Pollination is the biological process by which pollen grains are transferred from the anthers of a flower (or male reproductive structures) to the stigma of a flower (or female receptive structures), enabling fertilization and subsequent seed and fruit development in seed plants. As a reproductive phenomenon, it can occur via abiotic vectors such as wind and water or via biotic agents including insects, birds, and bats. Pollination encompasses both self- and cross-pollination events, and its efficiency and specificity critically influence gene flow, plant fitness, reproductive isolation, and the structure and dynamics of plant–pollinator interaction networks in ecosystems.
Should you ever find yourself playing a trivia game on the topic of moths and butterflies, here are a few facts that might help. Collectively called Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies account for nearly 10% of all animal ...
Evolution
Feb 26, 2026
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51
Indoor farms, also known as vertical farms, are popular among agricultural researchers and are expanding across the agricultural industry. Some benefits they have over outdoor farms include the year-round production of food ...
Biotechnology
Feb 25, 2026
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Can students be on the front lines of conservation? A new Canada-wide study, published in Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, suggests they can. The efforts of some 5,000 students produced data detailed enough to reveal complex ...
Ecology
Feb 23, 2026
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From fundamental biological units as tiny as genes to complex societies, ecological systems rely on cooperation. All manner of organisms can benefit from working together to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. "Mutualism is a ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 9, 2026
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41
A soft layer of white snow blankets the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The air is chilly, the sky gray.
Ecology
Feb 7, 2026
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University of Alberta researchers have, for the first time, captured a much better view of what may be contributing to failures in lodgepole pine seed orchards—a tree essential to Alberta's forest industry. The researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 3, 2026
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For flowering plants, reproduction is a question of the birds and the bees. Attracting the right pollinator can be a matter of survival—and new research shows how flowers do it is more intriguing than anyone realized, and ...
Evolution
Jan 27, 2026
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45
Lipstick vines get their name from their bright red, tube-shaped flowers. But one member of this group of plants has lost its lipstick-like appearance—its flowers are shorter, wider, and yellowish green in color. It also ...
Evolution
Jan 27, 2026
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84
Flowers emit scented chemicals to attract pollinators, but this perfume—and how pollinators interact with the plant—can go through profound changes as a crop becomes domesticated.
Plants & Animals
Jan 22, 2026
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78
Humans like plants. We like seeing them change the color of their leaves throughout the year. They connect us to nature even if we live in a big city. But most people don't think that much about the lives of plants, and least ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 5, 2026
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