https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Some 400 years ago, a member of the Indigenous Potano-Timucua tribe scooped up some clay and carefully molded it into a modest vessel, small enough to rest in the palm of their hand. You can imagine their fingers pressing a tight crease around the pot's simple rim and smoothing its dull gray surface, leaving it free of any adornment. We may never know exactly what the pot held or how many hands it passed through before it was excavated, still fully intact, by students at the University of Florida earlier this year. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-students-unearth-rare-centuries-pot.html Archaeology Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:10:01 EDT news703868282 How did a large crab end up trapped inside a plastic bottle with an opening smaller than its body? Hiroshima University researchers investigated this unusual marine mystery, revealing a lesser-known impact of marine plastic pollution on crustaceans. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-crab-plastic-bottle-survives-months.html Plants & Animals Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:00:01 EDT news702199921 New research indicates that sea turtles seem to navigate across hundreds of miles of open ocean using Earth's magnetic field. Previous experimental studies suggested that sea turtles use geomagnetism to navigate, but this study, published in Science Advances, was purely observational: Researchers attached devices measuring location and compass direction (the way a turtle was facing at a given moment) to six female green sea turtles that took about a month to navigate more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) westward across the Indian Ocean. The satellite tags, developed over the course of five years specifically for this purpose, measure compass headings to within 10° and location to within 100 meters. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-turtles-migrate-earth-magnetic-field.html Plants & Animals Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:20:04 EDT news701598181 Until recently, researchers were unable to conduct satellite-tracking studies on juvenile turtles because of their small body sizes and immediate dispersal into the ocean, leaving this period of their lives enigmatic and often referred to as the "lost years." A study titled "Pioneering insights into the diving behavior of early-stage sea turtles revealed by novel marine miniaturized satellite tags," published in Scientific Reports in April 2026, provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of vertical diving behavior in early life stages of leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-miniature-satellite-tags-reveal-behavior.html Plants & Animals Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:20:01 EDT news701535993 An international study co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher has found that drifting devices used by the global tuna fishing industry are entering marine protected areas around the world, creating potential risks for wildlife and sensitive ocean habitats. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drifting-tuna-gear-wildlife-marine.html Plants & Animals Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:20:01 EDT news701533201 In the crystalline waters off Kenya's coast, coral reefs are thriving—evidence of a rare good-news story in the battle to protect oceans from the ravages of climate change. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-global-reveals-coral-reefs-resist.html Ecology Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:09:35 EDT news700801709 The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), an elusive porpoise found only in the shallow waters of Mexico's northern Gulf of California, is one of the rarest and most endangered marine mammals on Earth. Measuring about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length, it is the world's smallest cetacean—a group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Known for the distinctive dark rings around its eyes and mouth, the vaquita remained unknown to science until the latter half of the 20th century. Today, it has become a global symbol of the growing biodiversity crisis unfolding in the world's oceans. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-pixels-world-rarest-porpoise-3d.html Biotechnology Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news700736341 Around the world, ocean warming is causing fish to move poleward in search of cooler water. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-climate-fish-cooler-route-blocked.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:40:05 EDT news700477980 Sometime between 5.5 and 5.6 million years ago, two shell crushers squared off in the languid currents of an ancient Florida river. The fossils they left behind, discovered by paleontologists at the Florida Museum of Natural History, reveal the identity of the combatants and the outcome of their encounter. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-altercations-musk-turtles-alligator.html Ecology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:40:03 EDT news699617204 Climate change and sea level rise are altering the chemistry of Biscayne Bay in ways that could threaten South Florida's coastal ecosystems, water resources, fisheries, and recreation, according to a study led by scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management. Researchers found that over the past 20 years, Biscayne Bay has become warmer, saltier, and more acidic. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-decades-climate-biscayne-bay-warmer.html Environment Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:20:04 EDT news699550561 A new raptor-like dinosaur from some 70 million years ago that ate fish and behaved like modern herons has been unearthed from southern Patagonia. The new species, which has been named Kank australis, was identified based on the discovery of fossil remains including teeth, vertebrae, and toe bones. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-heron-fish-dinosaur-million-years.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 28 May 2026 19:10:06 EDT news699176102 The origin of turtles has always been a bit of a puzzle for scientists who study the evolution of animals. To this day, where they fit in the tree of life remains a highly debated topic. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-turtles-tree-life-xray-south.html Evolution Thu, 28 May 2026 16:40:02 EDT news699193621 It may sound too bizarre to be true, but the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa), a fish that inhabits rivers, lakes, and swamps in Mexico and Texas, exists over much of its range in populations that are 100% female. In 1932, the Amazon molly became the first known vertebrate to reproduce by cloning itself, producing all-female populations. A new genetic study published in Nature has given scientists insights into the longstanding mystery about how and why this happens. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-asexual-lizards-virgin-births-clones.html Plants & Animals Fri, 22 May 2026 09:40:02 EDT news698661362 In many underwater ecosystems, seagrass meadows act as a food source, a safe haven, and an ecological lynchpin. But until now, very little was known about how these plants reproduce—critical information for conserving the meadows. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seagrass-genetic-individuals-clone-underwater.html Plants & Animals Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:01 EDT news698574842 Biologists have long puzzled over why organisms with similar numbers of protein-coding genes can differ so dramatically in nervous system complexity. New research points to a potential link between the expanding diversity of RNA-binding proteins, which shape how genetic instructions are processed, and greater brain sophistication. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-paradox-similar-genes-brains.html Evolution Mon, 11 May 2026 11:37:23 EDT news697717929 A single scoop of water from an Irish river has revealed evidence not only of Ireland's only frog species—as expected—but also signs of the dreaded B. dendrobatidis fungus, marking the first time this devastating amphibian disease has been spotted in the country and exposing a previously unknown risk to Ireland's frog population. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-river-dna-track-fish-frogs.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 09 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news697300018 Heat stress from marine heat waves can create a toxic relationship between seagrasses and a hidden ecosystem of bacteria, transforming a previously beneficial co-existence between marine plants and microbes into a harmful one, a University of Sydney and UNSW study has found. The research is published in New Phytologist. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hot-marine-toxic-relationship-seagrasses.html Ecology Wed, 06 May 2026 12:00:09 EDT news697284961 Increases in global trade and travel are causing animal and plant species to be more frequently introduced to regions of the world where they do not naturally occur. In these new regions, these species are often referred to as "alien species." The process through which they are introduced is known as a "biological invasion." Much research has been carried out to identify the biodiversity impacts of biological invasions—these are impacts that affect the survival of native species. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-negative-impacts-biological-invasions-animal.html Ecology Tue, 05 May 2026 10:40:03 EDT news697193401 The rise in infertility is not limited to humans, as environmental stressors are quietly undermining the reproductive potential of different forms of life. A recent review published in npj Emerging Contaminants investigated how today's environmental challenges are shaping the reproductive capacity of both humans and animals. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-invisible-fertility-crisis-chemicals-climate.html Environment Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news696602190 An invasive algae already well-established in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is raising concern among researchers as it threatens to spread into the main Hawaiian Islands. Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have identified a potential ally in slowing its advance: sea turtles. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hawaiian-green-sea-turtles-emerge.html Plants & Animals Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news695897463 Neanderthals hunted European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in Central Europe, though probably not for food. The careful cleaning of carapace elements at Neumark-Nord indicates that shells were reused, perhaps as small containers or scoop-like implements, according to an international research team. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-neanderthals-central-europe-pond-turtles.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:20:03 EDT news694860183 The mass extinction at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods was catastrophic, wiping out much of life on Earth. Vertebrate groups that dominated at the time, such as dinosaurs and many large marine reptiles, fell victim to the effects of the asteroid impact about 66 million years ago. However, the catastrophe did not affect all organisms to the same extent: turtles, for example, survived with only minimal losses. Their chance of survival was apparently linked to their diet: species with a preference for hard-shelled organisms survived the catastrophic event. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-shell-turtles-defied-mass-extinction.html Evolution Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:20:01 EDT news693661142 Techniques developed to study the distant past—from dating ancient artifacts to reconstructing climate records in ice cores—are now being repurposed to help us better understand the lives of modern sea turtles. Using radiocarbon methods from archaeology, researchers show that sea turtle shell plates are biological time capsules that record signs of major environmental disturbances in the ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-sea-turtle-shells-reveal-hidden.html Plants & Animals Sun, 22 Mar 2026 17:00:02 EDT news693154125 Sandy beaches account for approximately a third of the world's ice-free coastlines. These sandy shorelines are responsible for sediment and water retention, provide a buffer against rising water levels, and offer habitats for shorebirds and sea turtles. The research is published in the journal Earth's Future. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-sea-turtles-beaches-seas-sites.html Plants & Animals Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:00:03 EDT news692882401 Even the most remote regions of the globe are not free from plastic pollution. In a study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers from São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil have detected plastic rocks on Trindade Island, the easternmost point of South America. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-green-turtle-plastic-endanger-species.html Plants & Animals Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:10:01 EST news691349341 A new study from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics reveals a surprising insight into the operation of the ancestral brain: the visual cortex of turtles is capable of detecting unexpected visual stimuli in a way that is independent of their position on the retina, a property that, until now, was thought to exist only in the highly developed cortices of mammals, including humans. In light of these findings, the research team assesses that advanced brain mechanisms previously thought to be unique to mammals were already present hundreds of millions of years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-turtles-brains-evolutionary-dating-hundreds.html Plants & Animals Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:48:35 EST news690648482 Climate change is reshaping life on Earth at an unprecedented pace. Across the globe, species are shifting their ranges, altering migration routes and breeding earlier in the year in response to rising temperatures. But while some of these changes appear adaptive, scientists are increasingly finding that hidden costs may undermine long-term survival. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sea-turtles-earlier-eggs-year.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:03:25 EST news690130981 Before leaving on a fossil-hunting trip for a summer 2021 field paleontology class, a Montana State University junior made an apparently fate-tempting plea. "I kept joking through that whole class, 'Oh, please, just anything but a turtle,'" said Jack Prall, now a doctoral student in MSU's Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Letters and Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-turtle-fossil-narrows-timeline-cretaceous.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:26:25 EST news689876762 Kemp's ridley sea turtles are among the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. They reside along the east and Gulf coasts of North America, alongside some of the world's most active shipping lanes. While the threats from fishing, pollution, and vessel collisions are well understood, it is less clear how disruptive human-caused noise is to their survival. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-world-rarest-sea-turtle-vulnerability.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:00:04 EST news689243521 Rocks have been found to hold many traces of Earth's ancient history, but usually geologists have to seek them out. Every once in a while, however, these imprints of times past are found by unsuspecting visitors. This occurred in 2019, when a group of free climbers exploring the slopes of Monte Conero in Italy came across a large slab of rock covered in imprints reminiscent of a herd of running animals. One of the climbers ended up showing photos of the imprints to a geologist, which resulted in a study of the area. That study is now published in the journal Cretaceous Research. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-free-climbers-remnants-ancient-sea.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:33:48 EST news683980405