People say "When pigs fly" to describe the impossible. But even if most mammals are landlubbers, the ability to glide or fly has evolved again and again during mammalian evolution, in species ranging from bats to flying squirrels. ...
Anatomical and hydraulic traits can indirectly and directly measure the transport capacity of a root, respectively. Exploring variation in root traits along topological orders within species is key to understanding functional ...
Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around ...
The evolutionary success of the first large predators on land was driven by their need to improve as killers, researchers at the University of Bristol and the Open University suggest.
Were dinosaurs already on their way out when an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago, ending the Cretaceous, the geologic period that started about 145 million years ago? It's a question that has vexed paleontologists ...
Plant phenomics, an emerging field using advanced image recognition and algorithms, focuses on understanding and quantifying plant traits to improve crop breeding. Significant strides have been made with the advent of automated ...
In Japan, a peculiar gastropod species was discovered more than three decades ago, gaining attention upon being labeled as "vulnerable" or "near threatened" in several government and local red lists. This species, referred ...
A new research paper finds that genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may have contributed to the propensity of some people today to be "early risers," the sort of people who are more comfortable getting up and going ...
Some unexpected shark strandings and subsequent surprises following autopsies have ironically taken marine biologists millions of years back in time as they look to the future with concern. Adding chapters to an evolutionary ...
Plants range from simple seaweeds and single-celled pond scum, through to mosses, ferns and huge trees. Paleontologists like us have long debated exactly how this diverse range of shapes and sizes emerged, and whether plants ...
