We Hiked Along With Cicada Biologists So You Don’t Have To
Researchers only get a chance to study Brood X every 17 years. WIRED came for the ride—and got up close to thousands of hatching cicadas......»»
"Sea firefly" ostracods demonstrate collective synchrony with bioluminescent mating signals
A team of evolutionary biologists and limnologists affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has described the synchronous bioluminescent signals they observed being produced by a type of marine ostracod (Crustacea; Luxorina). In their paper.....»»
Thirty years of data show persistent organic pollutants remain a threat to marine biodiversity
A team of zoologists, environmental scientists, marine biologists and life scientists affiliated with several institutions in Ireland and the U.K. has found that despite international bans, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to be both wid.....»»
Fossil unearthed in Mongolia"s Gobi Desert suggests some dinosaurs slept in same position as modern birds
A team of paleontologists and biologists from Hokkaido University, Hokkaido University Museum, North Carolina State University and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, has uncovered a previously unknown species of dinosaur that appears to have slept in.....»»
Some species of angelfish may spend their whole lives swimming upside down
A multi-institutional team of oceanographers and marine biologists has found evidence showing that some deep-sea species of angelfish spend their entire lives swimming upside down. In their paper published in the Journal of Fish Biology, the group de.....»»
Why purple-crowned fairy-wrens engage in cooperative breeding
A team of biologists at Monash University, working with a colleague from Wageningen University, has found an explanation for why purple-crowned fairy wrens engage in cooperative breeding. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Sci.....»»
Silky ants turn to aphids for medicine when sick
A small team of biologists and zoologists from Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland has found evidence of silky ants consuming aphids to treat fungal infections. In their study, published in the journal Biology Letters, the group collected g.....»»
Two new species of racerunner lizard discovered in Iran
A team of zoologists and biologists affiliated with several institutions in Russia and Iran has identified two new species of racerunner lizards in Iran. In their paper published in the journal Zootaxa, the group describes where the lizards were foun.....»»
Adapting to climate change: Mutation enables flour beetles to speed up their development
Leiden biologists have found a mutation in flour beetles that allows them to speed up their development. They think that more insects can change their growth rate, which could help them adjust to climate change. The study has been published in Nature.....»»
New study shows ancient Europe was not all forest, half was covered in grassland
A team of ecologists, biologists, geographers, geologists and Earth scientists from across Europe, working with a colleague from the U.K. and another from Canada, has found evidence suggesting that Europe was not covered heavily by forest during the.....»»
The mystery of phosphite: A scientific detective story leads to discovery of new type of bacterial metabolism
Konstanz biologists have discovered a phosphorus-based bacterial metabolism that is both new and ancient. The story of its discovery features a calculation from the 1980s, a sewage plant, a new bacterial organism, and a remnant from around 2.5 billio.....»»
Baby dolphins found to receive high doses of persistent organic pollutants from their mothers" milk
A team of marine biologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, working with a pair of colleagues from the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, has found that dolphin calves born to mothers in the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Pr.....»»
Why a surprising discovery, warming seas and the demise of the "Meg" may spell trouble for more and more sharks
Some unexpected shark strandings and subsequent surprises following autopsies have ironically taken marine biologists millions of years back in time as they look to the future with concern. Adding chapters to an evolutionary tale involving the infamo.....»»
Plant biologists shed light on 144-year-old seedy mystery
In April 2021, four Michigan State University plant scientists met at an undisclosed area on campus to dig up a bottle containing seeds buried more than 144 years ago by MSU botanist William J. Beal......»»
Biologists are keeping a close eye on a rare Mexican wolf that is wandering out of bounds
Northern New Mexico or bust—that seems to be the case for at least one Mexican gray wolf that is intent on wandering beyond the boundaries set for managing the rarest subspecies of gray wolf if North America......»»
Chloroplasts do more than photosynthesis: They"re also a key player in plant immunity
Scientists have long known that chloroplasts help plants turn the sun's energy into food, but a new study, led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, shows that they are also essential for plant immunity to viral and bacterial pa.....»»
Genomic insights reveal evolutionary history of clouded leopards, inform conservation
Both ecologically and morphologically, the clouded leopards known as Neofelis nebulosa are a distinct lineage of big cats. These species are threatened due to human activities of targeted hunting and habitat loss. Evolutionary biologists seek to unde.....»»
Why 10 billion snow crabs starved to death in the Bering Sea
A team of marine biologists with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Alaska Fishery Science Center has solved the mystery of why approximately 10 billion snow crabs vanished from the Bering Sea back in 2018/2019—the water the.....»»
Unearthing the ecological impacts of cicada emergences on North American forests
Every 13 or 17 years, billions of cicadas emerge from the ground to reproduce in eastern North American deciduous forests. One of the largest emergence events of these insects happened in 2021 when the Brood X cicadas emerged. Researchers who studied.....»»
New "dragon lizard" species with impressive camouflage capabilities found in Southeast Asia
An international team of biologists, animal management specialists, geneticists and forestry managers has discovered a new species of "dragon lizard" in Laos—one with very impressive camouflage capabilities. In their paper published in the journal.....»»
Current bird flu epidemic found to have originated in Europe and Africa
An international team of biologists, public health specialists and infectious disease experts reports that the current near-global bird flu epidemic has its roots in Europe and Africa. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group analyz.....»»