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. Neuroscientists have uncovered new insights into a key evolutionary question: Why can humans talk when most animals can't? The journal Science published the research led by Emory University and the New College of Florida. The findings suggest that seals and sea lions may have vocal flexibility as a side effect of developing a brain "bypass" for voluntary breath control. This same bypass allowed them to adapt to aquatic life. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-sea-lions-clues-evolution-vocalization.html Plants & Animals Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:10:01 EDT news692553061 Their icy hunting grounds are rapidly shrinking, but polar bears in Norway's remote Svalbard archipelago have defied the odds by bulking up instead of wasting away, a study said Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-svalbard-polar-gained-fat-rapid.html Plants & Animals Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:30:01 EST news688919443 Arctic sea ice has large effects on the global climate. By cooling the planet, Arctic ice impacts ocean circulation, atmospheric patterns, and extreme weather conditions, even outside the Arctic region. However, climate change has led to its rapid decline, and being able to make real-time predictions of sea ice extent (SIE)—the area of water with a minimum concentration of sea ice—has become crucial for monitoring sea ice health. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-accurately-arctic-sea-ice-real.html Earth Sciences Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:00:01 EST news689243401 The body conditions of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations around the Norwegian island of Svalbard have improved despite sea ice losses, according to new findings. The findings differ from previously published observations of polar bear population declines coinciding with sea ice loss across the Arctic. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-svalbard-polar-fat-reserves-sea.html Plants & Animals Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:00:01 EST news688813442 The ancestors of our furry cats and dogs once looked similar to today's modern mongoose, a mammal with a long body and small, round ears. In fact, all members of the order Carnivora, which includes a variety of mammalian species, such as bears, wolves and even seals, evolved from these 'mongoose-like' creatures. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-qa-climate-shifts-drove-carnivores.html Evolution Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:59:43 EST news685209541 The next time you breathe, consider this: Photosynthesis of algae, powered by iron dust in the ocean, made it possible. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-track-iron-deficiency-disrupts-photosynthesis.html Environment Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:56:04 EDT news674409361 Scientists have uncovered the remains of a vast animal community that lived in the European Arctic 75,000 years ago. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-scientists-uncover-year-arctic-animal.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 04 Aug 2025 16:11:30 EDT news673542669 Artificial intelligence sea ice forecasting systems could help predict and protect the migration routes of endangered caribou in the Canadian Arctic, according to a new study. The research, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute, WWF and the Government of Nunavut, demonstrates how this technology could assist local agencies in protecting critical migration routes which cross areas of land and sea ice. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ai-tool-aids-caribou-arctic.html Ecology Thu, 29 May 2025 10:17:03 EDT news667732619 A small bone found 30 years ago at Dinosaur Cove in southeastern Australia could turn what we know about the evolution of echidnas and platypuses on its head. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-extremely-rare-event-bone-analysis.html Evolution Mon, 28 Apr 2025 15:00:09 EDT news665050741 Through intensive breeding, humans have pushed breeds such as pug dogs and Persian cats to evolve with very similar skulls and "smushed" faces, so they're more similar to each other than they are to most other dogs or cats. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-pugs-persian-cats-similar-smushed.html Evolution Mon, 28 Apr 2025 15:00:05 EDT news665048173 The Arctic's "Last Ice Area" (LIA)—a vital habitat for ice-dependent species—might disappear within a decade after the central Arctic Ocean becomes ice-free in summer, which is expected to occur sometime around mid-century, a new study by McGill University researchers using a high-resolution model has found. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-ice-area-arctic-sooner-previously.html Earth Sciences Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:48:03 EST news657218881 By examining ancient walrus DNA, an international research team led by Lund University in Sweden have retraced the walrus ivory trade routes of the Viking Age. They found that Norse Vikings and Arctic Indigenous peoples were probably meeting and trading ivory in remote parts of High Arctic Greenland, several centuries before Christopher Columbus "discovered" North America. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-retracing-walrus-ivory-viking-age.html Archaeology Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:13:03 EDT news646913581 A new discovery by a team of paleontologists, led by Dr. Mathieu Boisville (University of Tsukuba, Japan), has uncovered a new species of the extinct genus Ontocetus from the Lower Pleistocene deposits in the North Atlantic. This species, named Ontocetus posti, displays surprising similarities in feeding adaptations to the modern walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), highlighting an intriguing case of convergent evolution. The research is published in the journal PeerJ. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-species-extinct-walrus-mammal-north.html Plants & Animals Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:00:01 EDT news642693841 One in seven species of deepwater sharks and rays are threatened with extinction due to overfishing, according to a new eight-year study released today in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-deepwater-sharks-rays-extinction.html Plants & Animals Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:18:02 EST news629050681 While the sounds of our oceans may be familiar to us through the lens of nature documentaries, from the haunting calls of whales to the barks of some fish, this acoustic environment can provide a wealth of knowledge to scientists regarding the complex interplay of nature and humanity. Not only this, but ocean soundscapes can record environmental changes, hinting at the ever-evolving underwater world and its response to climate change. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-arctic-ocean-soundscapes-reveal-mammal.html Plants & Animals Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:40:01 EST news618485528 In a new study, participants tended to judge faces appearing against backgrounds featuring houseplants or bookcases as more trustworthy and competent than faces with a living space or a novelty image behind them. Gender and facial expression also appeared to influence judgments. The research led by Paddy Ross, Abi Cook and Meg Thompson at Durham University, UK has been published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-background.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:00:01 EDT news615022445 Past cycles of climate change, along with human exploitation, have led to only small and isolated stocks of Atlantic walrus remaining. The current population is at high risk of the same issues affecting them severely, according to a new study led by Lund University in Sweden published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-atlantic-walrus-vulnerable-artic.html Ecology Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:57:03 EDT news615027421 According to a study published in PLOS ONE, 72% of cetacean and pinniped stocks managed under U.S. jurisdiction are highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change. The research was led by Matthew D. Lettrich at NOAA Fisheries, in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-dolphins-whales-highly-vulnerable-climate.html Plants & Animals Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:00:01 EDT news614420790 Amidst the vast frozen and barren terrain of the Arctic is a unique marine ecosystem supporting a web of diverse natural life that, according to a new study by scientist Kent Moore, is managing to sustain itself against the impacts of climate change—so far. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-underscores-oasis-arctic.html Earth Sciences Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:01:04 EDT news607946462 Have you ever wondered what the earliest ancestors of today's dolphins looked like? Then look no further, meet Olympicetus thalassodon, a new species of early odontocete, or toothed whale, that swam along the North Pacific coastline around 28 million years ago. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-species-early-toothed-whale-history.html Evolution Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:24:03 EDT news606731041 Sea ice algae is an essential resource for the survival of many species living in the Arctic. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-sea-ice-algae-arctic-animals.html Plants & Animals Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:58:15 EDT news601203492 A national research group led by researchers at the University of Manitoba has shown that polar bears share the position of top predator of the coastal Arctic marine ecosystem with seastars. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sea-stars-benthic-equivalent-polar.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:46:03 EST news592483561 Orangutans, mice, and horses are covered with it, but humans aren't. Why we have significantly less body hair than most other mammals has long remained a mystery. But a first-of-its-kind comparison of genetic codes from 62 animals is beginning to tell the story of how people—and other mammals—lost their locks. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-today-tomorrow-humans-lost-body.html Evolution Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:07:49 EST news592063664 Findings of unexpected large numbers of fin and humpback whales in the previously ice infested waters of East Greenland now indicate a tipping point in the marine ecosystem from one regime to another that may be irreversible. https://phys.org/news/2022-11-regime-shift-arctic-marine-ecosystem.html Plants & Animals Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:51:03 EST news588243061 A groundbreaking new research project has analyzed the evolution of the placental mammal skull using 3D scans of 322 specimens housed in more than 20 international museum collections, and crafted a new model of how mammals diversified based on the emerging patterns. https://phys.org/news/2022-10-social-mammals-evolve-faster-solitary.html Evolution Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:28:34 EDT news586168101 The Bering Sea is the most productive ground fishery in the world, particularly for salmon, halibut and shellfish. About half of U.S. fish and shellfish come from that area and the fishing industry is the main driver of jobs in and around the Aleutian Islands. The freezing and melting of sea ice in the area heavily impacts the primary productivity, which is the bottom of the marine food chain. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-explore-impact-sea-ice-bering.html Earth Sciences Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:05:04 EDT news577541101 Archaeologists had low expectations when excavations started at 35 Spaska Street in Kyiv in 2007. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-norse-settlers-walrus-ivory-kyiv.html Archaeology Thu, 16 Jun 2022 09:00:25 EDT news574588819 A tortoise from a Galápagos species long believed extinct has been found alive. The tortoise, named Fernanda after her Fernandina Island home, is the first of her species identified in more than a century. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-fantastic-giant-tortoise-believed-extinct.html Plants & Animals Thu, 09 Jun 2022 11:00:08 EDT news573977412 Single individuals of Atlantic cod and squid occur much further north than previously expected. Scientists participating in the international MOSAiC expedition with research icebreaker Polarstern have found fish and squid in deep water in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. The results from Stockholm University, the Alfred Wegener Institute and colleagues in the European Fisheries Inventory in the Central Arctic Ocean (EFICA) Consortium are published today in the scientific journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2022-02-unexpected-fish-squid-central-arctic.html Plants & Animals Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:00:01 EST news564399229 Pinnipeds—a group including seals, sea lions and walruses—are relatively recently derived marine mammals that evolved from terrestrial carnivorans and reentered the marine environment. Their recent adaptations to an amphibious lifestyle make their evolutionary anatomy of particular interest to Baylor University researcher Sarah Kienle, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-pinniped-craniofacial-musculature-insight-role.html Plants & Animals Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:03:42 EDT news555091420