Research reveals why the zebra got its stripes
Why do zebras have stripes? A study published in PLOS ONE today takes us another step closer to answering this puzzling question and to understanding how stripes actually work.
Biology news
Feb 20, 2019
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Mega experiment shows species interact more towards tropics and lowlands
One of the largest field experiments ever conducted is providing the best evidence yet in support of a key Darwinian theory—that interactions between species are stronger toward the tropics and at lower elevations.
Lack of sleep is not necessarily fatal for flies
Male flies kept awake do not die earlier than those allowed to sleep, leading researchers to question whether sleep, in flies at least, is essential for staying alive.
Massive database traces mammal organ development, cell by single cell
The very early days of growth, long before we are born, are a time of incredible development. In a relatively short period of time, we and other mammals create our bodies' dozens of different organs from a few thin layers ...
Establishing the molecular blueprint of early embryo development
A team of biologists, physicists and mathematical modellers in Cambridge have studied the genetic activity of over 100,000 embryonic cells to establish the molecular blueprint of mouse early embryo development. This new research ...
Study shows foraging gene works nearly the same in humans and fruit flies
A team of researchers from Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. has found that a gene known to influence foraging in fruit flies has a similar effect on humans. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of ...
Researchers peer inside the mind of the worm for clues on how memories form
Try as you might, some events cannot be remembered. Known in psychology as memory blocking, the phenomenon has remained elusive since first described more than half a century ago. Now Donnelly Centre researchers have found ...
Scientists solve mystery of a fish called Mary's 'virgin' birth
A female stickleback fish, nick-named 'Mary', has produced offspring from eggs that appear to have been fertilised while they were still inside her, according to scientists at the University of Nottingham.
Darwin's finches don't tell the whole story of avian evolution
The connection between bird diet and skull shape is surprisingly weak for most species according to a new study led by UCL and the Natural History Museum, rewriting our understanding of how ecosystems influence evolution.
How our plants have turned into thieves to survive
Scientists have discovered that grasses are able to short cut evolution by taking genes from their neighbours. The findings suggest wild grasses are naturally genetically modifying themselves to gain a competitive advantage.
