Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Demise of coral, salamander show impact of Web
(AP) -- The Internet has emerged as one of the greatest threats to rare species, fueling the illegal wildlife trade and making it easier to buy everything from live...
Bugs off: Habitat loss killing Europe's butterflies, beetles and dragonflies
With fewer places left to breed and live, European butterflies, beetles, dragonflies and damselflies are dying in droves, according to the latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened...
African bird discovery proves there is something new under the sun
"Four and 20 black birds baked in a pie" -- but wait, one has blue-gray eyes. That discovery, backed by DNA analysis, means scientists now know there is one more...
From international harbor to native habitat: Detecting exotic pests before forest and agricultural invasion
In the 1930s, soil used as ballast to weigh down cargo ships from South America to Mobile, Alabama introduced the red imported fire ant to the southern United States. Since...
New variety of lentil is developed
WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Agricultural Research Service says it is getting ready to make public a newly developed variety of lentil called Essex.
Cloves are the best natural antioxidant
Using spices eaten in the Mediterranean diet as natural antioxidants is a good way forward for the food industry, given the beneficial health effects of these products. This has been...
Experts gather to solve mystery of largest recorded die-off of great whales
What is causing the largest die-off of great whales ever recorded?
The effect of landscape position on biomass crop yield
Scientists investigate differences in woody and herbaceous crop productivity and biomass yield as a function of landscape position at the field scale.
Deal Offered to Protect Elephants
Kenya Proposes Supporting Bluefin Tuna Ban in Exchange for Greater Elephant Protection
Shark Fin Soup Demand Feeding Extinctions
Ocean Group Says 73 Million Sharks Are Killed Annually, Mostly for Fins Catering to Surge in Asian Consumer Demand
Genetically modified flax target of bill
A new private member's bill hopes to protect Canada's flax seed crops by tightening regulations surrounding the sale of genetically engineered seeds on the world market.
Scientists establish leech as model for study of reproductive behavior
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have discovered that injecting a simple hormone into leeches creates a novel way to...
Italian molecular cookery 'ban' condemned
Decree to rein in additives could put more processed foods on restaurant tables.
Michigan loses only known wild wolverine
The Wolverine State has lost its only known wild wolverine.
Long polymer chains dance the conga
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Understanding the steps to the intricate dance inside a cell is essential to one day choreographing the show. By studying the molecules that give a...
Tariff Cuts Jeopardized
Congress: Republican action on earmarks may kill effort to eliminate chemical import duties.
In pictures: Protected species in the Amazon's Cristalino state park
A new management plan for Cristalino state park has set out how the biodiverse area will be managed in terms of research, conservation and education, and ensure that local people...
Your Microbes Give You Away
They say that who you hang out with says a lot about who you are. Well, the microbes that hang out on your fingers can point to exactly who you...
Barnacles prefer upwelling currents, enriching food chains in the Galapagos
There's been a rich debate in marine ecological circles about what happens to a key food source along rocky coastlines dominated by upwelling. The literature is filled with studies suggesting...
Like little golden assassins, 'smart' nanoparticles identify, target and kill cancer cells
Another weapon in the arsenal against cancer: Nanoparticles that identify, target and kill specific cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone...
Berkeley scientists find new way to get physical in the fight against cancer
Conventional biological wisdom holds that living cells interact with their environment through an elaborate network of chemical signals. As a result many therapies for the treatment of cancer and other...
Field study exposes how sea turtle hatchlings use their flippers to move quickly on sand
Life can be scary for endangered loggerhead sea turtles immediately after they hatch. After climbing out of their underground nest, the baby turtles must quickly traverse a variety of terrains...
Immune cells use bungee of death to kill dangerous cells, shows new research
Immune cells ensnare dangerous cells that are on the run with a bungee-like nanotube, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, by...
Mosquitoes - not birds - may have carried West Nile virus across US
Mosquitoes - not birds as suspected - may have a played a primary role in spreading West Nile virus westward across the United States, according to a study by researchers...
Offering hope for tissue regeneration
Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital have discovered how cells communicate with each other during times of cellular injury. The findings shed new light on how the body repairs itself when...
Canine morphology: Hunting for genes and tracking mutations
Why do domestic dogs vary so much in size, shape, coat texture, colour and patterning? Study of the dog genome has reached a point where the molecular mechanisms governing such...
Mathematical innovation turns blood draw into information gold mine in Stanford study
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a software algorithm that could enable a common laboratory device to virtually separate a whole-blood sample into its different cell...
Neuroscientist steers research into neurological disorders
Scientists at the Queensland Brain Institute have uncovered a vital clue into how the brain is wired, which could eventually steer research into nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease...