Biology

Dec 6th, 2023 - An intriguing new study introduces the 'longevity bottleneck' hypothesis, which suggests human aging may be intricately linked to the long period of dinosaur dominance on Earth. This concept was brought to light by Professor João Pedro de Magalhães, a renowned expert in the field of aging from the University of Birmingham . The hypothesis presents a fascinating connection between the reign of dinosaurs over 100 million years ago and the biological aging processes observed in ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - TOPICS: A comprehensive study reveals new insights into the evolution and complexity of the human foot, focusing on the medial longitudinal arch and its significance in differentiating Homo sapiens from primates. "The human foot is one of the most complex masterpieces of evolution, a work of art in biomechanics: not only it allows us to walk, run and jump, but it is also a true witness of our past and our present," remarks Rita Sorrentino, researcher at the Department of Biological, Geological ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - Stressful childhoods can affect an individual's adult years and influence future generations. Scientists at the University of California, Davis, found a similar pattern holds true for red abalone exposed as babies, and again as adults, to the stress of ocean acidification. Their study, published in the journal Global Change Biology , found that the negative impacts of ocean acidification—a byproduct of carbon dioxide emissions —on red abalone can last within and across generations. ... [Read More]

Dec 6th, 2023 - De Winton's golden mole was in November 2023 through environmental DNA tracking after being not being sighted since 1937. CC BY The De Winton's golden mole was last seen in 1937 on the north-western coast of South Africa, and later declared officially lost. This iridescent blind mole with hearing superpowers evades contact with humans and "swims" through sand dunes, making it very difficult to locate. But in November 2023, a team of conservationists and geneticists from the Endangered Wildlife ... [Read More]

Dec 5th, 2023 - While some wildlife species thrive well in cities, it's harder for large, insectivorous bat species to find enough food. To get their fill, city-dwelling common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) have to hunt longer than their rural counterparts and yet they catch fewer insects. While rural bats hunt together, their urban counterparts regularly forage alone. These findings, published in the journal Global Change Biology , are the results of a new investigation led by PD Dr. Christian Voigt and Dr. ... [Read More]

Dec 5th, 2023 - In the coastal waters of the Okinawa Islands, researchers have discovered two species of cephalopods , named in honor of traditional Japanese folklore. The underwater landscapes near Okinawa, a Japanese sub-tropical island chain, are among Earth's most diverse ecosystems. Boasting over 360 types of coral, these vibrant and delicate marine gardens support a myriad of animal species. Now, researchers from Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), as well as other universities in Japan ... [Read More]

Dec 5th, 2023 - TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- New research challenges a long-held notion that human newborns enter the world with brains that are significantly less developed than those of other primates. Babies are born extremely helpless and with poor muscle control, and human brains grow much larger and more complex than other species following birth, investigators said. Because of those observations, it's long been believed that human newborns have brains comparatively less developed than ... [Read More]

Dec 5th, 2023 - Colorado is set to start reintroducing gray wolves within the coming weeks. Voters passed a ballot initiative in 2020 that requires the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (CPW) to begin reintroduction efforts by the end of this year. Over the course of this month, officials will capture, transport and release up to ten wolves from Oregon, according to USA Today 's Trevor Hughes, a process that can start as soon as December 8. CPW plans to eventually introduce 30 to 50 wolves in total. Gray ... [Read More]

Dec 4th, 2023 - Research led by Hiromi Shiraishi, a researcher at Chuo University, indicated a steep rise in the importation of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) live fry to East Asia for aquaculture purposes. This surge poses a potential threat to the already endangered species, further depleting the resources of this species. "Early warning of an upsurge in international trade in the American Eel," has been published in Marine Policy . Japan relies on imports for two-thirds of its eel consumption and it is ... [Read More]

Dec 4th, 2023 - Researchers at the University of York have made a breakthrough discovery in the field of evolutionary biology by mapping the family tree of crocodiles, including their extinct relatives known as Pseudosuchia.  The comprehensive study offers new insights into the evolutionary history of crocodiles, particularly focusing on the question of why today's world has such a limited variety of croc species compared to their avian relatives, birds . Building the crocodile family tree The team, led ... [Read More]

Dec 4th, 2023 - Two  mosquito  fossils, preserved in Lebanese amber, are challenging scientists' understanding about how blood feeding developed in the insects. Scientists have described two fossilised male mosquitoes, well-kept in Lebanese amber from the early-Cretaceous (a period lasting from about 145 million years ago to 100 million years ago),  publishing  their findings in  Current Biology. The fossils are significant for two reasons: their age, and their mouthparts. Based on ... [Read More]

Dec 4th, 2023 - A great white shark carcass that washed up near Portland, Australia, in October was killed and eaten by orcas, according to researchers who studied the fish's remains. The 16-foot shark was missing its midriff—a telltale sign that orcas were involved in its demise. But recent analysis of the carcass confirmed that orcas, also known as killer whales, were the culprits. Great white sharks ( Carcharadon carcharias ) are some of the most fearsome predators in the world's oceans. The sharks ... [Read More]

Dec 4th, 2023 - Mysterious creatures with bird-like feet roamed around southern Africa more than 210 million years ago, according to new research—roughly 60 million years before the earliest known bird ancestors. Scientists recently re-analyzed footprints, casts and sketches from various sites in Lesotho, a country encircled by South Africa, that date to the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. They described the unusual tracks in a paper published last week in the journal PLOS ONE . The footprints ... [Read More]

Dec 3rd, 2023 - What's Killing Migratory Birds? A New Tracking System May Offer Clues. The Motus network helps wildlife researchers "piece together puzzles." This story was originally published by   Undark   and appears here as part of the  Climate Desk  collaboration.  Twice a year, members of a subspecies of red knots—salmon-colored sandpipers—migrate thousands of miles between their wintering grounds in northern Mexico and breeding sites in the Arctic tundra, ... [Read More]

Dec 3rd, 2023 - Neanderthals are Homo sapiens 's closest-known relative, and today we know we rubbed shoulders with them for thousands of years, up until the very end of their long reign some 40,000 years ago. Most researchers see no reason to believe our two species didn't get along with each other back then, yet we haven't been very kind to Neanderthals since their remains were first unearthed in the 19th century, often characterizing them as lumbering dimwits or worse. Even today, their name is sometimes ... [Read More]

Dec 3rd, 2023 - Scarier Than Lions – Animals Around the World Fear This "Super Predator" TOPICS: A new study reveals that elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and other wildlife fear this predator far more than lions. Lions have long been regarded as the apex predators, often referred to as the "king of beasts," but a new study suggests that on the African savanna, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and other mammals exhibit greater fear of a different threat: humans. This finding adds significant weight to the ... [Read More]