Primates are an order (Primates) of eutherian mammals characterized by a suite of derived traits associated with arboreal locomotion and enhanced sensory and cognitive capacities. Defining features include grasping extremities with opposable thumbs and, in many taxa, opposable great toes; nails instead of claws on most digits; a postorbital bar or plate; forward-facing orbits enabling stereoscopic vision; and a relatively enlarged brain, especially in regions mediating vision and complex behavior. The order encompasses strepsirrhines (lemurs, lorises), tarsiers, and haplorhine simians (monkeys and apes, including humans), and is a core model group in evolutionary biology, comparative anatomy, neurobiology, and behavioral ecology.
Like the males of many animal species, male Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, a commonly studied lab animal, are aggressive toward one another and even fight when competing for resources such as food and females. Researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 20, 2026
0
19
Researchers have known for decades that female mosquitoes—the ones responsible for the itchy and irritating bites that can also transmit disease—lose their desire to bite humans for several days after feeding, as they digest ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 20, 2026
0
14
Animals come in an extraordinary range of body shapes. A starfish looks nothing like an earthworm, a mouse, or a human. Yet even closely related species can appear radically different: corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 20, 2026
0
17
Cells in our bodies produce RNA based on genetic information stored in DNA, and RNA serves as a blueprint for making proteins. Researchers at KAIST have discovered a new phenomenon: Removing "circular RNA" that accumulates ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 18, 2026
0
242
In a single experiment, scientists can decipher the entire genomes of many patient samples, animal models, or cultured cells. To fully realize the potential to study biology at this unprecedented scale, researchers must be ...
Biotechnology
Mar 17, 2026
0
93
A humpback whale alters the pitch of its song when joined by a neighboring singer, a finding that opens a new chapter in the ongoing effort to understand whale song, some of the most structurally and acoustically complex ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 16, 2026
0
18
The performance horse industry had a problem: Some of their most beloved and sought-after mares simply couldn't have foals safely. To make matters more complicated, in vitro fertilization (IVF) had not yet produced a healthy ...
Biotechnology
Mar 13, 2026
0
23
One of the most widely accepted models for how cells remember their identity may be incorrect. This is shown in a new study by two research groups at Umeå University. In Science Advances, they present results that overturn ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 13, 2026
0
19
When winter sets in and food becomes scarce, some mammals hibernate, entering a state of deep rest that slashes their energy needs and allows them to fast for months. However, fasting deprives them of essential nutrients, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 12, 2026
0
17
It is not uncommon for a body to be moved after a murder, usually to hide or eliminate evidence. And while the Arizona desert may seem like the perfect place to commit such a crime, a new study shows that a cadaver can still ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 11, 2026
0
31
