Biology
World's largest penguin colony loses its title after decline of more than 250,000 breeding pairs
Zavodovski, a volcanic island in Antarctica, is silently witnessing a shift in the local ecosystem. Known as home to the world's largest penguin colony, this island has long been …
Indonesia returns 20 green sea turtles to the ocean after Bali smuggling raid
Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali released 20 protected green sea turtles back into the ocean Tuesday after they were found and seized on an empty boat seemingl…
Trill seekers: can scientists use AI and tutors to help birds remember lost songs?
When populations fall, fledglings can struggle to learn the right notes to attract mates. But research on how birds communicate offers hope for species’ survivalListening to birds…
Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’
Cambridge University study suggests stark gender divide in misdiagnosis, with women also waiting longer for treatmentWomen with autoimmune conditions are up to 74% more likely tha…
The surprising psychology of morbid curiosity – podcast
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But acco…
Snakebites are a far bigger problem than we knew: new study maps the hidden dangers
Not every snakebite injects venom. When venom enters the body, however, it can cause snake envenoming. This is a potentially fatal condition that mostly affects poor rural communi…
Bacterial antiviral defense suggests ancient link to human chromosome protection
A new antiviral defense system discovered by Columbia scientists could be adapted in the future into a gene editor that slows down aging in our cells and improves cancer therapies…
Reinforced vertebrae allow plunge-diving seabirds to survive high-speed impact
A northern gannet scans the sea for fish from 100 feet (30 meters) in the air. Upon seeing a school, it pitches its body into a nosedive, somehow breaking the surface at 70 miles …
Cholesterol-linked drug boosts gene-targeting potency in early findings
Nucleic acid therapeutics, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), have emerged as promising platforms for treating a variety of previously hard-to-treat diseases, including ne…
Baby tooth places macaques in northern Germany more than 300,000 years ago
A research team from the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen and Leiden University in the Netherlands has examined a tooth f…
Tiny fossils reveal a missing chapter of ocean life after Snowball Earth
A rare assemblage of micro- and macro-fossils found in a roadside outcrop in South China, featuring thin ribbons, branching shapes and a tiny balloon on a stalk, offers a glimpse …
Elephants continue to shape the savanna even after death
Elephants shape the African savanna. They consume huge amounts of forage, dig for water, topple trees and affect all the animals around them. So, what happens to their outsized pr…
High-speed video reveals how honey bee stingers keep pumping venom after detachment
Australian scientists have used high-speed video to uncover the unique mechanism that allows a honey bee's stinger to continue to pump venom into its target even after it has sepa…
Fijian bee genomics suggest 99% effective population decline since European colonization
The decline of pollinator species due to habitat loss and pesticide use over recent decades has been a global concern. Pollinators like bees and butterflies support both wild plan…
New Jurassic crocodile species had unusually slender teeth, suggesting it fed on shrimp and tiny fish
A new species of ancient crocodile relative that lived around 170 million years ago has been discovered by scientists at the University of Portsmouth and Hassan II University of C…
Ancient people relied on genetic variation already present in wild plants to domesticate crops like rice and corn
Oryza rufipogon is an ordinary-looking wild grass found today in parts of China, India and Southeast Asia. More than 8,000 years ago, people living in the Lower Yangtze Valley beg…
A migration running out of time? New Zealand banded dotterels reach Australia later each year
On open beaches, gravel riverbeds and bare volcanic plateaus, banded dotterels—or double-banded plovers, as they are called in Australia—are a familiar and much-loved sight across…
What can free‑living Indian street dogs teach us about how to care for pet dogs?
We give our pet dogs shelter, veterinary care, affection, training and play. We decide when they eat, where they sleep, when they go outside, who they meet and how they move throu…
Franklin created famed 'Photo 51' after calculating key features of DNA's helix from an earlier image, study reveals
"Photo 51" was a cleaner version of an earlier X-ray image, "Photo 49," that Rosalind Franklin had already used to calculate key features of DNA, challenging long-held assumptions…
Mangroves shield coasts from waves, but seedlings need calm waters to take root
Mangrove forests, which are widespread along subtropical and tropical coasts, play a vital role in coastal protection, as they dampen the force of waves and storm surges. They als…
Conservation parks don't have to be vast—as one tiny grasshopper reminds us
A vast stretch of land where animals roam widely and plants grow freely. That's what most people would picture if they thought of a conservation area.
Did you solve it? The treacherous puzzle of the round table
The solutions to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set you these six puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.The round table Continue reading...
How nature lovers can aid ecology with an assist from AI
Millions of people worldwide, likely without realizing it, are capturing rare and valuable data that can help researchers assess trends in ecosystem health. Such data, however, ar…
'Molecular sunscreen' may explain why DNA uses thymine despite its vulnerability to UV damage
Scientists have long sought to understand the complex origins of intelligent life. It remains unclear how biological systems not only formed but survived and persisted under the e…