Biology
Country diary: Fungi season is here, so I head – yes – to the beach | Nigel Brown
Aberffraw, Ynys Môn (Anglesey): Plenty of fungi can be found among the sand here; in fact it is vital to keeping the dunes at bayDapperlings and toughshanks, bonnets and brittlegi…
Wildlife populations have declined 73% since 1970—but many of the world's animals still aren't being counted
Wildlife populations around the world have declined by an average of 73% since 1970. That's according to the WWF's new 2026 Living Planet Index—a major estimate, updated every two…
'DNA Typewriter' records cells' history in developing mouse embryo
Scientists have succeeded in reconstructing the family tree of cells in a developing mouse embryo. They recorded cells' relationships, starting when the fertilized egg first split…
New study shows effects of hypoxia in Florida's Banana River
A new study by Florida Tech assistant professor of marine sciences Austin Fox, Ph.D. '15, found that low oxygen levels are contributing to the rerelease of nutrients buried on the…
Conservation groups alarmed at marine mammals' deaths in Spain
Conservation groups on Sunday condemned the death of a dolphin transferred from France to a Spanish marine park, saying it added to the deaths of other sea mammals recently moved …
Indonesia releases eight orangutans rescued from fires to protected forest
Eight orangutans rescued in recent weeks from blazes that tore through Borneo island have been released into a protected forest, Indonesian authorities and rescuers said on Sunday.
Jurassic fossil reveals ancient origins of how mammals drink milk
An international team of researchers has uncovered new evidence illuminating the evolutionary origins of one of the defining features of mammals: the ability to suckle and consume…
‘A living hell’: how Los Angeles got taken over by mosquitoes
Heat and humidity have led to one of the worst mosquito years in recent history, with West Nile virus at a decade highLos Angeles might be best known for blue skies, beaches and f…
Zimbabwe's dinosaurs were different from South Africa's: New species offers clues
Africa boasts up to 25% of Earth's animal and plant species. This diversity is driven by varied habitats: harsh deserts, vast grasslands, dense forests, towering mountains, lush c…
Skies across the UK illuminated by the northern lights
Though mostly visible near the Arctic Circle, the natural phenomenon dazzled sky-gazers as far south Devon, Hampshire and KentThe northern lights illuminated the skies across the …
How to meal prep safely: A microbiologist's step‑by‑step guide
Meal prepping is a great way to save money, spend less time in the kitchen and stick to a meal plan. But while cooking meals for the week ahead may be convenient, there can be rea…
Adult acne is real, but there are ways to treat it. Here's what to know
As a teenager, Gillian Maegan Montalbo's pimples weren't too bad—just a few bumps on her forehead and nose.
Against the odds: Why some ecosystems thrive
From coral reefs in Papua New Guinea to chimpanzees in West Africa, grizzly bears in Canada and albatross colonies off Tasmania, some ecosystems are thriving despite climate chang…
Why some young ants start hunting and caring for others early
Some insects, including honeybees and ants, live in highly organized colonies where individuals take on specific roles. In many ant societies, young adult workers typically care f…
Aspens 'remember' past drought in their leaves, 3-year experiment finds
Drought is written into trees, appearing as narrow bands in their annual growth rings. But aspen may go farther, creating "functional memories" of previous dry years reflected in …
Plant-bacteria partnership reveals how roots access iron locked in soil
A new study led by Paul Schulze-Lefert from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, in collaboration with Ricardo F.H. Giehl at the Leibniz Institute of P…
Climate change drives new species combinations, prompting calls to rethink conservation goals
The fact that ecosystems change is nothing new. What is new, however, is the speed and scale at which new species communities are emerging as a result of climate change. Processes…
Fluorescent imaging tracks metabolism of cells in real time
Cornell researchers have designed a new, faster form of two-photon fluorescence imaging for observing cell metabolism in real time, a method that could enable quicker screening of…
Nightjar wings reveal a trade-off between hunting slowly and traveling far
The European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) is a nocturnal migratory bird that travels between Europe and southern Africa each year. However, its wings are not only used for lon…
Genetic analysis reveals that some specialty coffee seeds do not match their commercial identity
Genetic analysis revealed that several seeds from a batch sold as Sidra were not, in fact, Sidra; their genetic profile was closer to that of Batian, a Kenyan variety.
Researchers call for national consortium to battle agriculture cyber threats
The threat of cyberattacks against American agriculture and food systems is growing, and Washington State University researchers are helping to lead a call for a national consorti…
Ada Yonath obituary
Nobel prizewinning biochemist who succeeded against the odds in mapping the ribosomeFor years, the crystallographer and biochemist Ada Yonath had to contend with the disdain and s…
African antelopes spreading in New Mexico: How far could they go under climate change?
Majestic African antelopes known as gemsbok have been roaming the U.S. Southwest since their introduction in the 1960s and 1970s. Brought to New Mexico as a game species for hunti…
How plant enzymes learned to tell mirror-image molecules apart
Many naturally occurring molecules such as menthol or limonene exist in two mirror-image forms, known as enantiomers, that look almost identical but can differ greatly in smell, t…