Biology
Wild tomatoes still hold the flavor we bred away: New map shows breeders where to look
Modern tomatoes are a breeding success story. Generations of selection have made them bigger, firmer, more productive and easier to ship. But that progress came at a cost. Domesti…
New index links changing ocean food webs to Bermuda's spiny lobster fishery
Spiny lobster larvae spend six to nine months drifting in the open ocean, feeding within the plankton community, before eventually settling into shallow-water habitats such as man…
LISA to the rescue: Using light to fix cell division
Cell division is a complex process. At the heart of this complexity is a membraneless organelle called the centrosome, which is made up of more than 200 components. It is responsi…
Genetic audit of wheat: Researchers determine the actual variability of a gene responsible for bread quality
A team at the University of Córdoba (UCO) has reviewed and updated the catalog of versions of the wheat gene GLU-B1, which is responsible for a protein that makes up gluten. The t…
Protein signaling cascade helps explain how plants respond to touch
Plants cannot run away when the wind picks up, rain lashes down or a hungry herbivore begins chewing on their leaves. Instead, they must sense their surroundings and adapt. Now, r…
New feathered, winged dinosaur from China challenges our theories on bird and dinosaur evolution
A newly described feathered dinosaur found in northeastern China adds evidence supporting the theory that flight-related features evolved differently in various bird-like dinosaur…
Scientists call for protection and restoration of Africa's seagrass meadows
A team of African researchers has published the first comprehensive review of seagrass restoration activities across Africa's coastline.
8-million-year-old rhino skull found in Crete
A rhinoceros skull at least 8 million years old has been found in the town of Sitia on Crete, the Greek news agency ANA reported Tuesday.
Wolves did not save Yellowstone—why were we so desperate to believe they did?
You might be among the 46 million people who've seen a video showing how wolves changed Yellowstone, or you may have heard another version of the story. Yellowstone, which covers …
Researchers find a fungus in Kentucky's forest grass that makes rare bug-fighting chemicals
Researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) have discovered that a fungus living inside a common Kentucky woodland …
How does a bird virus infect a person?
How do we know when an animal virus might pose a risk to humans? Canada confirmed a human case of H5N1 avian influenza (often called "bird flu") in 2024, the first known to have b…
Parasites that steer nocturnal hosts into water do not rely on lunar cycles, study finds
Like many parasites, nematomorphs are known to manipulate their hosts' behavior to complete their life cycles. Also known as horsehair worms, among other names, these creatures de…
This cat is new to science. What does it take to identify a species?
There's a new cat in town, but this one won't curl up on your hamper, knead your sweaters or squeeze in front of your screen during a Zoom meeting.
Studies map microclimates beneath solar panels to help native vegetation thrive in the shadow of renewable energy
Using solar energy is good for the environment, but look down, and the grass isn't always greener. Solar farms can generate massive amounts of renewable energy, but when they're b…
Study shows California's rodenticide restrictions are working, and flags new rodenticides rising in their place
New research from the Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC) offers some of the clearest evidence yet that California's efforts to restrict dangerous rodenticides are paying off …
India turns to corals and seagrass to shield against rising seas
Under a blazing sun, workers crouch on a shrinking island off India's southern coast, threading bright green seagrass shoots onto wooden frames before anchoring them to the ocean …
Why your house might be too clean - video
Our use of cleaning products has increased since the pandemic, but do we understand what they could be doing to our health? The journalist Rebecca Seal recently wrote for the Guar…
Same plant species, different chemistry: Why chemotype labels matter
Plants of the same species can differ considerably in their chemical composition, affecting their smell, taste and even toxicity. A new study shows that the term "chemotype" has n…
An endangered frog nursery in LA cares for hundreds of tadpoles until they're ready for the wild
The transition from tadpole to juvenile frog is never easy—legs sprout, tails shrink and lungs develop for a life on land, all while being hunted by fish and other predators. Talk…
Ancient bird becomes second Australian species to be named from the Cretaceous period
A pair of exceptionally rare Cretaceous bird bones found at separate sites near Richmond, Queensland, reveal a previously unknown species—the second formally named Cretaceous bird…
The molecular mechanism that regulates TMEM63B lipid scrambling
TMEM63B, a mechanosensitive lipid scramblase, has an autoinhibitory domain in its C-terminal tail that helps keep it inactive under resting conditions, researchers from the Instit…
Biologists may have discovered two of the world's loudest birds
University of Massachusetts Amherst's Jeff Podos and his former graduate student João C.T. Menezes have identified two contenders for the title of world's loudest bird: the bare-t…
Nature-strip gardens boost biodiversity, bugs and social benefits
University of Melbourne researchers have found that planting native gardens on suburban nature strips can boost urban biodiversity, with insect numbers increasing sevenfold and th…
New sound catalog reveals who's who in the world of killer whales
A new open-access catalog of whale calls will help researchers and orca enthusiasts identify distinct killer whale populations, clans and family groups by their vocalizations alon…