Multi-organism systems, as a physical system, comprise interacting biological entities from one or multiple species that collectively exhibit emergent properties not attributable to individual organisms alone. These systems encompass microbial consortia, host–microbiome assemblages, plant–pollinator networks, and multi-species communities structured by trophic, competitive, mutualistic, or parasitic interactions. They are characterized by spatial organization, fluxes of matter and energy, and regulatory feedbacks across multiple scales, often modeled using network theory, dynamical systems, and statistical mechanics. In research, multi-organism systems provide a framework for analyzing community stability, resilience, coevolutionary dynamics, and ecosystem-level functions such as nutrient cycling, productivity, and biogeochemical regulation.
An international team of researchers have published a new review in Animal Behavior revealing how communication enables cooperation between different animal species. The review, titled "The ecology and evolution of cues and ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 19, 2026
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200
Birds in flocks, bacteria and cells: In many collective systems, individual elements respond to only part of their surroundings, seemingly defying Newton's third law of motion—action equals reaction. These exceptions are ...
General Physics
Jun 12, 2026
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All cells in animals, plants, fungi, and protists share a fundamental characteristic: they are eukaryotic cells—complex cells with specialized internal compartments. The cells that make up our bodies are no exception.
Evolution
Jun 10, 2026
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40
The old "monkey see, monkey do" adage may rest on some neuroscientific evidence, finds a new Yale study. To examine how the primate brain facilitates cooperative behavior among individuals during social interaction, a team ...
Plants & Animals
May 27, 2026
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Predators are typically larger, faster, and more powerful than the animals they hunt. Yet in nature, most attacks fail. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by researchers from the ...
Plants & Animals
May 1, 2026
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78
When humans are moving as a crowd, their movements tend to be highly coordinated, similarly to the collective motions of bird flocks or other groups of animals. These group behaviors can limit collisions in dynamic environments, ...
Photosynthetic bacteria helped shape planet Earth. Among them are cyanobacteria that produced the oxygen in the atmosphere and made complex life possible, captivating scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the Institute ...
Evolution
Apr 16, 2026
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60
Adaptation is essential for survival. Across species, it occurs over many generations through evolution and natural selection. Individual animals, however, can also adapt within their own lifetimes—through learning. For many ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 2, 2026
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16
Survival of the fittest. Nature red in tooth and claw. The common view of natural selection is based solely on the individual: A trait allows an organism to out-compete its rivals and is thus passed down to its offspring. ...
Evolution
Feb 17, 2026
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56
Imagine enjoying a tasty dinner alone at home—you may freely indulge without worrying about others. Now imagine sharing the same meal with friends or colleagues: depending on the social context, you may find yourself eating ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 3, 2026
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