Under-Regulated Pet Trade Leaves Thousands of Wildlife Species Vulnerable
Keeping reptiles is fashionable, but what are the consequences for wild reptiles? More reptiles are kept as pets than you might expect. In 2008, the…
Biology News
The Surprising Organization of Bird Brains: New Research Clears Up 150 Years of False Assumptions
Some birds can perform amazing cognitive feats – even though their forebrains seem to just consist of lumps of grey cells, while mammalian forebrains harbor…
Plastic-Eating Super-Enzyme “Cocktail” Offers New Hope for Plastic Waste Solution
The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme PETase have now created an enzyme ‘cocktail’ which can digest plastic up to six times faster. A second…
Scientists Kill Cancer Cells by “Shutting the Door” to the Nucleus – May Lead to New Type of Cancer Treatment
Proof-of-concept study shows that stopping the construction of nuclear pore complexes selectively kills cancer cells. Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown…
Citizens Help Scientists Demonstrate Value of Protected Areas in Biodiversity Hotspots Across the Globe
New study used millions of bird observations collated by citizens to test the effectiveness of protected areas in tropical forests across the globe. Protected areas…
Scientists Discover Surprising Reasons Why Tarantulas Come in Vivid Blues and Greens
Researchers from Yale-NUS College and Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that tarantulas have the ability to see in color, contrary to previous thought, and suggest…
Complete Structure of ATPase, the World’s Smallest Turbine, Solved
First complete structure of mammalian F1Fo ATP-synthase. ATP synthase is also referred to as complex V of the respiratory chain, a series of protein complexes…
Wild Animals Lose Fear of Predators Quickly After They Start Encountering Humans
Most wild animals show a suite of predator avoidance behaviors such as vigilance, freezing, and fleeing. But these are quickly reduced after the animals come…
Neanderthal and Denisovan Y Chromosomes Sequenced – Surprise When Compared to Modern Human DNA
Neanderthals have adopted male sex chromosome from modern humans. In 1997, the very first Neanderthal DNA sequence — just a small part of the mitochondrial…
Like Humans, Chimpanzees Can Suffer for Life if They Lose Their Mother Before Adulthood
Male chimpanzees who lose their mother early in life are less competitive and have fewer offspring than sons who continue to live with their mothers….
150 Year-Old Mystery Solved: Bizarre Giraffe-Necked Reptile Was a Surprisingly Adaptable Hunter
Its neck was three times as long as its torso, but had only 13 extremely elongated vertebrae: Tanystropheus, a bizarre giraffe-necked reptile which lived 242…
How COVID-19 Caused Birds to Up Their Song Quality in the San Francisco Bay Area
Reductions in humanmade noise resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown led birds in parts of California to adapt their songs to be higher quality, a…
Machine Learning Takes On Synthetic Biology: Revolutionary Algorithms Can Rapidly Bioengineer Cells for You
Berkeley Lab scientists develop a tool that could drastically speed up the ability to design new biological systems. If you’ve eaten vegan burgers that taste…
Scientists Predict Potential Spread of Invasive Asian Giant “Murder” Hornet Through United States and Globally
Researchers at Washington State University have predicted how and where the Asian giant hornet, an invasive newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, popularly dubbed the “murder…
Detailed Cellular Map of the Human Heart Created – Could Guide Personalized Cardiac Treatments
Scientists have created a detailed cellular and molecular map of the healthy human heart to understand how this vital organ functions and to shed light…
Genome of Alexander Fleming’s Original Penicillin Mold Sequenced for the First Time
Researchers have sequenced the genome of Alexander Fleming’s penicillin mold for the first time and compared it to later versions. Alexander Fleming famously discovered the…
Discovery of Weird Microbes in the Deep Waters of the Black Sea Offers New Insights on Early Evolution of Life
Current research suggests that more complex life-forms, including humans, evolved from a symbiosis event of Bacteria and another single-celled organism known as Archaea. However, evidence…
Extreme Diving in Mammals: Cuvier’s Beaked Whale Breaks Record With 3 Hour 42 Minute Dive
The blue whale might be one of the most enigmatic creatures on the planet, but the true megastars of the diving world are Cuvier’s beaked…
