Plants & Animals news
Newly discovered sensory organ in the chin of baleen whales allows them to be world's largest hunters
Lunge feeding in rorqual whales (a group that includes blue, humpback and fin whales) is unique among mammals, but details of how it works have remained elusive. Now, scientists from the Smithsonian Institution ...
13 hours ago |
4.8 / 5 (4) |
1
|
Hacking code of leaf vein architecture solves mysteries, allows predictions of past climate
(Phys.org) -- UCLA life scientists have discovered new laws that determine the construction of leaf vein systems as leaves grow and evolve. These easy-to-apply mathematical rules can now be used to better ...
21 hours ago |
3.6 / 5 (8) |
1
|
Today's environment influences behavior generations later: research
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University have seen an increased reaction to stress in animals whose ancestors were exposed to an environmental compound generations earlier. The findings, ...
May 21, 2012 |
4.4 / 5 (5) |
2
|
Study finds modern dog breeds genetically disconnected from ancient ancestors
Cross-breeding of dogs over thousands of years has made it extremely difficult to trace the ancient genetic roots of today's pets, according to a new study led by Durham University.
May 21, 2012 |
4.7 / 5 (7) |
1
|
Commonly used pesticide turns honey bees into 'picky eaters'
Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered that a small dose of a commonly used crop pesticide turns honey bees into "picky eaters" and affects their ability to recruit their nestmates to otherwise good sources of food.
2 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
|
Deep sea animals stowaway on submarines and reach new territory
Marine scientists studying life around deep-sea vents have discovered that some hardy species can survive the extreme change in pressure that occurs when a research submersible rises to the surface. The team's ...
2 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
3
|
Project to examine 'Yeti' DNA
(Phys.org) -- A new collaboration between Oxford University and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology will use the latest genetic techniques to investigate organic remains that some have claimed belong to the ‘Yeti’ ...
18 hours ago |
4 / 5 (3) |
2
|
Human-like spine morphology found in aquatic eel fossil
For decades, scientists believed that a spine with multiple segments was an exclusive feature of land-dwelling animals. But the discovery of the same anatomical feature in a 345-million-year-old eel suggests ...
22 hours ago |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
|
For monogamous sparrows, it doesn't pay to stray (but they do it anyway)
It's quite common for a female song sparrow to stray from her breeding partner and mate with the male next door, but a new study shows that sleeping around can be costly.
May 22, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
7
|
Social status promotes faster wound healing in wild baboons
Turns out it's not bad being top dog, or in this case, top baboon.
May 21, 2012 |
not rated yet |
2
|
Richer parasite diversity leads to healthier frogs: study
Increases in the diversity of parasites that attack amphibians cause a decrease in the infection success rate of virulent parasites, including one that causes malformed limbs and premature death, says a new University of ...
May 21, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
|
Bats: What sounds good doesn't always taste good
Bats use a combination of cues in their hunting sequence - capture, handling and consumption - to decide which prey to attack, catch and consume and which ones they are better off leaving alone or dropping ...
May 21, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
A crowning success for crayfish
Nature sometimes copies its own particularly successful developments. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and the Ben-Gurion University at Beer-Sheva in ...
May 21, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
|
Hitting snooze on the molecular clock: Rabies evolves slower in hibernating bats
The rate at which the rabies virus evolves in bats may depend heavily upon the ecological traits of its hosts, according to researchers at the University of Georgia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ...
May 18, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
|
Scientists learn much about humans from birds' singing lessons
Why wasn't this intruder getting the message? The lord of the manor had warned him repeatedly to back off, with threatening gestures and loud admonitions. But the trespasser just sat there - singing.
May 18, 2012 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
