The iconic eyespots that some moths and butterflies use to ward off predators likely evolved in distinct ways, providing insights into how these insects became so diverse.
Plants & Animals
May 6, 2020
1
118
Pterosaurs were the largest animals ever to fly. They soared the skies for 160 million years—much longer than any species of modern bird. Despite their aeronautic excellence, these ancient flyers have largely been overlooked ...
Archaeology
Apr 15, 2020
1
377
Biological structures sometimes have unique features that engineers would like to copy. For example, many types of insect wings shed water, kill microbes, reflect light in unusual ways and are self-cleaning. While researchers ...
Materials Science
Apr 14, 2020
0
223
Some insect wings such as cicada and dragonfly possess nanopillar structures that kill bacteria upon contact. However, to date, the precise mechanisms that cause bacterial death have been unknown.
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 6, 2020
1
32
The Common Nightingale, known for its beautiful song, breeds in Europe and parts of Asia and migrates to sub-Saharan Africa every winter. A new study published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances suggests that natural selection ...
Ecology
Apr 1, 2020
0
7
Set against a piece of black construction paper, the wings of the male cattleheart butterfly look even blacker than black.
Bio & Medicine
Mar 10, 2020
2
500
In ancient Greek mythology, Icarus' wax wings melted when he dared to fly too close to the sun. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have made artificial wings that are actually powered by the ...
Materials Science
Feb 19, 2020
0
205
The Lyding Group recently developed a technique that can be used to build carbon-nanotube-based fibers by creating chemical crosslinks. The technique improves the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials.
Nanomaterials
Feb 19, 2020
0
212
Bumblebees are the big lifters of the insect world, able to fly back to the hive with almost their own bodyweight in nectar on board. A study published Feb. 5 in Science Advances shows how they do it—and that bees can show ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 5, 2020
1
371
A new study from Columbia Engineering and Harvard identified the critical physiological importance of suitable temperatures for butterfly wings to function properly, and discovered that the insects exquisitely regulate their ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 28, 2020
0
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