Uncovering the underlying patterns in contemporary evolution
Wild populations must continuously adapt to environmental changes or risk extinction. For more than fifty years, scientists have described instances of "rapid evolution" in specific populations as their traits (phenotypes) change in response to varyi.....»»
Researcher finds that wood frogs evolved rapidly in response to road salts
When we think of evolution, we think of a process that happens over hundreds or thousands of years. In research published in Ecology and Evolution a team led by Rick Relyea, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences and David M. Darrin Senior Endowed.....»»
Mantle heat may have boosted Earth"s crust 3 billion years ago
Little is known about the nature and evolution of Earth's continental crust before a few billion years ago because cratons, or stable swaths of the lithosphere more than 2–3 billion years old, are relatively rare......»»
How evolution has optimized the magnetic sensor in birds
Migratory birds are able to navigate and orientate with astonishing accuracy using various mechanisms, including a magnetic compass. A team led by biologists Dr. Corinna Langebrake and Prof. Dr. Miriam Liedvogel from the University of Oldenburg and t.....»»
International study produces a comprehensive "tree of life" for flowering plants
With their own botanical collection material and their research knowledge on the evolution of cruciferous plants (plants of the cabbage family), bioscientists at Heidelberg University have contributed to a large-scale international study that has pro.....»»
A key gene helps explain how the ability to glide has emerged over-and-over during marsupial evolution
People say "When pigs fly" to describe the impossible. But even if most mammals are landlubbers, the ability to glide or fly has evolved again and again during mammalian evolution, in species ranging from bats to flying squirrels. How did that come a.....»»
New model extends theory of pattern formation to the nano-cosmos
A new model developed by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) extends the theory of elastic phase separation towards nanoscopic structures. Such patterns are frequent in biological systems and also used.....»»
Understanding the spread of behavior: How long-tie connections accelerate the speed of social contagion
Human beings are likely to adopt the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of those around them. Simple decisions like what local store is best to shop at to more complex ones like vaccinating a child are influenced by these behavior patterns and social d.....»»
Scientists stencil-paint carbon nanotube components for flexible transparent electronics
Researchers from Skoltech, MIPT, and elsewhere have found a fast and inexpensive way to create geometric patterns in carbon nanotube films. The resulting films turned out to have superior properties for manufacturing components for 6G communication d.....»»
Advances in understanding the evolution of stomach loss in agastric fishes
Living beings can evolve to lose biological structures due to potential survival benefits from such losses. For example, certain groups of ray-finned fishes show such regressive evolution—medakas, minnows, puffera, and wrasses do not have a stomach.....»»
Behavioral patterns of ransomware groups are changing
Q1 saw substantial shifts in activity from some of the most prolific Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) groups, according to GuidePoint Security. RaaS groups attempt to recruit disaffected or displaced affiliates In addition to revealing a nearly 20% yea.....»»
Is the Oura Ring waterproof?
The Oura Ring is a powerful wearable device, allowing you to track your sleep patterns, wellness, and more. But is it waterproof? It's time to find out......»»
Same species, different sizes: Rare evolution in action spotted in island bats
A University of Melbourne researcher has spotted a rare evolutionary phenomenon happening rapidly in real time in bats living in the Solomon Islands......»»
"Harvesting data": Latin American AI startups transform farming
For centuries, farmers used almanacs to try to understand and predict weather patterns......»»
Study uncovers neural mechanisms underlying foraging behavior in freely moving animals
While foraging, animals including humans and monkeys are continuously making decisions about where to search for food and when to move among possible sources of sustenance......»»
Uncovering key players in gene silencing: Insights into plant growth and human diseases
Monash University biologists have shed light on the intricate molecular mechanisms that are responsible for gene silencing induced by expanded repeats in an international study published today in Nature Plants......»»
RNA"s hidden potential: New study unveils its role in early life and future bioengineering
The beginning of life on Earth and its evolution over billions of years continue to intrigue researchers worldwide. The central dogma or the directional flow of genetic information from a deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) template to a ribose nucleic ac.....»»
Materials follow the "Rule of Four," but scientists don"t know why yet
Scientists are normally happy to find regularities and correlations in their data—but only if they can explain them. Otherwise, they worry that those patterns might just be revealing some flaw in the data itself, so-called experimental artifacts......»»
Researchers realize hydrogen formation by contact electrification of water microdroplets and its regulation
Direct utilization of water as a source of hydrogen atoms and molecules is fundamental to the evolution of the ecosystem and industry. However, liquid water is an unfavorable electron donor for forming these hydrogen species due to its redox inertnes.....»»
Researchers identify genetic variant that helped shape human skull base evolution
Humans, Homo sapiens, have unique features compared with other closely related hominin species and primates, including the shape of the base of the skull. The evolutionary changes underlying these features were significant in allowing the evolution o.....»»
First evidence of human occupation in lava tube cave in Saudi Arabia
Recent strides in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have unveiled new insights into the evolution and historical development of regional human populations, as well as the dynamic patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptatio.....»»