What animal societies can teach us about aging
Red deer may become less sociable as they grow old to reduce the risk of picking up diseases, while older house sparrows seem to have fewer social interactions as their peers die off, according to new research showing that humans are not the only ani.....»»
The rise of color vision in animals: Study maps dramatic 100-million-year explosion in color signals
Colors are widely used in communication within and among animal species. For example, peacocks proudly display their vibrant tails, adorned with iridescent eyespots, to attract peahens for courtship. This is a classic example of sexual selection usin.....»»
Evolutionary anthropologist presents hypothesis about why humans are dominating the world over other animals
Why is human culture—the shared body of knowledge passed down across generations—so much more powerful than animal cultures?.....»»
Are these tiny insects the world"s laziest bugs?
At less than 3mm long, you may not think Dunatothrips aneurae seem like much. And—as I have shown in a new study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology—you'd be absolutely right. That's because these may be the world's laziest insects......»»
How Native Americans guarded their societies against tyranny
When the founders of the United States designed the Constitution, they were learning from history that democracy was likely to fail......»»
Q&A: How animal tracking data can help preserve biodiversity
Today's ecologists have more data than ever before to help monitor and understand the world's biodiversity. Yet researchers are still working to get more detailed information to better combat declining animal populations that can eventually lead to s.....»»
New plant bug species discovered in French Polynesia
Seventeen new species of plant bugs—a group of insects with a strawlike mouth used to feed on plant and animal matter—have been identified on the islands of French Polynesia, and their names honor scientists, actors, and Vice President Kamala Har.....»»
Space Innovation Lab experiment heads to International Space Station
The first human tissue samples from Oxford's Space Innovation Lab (SIL) have been launched and are on their way to the International Space Station, where they will be used to study the effects of space microgravity on the human aging process......»»
Only 3% of South Africans can name all five national animals and plants. Why these symbols matter
Alongside a national flag, anthem and coat of arms, most countries have one or more plant and animal species that they designate as national symbols. The national animal of China, for example, is the giant panda, a nation-wide source of pride and dip.....»»
A physicist and his cat "reveal" the equation of cat motion
In the social media age, there is little doubt about who is the star of the animal kingdom. Cats rule the screens just as their cousins, the lions, rule the savanna. Thanks to Erwin Schrödinger, this feline also has a place of honor in the history o.....»»
Fossil of huge terror bird offers new information about wildlife in South America 12 million years ago
Researchers including a Johns Hopkins University evolutionary biologist report they have analyzed a fossil of an extinct giant meat-eating bird—which they say could be the largest known member of its kind—providing new information about animal li.....»»
What the Thai cave rescue can teach us about unconventional leadership
Leadership can emerge from unexpected places, especially during times of crisis. One such example occurred during the 2018 rescue of a group of 12 young soccer players and their coach, who were trapped in a cave in northern Thailand after heavy rains.....»»
Not too big, not too small: Why modern humans are the ideal size for speed
The fastest animal on land is the cheetah, capable of reaching top speeds of 104 kilometers per hour. In the water, the fastest animals are yellowfin tuna and wahoo, which can reach speeds of 75 and 77 km per hour respectively. In the air, the title.....»»
Aging spacecraft starts up a radio transmitter it hasn’t used since 1981 from 15 billion miles away
Aging spacecraft starts up a radio transmitter it hasn’t used since 1981 from 15 billion miles away.....»»
Does the Coriolis Effect Cause Your Cowlick?
No, but the direction of our hair whorls could teach us about human development.....»»
What monkeys might teach us about evaluating presidential candidates
Does a candidate's appearance affect how we vote? There's growing evidence that suggests the answer may be yes. In a recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv, neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania and the Champalimaud Center.....»»
International team discovers small molecules that regulate how fast plant leaves age
Two small molecules that are produced by the plant Arabidopsis thaliana are shown to have the opposite effect on how fast its leaves age. The molecules are peptides, short chains of amino acids. While the peptide SCOOP10 accelerates aging, SCOOP12 su.....»»
AI method captures ecotourism photos to monitor remote animal species
A team of computer scientists, ecologists and statisticians at Stony Brook University, working with a colleague from the U.S. Geological Survey, has found that it is possible to use AI applications to find images captured by ecotourists for use in st.....»»
How researchers can maximize biological insights using animal-tracking devices
Biologgers allow us to see with unprecedented precision how animals move and behave in the wild. But that's only part of the picture, according to a UC Santa Cruz ecologist renowned for using biologging data to tell a deeper story about the lives of.....»»
Solar-powered animal cells: Combining chloroplasts from algae with hamster cells
Energy-making chloroplasts from algae have been inserted into hamster cells, enabling the cells to photosynthesize light, according to new research in Japan. It was previously thought that combining chloroplasts (chlorophyll containing structures in.....»»
Ecologists suggest animal alcohol consumption more common than thought
Anecdotes abound of wildlife behaving "drunk" after eating fermented fruits, but despite this, nonhuman consumption of ethanol has been assumed to be rare and accidental. Ecologists challenge this assumption in a review published October 30 in Trends.....»»