Biology
Large mammals alter soil chemistry and increase fertility in the Atlantic Forest
A study published in the journal Ecological Monographs indicates that large mammals, such as tapirs, peccaries, agoutis and deer, alter the chemical composition of litter and soil…
Study finds sustainable farming program helps refugees, immigrants boost health while launching agribusinesses
The slang term "touch grass" encourages people to step away from the internet or devices and connect with the real world. New research from the University of Kansas has found that…
Wildlife trafficking spreads across social media, putting thousands of species at risk
Researchers monitoring online activity for six weeks in mid-2025 found primates, birds, snakes, frogs, orchids and many other wildlife groups advertised for sale across Facebook, …
A bird's eye view of illegal logging and its consequences in the Peruvian Amazon
When I first arrived in Peru's Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve in 2005, a local youth surprised me with an offer to sell me a live owl, despite the fact that we were in a prot…
Bacteria from ancestral wheat microbiomes help protect plants against root rot fungus
In the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) describe the role of …
Assembly of giant wild sunflower family genomes unlocks potential for new perennial crops
The Land Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with key partners, have assembled the first chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased genomes for Silphiu…
Shell-crushing predators may have sparked early Cenozoic boom in marine snail evolution
A large-scale study of nearly 700 species reveals the evolutionary relationships and history of Neogastropoda, a diverse group of marine snails. The findings provide new evidence …
Glacier retreat could promote the spread of diseases among bees
A study conducted in the Swiss Alps by the University of Lausanne and the University of Milan shows that glacier retreat and changing vegetation could influence the spread of cert…
Gut bacteria mostly compete—but cooperation finds a way
Understanding how bacteria influence one another is essential for understanding how microbial communities are formed and maintained. Researchers at Umeå University have now system…
Dung beetles offer insights into biodiversity in Singapore
Dung beetles could provide scientists with a new way to uncover the animals living in Singapore's forests, including elusive species that are difficult to spot with conventional w…
Why ancient grasslands, once plowed, don't grow back the same
When a 10,000-year-old prairie is plowed up to plant corn or a savanna is consumed by a strip mall, these once-grassy expanses, if left to regrow, can eventually look vaguely like…
Mapping the 'hidden highways' of Mexico's illegal wildlife trade
For decades, wildlife traffickers have illegally captured and sold hundreds of thousands of wild parrots native to Mexico. Despite changes to international wildlife laws, the cons…
Fish DNA in Ozark streams reveals region's complex geologic history
My students and I encountered a mystery. We were partnering with the Missouri Department of Conservation to monitor for fish presence and abundance in the Missouri Ozarks. We visi…
Mule helps scientists build the clearest horse and donkey genomes yet
A mule has helped researchers build the most complete reference genomes to date for horses and donkeys, giving scientists access to complex regions of DNA that earlier versions co…
A single lever could ease India's twin agricultural pressures of fertilizer pollution and groundwater stress
A new study from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has shown that redesigning India's cereal cultiva…
Cowpea plants create underground defense system for the next generation after insect attacks
Plants might seem helpless when it comes to insect attacks, but they are known to employ various techniques to deter pests. One of these techniques involves sending out signals to…
South Africa produces enough food, yet millions face hunger. Better cold storage could help change that
South Africa can produce enough food for its population, according to official statistics. But millions face hunger, partly because food is lost and wasted in the value chain. An …
Mechanical memory helps explain how cells adapt their movement to changing environments
Cells in our bodies squeeze through dense tissue channels, thread past neighboring cells and navigate every nook and cranny within the extracellular matrix—the mesh-like network t…
Listening to the bush: How AI can help NZ rid its wilderness of 'hold‑out' pest possums
Possums are among New Zealand's most destructive introduced mammals. They damage native forests, prey on wildlife and remain a major target of the country's Predator Free 2050 pro…
Soil bacteria share amino acids, helping nearly half survive nutrient gaps
Bacteria, too, depend on good neighborly relations: A new study by the Osnabrück University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge in England, shows t…
Tiny root hairs, big impact: How bacteria help plants survive drought
What helps plants cope better with drought? With heat waves and periods of extreme drought becoming increasingly common worldwide, the need for drought-tolerant plants is increasi…
Antarctic bacteria share 'life‑support' genes to survive extreme conditions
Antarctica is one of the driest, coldest places on Earth. Very little life survives its extremes. In the soils scattered around the frozen ice sheets, however, communities of micr…
Tiny ocean plankton hold clues to the future of Maine lobster
The future of Maine's lobster industry may depend on a creature the size of a sesame seed. Researchers at the University of Maine have discovered that planktonic baby lobsters, or…
How chromosomes find their partners
For a long time, so-called satellite DNA was considered largely worthless. Now, ETH Zurich researchers have shown in fruit flies that these repetitive sections of genetic material…