Bustling with exciting urban opportunities, cities are attractive not only to human residents. Many creatures happily share human settlements, feasting on easy pickings. But what makes some creatures better suited for life ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 22, 2022
0
426
Most ants dexterously grasp and snip their food with a pair of chopstick-like mandibles. But trap-jaw ants are also capable of crashing their jaws together at blisteringly fast speeds, striking victims in 0.77 μs. Yet, unleashing ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 22, 2022
1
71
Any animal ascending a mountain experiences a double whammy of impediments: The air gets thinner as it also becomes colder, which is particularly problematic for creatures struggling to keep warm when less oxygen is available. ...
Plants & Animals
May 27, 2022
0
225
As the old English saying goes "a little of what you fancy does you good," but the current human type 2 diabetes epidemic suggests that you can have too much of a good thing.
Plants & Animals
Apr 21, 2022
0
32
The later stages of pregnancy can make life difficult as the fetus presses against the diaphragm, making it hard to breathe. But snakes that constrict their victims before swallowing them whole have to overcome the challenges ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 25, 2022
1
100
Few human adults gallop; the equine gait tends to be the preserve of little kids mimicking horses or exercise classes. But for camels, lions and giraffes, galloping is a key fixture of their repertoire as they shift up through ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 8, 2022
0
608
Robber flies snatch victims from the air using the same interception strategy as guided missiles and falcons, but how do they intercept airborne quarry when their view is obstructed by foliage and clutter? Researchers from ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 15, 2022
0
17
Lurking beneath overhanging foliage, archerfish have one thing on their mind: taking a well-aimed pot-shot at the next insect that settles within range. Squirting a ballistic jet of water, these tenacious assassins precisely ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 11, 2022
0
5
Mycobacterium abscessus, a relative of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, is responsible for particularly severe damage to human lungs and can be resistant to many standard antibiotics, making infections extremely ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 17, 2021
0
62
Whether walking beside a lake or clambering a mountain, people adjust their strides to use the least energy possible. "People are continuously sensing their energy expenditure and adapting their gait to minimize costs," says ...
Other
Sep 15, 2021
0
15
