Public Library of Science
Octopuses focus on key features for successful camouflage
Octopuses camouflage themselves by matching their body pattern to selected features of nearby objects, rather than trying to match the entire larger field of view, according to new research published in the ...
May 23, 2012 |
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Older-looking presidential candidates preferred during wartime
Voters prefer older-looking presidents in times of war, according to research published May 23 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
May 23, 2012 |
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Warm, dry El Nino weather puts baby sea turtle at risk
When leatherback turtle hatchlings dig out of their nests buried in the sandy Playa Grande beach in northwest Costa Rica, they enter a world filled with dangers. This critically endangered species faces threats that include ...
May 23, 2012 |
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Mixed bacterial communities evolve to share resources, not compete
New research shows how bacteria evolve to increase ecosystem functioning by recycling each other's waste. The study provides some of the first evidence for how interactions between species shape evolution when there is a ...
May 15, 2012 |
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Is a new form of life really so alien?
The idea of discovering a new form of life has not only excited astronomers and astrobiologists for decades, but also the wider public. The notion that we are the only example of a successful life form in the galaxy has, ...
May 08, 2012 |
3.6 / 5 (12) |
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Whale population size, dynamics determined based on ancient DNA
Estimates of whale population size based on genetics versus historical records diverge greatly, making it difficult to fully understand the ecological implications of the large-scale commercial whaling of the 19th and early ...
May 09, 2012 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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Movement patterns of endangered turtle vary from Pacific to Atlantic
The movement patterns of critically endangered leatherback turtles vary greatly depending on whether the animals live in the North Atlantic or the Eastern Pacific, with implications for feeding behavior and ...
May 16, 2012 |
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Female cowbirds prefer less intense male courtship displays
In most species, females prefer the most intense courtship display males can muster, but a new study finds that female cowbirds actually prefer less intense displays. The full results are published May 2 in the open access ...
May 03, 2012 |
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Robots learn to share, validating Hamilton's rule (w/ video)
Using simple robots to simulate genetic evolution over hundreds of generations, Swiss scientists provide quantitative proof of kin selection and shed light on one of the most enduring puzzles in biology: Why ...
May 03, 2011 |
4.9 / 5 (14) |
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Meat eating led to earlier weaning, helped humans spread across globe
When early humans became carnivores, their higher-quality diet allowed mothers to wean babies earlier and have more children, with potentially profound effects on population dynamics and the course of human evolution, according ...
Apr 18, 2012 |
4.2 / 5 (6) |
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Scientists face barriers to engaging with public, but still participate in outreach
Although scientists face a number of significant barriers to public outreach, some still engage in these activities, especially women and those with children, according to work published May 9 in the open access journal PLoS ON ...
May 09, 2012 |
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Carnivorous plants rely on the services and wastes of a symbiotic ant for nutrition
In a mutualistic relationship between an ant species and a carnivorous plant, the ants contribute to both prey capture and prey digestion of their host-plant and provide significant amounts of nutrients derived from their ...
May 09, 2012 |
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Non-verbal communication between conductor, musician leads to better music
Musicians execute their performances better when the non-verbal sensorimotor communication between conductor and musician is maximized, according to research published May 9 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
May 09, 2012 |
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Finding the roots and early branches of the tree of life
A study published in PLoS Computational Biology maps the development of life-sustaining chemistry to the history of early life. Researchers Rogier Braakman and Eric Smith of the Santa Fe Institute traced the six methods of car ...
Apr 19, 2012 |
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Do parasites evolve to exploit gender differences in hosts?
Some disease-causing parasites are known to favor one sex over the other in their host species, and such differences between the sexes have generally been attributed to differences in immune responses or behavior. But in ...
Feb 28, 2012 |
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