Latest science news in Biology & Nature
List of critically endangered species
The Wildlife Conservation Society released a list of critically endangered species dubbed the "Rarest of the Rare" -- a group of animals most in danger of extinction, ranging from Cuban...
Ethiopia's First Science Academy
Reflecting its growing interest in science, Ethiopia is launching its first science academy tomorrow,...
New narwhal survey boosts population estimate
The number of narwhal in Baffin Bay is estimated at more than twice the previous figure after a recent survey using new techniques, say scientists with the Department of Fisheries...
Greenfield sacking was 'unfair'
Baroness Susan Greenfield says she believes that her sacking as director of the Royal Institution earlier this year was "unfair".
Japanese Guts Are Adapted to Sushi
Genes from a microbe that snacks on seaweed exist in Japanese—the first time external bacteria DNA has been found in human gut bugs.
Controls for animals' colour designs revealed
The vivid colours and designs animals use to interact with their environments have awed and inspired since before people learned to draw on the cave wall...
Cosmopolitan eels
Joshua Reece became interested in moray eels in 2005 when he was applying to the PhD program at the University of Hawai'i. Instead of taking him on a campus tour,...
How fruit flies taste water
(PhysOrg.com) -- The ability to detect water and regulate water intake is essential for all animals because if cells have too little or too much water the consequences for the...
Scientists find out why living things are the size they are - and none other
If you consider yourself to be too short or too tall, things are looking up, or down, depending on your vertical disposition. New research published online in The FASEB Journal...
Plant growth aided by insect-feeding animals
Add insect-feeding birds, bats and lizards to the front lines of the battle against global climate change...
A well-defended territory is what some female hummingbirds find most attractive in a mate
When it comes to attracting a mate, flowers and sweets often do the trick - even for one of the world's smallest birds - the purple throated carib, a hummingbird...
Fla. Citrus Faces New Threat: Black Spot
Fungal Disease Discovered Last Month Leads to Smaller Harvests Because of Premature Fruit Drop
Deadly fungus threatens 9 bat species in Ga., Ky., N.C., S.C. and Tenn., expert says
A leading bat expert identified nine bat species in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee that she believes are most threatened by white-nose syndrome, a fungus that kills...
New Giant Lizard Discovery "an Unprecedented Surprise"
It has a double penis, lives on a crowded island, and is as long as a man. So how did Varanus bitatawa go unidentified till now?
Experts to design molecule to shut down fat gene
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Scientists in China may have discovered how a gene responsible for obesity kicks into action and want to design a molecule to shut it down.
Habitat of elusive Northern squid documented by researcher
New research is shedding light on the preferred habitat of the northern squid, Gonatus fabricii - a key but often overlooked species in Arctic marine food webs.
Animals thrive without oxygen at sea bottom
Creatures found where only microbes and viruses were thought to survive.
What's in a name? Fly world is abuzz
Proposed reorganization of fruitfly genus might throw out its most celebrated member.
Protein folding: The dark side of proteins
Almost every human protein has segments that can form amyloids, the sticky aggregates known for their role in disease. Yet cells have evolved some elaborate defences, finds Jim Schnabel.
Cosmopolitan eels
A genetic survey shows very little structure to moray eel populations in the Indo-Pacific. How, then, did 150 species of eel arise there?
Study Reveals How Creatures Get Spots vs. Stripes
Scientists have discovered how animals get their colorful coats, from fly dots to zebra stripes and leopard spots.
Sub-Saharan Africa news in brief: 25 March–7 April 2010
Widespread mosquito resistance to pyrethroids, South African Journal of Science to publish online, drought-resistant cowpea on horizon, and more.
Perplexing Panda Pseudo-Pregnancy Pondered
Female giant pandas often undergo pseudo-pregnancies, which mimic the real thing, sans the panda cub.
Collaborative Efforts Needed to Combat Threat of Invasive Plants
Rangelands--Exotic plant species are invading the world's rangelands at an unprecedented rate, imposing both ecological and economic costs. Identifying the causes of invasive plant expansion can contribute to the planning...
Drosophilists Fly into DC for 51st Research Conference
More than 1600 genetics researchers who use Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly) as the workhorse to study basic aspects of biology ranging from memory to cancer, will be gathering in...
Killer mushrooms! Researcher guides work into deadly mushroom often confused with edible ones
(PhysOrg.com) -- It is thought to have been responsible for the deaths of emperors. In parts of California`s forests, it is everywhere.
Seaweed slows snakes down
The black sea snake is an evolutionary mystery: its black scales slow it down, yet it coexists alongside faster species.
Next-generation sequencing technology applied to commercial cattle in Canada
Scientists in Alberta have successfully sequenced the genome of two influential bulls, one beef and one dairy, the first animals to have been fully sequenced in Canada.