, which studies the historical development of the lexicon of a language.....»»
Biologist calls for protection and more studies of natural time capsules of climate change
Packrats, also known as woodrats, are the original hoarders, collecting materials from their environment to make their nests, called middens. In deserts throughout western North America, for instance, packrat middens can preserve plants, insects, bon.....»»
Researcher uses satellite imagery to investigate ancient urbanism in eastern Africa
At the U of A's Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies, Wolfgang Alders, a National Science Foundation SBE Postdoctoral Fellow, is using satellite imagery and archaeological methods to better understand the origins of urban life on the eastern Afri.....»»
Study reveals maintenance of male-related genes after loss of males in stick insects
Traits are often lost during evolution, either because they are no longer beneficial or because they are too costly to maintain. When this happens, it is generally believed that the genes underlying the trait will eventually degrade as well, making i.....»»
NASA"s OSIRIS-APEX unscathed after searing pass of sun
Mission engineers were confident NASA's OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification—Apophis Explorer) spacecraft could weather its closest ever pass of the sun on Jan. 2, 2024. Their models had predicted that despite trav.....»»
Mystery of "slow" solar wind unveiled by Solar Orbiter mission
Scientists have come a step closer to identifying the mysterious origins of the "slow" solar wind, using data collected during the Solar Orbiter spacecraft's first close journey to the sun......»»
On repeat: Biologists observe recurring evolutionary changes, over time, in stick insects
A long-standing debate among evolutionary scientists goes something like this: Does evolution happen in a predictable pattern or does it depend on chance events and contingency? That is, if you could turn back the clock, as celebrated scientist Steph.....»»
Researchers reveal evolutionary origins of appetite by studying simple nervous system of Hydra
Over the course of evolution, living organisms have gradually developed more complex nervous systems in order to coordinate increasingly complex sensory, motor and cognitive functions and to control the associated behavior......»»
Wichita Falls area restaurant inspections: Dead insects, dented cans, cleaning needed
Wichita Falls area restaurant inspections: Dead insects, dented cans, cleaning needed.....»»
Finding the beat of collective animal motion: Scientists show reciprocity is key to driving coordinated movements
Across nature, animals from swarming insects to herding mammals can organize into seemingly choreographed motion. Over the last two decades, scientists have discovered that these coordinated movements arise from each animal following simple rules abo.....»»
Detecting odors on the edge: Researchers decipher how insects smell more with less
Whether it's the wafting aroma of our favorite meal or the dangerous fumes seeping from a toxic chemical, the human sense of smell has evolved into a sophisticated system that processes scents through several intricate stages. The brains of mammals h.....»»
A pest of our own making: Revealing the true origins of the not-so-German cockroach
German cockroaches thrive in buildings all over the world. They're one of the most common cockroach species, causing trouble for people both here and overseas. But in nature, they're nowhere to be found......»»
Chocolate that harnesses the full potential of the cocoa fruit
Researchers at ETH Zurich have teamed up with the food industry to produce a whole-fruit variety of chocolate. This helps increase the value creation of cocoa farming—and is healthier......»»