Biology
Fishmeal alternative aims to protect marine wildlife from overfishing
Technology that transforms organic waste into animal feed could help ease an overreliance on fishmeal in aquaculture. University of Queensland researchers have developed a product…
Dead tree branches rise and fall with changing humidity, laser scans reveal
Dead tree branches are by no means static but move throughout the day. Geoinformatics researchers at Heidelberg University tracked these movements in a study conducted in cooperat…
DNA analysis identifies root-dwelling fungi as potential keystone species in forest microbial communities
Beneath the forest floor extends a vast ecosystem where a diverse array of microorganisms inhabit soil and root systems. Here, fungi and bacteria play pivotal roles in processes s…
Brambles are a problem weed in South Africa, but researchers are closer to finding a natural enemy to manage them
Invasive alien brambles have been spreading across South Africa since the early 1900s, having come from North America and Europe. All brambles fall within the genus Rubus. Their c…
Researchers produce urea in the field using system powered by biobatteries and solar energy
The CONFETI project, coordinated by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), has concluded three years of research with the commissioning of a pilot system capable of producin…
Researchers discover why some frogs have escaped the current amphibian mass extinction
Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrates on Earth, with 41% of species facing extinction. In the highlands of Central and South America, a killer fungus has wiped out much o…
Biodiversity hotspots in southwestern Germany are losing their species richness
Climate change and shifts in land use are affecting habitats and, consequently, plant diversity. To better understand the consequences of these developments, long-term and compreh…
Can planting trees on riverbanks save salmon rivers from global warming?
Every summer, Québec rivers increasingly reach water temperature levels that threaten Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Just a few extra degrees can make the difference between a fav…
Bottom trawlers do huge damage to life on undersea mountains. Could an end finally be in sight?
Tens of thousands of underwater mountains dot the ocean floor around the world. A few break the surface, such as the Hawaiian island chain. The rest are seamounts, peaks and pinna…
New cacao variety could help protect global chocolate supply from disease
Chocolate lovers may not realize it, but the future of one of the world's most popular foods is increasingly under pressure. Diseases, shifting weather patterns and other environm…
Rare Nanotyrannus skeleton sells for $47.3m at New York auction
Sale makes ‘Jodi’, a smaller relative of T rex, the ‘second most valuable dinosaur ever sold at auction’, Sotheby’s saysA rare skeleton of a Nanotyrannus, a smaller relative of th…
Rice plants can fight off devastating disease after gene editing with AI-designed tool
University of Missouri researchers have created rice plants that resist bacterial blight, a devastating disease that threatens one of the world's most important food crops. The ad…
What makes us human? Researchers compare brain development in humans and great apes
How did the human brain become so much larger than that of our closest evolutionary relatives? Part of the answer lies not in new genes, but in how humans and non-human apes use t…
Cooperation in fish: Study reveals a social complexity seen mainly in birds, mammals
In some group-living animals, individuals other than the parents help care for offspring. This breeding system, known as cooperative breeding, is thought to have evolved from mono…
Same species, different climate risks: Why plant conservation needs regional strategies
A study analyzing the effects of climate change on vascular plants in the United States finds that the fate of individual plant species tends to be a regional phenomenon.
How native stingless bees are helping to combat antimicrobial resistance
New research from the University of Sydney expands the potential medicinal benefits of honey and propolis (the plant resin and beeswax mixture bees use to build their nests) produ…
New biodiversity framework estimates what landscapes could support, not just what lives there
A flower strip is established along the edge of a field. A wetland is restored. More seminatural habitats are created. The expectation is simple: give nature more space, and biodi…
GenoBridge streamlines plant trait prediction with a simplified genomic analysis pipeline
The rapid increase in the availability of genomic data has transformed plant breeding by enabling the prediction of complex traits directly from DNA markers. Genomic prediction pr…
Embrace lazy fall gardening to protect wildlife
As winter approaches, many of us start clearing leaves and tidying up our gardens. But these jobs can remove vital winter habitats for wildlife, particularly with increasingly vol…
Paleontologists reveal the hidden role of eye pigments in vertebrate evolution
Paleontologists at University College Cork have discovered that the evolution of fish is linked to the shape, location and abundance of tiny melanin-rich granules called melanosom…
Plant-based antimicrobial helps control antibiotic resistance in poultry production
A new study led by Kumar Venkitanarayanan, dean of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), has shown that plant-based antimicrobials are a promising path…
Bonobo females hunt more than males, decade-long study reveals
In humans, hunting is considered a man's endeavor. But in one of our closest living relatives, hunting is primarily women's business.
Why male mosquitoes are attracted to the sound of female wingbeats
To prevent the spread of dangerous diseases by mosquitoes, scientists have long studied their reproductive mechanisms to control their population sizes.
Does the future of food production start in the lab?
Lab-grown protein that mimics the color, taste and texture of meat. Egg white substitutes used for baked goods. Food colorants that replace beta-carotene extracted from carrots. T…