Studying Pterosaurs – Largest Animals Ever to Fly – To Better Engineer Manmade Flight
Pterosaurs were the largest animals ever to fly. They soared the skies for 160 million years–much longer than any species of modern bird. Despite their…
Biology News
13,000-Year-Old Fossils Hint at Evolutionary Origins of Insects’ Structural Colors
Analysis of 13,000-year-old fossils suggest photonic nanostructures in insects, which create colorful iridescent colors, may have originated as a means of camouflage. Researchers from Yale-NUS…
Genetic Self-Destruct – Some Worms Programmed to Die Early for Sake of Colony
Some worms are genetically predisposed to die before reaching old age, which appears to benefit the colony by reducing food demand, finds a new University…
“Stink Flirting” – Male Ring-Tail Lemurs Exude Fruity-Smelling Perfume to Attract Mates
Humans aren’t the only primates who like smelling nice for their dates. In the journal Current Biology on April 16, scientists report that male ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur…
New Species of Bent-Toed Gecko Discovered in Cambodia
A new species of bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus phnomchiensis) has been described from Cambodia’s Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary by Wild Earth Allies Biologist Thy Neang in…
Mechanical Forces Shape Animal “Origami” Precisely Despite “Noise” and Genetic Variation
Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Japan have identified a new mechanism that helps animals to develop with precise and…
Incredible New Species Discovered in Abyssal Deep Sea Canyons Off Ningaloo
An estimated 150-foot siphonophore — seemingly the longest animal ever recorded was discovered during a month-long scientific expedition exploring the submarine canyons near Ningaloo. Additionally,…
3D-Printed Bionic Corals Enable Microscopic Algae to Photosynthesize More Efficiently
Researchers at the University of California San Diego and the University of Cambridge have 3D printed coral-inspired structures that are capable of growing dense populations…
Light Driven Proton Pump Discovered in Distant Relative
Unique protein acts as an inward proton pump in a distant microbial relative. Researchers investigated the group of microorganisms classified as Asgard archaea, and found…
Aquatic Jurassic Crocodiles Evolved, Enlarged to Avoid Freezing
Study pinpoints minimum survivable size of Jurassic crocodiles. Taking the evolutionary plunge into water and abandoning land for good, as some crocodilian ancestors did nearly…
Watch and Learn: How the Brain Gains Knowledge Through Observation
Humans have a number of ways to learn how to do new things. One of those ways is through observation: watching another person perform a…
Cutting-Edge 3D Imaging Reveals How the Nose Detects Odor Combinations
Columbia study in mice shows how special cells in nose help the brain to distinguish between world’s near-infinite combinations of scents. Every moment of…
Coquí Fossil Takes Title of Oldest Caribbean Frog – “Pride of Puerto Rico”
The bright chirp of the coquí frog, the national symbol of Puerto Rico, has likely resounded through Caribbean forests for at least 29 million years….
Experts Raise the Alarm on Endangered Great Apes and COVID-19
Primate experts warn that the global human health emergency of COVID-19 also threatens our closest living relatives — endangered great apes. Nature published their commentary…
Asian Hornets Are Invading Europe – Here’s What It’s Going to Cost
Since its accidental introduction in 2003 in France, the yellow-legged Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) is rapidly spreading through Europe. Both experts and citizen scientists…
Legacy of Cold War Nuclear Bomb Tests Solves Whale Shark Mystery
The radioactive legacy of the arms race reveals true age of the world’s largest fish. Atomic bomb tests conducted during the Cold War have helped…
Researchers Have Found a Way to Control Bacteria to Transport Microscopic Cargo
It is a longstanding challenge to be able to control biological systems to perform specific tasks. In a paper published in Nature Physics, researchers at…
Viral Dark Matter: Giant Viruses Have Metabolic Genes – Even Though Viruses Don’t Have a Metabolism
Virginia Tech researchers discovered genes for cellular metabolic cycles in the genomes of giant viruses. In satellite photos of the Earth, clouds of bright green…