Latest science news in Biology & Nature
King crab family bigger than ever
Scientists have formally described four new species of king crab, all from the deep sea.
Marine life collected to inventory DNA sequence of all Pacific island's living species
Researchers are collecting marine invertebrates on the French Polynesian island of Moorea as part of a massive effort to inventory the DNA sequence of every living species there.
A little magic provides an atomic-level look at bone
A new study using solid-state NMR spectroscopy to analyze intact bone paves the way for atomic-level explorations of how disease and aging affect bone.
Beloved National Zoo panda going to China
A young giant panda who became a major draw after his birth at Washington's National Zoo will return to China soon. China - Giant Panda -...
'Ich' discovery could yield new ways to treat devastating freshwater fish parasite
Researchers have made an "unexpected" dual discovery that could open new avenues for treating Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, or "Ich", a devastating single-celled protozoan parasite that commonly attacks freshwater fish.
U.S. approves first "ethical" human stem cell lines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government approved the first 13 batches of human embryonic stem cells on Wednesday, enabling researchers using them to get millions of dollars in federal funding...
Genes allow humans longer life than apes
DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A U.S. gerontologist says genetic advantages allow us to outlive our ape ancestors, although we are more susceptible to diseases of aging.
The buzz on fruit flies: New role in the search for addiction treatments
Fruit flies may seem like unlikely heroes in the battle against drug abuse, but new research suggests that these insects - already used to study dozens of human disease...
Vine seeds become 'giant gliders'
Remarkable footage is captured of falling Alsomitra vine seeds, which use wings to disperse like giant gliders.
Discovery makes brain tumour cells more responsive to radiation
Duke University Medical Centre researchers have figured out how stem cells in the malignant brain cancer glioma may be better able to resist radiation therapy. And using a drug to...
Caltech scientists show how ubiquitin chains are added to cell-cycle proteins
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have been able to view in detail, and for the first time, the previously mysterious process by which long chains of a...
Male and female shopping strategies show evolution at work in the mall
Male and female shopping styles are in our genes - and we can look to evolution for the reason...
Newly explored bacteria reveal some huge RNA surprises
Yale University researchers have found very large RNA structures within previously unstudied bacteria that appear crucial to basic biological functions such as helping viruses infect cells or allowing genes to...
Scent signals stop incest in lemurs
Chemical identifiers secreted from the genital glands of lemurs, allow them to avoid incest and also to engage in nepotism. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology...
A cell's 'cap' of bundled fibres could yield clues to disease
It turns out that wearing a cap is good for you, at least if you are a mammal cell. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Engineering in Oncology Centre have shown...
Lizards change their diet to avoid predators
A scientist from the University of Salamanca and another from Yale University have shown that the presence of predators affects the behaviour of Acanthodactylus beershebensis, a lizard species from the...
Alaska businesses fret beluga protections
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Leaders of the business community in Alaska say they have concerns about a proposed protected habitat for beluga whales in Cook Inlet.
Top Ten Discoveries of 2009: Nat Geo News's Most Viewed
National Geographic News's most popular coverage of 2009 scientific finds is swarming with megamouth sharks, giant snakes, a transparent-headed fish, and rare species rescued from obscurity—then eaten.
Amino acid recipe could be right for long life
In fruit flies, a low-calorie diet with extra amounts of methionine extends lifespan without harming fertility
Abstaining Boobies Get "Sexier"
Male blue-footed boobies that take a yearlong sex sabbatical get a brighter shade of blue in their feet the following year, which makes them more attractive to females, a new...
First Taxpayer-Funded Stem Cell Study OK'd
NIH Says 13 Batches of Master Cells are Available Now and Another 96 are Undergoing Review
Scent test reveals books’ condition by their odor
A new testing method can rapidly determine the condition of old books and documents by analyzing the bouquet of volatile organic compounds released by paper off-gassing. ...
Some birds use voices to make decisions
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered certain bird species have figured out another bird's voice can tell them what they need to know...
Behaviour: Flies on film
A unique collaboration is bringing automated screening to the study of fly behaviour and could change the way that machines see humans. Lizzie Buchen reports.
Underwater acoustics: The neutrino and the whale
An underwater effort to detect subatomic particles has ended up detecting sperm whales instead. Nicola Nosengo reports on a partnership between marine biologists and particle physicists.
Fatherless Mice Live Longer
Chemical factor in sperm may reduce life span [Read more]
Attack of the Sun
Living just a few light minutes from a roiling fusion furnace, you'd have to figure there'd be a few bad days...
Female Canaries Sing Sexily With Testosterone
Testosterone gets female canaries singing. Dutch researchers know how you can make a female canary sing using testosterone and the protein BDNF. Normally, female canaries don’t sing, but with a...