Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Landmark project to map genomics of complex ant systems
Emory researchers are tapping the latest-generation DNA sequencing technology to become the first explorers of the genomics of agricultural ant societies.
Eagle study focuses on the bird's feathers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., July 9 (UPI) -- Catching adult eagles for research is a difficult task, so scientists at Purdue University say they are using eagle feathers to...
Finding Fear: Neuroscientists Locate Where It Is Stored In The Brain
Neuroscientists using an imaging technique that enabled them to trace the process of neural activation in the brain have pinpointed the neurons where fear conditioning is encoded.
Finding the constant in bacterial communication
The Rosetta Stone of bacterial communication may have been found. Although they have no sensory organs, bacteria can get a good idea about what's going on in their neighbourhood and...
Male seahorses like big mates
Male seahorses have a clear agenda when it comes to selecting a mating partner: to increase their reproductive success. By being choosy and preferring large females, they are likely to...
One step closer to an artificial nerve cell
Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University are well on the way to creating the first artificial nerve cell that can communicate specifically with nerve cells...
Hormone Clue To Root Growth
Plant roots provide the crops we eat with water, nutrients and anchorage. Understanding how roots grow and how hormones control that growth is crucial to improving crop yields, necessary to...
Plant proteins block invading microbes
DAVIS, Calif., July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. and Danish scientists say they've identified proteins that prevent bacteria from infecting a plant's leaves.
Study finds role for parasites in evolution of sex
What's so great about sex? From an evolutionary perspective, the answer is not as obvious as one might think. An article published in the July issue of the American Naturalist...
Dogs, humans, put heads together to find cure for brain cancer
Pinpointing the genes involved in human brain cancer can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, and sometimes the needle you find may not be the right one....
First direct evidence of substantial fish consumption by early modern humans in China
Freshwater fish are an important part of the diet of many peoples around the world, but it has been unclear when fish became an important part of the year-round diet...
Songbirds reveal how practice improves performance
Learning complex skills like playing an instrument requires a sequence of movements that can take years to master. Last year, MIT neuroscientists reported that by studying the chirps of tiny...
Aquatic deer and ancient whales
Two deer species in Asia have been discovered swimming underwater, providing further clues to the origin of whales.
Osprey chicks tagged for tracking
Two of three young birds of prey that hatched in a nest in the Highlands are fitted with satellite tags for monitoring.
Multiple Means Of Identifying Species Better Than DNA Barcoding Alone
DNA barcoding is advocated as a vast improvement in our ability to monitor and manage the world's biodiversity. An expert on the potato and tomato family examined the utility of...
How Can The World's Fisheries Be Sustainable?
A new study provides the first global evaluation of how management practices influence fisheries' sustainability.
Enzyme That Makes Survival Molecule For Key Vision Cells Identified
New research identifies an enzyme that makes neuroprotectin D1 which specifically and selectively protects retinal cells key for vision.
Trio Of Signals Converge To Induce Liver And Pancreas Cell Development In The Embryo
Understanding the molecular signals that guide early cells in the embryo to develop into different organs provides insight into ways that tissues regenerate and how stem cells can be used...
First Land Creatures Had Wild Appearances
The first fish-like animals to squirm out of the sea and onto land were pretty wild looking, new research concludes.
Understanding the anticancer effects of vitamin D3
The active form of vitamin D3 seems to have anticancer effects. To try and understand the mechanisms underlying these effects, researchers previously set out to identify genes whose expression in...
Scientists sequence the DNA of melons
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, July 6 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have sequenced the melon genome, an achievement they say might lead to the development of tastier and...
New research shows key player in mitosis not required for chromosome alignment
(PhysOrg.com) -- K-fibers, structures long thought to play a key role in the alignment of chromosomes prior to cell division, are not required after all, say Indiana University and New...
Polar Bear Subpopulations in Decline
New Report Says Shrinking Sea Ice, Over-Harvesting Are Proving Damaging to Species
Rules Will Allow Financing for Old Stem Cell Lines
The new rules will allow many older stem cell lines to be eligible for federally financed research.
Coming Soon: Photographic Memory in a Pill?
Wish you had a photographic memory? Well, Encyclopedia Brown, drugs may amp your brain up to that point soon. A group of Spanish scientists claim to have singled out...
Chimps' lunch break forces public from UK zoo
Chester Zoo, Britain's most popular wildlife attraction, was evacuated on Sunday after 30 chimpanzees escaped from their enclosure.
Research Examines Elevated Mercury Levels in Prairie Lakes
Prairie lakes are more likely to carry elevated mercury levels during wet cycles that can affect fish caught in them & subsequently consumed by people.
First Reverse Vasectomy for Rare Horse Species
To help revive the Przewalski's horse, or takhi, in Mongolia, a Washington, D.C.-area zoo facility hosted the first ever reverse vasectomy on the species. Video.