Researchers illuminate the evolution of firefly lights

The leading hypothesis for the origin of firefly lights has been overturned by a genomic analysis. It had been posited that the bright lights emitted by many species in the Lampyridae family of beetles—better known as fireflies—first ...

Video: Bioluminescence: Living light in the deep sea

A dive into the deep sea is like a trip to outer space. The descent into darkness reveals twinkling lights. Sunlight cannot penetrate to these depths. Instead, this light show comes from the animals that live here. Scientists ...

Scientists discover how deep-sea, ultra-black fish disappear

Deep in the ocean, where sunlight barely reaches, Smithsonian scientists and a team of collaborators have discovered one of the blackest materials known: the skin of certain fish. These ultra-black fish absorb light so efficiently ...

First South American insect that emits blue light is discovered

Brazilian researchers have discovered a new species of fungus gnat (Keroplatidae) whose larvae emit blue light. The small fly inhabits an Atlantic Rainforest reserve in São Paulo State. This is the first record of a blue ...

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