Biology
A Permian fossil may reveal the oldest known flowering-plant structure
Despite the importance and dominance of angiosperms ("flowering plants") in the current ecosystem, it is rather surprising that we know so little about their origin and early evol…
Farm-based nanopore sequencing study reports reliable genetic testing results
Fast, on-farm genetic testing for cattle is practical and achievable for northern producers, according to University of Queensland research. In partnership with Meat & Livestock A…
No smartphone, no problem: Plants have their own built-in 'Season-Meter'
You may check your phone before deciding what to wear tomorrow. Plants do something similar: they carry an internal gadget called a "Season-Meter" that tracks temperatures over th…
Precise giants: New research reveals how blue whales find food in a vast ocean
Despite protections, blue whales remain endangered, primarily because of the risk of collisions with ships. MBARI's Blue Whale Observatory uses a suite of technologies to study th…
Loss of kelp forests reverberates down to the microbial level
As one moves north, Maine's kelp forests are being overtaken by dense mats of carpet-like turf algae. The steady decline of kelp and transition into this new state are altering th…
Scientists put algae to work making fuel. AI reveals which cells are pulling their weight
Algae have a habit of turning up where they're not wanted. They coat your swimming pool in green gunk, cling to rocks at the beach and even make headlines when they take over prom…
Protecting the peanut: Sensors help fend off fungus
Sweet, salty, crunchy or creamy—no matter how it's munched, the Virginia peanut has been a cash crop for the commonwealth for much of the past two centuries. But a fungal disease …
Deadly virus stalks South Africa's sardines
The tide came in last week carrying thousands of dead sardines onto South Africa's south coast, and by dawn, stretches of Gqeberha's shoreline were flecked with silver.
Using AI to track bird migration
On hearing the first cuckoo of spring, the poet's heart might sing, and while one swallow does not make a summer, the annual migrations of bird species across continents have fasc…
Smoky off-flavors in cocoa aren't caused solely by smoke
Fermented cocoa occasionally exhibits off-flavors that can compromise the quality of chocolate and other cocoa products. But what causes these undesirable flavors? Researchers at …
Plant hormones may offer a way to balance crop yield and disease resistance
Growth or immune response? Higher organisms must constantly balance these two priorities. As in humans, hormones regulate this balance in plants. Researchers at the Technical Univ…
Did you solve it? The fin-tastic fish puzzle
The solution to today’s underwater conundrumsEarlier today I set you the following puzzles. Here they are again with the solutions.A fish is swimming in a tank that is two metres …
Extraordinary immune gene diversity in Atlantic herring exceeds that of other vertebrates, including humans
Atlantic herring travel in massive schools that can contain hundreds of millions—and sometimes even billions—of fish. While this abundance is characteristic of one of the most suc…
Caught right-handed: Mystery of coiling snake embryos explained
An international team led by Canadian researchers has found evidence explaining why snake embryos form a curious spiral. This ability to coil as embryos enables snakes to hatch wi…
How the Tasmanian tiger outfoxed its prey
The Tasmanian tiger hunted more like a fox than its fearsome namesake, according to a new UniSC biomechanics study of predatory animals across the globe. The University of the Sun…
Rocky Mountain find reveals new funnel-web spider far from its Northwest relatives
Researchers at the University of Idaho have identified a new species of spider in the mountains of northern Idaho and given it a name that pays tribute to the university itself: H…
New gene activation tool may do what CRISPR cannot: Work inside the body
The ability to precisely adjust the expression of genes inside the human body—ramping up protective ones and tamping down harmful ones—holds enormous potential for treating and pr…
Why the image of 'clean and green' is no longer enough for Australian agriculture exports
Australia's agricultural exports have long traded on a simple label: clean and green.
Coral recovery time cut short by warming oceans
Given enough time, coral reefs can recover from cyclones, bleaching and other destructive events. But a new report released today suggests they are losing that time. The "Status o…
Smelling test: children need education in sniffing aromas, scientist says
Exclusive: Dr Will Tullett says better understanding of scents can improve wellbeing and perception of the worldChildren need a better education in sniffing aromas, a leading hist…
The mystery of a well-traveled kissing bug
On an August morning last year, an American couple soon to embark on a European river cruise awoke in a luxury hotel in Lisbon.
What happens next with bird flu? An expert explains why monitoring matters
The lethal H5N1 strain of avian influenza is rapidly spreading along the coast of southern Australia, where it has killed thousands of wild birds and infected at least two long-no…
Space junk punched a new hole in the moon. It’s not ours to abuse | Moriba Jah
The space industry treats the sky as a place to dump what it no longer wants. We must develop a new model of accountabilityOn 5 August, a piece of a derelict SpaceX rocket traveli…
Not tiger, not wolf: Australian thylacine skull reveals a far different hunting style
A new study led by Flinders University has flipped the historical narrative about Australia's thylacine, finding the native apex predator known as the "Tasmanian tiger" was signif…