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Plants & Animals news
Video shows that sunbirds suck, while hummingbirds don't
Two unrelated groups of nectar eaters, hummingbirds and sunbirds, have evolved different techniques to slurp the sweet liquid from flowers. The tongue suctioning employed by sunbirds is unique among vertebrates, according ...
Plants & Animals
5 hours ago
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Plants use a protein-tagging complex to control stress survival, study finds
A specific cellular mechanism regulates the protein balance of plants, thereby influencing how they respond to environmental stress. An international research team led by Dr. Markus Wirtz at the Center for Organismal Studies ...
Plants & Animals
5 hours ago
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In Arizona's desert, tiny ants turn into living hygienists, climbing inside bigger ants' mandibles and cleaning them
Ants are known for many things. They fight, bite and sometimes compete for every crumb. We can now possibly add cleaning services to that list, according to a study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity, celebrates her 69th birthday at Berlin Zoo
Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity, celebrated her 69th birthday with a feast Monday, munching on cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks and lettuce at the Berlin Zoo.
Plants & Animals
12 hours ago
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Painkillers prevent pain responses in Norway lobsters, intensifying the case against boiling them alive
Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to ...
Plants & Animals
14 hours ago
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Global warming is changing the hatching of bees and wasps
A large-scale experiment shows that warmth brings bees and wasps out of hibernation earlier—leaving some of them with poorer starting conditions. This is particularly true for species in cooler regions that emerge during ...
Plants & Animals
14 hours ago
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Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there, scientists find
Gray whales migrate from Arctic waters full of food to the lagoons of Baja Mexico—but as the climate crisis gathers pace, they have been sighted foraging in unexpected places. Recently, some have begun to explore the dangerously ...
Plants & Animals
23 hours ago
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Irish bog plant revives ancient remedy as a new weapon vs superbugs
Long before we had modern antibiotics to rely on, people often turned to traditional medicines from plants to treat infections.
Plants & Animals
Apr 11, 2026
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New research shows habitat restoration projects have paid off for Forest Park in St. Louis
Over the past few decades, a collaboration of St. Louis regional groups have partnered to be good stewards of Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks and wildlife areas in the country. Organizations such as Forest Park ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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Nicotine's last biosynthesis steps mapped in wild tobacco, ending a long mystery
Nicotine, a potent insecticidal alkaloid unique to the nightshade family, has been employed in agriculture as a pesticide since 1690. It also has therapeutic potential for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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Underwater architects: Nest-building in cichlids reveals more than hardwired instinct
We associate nests with shelter, warmth, and a safe retreat—and usually picture a bird's nest made out of twigs, grass and feathers. Yet many other animals take advantage of such refuges, with nests being built by a diversity ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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Camera-tagged Adélie penguins caught eating sea snails in East Antarctica
There are many poorly understood links in the food web, often referred to as trophic relationships. Out in East Antarctica, a previously unconfirmed link between sea snails and Adélie penguins might reveal more than meets ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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How science is rewriting the rules of marine taxonomy, one seaweed at a time
Along the southern coastline, researchers dive deep to collect seaweed from kelp forests and rocky platforms, taking small samples and the location of each sample. Back in the lab, the specimens are preserved—some dried, ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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Tropical trees are more neighborly than trees further from the equator, study finds
Tropical trees are better neighbors than trees in temperate forests, according to a study published in the journal Nature by researchers from 29 different institutions including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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Unexpected predator: Jellyfish shown to hunt polychaete worms
Most polychaete species spend their lives in burrows in the seabed. However, adult individuals of two species, Alitta succinea and Platynereis dumerilii, leave their burrows to spawn during warm summer nights around the full ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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SoCal's hybrid bees outsmart Varroa mites before they even hatch
Southern California is home to a flying black-and-yellow treasure. While commercial honeybee hives nationwide are collapsing under attack from deadly parasites, a unique hybrid bee found only in this part of the state has ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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Tarantulas may use learning and memory to search for food and locate their retreats
Researchers have documented several cases of spatial orientation in tarantulas living both in trees and in underground burrows. Spatial orientation refers to the ability of an animal to understand where it is in three-dimensional ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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African swine fever: A novel model assesses transmission between domestic pigs and wild boar
African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most devastating diseases affecting domestic pigs and wild boars worldwide. Since its introduction into Europe, this deadly virus has spread widely, threatening pig production and causing ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 9, 2026
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How an internal plant 'thermostat' guides root growth in unpredictable temperatures
Plants can't move to escape the heat like humans can; they are forced to adapt. As temperatures fluctuate, one key survival strategy is the ability of roots to keep growing, allowing plants to access water and nutrients farther ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 9, 2026
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Chimpanzee empire falls apart in rare instance of division and deadly violence
The largest group of wild chimpanzees known to scientists has permanently split in two. In a study published in Science, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and other institutions report the first clearly documented ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 9, 2026
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More news
Ant larvae control parental care by using odor signals
Four sperm whale strandings point to potential human causes
Emperor penguins listed as endangered species: IUCN
The lengths male octopuses go to protect the arm they need to mate
Pollinator-friendly gardens don't have to sacrifice style
Tracking reef winners and losers after a Category 4 storm
Genetic markers fast-track breeding of seedless muscadine grapes
Research traces evolution of anglerfishes' famed fishing-rod lures
Five Australian animals that could be extinct by 2050
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Math model reveals how life may have switched on from Earth's primordial soup
Museum fossil reveals that extinct giant echidnas once roamed Australia
Low-cost robotic chemistry system can be built and deployed in any lab
A new fruit wash removes pesticides and extends shelf life
Buried bounty: Caribou survival depends on lichen and snow
How the social lives of magpies shape their call repertoire
New spider species in the Amazon mimics parasitic fungus
Fly ball: Drosophila can learn while playing with tiny spheres
Tech can enable cross-species experiences, new research suggests
Oyster reefs stack up for shoreline protection
