Biology
Baby lobster decline foreshadows major midcoast population losses, study shows
A steep drop in baby lobsters provided an early warning of the sharp decline in adult lobsters along Maine's midcoast, a new University of Maine study shows.
Molecular snapshots reveal how viral enzymes switch between inserting and removing DNA
Bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria, have a fiendishly simple purpose in life: attach to a bacterial cell, inject their DNA and then use the host's genetic machinery t…
Targeting the cell cycle for cancer therapy: From the discovery of CDK9 to precision medicine and beyond
More than 30 years after the direct connection was established between the molecular machinery controlling cell division and cancer, a new paper traces the evolution of cyclin-dep…
Two brain circuits coordinate fruit flies' wing and leg movements to threaten rivals
Limbs evolved as a means of locomotion. From the primitive rotating flagella of bacteria to the wings of flies and even our own legs, animals use these appendages to travel to fin…
Researchers find that some weeds get supercharged by an indirect hit of herbicide
A brush with low doses of the herbicide dicamba spurs oxalis, a weed commonly known as wood sorrel, to produce more flowers, University of Michigan researchers have discovered. Th…
Better together? Coral fusion could throw bleached reefs a lifeline
When corals are stressed by pollution, high water temperatures or other environmental changes, they can lose the microscopic algae living inside them and on which they depend for …
Lion tracks from the ice age: How two ways of seeing brought ancient animals to life
The coastline near the southern tip of Africa looked vastly different between about 400,000 years ago and 70,000 years ago, compared with today. At times it lay as much as 100km (…
New DNA sequencing methods detect rare mutations acquired as bodies grow and age
Somatic mutations, the DNA changes that occur as our bodies grow and age, not only hold an important key to cancer but are emerging as the seeds of a wide range of common, noncanc…
Norman McCubbin obituary
My brother Norman McCubbin, who has died aged 77, was a scientist who worked at the forefront of experimental particle physics.A leading light in experiments that took place on th…
El Niño a 'terrifying' threat to coral reefs: UN biodiversity expert
A super El Niño fueling record ocean temperatures poses a "terrifying" threat to the world's fragile coral reefs, the chair of the U.N.'s expert nature panel told AFP.
Plants use a molecular measuring tape to tell fungal friend from foe
Chitin, a chain of repeating sugar molecules, is the main building block of fungal cell walls. When fungi grow or are broken down, fragments of chitin chains of different lengths …
In plants, sense of time is connected with sense of danger
Salty soil is a growing threat to crops worldwide. Hotter, drier weather has increased evaporation rates, drawing moisture from the soil and leaving behind concentrated mineral sa…
Wild birds rewrite rules of flight efficiency: Study reveals power of 'free fuel' from the sky
An international study has overturned a longstanding textbook view of how much energy animals use to travel, revealing that flying can sometimes be cheaper than swimming.
We're surprisingly close to conserving 30% of the world's land
In an effort to conserve the world's plants and animals, governments have pledged to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030. Official figures suggest that attempts to reach this targe…
India's cobras share genetic ties across the mainland, while Sri Lankan cobras form a distinct genetic lineage
The spectacled cobra (Naja naja) is one of India's "big four" snakes responsible for most serious snakebite cases. It is currently considered one species, which lives across much …
Time’s up for the leap second as scientists swap it for the leap hour
Delegates from 69 countries approve clock changeover after decades of debate – but switch may not take effect for thousands of yearsAfter decades of discussion, quibbling and worr…
Why are pets scared of fireworks?
Fireworks are an integral part of many celebrations and cultural events. With their pretty colors, spectacular sights and big bangs, fireworks are a popular attraction for many pe…
Solving the mystery behind a flightless beetle's transatlantic journey
They can't fly or swim, so why do their closest relatives appear on different continents? Grey Gustafson, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, discover…
Neanderthal remains may be earliest human ancestor find killed by a spear
Adult excavated in an Iraqi Kurdistan cave died more than 70,000 years ago and bears ‘kill shot’ shoulder woundA smooth round hole in the shoulder blade of a Neanderthal who died …
Fossil footprints reveal how dinosaur ancestors gradually shifted from sprawling to upright walking
A research team led by Dr. Lorenzo Marchetti of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin described the earliest archosauriform footprints (Pachychirotherium gardenaensis) from the GEOPARC…
Drowned 5,000-year-old forests reborn as thriving peat reefs and biodiversity hotspots off Mozambique
Researchers from the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) Ocean Observatory have documented ancient forests that grew on the Mozambican coast thousands of years ago and h…
Research finds vegan honey could be made with similar antimicrobial properties to mānuka honey
Vegan honey alternatives could be engineered to have antimicrobial properties similar to those of prized mānuka honey from New Zealand, according to research at Aston University.
Cortisol is a reproduction friend, not enemy
A major international study of the role cortisol plays in reproduction has found it may not be the villain it has been depicted as, and it may actually promote healthy reproductio…
Finding new ways to catch a thief—via intruders' airborne eDNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly being investigated by forensic scientists as a tool to help solve criminal cases that lack biological traces—and attention is also turning…