Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Smart bees are healthy bees
Bumblebee colonies which are fast learners are also better able to fight off infection, according to scientists from Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Leicester. read more
Common Cold Symptoms Caused By Immune System -- Not The Cold Virus
Scientist confirm that it is how our immune system responds, not the rhinovirus itself that causes cold symptoms. Of more than 100 different viruses that can cause the common cold,...
Fungus killing off frogs
The world's frogs are croaking, but it's not climate change that's wiping them out - research has found the spread of a fungal disease is causing the extinctions.
Human Brain Minimizes Energy Expenditure And Integrates Gravity Into The Action Plan
When reaching for an object, the brain prepares neural commands sent to the target muscles to minimize energy expenditure, according to a new study.
Development puts an end to the evolution of endless forms
Researchers have put forward a simple model of development and gene regulation that is capable of explaining patterns observed in the distribution of morphologies and body plans (or, more generally,...
Genes linked to transsexuality
Researchers have discovered a link between transsexuality and a testosterone gene, findings that suggest genetics could control our gender identity.
New Coral Reef Discovered In The Seychelles
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown coral reef in the Seychelles. Diving revealed an extensive coral reef to the south of the island, at a depth which would not be...
Mercury Pollution Causes Immune Damage To Harbor Seals
Methylmercury, the predominant form of mercury found in the blood of marine mammals and fish-eating communities, could be more damaging to seals than has previously been thought. New research shows...
Caste In Ant Colonies: How Fate Is Determined Between Workers And Queens
In colonies of social insects the struggle for the spoils is embodied by a reproductive division of labor. Some individuals (the queens) reproduce, while large and small workers provide the...
Birth Of White Rhino After Artificial Insemination With Frozen Sperm
A world-first: birth of a white rhino after artificial insemination with frozen sperm. The rhino baby, a male, was born at 4:57am in the Budapest Zoo on the 22nd of...
Genetic Explanation For Moles' Poor Eyesight
Due to their underground habitats, moles' eyes have been modified by natural selection in ways very different from those of surface-dwelling animals. New research offers a detailed anatomical and genetic...
7 Puget Sound killer whales feared dead
SEATTLE, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Seven orcas have disappeared from Washington's Puget Sound, and experts fear they have died, victims of a declining population of Chinook salmon.
Hawaiian Cave Reveals Ancient Secrets
From the moment we saw it, we knew the place held many great secrets.
Rare parrot survives lead poisoning
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A kakapo, a member of one of the rarest bird species on Earth, is to be released into the wild after...
Genetic test detects inherited disorders
LONDON, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- British scientists said a new genetic test can screen embryos for almost any known genetic disease in embryos that are just days old.
Great Barrier Reef may get more protection
BRISBANE, Australia, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- The Australian state of Queensland may regulate agricultural runoff to protect the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's great natural wonders.
Text Messages Used to Combat AIDS in S. Africa
As South Africa reels from a major HIV/AIDS epidemic, health workers are turning to cell phone technology to get the word out about testing for the virus.
Algae fans, and investors, gather to boost industry
Algae is in the air. The Algal Biomass Organization wants to make sure it stays there.
Roots of Voodoo: Why Sarkozy is Getting Skewered
A controversial voodoo doll is proving to be quite the pain in the side of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Light Shortens The Life Of Supermarket Vegetables
Exposure to light reduces the quality of cauliflower, broccoli, chard, leeks and asparagus, which have been processed for sale. New research shows that the useful life of chard is reduced...
Newly-discovered mechanism can explain the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
Researchers from Uppsala University have discovered a mechanism that silences several genes in a chromosome domain. The findings, published in today's on-line issue of Molecular Cell, have implications in understanding...
Cholera epidemic spreading quickly in Guinea-Bissau
A cholera epidemic is spreading quickly in Guinea-Bissau, UN agencies said Friday. Some 12,225 people in the West African state have caught cholera so far this year and 201 have...
Neural Probe Developed That Will Limit Damage To Cells And Biological Tissue
Engineering researchers have just developed a neural probe that demonstrates significantly greater electrical charge storage capacity than all other neural prosthetic devices to date. More charge storage capacity means the...
Getting To Grips With The Complexity Of Disease Proteins
New research into how proteins in human cells interact and 'talk' to each other is leading to a better understanding of how drug molecules work and should result in more...
Extinction Risks High For Social Species Such As The African Wild Dog
Because African wild dogs face bigger competitors like lions, whose larger stomachs handle large irregular meals, the African wild dog evolved a runner's metabolism (lithe, smaller stomachs) and formed large...
Nature Matters: Free Public Lectures Tell How Modern Ecology Can Guide Conservation
From the ants in your back yard to apes in Africa's forests, UC San Diego biologists are looking at genetics, behavior and how organisms interact with their environments. They will...
PHOTO IN THE NEWS: New "Legless Lizard" Named
The tiny-limbed creature is the first of 14 new species to be identified from a January expedition to Brazil's central savanna.
Monkeys: The (Other) Other White Meat
Bonobos, along with chimpanzees and orangutans, are humans’ closest genetic relatives, and are frequently studied for clues about the nature of human evolution. These Great Apes are, as it turns...