Biology
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…
Can you solve it? The fin-tastic fish puzzle
Can you think in 3D?Today’s puzzle concerns a fish swimming in a tank that is two metres high, one metre across and one metre deep.The image below shows one path the fish swam. Co…
Starwatch: Sagitta’s arrow shape makes it easy to see against a dark sky
The third-smallest constellation can be found partway along one of the imaginary lines of the summer triangleWe are on the hunt for another small, northern summer constellation th…
Forbidden planet: was Pluto’s 2006 demotion a big mistake?
Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting the decision – and they’re only getting more passionateTwenty years ago, Pluto got demoted. After a…
Using data to help wheat growers adapt to unpredictable weather
For generations, wheat planting has followed predictable seasonal patterns. But this year, unseasonably warm weather in March and April accelerated wheat growth, pushing the crop …
USDA reportedly shelves cyclospora research amid relocations and fund cuts
Trump officials shuttering three projects on foodborne parasite, two defunded by Congress, Politico reportsThe Trump administration is shuttering two of the three US Department o…
Infection kills gut cells, while diet reshapes existing ones, fruit fly study finds
The intestines rely on different strategies to rebuild themselves in response to diet changes versus infections, according to a new Cornell study—a finding that can shed light on …
Know your pest pressure: Monitoring is the foundation for managing lucerne seed wasp
Lucerne seed wasp (LSW) is a serious pest in alfalfa crops, causing damage that is difficult to see in the field. Its larvae feed inside developing seeds, meaning losses may not b…
Researchers find Britain’s 11th-century ‘Conquest Man’ was Scandinavian – but did he land with the Norman army?
It’s ‘plausible’, though more likely the Humberside resident was one of many immigrants to Viking-controlled DanelawOne of the most consequential showdowns in the history of the B…
Strategic irrigation stress can lift lucerne seed yield and returns
More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early si…
Airborne tuberculosis bacteria may mutate as they dry, revealing a target to curb drug resistance
Tuberculosis bacteria released into the air from infected individuals dry out to form infectious particles that are second only to measles in contagiousness. Weill Cornell Medicin…
A never-before-seen picture of eagle migrations
In 1899, scientists began tracking avian migration by placing a small ring with an identifier around birds' ankles. Researchers then had to recapture the birds elsewhere, leaving …
Artemis II astronauts receive nation's highest space honor for their successful moonshot
Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen received the Congressional Space Medal of HonorThe Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon in April received t…
Nasa space telescope set to launch after surviving Trump budget cuts
Searching for exoplanets and clues on planet formation, the Roman telescope will lift off Sunday morning in FloridaA $4.3bn space telescope that Donald Trump tried to kill is set …
Rethinking bluegreen aphid control as insecticide resistance spreads
When an insecticide application fails to control bluegreen aphid, application conditions may not be the only cause. Research has identified resistant populations across southern A…
The discovery of the Great Barrier Reef's whale maternity ward
It started with a simple message: "This is the year to do something small for something huge." Now, 17 years later, the Whitsundays region has some of the best protection in the w…
Earlier swathing opens a new pathway for subterranean clover seed harvest
Subterranean clover's ability to bury its seed supports pasture persistence but makes commercial seed harvesting difficult. The industry relies on aging Horwood-Bagshaw (HB) sucti…
Diverse portfolio of protected areas key to Mexican conservation efforts
In 2020, Mexico joined 150 nations committing to protect 30% of its territory by 2030 as part of the global 30x30 initiative. More than halfway through the decade, there is ongoin…
Motorboat noise stunts growth and impairs predator escape in reef fish, study shows
Coral reef fish that are exposed to motorboat noise grow up smaller and less able to dodge predators, new research shows. Scientists played either boat noise or natural reef sound…
Joro spiders eat wider range of insects than Georgia's native orb weavers
When Joro spiders first arrived stateside more than a decade ago, scientists worried the massive black-and-yellow spiders would gorge themselves on the same bugs as native spiders…
A Google-like search engine for single-cell RNA data could answer previously impossible questions
Imagine doctors could understand exactly which cells caused a patient's cancer or whether pathogens contributed to the disease. They could then use the information to tailor a tre…
Once a legend, humpback whales make a comeback in Brazil
Female humpback whales off the coast of Brazil now have their pick of mates, who slap the water with their tails and jostle for attention—a scene that would have been unthinkable …
Tracks and tooth marks reveal bone-crushing dogs at Nebraska supervolcano ashfall site
Thirty-five years on—well, 12 million, technically—Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park continues to offer important glimpses of prehistoric life in Nebraska.
How methylation sets a parasite in motion to invade host cells
Parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depend on rapid, precisely controlled movement to complete their life cycles. To start moving, t…