https://phys.org/biology-news/plants-animals/ en-us The latest science news on plants and animals A new study details scientists' search for one of the planet's rarest birds in the waters off Fiji's Gau Island. Spanning 10 days, the expedition yielded no verified sightings of the critically endangered Fiji petrel, one of the world's most elusive birds. Fewer than 50 individuals are believed to remain on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-fiji-petrel-eludes-day-communities.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 18:40:01 EST news713800564 An international team of scientists working with Queensland Museum's CoralBank project has uncovered previously hidden coral diversity on Australia's east coast, revealing that 12 corals once considered variations of other species are distinct species in their own right. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-genomic-analysis-species-status-overlooked.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 16:40:01 EST news713796001 Dogs, having lived alongside humans for tens of thousands of years, are keenly tuned in to our emotions. Behavioral experiments, brain studies and even measurements of heart rate all suggest dogs respond differently depending on the emotional expressions they encounter in humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-happy-angry-voice-humandog-interaction.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 16:00:06 EST news713793542 Left to their own devices, babies in the womb would suck their mothers dry. A developing baby benefits from taking as many essential nutrients as possible, but evolutionary theory predicts that to survive pregnancy, mothers need to keep some of these nutrients for themselves. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-fish-pregnancy-unexpected-evidence-food.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 10:40:05 EST news713783881 A protected wetland in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become an oasis for young sea turtles, new research shows. The study tracked nine juvenile green turtles (shell length less than 60 cm (24 inches)) and found they were "highly resident" in the Al Qurm Wa Lehhfaiiah Protected Area—spending over 80% of their time there. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-young-green-turtles-refuge-lagoon.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 10:20:01 EST news713783461 Coral reefs are beautiful and important, both for humans and for marine biodiversity. Corals are living creatures, although they appear to remain fixed in one place, catching small crustaceans and other tasty morsels that drift past. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-baby-corals-house-gaining-skills.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 10:00:08 EST news713783402 When amphibians and reptiles get an infection, they sometimes raise their body temperature above its usual level by moving to a warmer environment. This well-documented behavioral response is known as behavioral fever. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-wider-daily-temperature-ranges-linked.html Plants & Animals Fri, 13 Nov 2026 08:00:05 EST news713609932 German shepherd dogs bred for working are more curious and less neurotic than German shepherds bred for show. A new study from Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences has shown that the differences are not only apparent in the dogs' behavior, but also in their genes. In previous studies, similar genes in humans have been associated with neuroticism. The research is published in the journal Animal Genetics. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ghosts-curiosity-fearlessness-apparent-german.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 19:00:06 EST news713719501 Flashy birds, from peacocks to parrots, have inspired a long tradition of using animal colors to study evolution. Colorful plumage often functions as a signal—for example, to attract a mate. Alternatively, drab colors can be used for camouflage. However, color can have functions beyond signaling and camouflage. This is because pigments, the molecules embedded in feather tissues to produce a broad range of colors, can also influence other aspects of feathers, ranging from mechanical strength to thermoregulatory properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-parrots-vibrant-feathers-susceptible-bacterial.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 18:40:05 EST news713718841 What scientists until recently called the Alpine newt has turned out to be five different species, following genetic research by Leiden biologists. One of these species was even new to science and has now been given a name: Mesotriton similis. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-europe-alike-alpine-newts-distinct.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:40:01 EST news713721761 A biodiversity crisis is unfolding across the planet, but the deep sea was thought immune and even a refuge for marine life. New research led by Florida International University scientists and published in Nature Communications suggests that assumption may be alarmingly wrong. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-genetic-reveal-hidden-extinction-deep.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 16:30:01 EST news713721001 As any cat owner knows, their feline companion is the boss of the home, and their meows are one way to get attention. But are those noises actually an attempt to communicate with us, or simply an expression of how the cat feels? https://phys.org/news/2026-11-meowing-food-cats-human-attention.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 14:40:20 EST news713712367 Getting older usually brings a higher risk of death and declining reproduction. Yet for western harvester ant colonies, the opposite occurs. As a colony gets older, it becomes less likely to die and more likely to reproduce. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ant-colonies-defy-aging-patterns.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 10:00:49 EST news713696101 Roads, buildings and other infrastructure can restrict the movements of wildlife in cities. As a result, urban wildlife from different areas encounter one another less frequently, potentially resulting in reduced genetic diversity. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-city-life-subtle-genetic-berlin.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:40:07 EST news713694721 Nectaries are specialized floral tissues that secrete nectar to attract pollinators. Although the protein CRABS CLAW (CRC) is established as essential for nectary formation, the exact molecular mechanisms governing how it drives organ growth and secretion have remained unknown. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-looping-dna-nectar.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 17:40:05 EST news713631721 Humans have left their mark on virtually every place on the planet, from the deep sea to the peaks of the highest mountains. But a few very remote atolls in the Pacific Ocean may be exceptions. A new Frontiers in Marine Science study has found two coral atolls, Bikar and Bokak, located on the territory of the Marshall Islands, to be some of the most intact ecosystems remaining in the region and perhaps the world. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-scientists-wild-healthy-ecosystems-world.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 17:00:08 EST news713626994 Plants are green because of a pigment that is key to photosynthesis: chlorophyll. In its production, the enzyme chlorophyll synthase plays an important role. As part of an international collaboration, researchers from Osnabrück University, the Center Algatech in Třeboň and the University of Sheffield have now succeeded in deciphering the structure of this enzyme and gaining valuable insights into its mechanism. The findings are published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-biologists-reveal-chlorophyll-enzyme-mechanism.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 15:00:08 EST news713623263 In three species of monkey, the complex pattern of ridges on the feet and palms varies between individuals, similar to human fingerprints, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Juliana Vieira Flores Sales at Universidade de Brasília and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-monkey-foot-palm-differ-individuals.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 14:00:26 EST news713609821 Photosynthesis is fundamental to life on Earth, allowing plants and microalgae to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into organic compounds. However, this essential process is highly vulnerable to heat. As global temperatures rise and heat waves become more frequent, declining photosynthetic efficiency threatens agricultural productivity and the large-scale cultivation of microalgae for biofuels and other valuable products. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-defense-photosynthesis-extreme.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 13:00:07 EST news713618762 If you ask anyone to name a dinosaur, there's a good chance they'll say Tyrannosaurus rex, that fearsome prehistoric predator with its enormous jaws and razor-sharp teeth. But what about a lesser-known dinosaur such as Iguanodon or Plateosaurus? Probably not. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-dinosaurs-attention-dont.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 12:00:17 EST news713617120 Findings from a study spanning the Americas show that climate change forecasts are underestimating threats to biodiversity—even to exceptionally resilient species—by not factoring in extreme weather events that become more likely in a warmer world. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-cacti-severely-threatened-warmer-drier.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:00:34 EST news713608682 Sea lions, marine mammals belonging to the eared seal family, have to dive to search for food and other resources. Between dives, however, they return to the surface to breathe and recover. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-deeper-linked-longer-surface-recovery.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 06:00:01 EST news713524916 In the extreme depths of the Pacific Ocean, there are small, metal-bearing formations that are far more than just valuable sources of raw materials. A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports shows that polymetallic nodules serve as specialized habitats for tiny organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-deep-sea-destroy-unique-habitats.html Plants & Animals Wed, 11 Nov 2026 05:00:08 EST news713549941 Marine heat waves and anemone bleaching are altering clownfish behavior, making clownfish more defensive of their host and more aggressive toward one another, new research reveals. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-anemone-spurs-stronger-home-defense.html Plants & Animals Tue, 10 Nov 2026 19:10:14 EST news713522821 Redirecting shipping traffic to avoid collisions with whale sharks has very little impact on fuel use, according to new research led by the University of Southampton published in Royal Society Open Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-rerouting-ships-whale-sharks.html Plants & Animals Tue, 10 Nov 2026 19:10:11 EST news713522701 Reptiles are captivating creatures—so captivating that people keep them as pets, or wear clothes and carry handbags fashioned from their patterned skins. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-pet-skin-pose-threat-reptile.html Plants & Animals Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:20:12 EST news713540162 Swordfish spend much of their time hunting prey about 600 meters (1,970 feet) below the surface in the ocean twilight zone, but occasionally, they reach depths of more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Now, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) are investigating what may be behind these extreme dives. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-swordfish-deep-ocean.html Plants & Animals Tue, 10 Nov 2026 17:40:06 EST news713546885 Genetic research has uncovered two previously unknown species of howler monkey living in the Amazon rainforest, confirming the world's largest tropical forest is more biodiverse than scientists thought. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-howler-monkey-species-amazon-years.html Plants & Animals Tue, 10 Nov 2026 15:30:01 EST news713544062 A hopeful story for the world's largest, critically endangered sea turtle may be playing out along the sandy beaches of Ecuador. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-endangered-leatherbacks-beaches-ecuador-pacific.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:40:01 EST news713453499 Animals communicate in ways that are sometimes obvious to us and sometimes almost completely hidden. Bright colors, songs and courtship displays are easy to notice. Chemical signals are different: an animal can leave a message behind long after it has moved away. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-male-lizard-perfumes-rivalry-seduction.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:40:06 EST news713438358