Stinging Water Mystery Solved – “Mucus Grenades”
Jellyfish Can Sting Swimmers, Prey With “Mucus Grenades” Interdisciplinary research team discovers, describes new free-floating jellyfish stinging structures. In warm coastal waters around the world,…
Biology News
Absolutely Massive Extinct Turtle Weighed 2,500 Pounds and Had Giant Horned Shell
The tropical region of South America is one of the world’s hot spots when it comes to animal diversity. The region’s extinct fauna is unique,…
Warming Climate May Threaten Small Marsupials in Australia
Temperature experiments found that a shrew-like species may not be able to adequately respond physiologically to prolonged heat waves. Numerous questions remain unanswered as to…
Fascinating Experiment Shows Orb-Weaver Spiders’ Distinct Yellow/Black Pattern Essential for Luring Prey
Researchers from Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the UK placed cardboard cut-out models of the golden orb-weaver, Nephila pilipes, onto real webs in the field. Testing…
New Platform for Composing Genetic Programs Could Enable New Therapies for Difficult-to-Treat Diseases
Biological toolkit for composing genetic programs in mammalian cells could help enable new therapies for difficult-to-treat diseases. A new synthetic biology toolkit developed at Northwestern…
Cuttlefish Have Complex Cognitive Abilities – Can Make Decisions Based on Future Expectations
When cuttlefish know that shrimp — their favorite food — will be available in the evening, they eat fewer crabs during the day. This capacity…
Sex Pheromone Alters Brain Circuitry to Drive Both Innate and Learned Sexual Behaviors
Columbia-led study in mice maps brain circuitry that enables a sex pheromone named for Jane Austen character to alter brain in mouse courtship. The infamously…
Study Resurrects Woolly Mammoth DNA to Explore the Cause of Their Extinction
A new study in Genome Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, resurrected the mutated genes of the last herd of woolly mammoths and…
Elephants’ Unique and Sentient Interactions With Their Dead Studied
Stories of unique and sentient interactions between elephants and their dead are a familiar part of the species’ lore, but a comprehensive study of these…
Bumble Bees Are Going Extinct in Time of Climate Chaos – “We Have Now Entered the World’s Sixth Mass Extinction Event”
University of Ottawa researchers develop technique to predict impact of climate change on species extinction risk. When you were young, were you the type of…
Obama Nungara – An Invasive Flatworm From Argentina – Invades France and Europe
Citizen science reveals the presence of the flatworms in gardens in three quarters of metropolitan France. One of the consequences of globalization is the inadvertent…
Scientists Solve Structure Enabling Cyanobacteria to Convert Weak Sunlight Into Usable Energy
Scientists have determined the structure of the protein complex that gives cyanobacteria their unique ability to convert weak, filtered sunlight into usable energy. Their findings…
High-Speed Video Reveals Bumblebees Carry Heavy Loads in Energy-Efficient “Economy Mode”
Bumblebees are the big lifters of the insect world, able to fly back to the hive with almost their own bodyweight in nectar on board….
Synergistic Cellular Pathways Identified That Extend Lifespan by 500%
Discovery of cellular mechanisms could open door to more effective anti-aging therapies. Scientists at the MDI Biological Laboratory, in collaboration with scientists from the Buck…
Since 1941 It Was Thought to Be the Oldest Bamboo Fossil – But It Wasn’t Bamboo at All
A fossilized leafy branch from the early Eocene in Patagonia described in 1941 is still often cited as the oldest bamboo fossil and the main…
Friend or Foe? Specific Mechanism Discovered for Unlocking Aggression in Ants [Video]
For most social animals, even humans, the ability to distinguish friend versus foe can be a challenge that often can lead to knee-jerk aggression. But…
Chemists Discovered the Structure of a Key Influenza Protein – Breakthrough Could Lead to Flu Treatment
Findings could help researchers design drugs to treat influenza B infections. A team of MIT chemists has discovered the structure of a key influenza protein,…
Feeding Bluebirds in Your Backyard Helps Fend Off Parasites
If you feed the birds in your backyard, you may be doing more than just making sure they have a source of food: you may…