Healthy bat and bird populations don't only help to keep the endangered tropical dry forests of northern Peru in equilibrium. For the region's farmers of cacao—the main ingredient in chocolate—these predators are worth ...
Ecology
Jun 7, 2023
0
37
Advent calendars with hidden chocolatey treats, huge tins of Quality Street and steaming cups of hot chocolate festooned with whipped cream and marshmallows are all much-loved wintry staples at Christmastime. But how many ...
Archaeology
Dec 22, 2022
0
18
It was the money that grew on trees.
Archaeology
Sep 26, 2022
0
321
In the cultivation of organic cacao, many factors determine the yield. An international research team with scientists from the universities of Würzburgh and Göttingen has now identified important players and their combined ...
Ecology
Sep 14, 2022
0
24
The words "chocolate" and "disappointment" don't often go together.
Materials Science
Apr 14, 2022
0
41
Cacao has long been a sought-after raw material for the worlds food industry. At first glance, it therefore seems surprising that biology knows little about the pollination of the cacao tree—although it is precisely this ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 6, 2022
0
4
Committed chocoholics, be warned. A health-robbing heavy metal, cadmium, lurks in the velvety recesses of your favorite indulgence.
Ecology
Feb 2, 2022
1
430
As much as modern society worships chocolate, cacao—the plant chocolate comes from—it was believed to be even more divine to ancient Mayas. The Maya considered cacao beans to be a gift from the gods and even used them ...
Archaeology
Jan 31, 2022
0
424
Cacao farms not only provide us with the pleasure of chocolate, but also offer potential advantages for biodiversity-friendly agriculture. The benefits to biodiversity have been widely studied in tropical rainforests, but ...
Ecology
Dec 15, 2021
0
18
Molecular geneticists have known for about a decade that genomic structural variants can play important roles in the adaptation and speciation of both plants and animals, but their overall influence on the fitness of plant ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 16, 2021
0
53
