Rodents are mammals of the order Rodentia, characterized primarily by a single pair of ever-growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws, separated from the cheek teeth by a diastema and adapted for gnawing. This order encompasses extensive taxonomic diversity, including families such as Muridae, Cricetidae, Sciuridae, and Caviidae, occupying a wide range of terrestrial and arboreal habitats. Rodents exhibit high reproductive rates, diverse dietary strategies (from herbivory to omnivory), and complex social structures in some lineages. They play key ecological roles as primary consumers, seed predators and dispersers, and prey species, and serve as important model organisms in biomedical and evolutionary research.
In a new study, Northwestern University scientists explored how snow flies—small, wingless insects that crawl across snow to find mates and lay eggs—survive in freezing cold temperatures. They discovered this snow-dwelling ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 24, 2026
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Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as dengue and Zika viruses, transmit widely across the globe, posing threats to human health and biosecurity. They spread through the bites of arthropod vectors, moving between ...
Ecology
Mar 23, 2026
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For decades, ecologists lumped everything bad for animals under one word: stress. But what if animals don't experience harsh environments as stressful at all? What if it is the opposite?
Ecology
Mar 23, 2026
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For centuries, unusual animal behavior before earthquakes has been reported worldwide. Livestock becoming restless, wildlife disappearing and snakes emerging from hibernation in the middle of winter. For a long time, scientists ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 21, 2026
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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
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242
Across Europe, beaver numbers are increasing after a long period of decline. As these aquatic mammals recolonize rivers, they are gradually rebuilding wetlands that once existed across many river valleys.
Plants & Animals
Mar 18, 2026
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Genome editing-based therapies typically aim to treat disease by correcting underlying genetic mutations in patient's cells. However, most genetic disorders are caused by dozens or even thousands of unique mutations spread ...
Biotechnology
Mar 11, 2026
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A team from University of Toronto Engineering is the first to synthesize long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) outside the cell—a new approach to drug discovery that has already yielded some promising anti-inflammatory molecules. The ...
Biotechnology
Mar 10, 2026
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112
Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that the constant gnawing of rodents isn't just a reflex or a consequence of a tough diet. It also triggers a release of dopamine in the brain—which acts as a biochemical ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 10, 2026
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33
An international team of researchers has modified a probiotic yeast to make it safer for use by immunocompromised people, older adults and infants. Testing in an animal model found that the modified yeast is less likely to ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 9, 2026
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