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Biology news
Chimpanzees' stone tool choices may mirror ancient human ancestors' techniques
An international team of paleobiologists, anthropologists and behavioral scientists has found that the process used by modern chimps to select tools for cracking nuts may be similar to how ancient human ancestors chose their ...
Lake bacteria evolve like clockwork with the seasons, study reveals
Like Bill Murray in the movie "Groundhog Day," bacteria species in a Wisconsin lake are in a kind of endless loop that they can't seem to shake. Except in this case, it's more like Groundhog Year.
Evolution
Jan 3, 2025
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Fossil study reveals oldest-known evolutionary 'arms race'
A study led by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History presents the oldest known example in the fossil record of an evolutionary arms race. These 517-million-year-old predator-prey interactions occurred in the ...
Evolution
Jan 3, 2025
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162
'One of the most important species for science': How the humble fruit fly transformed four fields of research
The common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), more correctly called the vinegar fly, is a frequent visitor to ripe fruit in households around the world, where it often deposits eggs on rotting flesh without being noticed. ...
Biotechnology
Jan 3, 2025
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63
A new look at the peculiarities of crop-pollinator interactions could boost plant quality
Pollination by animals contributes to a third of global food production, but little research has been done into the extent to which the identity of pollinators, pollen and crop varieties influence fruit quality when it comes ...
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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43
Bioengineers develop construction kit for 'smart cell' design
Rice University bioengineers have developed a new construction kit for building custom sense-and-respond circuits in human cells. The research, published in the journal Science, represents a major breakthrough in the field ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 3, 2025
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71
Oysters once crowded Europe's coast—here's how researchers discovered these long-forgotten reefs
Six generations ago, Europe's seas possessed vast oyster reefs. Oysters were found in their millions, clustered together in reef systems that spanned hundreds of square kilometers. Now the reefs are gone and with them, our ...
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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14
Breeding success: London zoo counts its animals one-by-one
With bunches of lettuce and bucketloads of nuts, London Zoo kicked off its annual animal count Friday, coaxing everything from goats to gorillas out of their enclosures for the celebrated stocktake.
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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3
Cover crops as living mulch boost soil health and nutrient cycling, study finds
Researchers have discovered that using cover crops as "living mulch" between rows of maize can significantly improve soil health and nutrient cycling, offering a sustainable approach to agricultural management.
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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12
CaMKIIβ key in transducing Ca²⁺ transients to initiate autophagosome formation: Study
Transient Ca2+ fluctuations on the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can induce liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of the autophagy initiation complex FIP200, forming FIP200 puncta and triggering autophagosome ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 3, 2025
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Monarch butterflies are in decline in NZ and Australia—you can help to track where they gather
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) appear to be declining not just in North America but also in Australasia. Could this be a consequence of global change, including climate change, the intensification of agriculture, ...
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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Orca Tahlequah's new baby dies
In a day of sadness and surprise, researchers on Puget Sound on Tuesday found J61, the new calf born to mother orca Tahlequah, had not survived—and that a new calf had also been born to J pod.
Plants & Animals
Jan 3, 2025
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1
Dungeness crab fishery delayed till after the new year as whale entanglements hit a six-year high
Preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports 34 whales were found entangled in fishing gear off the West Coast in 2024, the highest number reported since 2018.
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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1
Map shows how far Colorado's wandering wolves spread out in December
Colorado's eight collared wolves in the wild spread out in the northern and northwestern parts of the state in December, according to a monthly tracking map released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Ecology
Jan 3, 2025
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3
Discovery of rare new fossil sheds light on New Zealand's extinct dolphin-like reptiles
Ichthyosaurs were reptiles that swam in the seas during the time of the dinosaurs. They evolved separately around 250 million years ago, possibly from a crocodile-like ancestor, to resemble fish and modern dolphins.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 2, 2025
3
96
Major new footprint discoveries on Britain's 'dinosaur highway'
In a stunning find, researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham have uncovered a huge expanse of quarry floor filled with hundreds of different dinosaur footprints, creating multiple enormous trackways.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 2, 2025
3
146
Gene expression study reveals human brain cell types becoming more specialized, not just more numerous
Our brain is arguably the organ that most distinguishes humans from other primates. Its exceptional size, complexity and capabilities far exceed those of any other species on Earth. Yet humans share upwards of 95% of our ...
Evolution
Jan 2, 2025
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171
Genetic mechanism of alternating sexes in walnut trees has some parallels to sex determination in humans
The genetics behind the alternating sexes of walnut trees have been revealed by biologists at the University of California, Davis. The research, published in Science, reveals a mechanism that has been stable in walnuts and ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 2, 2025
1
121
New computational model can predict antibody structures more accurately
By adapting artificial intelligence models known as large language models, researchers have made great progress in their ability to predict a protein's structure from its sequence. However, this approach hasn't been as successful ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 2, 2025
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65
Bats surf storm fronts during continental migration
Birds are the undisputed champions of epic travel, but they are not the only long-haul fliers. A handful of bats are known to travel thousands of kilometers in continental migrations across North America, Europe, and Africa. ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 2, 2025
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128
More news
Certain bacteria perform a trick that could keep plants healthy
Unlocking Spirulina secrets to supercharge vaccines
Bacteria to the rescue: A sustainable solution for growing organoids
Bioreactor allows automated long-term culturing of stem cells
Study traces Ebola's route to the skin surface
Revealing a key mechanism of rapid centromere evolution
Researchers develop 'family tree' system to auto-detect new variants of infectious diseases
Introducing HORNET, a novel RNA structure visualization method that correlates sequence and 3D topology
Other news
New device's radio waves reveal lead contamination in soil
Researchers solve 200-year-old volcanic mystery
New dinosaur, Archaeocursor asiaticus, hints at early Gondwana to Laurasia migration
Foreign DNA 'sneaks' past bacterial defenses, aiding antibiotic resistance
Why do disinfectants only kill 99.9% of germs? Here's the science
What if every pet was vegan? Here's how much it would help the planet
New study reconstructs the skull of ancient Cretan hippo
Eco-friendly chlorine method could transform drug and chemical production
