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. I'm a proud Yorta Yorta and Barapa Barapa man, an Indigenous astronomer and a trainee ecologist. When I look at the night sky, I don't just see stars. Instead, I see an ancient knowledge system that has guided people, culture and Country for tens of thousands of years. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-indigenous-australians-world-astronomers-knowledge.html Astronomy Tue, 19 May 2026 08:40:01 EDT news698394001 A great Tyrannosaurus rex strides through the conifer trees of her territory, sniffing the air. She picks up the scent from the carcass of a dead horned dinosaur, Triceratops, that she was feeding on yesterday. She walks over and strips off some more shreds of meat, but the smell is foul even for her. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-dinosaurkilling-asteroid-armageddon-blowbyblow-account.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 11 May 2026 18:00:01 EDT news697724041 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 On the strictly protected island of Golem Grad in North Macedonia, the tortoises are destroying their own population. During prolonged courtship, aggressive males are exhausting the females and frequently pushing them off the cliffs. Consequently, there are now one hundred males for every female capable of laying eggs. This is the only known example of demographic suicide in the wild to date. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-selfdestructive-behavior-hermann-tortoises-macedonian.html Plants & Animals Sun, 10 May 2026 14:30:01 EDT news697298090 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 Biological invasions occur when organisms such as animals and plants are introduced by people to regions of the world where they do not naturally occur. In these new locations, these organisms are referred to as "alien species." https://phys.org/news/2026-05-biological-invasions-severe-animal.html Plants & Animals Tue, 05 May 2026 17:40:01 EDT news697206842 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 In recent years, using drones for wildlife research has proven to be a valuable tool in collecting data for population surveys, observing behavior and measuring animals' physical dimensions. A new study led by Murdoch University has found that drones flown above the ocean are unlikely to disturb whale sharks, the world's largest fish. The findings are published in the journal Ecosphere. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-impact-drones-whale-sharks.html Ecology Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:40:02 EDT news696750482 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 The relationships human societies have with animals aren't fixed, but vary according to era, culture, territory and customs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-legal-categories-animals-limit-animal.html Political science Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:20:10 EDT news696164461 Florida's Indian River Lagoon has been an ecosystem in decline going back to 2011, when harmful algal blooms led to a severe decline in seagrass, the foundational component of shallow coastal ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hurricanes-devastated-florida-east-coast.html Ecology Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:00:06 EDT news695997422 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 When she was a kid in the 1970s, Karen Terio wasn't allowed to watch much television, but wildlife specials were permitted. That was how she learned about the work of Jane Goodall, who was studying the behavior of wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, on the western edge of Tanzania. Watching National Geographic documentaries about Goodall's fearless and pioneering work with wild chimpanzees thrilled and inspired the young girl. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-footsteps-jane-goodall-wildlife-pathologist.html Plants & Animals Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:00:01 EDT news695375478 Between 280 and 200 million years ago, a group of animals evolved which would eventually give rise to mammals, including humans: the therapsids. They were first described more than 150 years ago, based on fossils from South Africa. Since then, many more fossils have been discovered. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-embryo-fossil-south-africa-world.html Evolution Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:30:01 EDT news695041122 Over the past few decades, a collaboration of St. Louis regional groups have partnered to be good stewards of Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks and wildlife areas in the country. Organizations such as Forest Park Forever have restored habitat, while scientists with the Saint Louis Zoo have partnered with conservation groups and universities, including WashU, to monitor wildlife populations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-habitat-paid-forest-st-louis.html Plants & Animals Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:20:01 EDT news695017701 There is an explosion of color beneath the surface in Raja Ampat, a remote archipelago in eastern Indonesia where sharks, mantas and sea turtles glide alongside vast schools of fish through sea fan coral formations, some of which are only found in its waters. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ocean-clash-pressure-indonesia-diverse.html Ecology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:26:13 EDT news694927526 Anybody who has seen "Finding Nemo" knows about those captivating monsters of the sea: anglerfishes. Variously horrific or alien-looking, many female anglerfishes sport long, protruding lures used for enticing prey or signaling during mating. Additionally, the dizzying variety of lures doesn't just include motion-based ones. Some anglerfish species have bioluminescent lures, while others have lures that release chemicals to attract prey or signal potential mates. Now, research from the University of Kansas appearing in Ichthyology & Herpetology is giving new detail to the evolutionary history of anglerfishes' lures, studying more than 100 species to see how the lures evolved. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-evolution-anglerfishes-famed-fishing-rod.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:04 EDT news694878902 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 Ever wondered what it might feel like to spot giant spider crabs while you're snorkeling? Or check plants for the circular holes that indicate native bees are collecting nest materials? Citizen science relies on people like you—more than a million of them in Australia, actually—to collect and analyze valuable data about the world around us. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-citizen-scientist-ways-involved.html Ecology Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:40:04 EDT news694354734 The half leaf-fingered geckos (Hemiphyllodactylus) are a diverse group with more than 70 recognized species and a distribution range from southern India and Sri Lanka, through Indochina and Southeast Asia, to the western Pacific region. As a result of its cryptic lifestyle and small body size, its diversity had been neglected until a recent surge of integrative taxonomic research, which combines different lines of evidence, most importantly molecular and morphological data. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-gecko-species-vietnam.html Plants & Animals Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:30:01 EDT news694169152 Earth is teeming with life: creatures big and small have spread and adapted to vastly different environments. Many animals can also change their physiology—how their bodies function—in response to local fluctuations. Just think of hibernating bears in winter, for example. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-tropical-geckos-australia-thought.html Ecology Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:20:01 EDT news694089823 Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, newly hatched sea turtles emerged on a Gabonese beach to embark on the treacherous 10-meter (33-foot) scramble across the sand to the ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-gabon-baby-sea-turtles-survival.html Ecology Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:29:59 EDT news693804552 In 1948, a group of amateurs led by a local headmaster in Lehringen, Germany, uncovered the skeleton of a straight-tusked elephant—the largest land mammal known to have roamed Europe—in 125,000-year-old sediments from the last interglacial period. There was an important surprise in this find: between the ribs, the team discovered a complete wooden spear belonging to Neanderthal hunters. Over the years, this was interpreted as either direct evidence of hunting or simply coincidental positioning of the bones and spear. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-neanderthals-lakeshore-germany-butcher-survive.html Archaeology Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:50:01 EDT news693753318 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 New research led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography is shining a spotlight on one of the ocean's most overlooked habitats: seagrass. Led by Scripps Oceanography Ph.D. candidate Rilee Sanders, the study documented the first successful restoration of open-coast seagrass (common eelgrass). The findings offer promising insight into the feasibility of restoring high-value coastal habitats in the future. The work is published in the journal Estuaries and Coasts. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-catalina-island-highlights-coast-seagrass.html Plants & Animals Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:20:02 EDT news693583681 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 Monitoring the populations of one of nature's slower creatures could become faster, thanks to the University of Georgia. UGA researchers have developed an easier, more cost-effective way to learn more about male marine turtles, a traditionally elusive creature in the world's oceans. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-tracking-male-sea-turtles-easier.html Plants & Animals Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:40:03 EDT news693056401 The Mediterranean Sea is home to some of the ocean's largest animals. Among the nine species of cetaceans commonly found along its western shores are the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus, the world's second-largest marine animal), and the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). These species can reach lengths of up to 23 and 18 meters respectively, and their populations are genetically isolated from their Atlantic counterparts. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-whales-dna-footprints-ocean-track.html Ecology Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:10:01 EDT news692969822 From sea turtles to birds and the gentle dugong, the Persian Gulf's diverse but fragile marine life is threatened by the bombs and oil of the war in the Middle East. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-war-threatens-gulf-dugongs-turtles.html Ecology Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:20:01 EDT news692964886