Brain Circuit Found That Helps Explain Why Motivation to Learn Declines With Age
Research on mice suggests aging affects a brain circuit critical for learning to make some types of decisions. As people age, they often lose their…
Biology News
Ogre-Faced Spiders: These Spiders Can Hear – Even Though They Have No Ears
Ogre-faced spiders, named for their massive eyes, hide during the day and hunt by night, dangling from Florida palm fronds and casting silk nets on…
Pituitary Puzzle Gets a New Piece: Insights Into Century-Old Controversy Revise Evolutionary History
Insights into century-old controversy about key gland’s development arise from research led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC A new USC-led study suggests…
Ancient Dog DNA Traces Canine Diversity to the Ice Age and Spread Across the Globe
A global study of ancient dog DNA, led by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, University of Oxford, University of Vienna and archaeologists from more…
Australian Night Bees Recorded Foraging in Darkness for the First Time
A new study has identified two Australian bees that have adapted their vision at night for the first time. Australian bees are known for pollinating…
CRISPR-LICHT: A Groundbreaking New Genetic Screening Tool for Human Organoids
Many of the fundamental principles in biology and essentially all pathways regulating development were identified in so-called genetics screens. Originally pioneered in the fruit fly…
Biologists Solve Mystery of How Whale-Surfing Remoras Remain in Contact As Their Massive Steeds Dive
When it comes to hitching a ride, whale-surfing remoras are perfectly at home latching onto the largest creatures on the planet. “From static photos, it’s…
Giant Lizards Learned to Fly Over Millions of Years – Pterosaurs Evolved Improved Flight Performance
Study uses new method to show that Pterosaurs became twice as good at flying over their existence. Pterodactyls and other related winged reptiles that lived…
Antarctica Yields Oldest Fossils of Giant Birds With 21-Foot Wingspans, Fearsome Toothed Beak
Two fossils from a group of extinct seabirds represent the largest individuals ever found. Fossils recovered from Antarctica in the 1980s represent the oldest giant…
Scientists Deconstruct the “Biological Clock” That Regulates Precise Timing of Complex Birdsong
The precise timing of a bird’s complex song is driven in part by the often-ignored “wires” connecting neurons in the bird’s brain, according to a…
Researchers Surprised to Find Number of Leopards in Northern China on the Rise
Most of the world’s leopards are endangered and generally, the number of these shy and stunning cats is decreasing. However, according to a recent study…
New Research Uncovers Why Bats Excel As Viral Reservoirs Without Getting Sick
Study confirms bats adopt multiple strategies to reduce pro-inflammatory responses, thus mitigating potential immune-mediated tissue damage and disease. Findings provide important insights for medical research…
Vampire Bats Social Distance When They Get Sick, Slowing Disease Spread
A new paper in Behavioral Ecology, published by Oxford University Press, finds that wild vampire bats that are sick spend less time near others from their…
Poop Is Full of Secrets: DNA in Fringe-Lipped Bat Poop Reveals Unexpected Eating Habits
Poop is full of secrets. For scientists, digging into feces provides insights into animal diets and is particularly useful for understanding nocturnal or rare species….
Evolution Discovery: No Social Distancing at the Beginning of Life
Discovery that bacterial biofilms behave like animal embryos sheds new light on the origin of life. Bacteria are a dominant form of life that inhabit…
Bird Brains Are Surprisingly Complex: Extraordinary Cognitive Performance
Innovative microscopy method reveals unexpected similarities between mammals and birds. Some birds can achieve extraordinary cognitive performance — but their brains were considered to be…
Mystery Solved: How Do Tips of Plants Stay Virus-Free in Face of Intensive Infection?
Plants are able to keep growing indefinitely because they have tissues made of meristems — plant stem cells — which have the unique ability to…
American Pikas Far More Resilient in the Face of Global Warming Than Previously Believed
The American pika is a charismatic, diminutive relative of rabbits that some researchers say is at high risk of extinction due to climate change. Pikas…
