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. Patients in hospitals generally trust the nursing staff. After all, they have undergone training and, in some cases, have several years of professional experience. In the case of carpenter ants, it is not nursing expertise that determines who cares for the patients. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-colony-ant-wound-transitional-workers.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Jul 2026 13:00:01 EDT news702205505 Researchers have identified "DNA switches" that become active as honeybee larvae grow into worker bees, offering new insight into the development of these important pollinators and the ecosystems they support. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-honeybee-metamorphosis-uncovers-dna-worker.html Ecology Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:20:07 EDT news701425717 New research from the University of St. Andrews has shown that higher extinction risk is associated with a higher frequency of decreasing local prevalence of species, in an analysis of one of the most comprehensive long-term databases ever created, BioTIME—a major tool to study biodiversity change also developed at the University of St. Andrews. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-local-species-trends-flag-global.html Plants & Animals Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:00:08 EDT news701343121 An international team of researchers has discovered a remarkable new spider species in the rainforest of North Queensland that spins an ingenious and powerful spring-actuated snare to catch a single species of ant—one ant at a time—in what they describe as "the ultimate specialization." https://phys.org/news/2026-06-newly-australian-ballista-spider-snare.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:00:09 EDT news701094716 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 signals in animal interspecies cooperation," highlights how movements, visual displays, calls, and other behavioral cues and signals help partners coordinate interactions and align interests across species boundaries. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-animals-communicate-species-boundaries.html Plants & Animals Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:01 EDT news701079434 A James Cook University Ph.D. student's late-night solo survey has led to the first recorded sighting of a microwhip scorpion in the Daintree Rainforest. JCU entomologist and taxonomist Matthew Connors works at the university's Daintree Rainforest Observatory as a demonstrator and rainforest tour guide for visiting groups. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-student-sighting-microwhip-scorpion-daintree.html Plants & Animals Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:00:03 EDT news701078041 Malaysian scientists have discovered a new species of parasitic fungus in Borneo's jungles that preys on "zombie fungi" known to infect insects before subjecting them to a gruesome death. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-hyperparasite-malaysia-borneo-jungle.html Ecology Fri, 19 Jun 2026 03:59:28 EDT news701060265 Many animals exhibit fascinating collective behaviors, which allow them to move, search for food, reproduce and avoid threats more effectively than they would alone. One of these behaviors is queuing migration, which essentially entails traveling as a group in an organized line or procession. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-amber-fossil-captures-mites.html Evolution Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:00:01 EDT news700735961 Many quantum effects can be observed only when a small number of particles is studied—individual atoms, molecules or photons, for example, carefully shielded from the rest of the world. But what about macroscopic objects, consisting of an unimaginably large number of particles? Can they, too, display effects that provide a direct glimpse into the quantum world? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-high-degree-quantum-entanglement-centimeter.html Condensed Matter Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:00:04 EDT news700831442 A tropical butterfly has evolved an ingenious anti-aging strategy by delaying the aging process, enabling it to live far longer than its closest relatives, according to a new University of Bristol-led study published in Nature Communications. Found throughout the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, butterflies of the Heliconius tribe are among the longest-lived species ever recorded and could provide a new model for studying the biology of longevity. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-geriatric-butterfly-species.html Evolution Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:00:05 EDT news700821607 Chimpanzees are the only great apes, apart from humans, that have adapted to living on savannas as well as in forests. However, it is not yet well understood how the harsh ecological conditions of the savanna—compared with those of the forest—affect the foods chimpanzees eat and how they obtain them. Now, a study led by the University of Barcelona and the Jane Goodall Institute Spain (IJGE) reveals for the first time the strategies savanna chimpanzees use to make tools and extract aggressive army ants—also known as marabunta—from their underground nests and eat them in these dry, hot habitats. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-savanna-chimpanzees-tools-capturing-army.html Evolution Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:20:06 EDT news700221962 Dinosaurs are estimated to have roamed Earth for over 165 million years, gradually evolving over time to survive in changing environments. Among the many fascinating groups of dinosaurs known to have lived on our planet are alvarezsauroids. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tiny-armed-alvarezsauroid-dinosaurs-insect.html Evolution Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:40:06 EDT news699529068 Researchers in Spain have discovered that in collectives of moving fire ants, rippling "waves" of density and activity are likely triggered by local regions where ants collectively travel in the same direction as their neighbors. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ripples-ant-motions-driven-neighbor.html General Physics Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:07 EDT news699098891 Insects are declining across Europe. Czech scientists have determined this decline can be mitigated by returning large ungulates—horses, aurochs cattle, and wisents—to landscapes. This has been shown by a recent study by a group of researchers from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences (BC CAS), who surveyed five insect groups across eleven sites rewilded by large ungulates in Czechia. Their results have just been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-trophic-rewilding-large-herbivores-insect.html Plants & Animals Tue, 26 May 2026 12:00:06 EDT news699011561 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 Vibrant, tiny, and sporting a bright red grin on its back, the Happy-Face spider is one of the most famous and recognizable arachnids in the world. For over a century, this cheerful-looking creature was thought to be a unique resident of the Hawaiian Islands, a biological curiosity found nowhere else on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-happy-spider-species-indian-himalayas.html Plants & Animals Tue, 19 May 2026 09:20:06 EDT news698400543 Kenyan ant expert Dino Martins gushes over the red and black insects that have become the center of an international smuggling trade. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-kenya-poaching-problem-smuggling-giant.html Ecology Mon, 18 May 2026 04:51:32 EDT news698298661 In addition to serving as biochemical weapons for offense and defense, the venoms produced by ants in the subfamily Formicinae also fulfill additional roles. For example, the ants use it to protect their nests from pathogens. It has long been assumed that the primary constituent of these venoms, formic acid, was responsible for these functions. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-discovery-antimicrobial-peptides-ant-venom.html Biochemistry Thu, 14 May 2026 12:53:32 EDT news697981981 New research finds that higher temperatures can actually benefit some bumble bee species—particularly those that make subterranean nests. However, periods of extreme heat appear to offset those benefits, and may contribute to declining bumble bee populations in the southeastern United States. The paper, "Nesting biology shapes climate vulnerability of social bees (Bombus spp.)," is published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-higher-temperatures-benefit-devastate-bumble.html Plants & Animals Wed, 06 May 2026 18:20:07 EDT news697292916 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 ability to detect viruses and other harmful pathogens is highly advantageous for animals, as it can guide their behavior and prevent them from illness, and—in severe cases—death. When it comes to species that live in organized groups, such as bees, ants and some other insects, it can be even more crucial, as it can prevent the spread of pathogens across entire colonies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bees-viruses-food-sources-dont.html Plants & Animals Sat, 02 May 2026 08:00:08 EDT news696781511 Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) and the University of the Ryukyus have developed a new imaging method that makes it possible to see, in real time, how food is distributed and exchanged inside groups of ants. The work sheds light on how social insects organize themselves, and it could eventually help scientists detect early signs of disruption in insect communities that play essential roles in pollination, agriculture, and biodiversity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-radioactive-imaging-reveals-ants-secret.html Plants & Animals Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:02 EDT news696646429 Scorpions wield some of the natural world's most formidable built-in weapons, from crushing pincers to venomous stingers. Scientists have long known that these structures contain trace metals that strengthen them, but only a small fraction of the roughly 3,000 scorpions have ever been examined for this trait. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scorpions-weapons-fortified-metal.html Plants & Animals Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:10:01 EDT news696586562 Sticking with the same people might feel safe and comfortable. But a new Northwestern University study suggests it can actually trap new ideas and behaviors inside tight echo chambers. By contrast, the research, published in Communications Physics, shows that when interactions shift away from familiar contacts—and toward new ones—activity can spread more widely. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ideas-physics-based.html General Physics Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:30:01 EDT news696522781 In his time spent in the lush canopies of Costa Rica's cloud forest, UConn Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. student Jeremy Quirós-Navarro has worked as an arborist, helped place camera traps, collected plant samples, and trained others how to climb, all while observing the amazing wildlife of this towering and unstudied ecosystem. Over time, Quirós-Navarro noticed an interesting pattern in the habits of the canopy animals involving their choice of locations to take care of their latrine needs. These findings are published in Ecology and Evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-favorite-pit-communication-hub-cloud.html Plants & Animals Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:07 EDT news696072828 In the spring, ants are once again hard at work. Beyond their everyday presence, ants are also key model organisms in cutting-edge evolutionary genetics research, helping scientists understand how social behavior and cooperation evolve. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ant-supergene-reveals-evolution-social.html Evolution Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:40:03 EDT news695906343 Poison frogs are small and brightly colored amphibians that originate from Central and South America. As suggested by their name, these frogs can release highly toxic chemicals from their skin, which deter and neutralize predators. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-poison-frogs-built-chemical-weapons.html Plants & Animals Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:50:01 EDT news695467298 This week in science news: Researchers are calling to exploit sewage waste and manure to break U.S. synthetic fertilizer dependence. Wasps have begun disrupting the 10-million-year mutualism of ants and plants. And scientists have taken a step toward using CRISPR to silence the extra chromosome in Down syndrome. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-saturday-citations-neuroinflammaging-treatment-stuns.html Other Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:10:01 EDT news695642585 Quantum technologies like quantum computers are built from quantum materials. These types of materials exhibit quantum properties when exposed to the right conditions. Curiously, engineers can also trigger quantum behavior by manipulating a material's structure; for example, by stacking layers of graphene on top of each other and twisting them to create a moiré pattern, which suddenly turns them into a superconductor. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-algorithm-million-site-quasicrystal.html Quantum Physics Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:50:01 EDT news695491622 Naked mole rats keep kingdoms underground. One queen bears all the children, while others maintain complex subterranean tunnels, forage for food, take care of newborns, and perform other necessary upkeep. This society hinges on the central pillar of a singular queen. What happens when her fertility declines or is impaired? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-naked-mole-rats-peacefully-power.html Plants & Animals Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:10 EDT news695463721