(PhysOrg.com) -- Fingerprints do not help primates grip, as previously thought, scientists have discovered. They actually reduce the friction needed to hold onto flat surfaces. Now Dr Roland Ennos and his team at The University ...
Evolution
May 29, 2009
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Dengue fever is a terrible viral disease blighting many of the world's tropical regions. Carried by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, 40% of the world's population is believed to be at risk from the infection. What is more, ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 1, 2009
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0
During the last 540 million years, the earth's oxygen levels have fluctuated wildly. Knowing that the dinosaurs appeared around the time when oxygen levels were at their lowest at 12%, Tomasz Owerkowicz, Ruth Elsey and James ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 17, 2009
3
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When tiny semipalmated sandpipers embark on their annual odyssey from the Canadian Arctic to their winter residences in South America, they set out on one of the world's longest migrations. On the way, the tiny birds stop ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 27, 2009
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Nestled just off the east coast of Australia, picturesque North Stradbroke Island is a haven for local wildlife. Yet some of the inhabitants of the island's creeks and swamps are far from peaceful. Slender crayfish are aggressive ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 27, 2009
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With each passing year, climate change alters characteristics and increases temperatures of mountain streams all over the world. These changing conditions impact mountain-dwelling organisms in a number of direct and indirect ...
Evolution
Feb 8, 2023
0
57
Whether walking beside a lake or clambering a mountain, people adjust their strides to use the least energy possible. "People are continuously sensing their energy expenditure and adapting their gait to minimize costs," says ...
Other
Sep 15, 2021
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15
During his time in Daniel Morse's lab at the University of California Santa Barbara, USA, PhD student Daniel DeMartini has seen many Doryteuthis opalescens squid pass through the lab's doors. These squid provide DeMartini ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 5, 2013
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0
During the hot summer months, there's nothing quite like a nice refreshing and cooling dip in a pool, and it would seem that elephants agree. In fact, in some game parks, elephants will rarely stray far from water, and have ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 11, 2013
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0
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have shown that although insects are made from one of the toughest natural materials, their legs and wings can wear out over time. The findings have been just published in the Journal ...
Plants & Animals
May 9, 2013
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