When trouble looms, the fish-scale geckos of Madagascar resort to what might seem like an extreme form of self-defense—tearing out of their own skin.
Plants & Animals
Aug 4, 2017
2
183
Evolution doesn't have to take millions of years. New research shows that a type of lizard living on man-made islands in Brazil has developed a larger head than its mainland cousins in a period of only 15 years.
Plants & Animals
Aug 1, 2017
4
640
Many geckos inhabit trees, often living high in the canopy. Relying on their incredible adhesive strength to help them break their fall, they jump from trees, and land on either leaves or relatively smooth tree trunks. How ...
Materials Science
Jun 27, 2017
0
98
Australian National University biologists have found the first evidence of mass extinction of Australian animals caused by a dramatic drop in global temperatures 35 million years ago.
Evolution
Mar 23, 2017
9
309
Many lizards can drop their tails when grabbed, but one group of geckos has gone to particularly extreme lengths to escape predation. Fish-scale geckos in the genus Geckolepis have large scales that tear away with ease, leaving ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 7, 2017
0
91
Researchers have discovered an ancient species of gecko in the ranges of Central Australia which may shine new light on how and when Australia's deserts began to form millions of year ago.
Plants & Animals
Nov 14, 2016
0
285
How do key innovations in the animal kingdom arise? To explore this question, gecko expert Timothy Higham, an associate professor of biology at the University of California, Riverside, led a team of evolutionary biologists ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 29, 2016
0
17
Micrometric and sub-micrometric contaminant particles—what most of us call "dust"—can cause big problems for art conservators, the electronics industry, aerospace engineers, and others. These nanoparticles can prevent ...
Materials Science
Apr 28, 2016
0
392
While we often hear warnings about the potential impact of climate change on humans, new research from UTS Science has found that even the smallest of creatures are likely to be affected by rising air temperatures.
Ecology
Mar 9, 2016
0
10
The extremely complex geological history of New Guinea has allowed many of its animals and plants the chance to grow different enough to make a name for themselves. In the case of two newly described and unusually large gecko ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 10, 2016
0
13
