In animal battles, cheaters can win

Two knights stand face to face. One has a plain average-sized sword. The other has a massive fear-inducing sword stained with blood. After one quick look at it, the first knight quickly puts his average sword away, backs ...

Why frogs can't regenerate lost limbs like axolotls

In Lake Xochimilco of central Mexico dwells a rare salamander, the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). In the wild, the axolotls do not metamorphose: adults very much resemble their larval counterparts and keep the external gills ...

Endocrine-disrupting pesticides impair frog reproduction

In a new study, researchers from Sweden and Britain have investigated how the endocrine-disrupting substance linuron affects reproduction in the West African clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis. The scientists found that linuron, ...

Sharp claws helped ancient seals conquer the oceans

If you've ever seen seals frolicking in the water, you know they are agile swimmers, with perfectly adapted paddle-like limbs. But if you think those flippers are just for swimming, then think again.

Frogs reveal mechanism that determines viability of hybrids

Why are some hybrids viable and others not? It is known that this depends on the father species and the mother species. New research in two related frog species shows the influence of mother and father species: One hybrid ...

An adaptation 150 million years in the making

Just how do snapping shrimp snap? This was the question plaguing scientists who set out to uncover the mysterious mechanisms producing big biology in tiny crustaceans.

How CRABS CLAW represses TORNADO 2 in plant development

Many staple foods such as grains and fruits derive from flowering plants. Flowers are formed from groups of dividing stem cells at the ends of shoots, and the division of these cells stops at a particular stage of development ...

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