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. Hundreds of millions of animals are killed on our roads each year. Now, scientists have revealed how these deaths could play an unexpected role advancing wildlife science and conservation. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-roadkill-ethical-alternative-capture-wildlife.html Ecology Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:40:01 EST news688818697 A study published in the journal PeerJ, conducted by a researcher from the Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity (ISYEB) at the French National Museum of Natural History, in collaboration with a researcher from James Cook University in Australia, reveals that domestic animals are involved in the transport of an invasive flatworm species in France. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-dogs-cats-invasive-flatworm-species.html Ecology Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:00:02 EST news689847901 The sun is the basis for photosynthesis, but not all plants thrive in strong sunlight. Strong sunlight constrains plant diversity and plant biomass in the world's grasslands, a new study shows. Temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric nitrogen deposition have less impact on plant diversity. These results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by a research team led by Marie Spohn from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-intense-sunlight-diversity-biomass-global.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:40:01 EST news689875255 From fundamental biological units as tiny as genes to complex societies, ecological systems rely on cooperation. All manner of organisms can benefit from working together to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. "Mutualism is a common example of interspecies cooperation," says Utah State University ecologist Valerie Martin. "Scientists have long studied mutualisms between plants and pollinators, but understanding their origin and maintenance remains a challenge. Curiously, exploitative behaviors—including cheating—are rampant among mutualists and we're trying to understand why." https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bee-bandits-yeast-nectar-behavior.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:35:37 EST news689877301 A new genetic study examines an unusually large hybridization event that followed the Fukushima nuclear accident, when escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar. The research shows that domestic pig maternal lineages sped up generational turnover, rapidly diluting pig genes. The findings reveal a mechanism likely operating wherever feral pigs and wild boar interbreed. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fukushima-pig-boar-hybrids-reveal.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:20:02 EST news689856229 Goats are increasingly being used in efforts to manage invasive common buckthorn in Midwestern woodlands. New research demonstrates when and how they are best used. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-goats-play-role-multi-pronged.html Ecology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:50:30 EST news689863801 The charismatic, robust, and impressive North American mountain sheep is losing its habitat to industrial mining, the changing climate, and human activity. And unless action is taken to protect this popular and inherently American species, it could face extinction. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-north-american-wild-mountain-sheep.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:20:01 EST news689861685 Large blooms of seaweed are increasingly being reported along coastlines globally, from Europe and Asia to the tropics and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-drastic-seaweed-growth-threatens-marine.html Ecology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:36:57 EST news689859362 Archaeologists have uncovered evidence for repeated prehistoric occupation in the remote island cluster of Kitsissut, north of Greenland, indicating the first people in the High Arctic were skilled seafarers who had a profound impact on early Arctic environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-arctic-inhabitants-thousands-years-ecological.html Archaeology Sun, 08 Feb 2026 18:00:01 EST news689245082 Climate change is accelerating the arrival of warmer spring temperatures, and this phenomenon is affecting the conservation of many species. Now, a study published in the journal Global Change Biology reveals how a 2°C increase in temperature advances the reproductive process of the Mediterranean gorgonian, a species found in temperate waters that plays an important ecological role, providing structure and shelter and thus promoting biodiversity on the seabed. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-warmer-mediterranean-gorgonian.html Ecology Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:00:06 EST news689520754 Eucalyptus trees, laden with flammable oils, could spread into Portugal's south-central region by 2060 if changing climate conditions make the area more hospitable to their growth, creating wildfire hotspots that would evade detection by conventional prevention approaches. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-wildfire-key-factor-forests-decades.html Environment Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:20:01 EST news689335906 Passerine (perching) birds make up 60% of all bird species, including some familiar Australian favorites, like the superb fairy-wren and willie wagtail. Until now, they were believed to only be capable of shallow reductions in body temperature, with deeper and longer torpor restricted to a few non-passerine bird groups, such as hummingbirds and nightjars. New research reveals that this largest group of bird species can enter deep torpor—a power-saving mode of reduced body temperature and metabolism—overturning a long-held understanding of their limits. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-passerine-birds-survival-tactic-overturns.html Plants & Animals Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:00:13 EST news689335676 A new study by researchers at Kiel University and MPI-EvolBio describes how more efficient protein production drives the adaptation of fungi to the human body, potentially turning previously harmless species into emerging pathogens. In the wake of global change and the associated rise in temperatures, fungal infections are on the increase worldwide, threatening crops, wildlife and, also, human health. Many fungal species are completely harmless and fulfill important ecological functions, such as decomposing organic matter and releasing nutrients into the soil. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fungal-infections-species-quickly-fat.html Evolution Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:00:05 EST news689437087 In early January, authorities from South Australia's Department of Primary Industries took to the streets of Adelaide on the hunt for a suspicious individual. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bird-illegal-immigrant-white-australia.html Plants & Animals Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:50:01 EST news689596045 Research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) sheds new light on how mountain birds adapt to changes in climate. Scientists know that species diversity changes as you go up a mountain, but it is not clearly understood why this is the case. One theory is that it is mostly because of long-term evolution, and the climate niches species have adapted to over millions of years. Another—the "energy efficiency" hypothesis—suggests it is about how species today manage their energy budgets and compete for available resources that vary in space and time. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-energy-efficiency-key-mountain-birds.html Plants & Animals Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:00:03 EST news689606821 Artificial light is one of the most ingrained features of modern life. For humans, light after dark offers convenience and a sense of safety. For wildlife, it's a growing environmental disturbance. "When humans introduce artificial light at night, they are fundamentally altering an aspect of the environment that many species depend on for processes like foraging, navigation, and risk-avoidance," says Christopher Hickling, a Ph.D. student in natural resources science at the University of Rhode Island. "Species also depend on light to maintain their natural rhythms and cycles." https://phys.org/news/2026-02-artificial-reshaping-caracal-behavior-limiting.html Plants & Animals Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:20:04 EST news689601446 Josh Courville has harvested crawfish his whole life, but these days, he's finding a less welcome catch in some of the fields he manages in southern Louisiana. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-giant-snails-tiny-insects-threaten.html Agriculture Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:33:28 EST news689574763 The Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA), in partnership with the scientific publisher Pensoft Publishers and science YouTuber Ze Frank, have let the internet name a newly discovered deep‑sea chiton (a type of marine mollusk). The formal description of the species is published in the Biodiversity Data Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-internet-deep-sea-species-chiton.html Plants & Animals Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:00:01 EST news689445242 An estimated 8,000 invasive green iguanas were removed from various Florida communities this week after a record-breaking freeze event that sent overnight temperatures down to the mid-30s for two nights in a row. On Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Commission released official numbers for its iguana drop-off sites. All told, the five sites collected 5,195 dead or cold-stunned iguanas. The drop-off sites were in Marathon, Sunrise, Tequesta, Fort Myers and Lakeland. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-cold-stunned-iguanas-florida.html Plants & Animals Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:47:32 EST news689532421 Imagine an asteroid striking Earth and wiping out most of the human population. Even if some lucky people survived the impact, Homo sapiens might still face extinction, because the social networks humans rely on would collapse. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-deer-chickadees-social-encounters-extinction.html Plants & Animals Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:00:01 EST news689520288 Oceanic ecosystems are increasingly threatened by global warming, which causes coral bleaching, species migration and, through the loss of habitats and biodiversity, food web disruptions on major scales. Also, pollutants such as plastics and other marine debris, wastewater, as well as chemical runoffs, including oil spills, cause major ecosystem disruptions. Importantly, given the interconnectedness of all life on the planet, the deteriorating health of our oceans directly impacts human health and sustenance. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-crispr-based-biosensors-enable-real.html Ecology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:35:59 EST news689513701 Florida's coastal and urban counties continue to see the spread of two invasive termite species beyond South Florida. The species are now threatening structures statewide, according to a new University of Florida study. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-invasive-termites-threatening-homes-florida.html Plants & Animals Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:29:25 EST news689513342 Snakes may well be one of nature's greatest predators, capable of eating whole deer or even crocodiles, but just as impressive is that they can go months, or even a whole year, without a single meal. And now an international team of scientists thinks they know how they do it. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-snakes-months-meals-genetic-explanation.html Plants & Animals Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:20:05 EST news689431162 In the plant world, when two different species mate, their offspring often don't survive. The reason lies in their DNA: incompatible genes often mix in their offspring, triggering a fatal breakdown known as hybrid lethality that acts as a reproductive barrier to keep species separate. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-stacking-genetic-deck-hybrids-odds.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:23:45 EST news689419382 Reforested areas in the Baza (Granada) and Los Filabres (Almería) mountain ranges have experienced severe die-offs in recent years, with extensive woodland loss. Needle or leaf loss (defoliation) is one of the best indicators of tree health, particularly in pine forests under stress. When trees lose their needles, or leaves, their photosynthetic capacity deteriorates significantly, reducing growth and often leading to mortality. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-mediterranean-needle-loss-efficient-forest.html Ecology Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:10:01 EST news689350037 Artificial light from major coastal cities can disrupt the nighttime biology of sharks, according to new research that provides the first-ever measurements of melatonin—a hormone tied to biological rhythms—in wild sharks. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-urban-pollution-disrupts-nighttime-melatonin.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:20:04 EST news689358507 Mexican long-nosed bats have a taste for agave, their tongues designed to lap up the famous desert plant's nectar during nightly flights. It's not just a means of satisfying taste buds. It's a matter of fueling up for an arduous journey. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-agave-mexican-nosed-north-sweet.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:20:01 EST news689355278 Fish across Britain's seas face ever-smaller meals as warmer seas and commercial fishing squeeze ocean food webs, new research suggests. Research by the University of Essex and the UK Government's Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) found strains across warm and highly fished areas of the Northeast Atlantic, leaving predators such as cod, haddock and thorny skate with less energy from every meal. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-warmer-northeast-atlantic-heavy-fishing.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:40:01 EST news689348302 More than 2,500 plant species have the potential to invade the Arctic at the expense of the species that belong there. Norway is one of the areas that is particularly at risk. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-thousands-alien-species-invade-arctic.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:50:01 EST news689336150 If you've ever been for a walk in the forest or poked around your local park, you're probably familiar with seeing mushrooms popping up as the weather turns cooler. But you're not the only one. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-potoroo-poo-climate.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:44:39 EST news689337842