Why Some Animals Thrive in Cities
Why does some wildlife thrive in the city? Figuring this out is the first step to boosting urban biodiversity. And that's good for everyone......»»
Plants offer fruit to insects to disperse dust-like seeds, botanist discovers
Fruit exist to invite animals to disperse the swallowed seeds. A Kobe University research team found that plants targeting insects rather than birds or mammals for this service are more common than previously thought. These plants produce dust-like s.....»»
Giant prehistoric flying reptile took off using similar method to bats, study finds
Findings of a study, published in PeerJ, provide new insights into how pterosaurs managed to take flight despite reaching sizes far larger than modern animals. The research sheds new light on the flight initiating jumping ability of these animals, so.....»»
Domestication causes smaller brain size in dogs than in the wolf: Study challenges notion
A recent study, published in Biology Letters, challenges the long-held notion that domestication is the primary driver of reduced brain size in domesticated animals, specifically dogs......»»
Planning the urban climate of the future
What a tree needs to grow and how it affects its surroundings vary from species to species. This makes it increasingly important for cities to adapt the urban tree cover to local conditions......»»
A new way of thinking about the economy could help protect the Amazon, and help its people thrive
To protect the Amazon and support the well-being of its people, its economy must shift from environmentally harmful production to a model built around the diversity of indigenous and rural communities, and standing forests......»»
New model refutes leading theory on how Earth"s continents formed
The formation of Earth's continents billions of years ago set the stage for life to thrive. But scientists disagree over how those land masses formed and if it was through geological processes we still see today......»»
Balancing fairness and welfare in the face of uncertainty: Investigating Miami"s stormwater infrastructure improvement
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was enacted in 2021 to inject $1.25 trillion into the country's aging infrastructure to help cities protect and prepare themselves from future occurrences of extreme weather effects which, in 2023, caused al.....»»
Ancient Antarctic microorganisms are aggressive predators
In Antarctica there is a small lake, called Deep Lake, that is so salty it remains ice-free all year round despite temperatures as low as -20°C in winter. Archaea, a unique type of single-celled microorganism, thrive in this bitterly cold environmen.....»»
Sea level changes shaped early life on Earth, fossils show
A newly developed timeline of early animal fossils reveals a link between sea levels, changes in marine oxygen, and the appearance of the earliest ancestors of present-day animals......»»
Extreme heat in India: A crisis on the rise
As global temperatures continue to rise, India is grappling with increasingly severe heat waves. As early as April, many Indian cities, including New Delhi, the capital, have experienced record temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit......»»
How duplicated genomes helped grasses diversify and thrive
Grasses cover about 40% of the Earth's land surface, thriving in a multitude of environments. The evolutionary success of this plant family, which includes rice, maize, wheat and bamboo, likely results from a history of whole-genome duplications, acc.....»»
Scientists using new sound tech to save animals from extinction
Research, conducted by The University of Warwick and the University of New South Wales in Australia, analyzes animal sounds from endangered species including types of elephants, whales and birds......»»
As workers return to the office, residents are moving back to Chicago and other cities, driving up home prices
As workers return to the office, residents are moving back to Chicago and other cities, driving up home prices.....»»
I studied ShotSpotter in Chicago and Kansas City—here"s what people using this technology should know
Like many large cities in the U.S., Detroit's gun violence rate has fluctuated since the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The city's murder rate increased nearly 20% that year, meaning the city had the second.....»»
Our beef with "Big Meat": The power perpetuating Australia"s live export trade is at play elsewhere
Australia was once the world's largest exporter of live animals. But exports have declined in recent years......»»
The major Atlantic current that keeps Northern Europe warm could have new variations and tipping points
Northern Europe is relatively warm given its place on the globe. For example, although north of most major Canadian cities, London is warmer than all of them (even Vancouver in British Columbia). But this warmth could disappear by the turn of the cen.....»»
Cow challenge study should help turn tables on H5N1 in dairy herds
Animal challenge studies completed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists show that infecting dairy cows with the H5N1 virus in a laboratory setting can trigger clinical signs of disease similar to those of naturally infected animals on.....»»
Scientists untangle interactions between the Earth"s early life forms and the environment over 500 million years
The atmosphere, the ocean and life on Earth have interacted over the past 500-plus million years in ways that improved conditions for early organisms to thrive. Now, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has produced a perspective article on this c.....»»
Would you send your child to school in a skyscraper? Vertical schools could revitalize our cities
When we think of what Australian schools look like, we probably think of large grounds with single or double-story buildings. They're usually in suburban areas on relatively flat blocks......»»
Hippos don"t fly, but the massive animals can get airborne
In 1872 Leland Stanford, the founder of California's Stanford University, hired an eccentric inventor named Eadweard Muybridge to help resolve a supposed (but undocumented) bet: did a trotting horse's feet leave the ground with all four feet or not?.....»»