Biology
Overlooked insects are bucking the trend and becoming more abundant, study finds
Scientists have uncovered surprising evidence that many of Britain's overlooked insects and spiders are becoming more abundant and emerging earlier in the year, according to a new…
AlphaFold 3 predicts complex immune interactions using protein sequences alone
Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, have developed a new approach using the artificial intelligence platform AlphaFold 3 to …
Some cats are shy, just like human infants
Some cats display a complex mixture of fear and curiosity, which is similar to shyness observed in human infants, according to a study published Nov. 4, 2026, in the journal PLOS …
Big extended families help adult female ground squirrels survive hibernation
For Belding's ground squirrels, adult females are more likely to survive from year to year if they live near more adult female kin—but neither males nor young females get the same…
Trained dogs detected invasive plant species in Germany with 75% accuracy
Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. A study published Nov. 4, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth at Helmh…
Scientists discover there are way more bugs in California than you thought
A new study published in the journal Ecography finds that there are more than 60,000 different species of insects in California—and scientists have only described about two-thirds…
Molecular imaging reveals how shape-shifting protein complex captures DNA and holds separate sections together
Researchers at Kanazawa University and the National Institute of Genetics in Japan have used high-speed atomic force microscopy to observe how a group of proteins known as Smc5/6 …
How a cell surface protein slows down the Ebola virus
The Ebola virus can cause severe, often life-threatening disease in humans. To replicate, it must enter human cells and exploit their cellular processes. In doing so, it encounter…
This fruit fly's aphrodisiac reveals how social and environmental context shape mating practices
Imagine a crowded dance floor where bodies move to the beat beneath a glittering disco ball. Some of the dancers pair up, drawn together by the heady atmosphere. For flies, as for…
Overlooked Melbourne patch reveals 45 animal species and more than 40 plant types
When we think about nature in our cities, what often comes to mind are parks and reserves—planned, managed and clearly marked spaces that support animal and plant life in our urba…
New species of pygmygoby discovered at the edge of the Red Sea's unexplored deep reefs
Researchers have described a new species of fish from the northern Red Sea, found at the entrance to a cave on a steep reef slope. Charon's pygmygoby (Trimma charon) is a small, t…
Intercropping could improve animal feed and reduce environmental impact
Scientists at Nottingham Trent University, the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Ethiopia and Ethiopia's Jimma University wanted to explo…
Tracing Darwin's finches' deadly new invader—the avian vampire fly
Comprehensive genetic analysis has shed new light on the spread of an invasive, bloodsucking fly, which poses a devastating threat to the iconic Darwin's finches of the Galápagos …
Foot-stiffening socks could make walking less tiring
Human feet are much stiffer than those of other primates, which means they limit midfoot bending during walking. The evolutionary reasons for this are not entirely clear. One idea…
Secrets of the avian calendar: When do migratory birds have the opportunity to reset their schedule?
A team led by Vojtěch Brlík from Charles University in Czechia and the University of Guelph in Canada analyzed data from more than 2,300 birds tracked using miniature devices to f…
Wild animals can now GPS-collar themselves for research
For six decades, wildlife researchers have faced a persistent challenge: to attach a tracking device to study a wild animal, they first have to catch it. Now, a new approach devel…
Millions of bogong moths are blanketing cities in Australia, and they are still endangered
In recent weeks, people across Australia have found fluttering bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) in their homes, cars and even bedrooms. These insects have embarked on their annual mi…
Seagrass helps Biscayne Bay's mangroves keep up with rising seas
The mangroves of Biscayne Bay have been getting help from an unlikely neighbor—the seagrass meadows just offshore. Dead seagrass blades and seaweed drift loose until the tide carr…
Limited cold stress during pregnancy could lead to increased lamb birth weight, survivability
Research out of South Dakota State University has highlighted a potential connection between limited exposure to cold stress during pregnancy and birth weight. The work showed tha…
Drying harvested blue-green algae sludge halves methane emissions in experiments
In some lakes around the world, including some in China, cyanobacterial blooms are increasingly managed through large-scale mechanical harvesting to improve water quality and ensu…
Call adjustments help bats keep their echolocation signals distinct, study finds
Bats can produce ultrasonic pulses with high frequencies between 20,000 and 120,000 hertz, which are inaudible to humans. The sound waves they produce travel forward, hitting near…
Very good boys? The dark, dystopian rise of robot dogs | Arwa Mahwadi
Pups that carry your shopping are one thing – but what about the mechanical canines being bought up in the US by ICE? Or the mutant mutts due to be developed by a startup called W…
How a scientist went from hero to traitor in a US water crisis - video
When the water in Flint, Michigan, became contaminated with dangerous levels of lead, Dr Siddhartha Roy, then a third year PhD student, was part of the team of scientists who publ…
Study calls for a rethink on how we manage the threats posed by hazardous species
While human well-being depends on the health of our ecosystems, there are also countless aspects of the natural world that pose serious threats to people. Every year, over 700,000…