The Great Barrier Reef Has Lost Half Its Corals – Massive Declines in Just 3 Decades
A new study of the Great Barrier Reef shows populations of its small, medium and large corals have all declined in the past three decades….
Biology News
Ivory Coast Without Ivory? Massive Extinction of African Forest Elephants in Côte d’Ivoire
Recent years have witnessed a widespread and catastrophic decline in the number of forest elephants in protected areas in Côte d’Ivoire, according to a study…
Immune System’s Response to COVID-19 Was Just Revealed by Scientists Who Discovered SARS
In this study, which was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, researchers used sequencing to characterize the immune system of patients who survive…
Scientists Find Neurochemicals – Dopamine and Serotonin – Have Unexpectedly Profound Roles in the Human Brain
Dopamine, serotonin involved in sub-second perception, cognition. In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals —…
From Puppyhood to Senior Age: How Dogs’ Personality Changes Over Time
Dogs’ personality changes over time, but these changes occur unevenly during the dogs’ life, and each trait follows a distinct age trajectory. Dogs’ personality changes…
MIT Neuroscientists Discover a Molecular Mechanism That Allows Memories to Form
Modifications to chromosomes in “engram” neurons control the encoding and retrieval of memories. When the brain forms a memory of a new experience, neurons called…
How Deadly Parasites “Glide” to Invade Human Cells
In biological terms, gliding refers to the type of movement during which a cell moves along a surface without changing its shape. This form of…
Emerging Infectious Disease Afflicting Snakes in 19 States, Puerto Rico
In a collaborative effort between scientists and personnel on military bases in 31 states in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, researchers surveyed for an…
InvestEggator: Tracking Sea Turtle Egg Traffickers With GPS-Enabled Decoy Eggs
By placing 3D-printed and GPS-enabled decoy sea turtle eggs into nests on the beach, it’s possible to gather key evidence needed to expose rampant illegal…
Evolutionary Origin of Skin Colors Revealed by Genetic Mutation in Snakes
A mutation of the lavender variant of corn snake allows a UNIGE team to understand the mechanisms responsible for the extraordinary variety of skin colors…
Scientists “Scent Train” Honeybees to Boost Sunflower Seed Production
If you want a dog to hunt something down, it helps to let them sniff an item to pick up the scent. Now, researchers reporting…
Pioneering Analysis of 200 Million-Year-Old Teeth Reveals First Mammals Lived More Like Reptiles
Pioneering analysis of 200 million-year-old teeth belonging to the earliest mammals suggests they functioned like their cold-blooded counterparts — reptiles, leading less active but much…
“Missing Link” Discovered in the Evolutionary History of Carbon-Fixing Protein Rubisco
A team of scientists has discovered an ancient form of rubisco, the most abundant enzyme on Earth and critical to life as we know it….
6.4 Million-Year-Old Fossils Discovered in China Are Oldest Monkey Fossils Outside of Africa
Three fossils found in a lignite mine in southeastern Yunan Province, China, are about 6.4 million years old, indicate monkeys existed in Asia at the…
Evolution of Reptiles Timeline: New Study Rebuts 75-Year-Old Belief About How and When Reptiles Evolved
New study by a team of Harvard-led researchers rebuts 75-year-old belief in reptile evolution. Challenging a 75-year-old notion about how and when reptiles evolved during…
Scientists Discover Extinctions Linked to New Communities of Species
Scientists have found that as the world undergoes profound environmental change, identifying and protecting ‘novel’ communities of species can help prevent extinctions within vulnerable ecosystems….
Researchers Observe Sophisticated Tool Use in Ants for the First Time
Researchers have observed black imported fire ants using sand to draw liquid food out of containers when faced with the risk of drowning. This is…
Over-Exchange of DNA in Sperm and Eggs Results in Chromosome Defects That Can Increase Infertility
University of Oregon and Northwestern University biologists show that too many crossover events can increase infertility. The exchange of DNA between chromosomes during the early…
