Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Isolated forest patches lose species, diversity
Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems...
Chimp chomps Berlin zoo director's finger
Doctors say the Berlin Zoo's director will likely lose the finger a chimpanzee nearly bit off as he tried to feed it.
New South African minister will put science centre stage
South Africa's new science minister will help boost science for development, says an editorial in the South African Journal of Science.
Afghanistan Issue Its 1st Wildlife Hunting Ban
Snow leopards, wolves, and brown bears are among the 20 mammals, seven birds, four plants, and other creatures now on Afghanistan's first-ever list of protected species, banned from being hunted...
Genes That Regulate Human Circadian Rhythm Significantly Disturbed In Individuals With Arthritis
The genes that regulate human circadian rhythm, or 'the body clock', are significantly disturbed in individuals with arthritis, according to a new study. Notably, a specific genetic pathway has been...
Embryology Study Offers Clues To Birth Defects
Embryologists have clarified the role that retinoic acid plays in limb development. A new study showed that retinoic acid controls the development (or budding) of forelimbs, but not hindlimbs, and...
Manipulating the Brain Network Could Improve IQ
In an attempt to investigate why some brains are more intelligent than others, researchers have found that efficient wiring between different brain regions is associated with a higher IQ. This...
Protein linked to Alzheimer's disease doesn't act alone
A team of U.S. investigators led by neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) are steadily uncovering the role that amyloid precursor protein (APP) - the protein implicated in development...
Biologist discovers pink-winged moth in Chiracahua Mountains
University of Arizona biologist Bruce Walsh has identified a new species of moth in southern Arizona. Normally, this is not a big deal. The region is one of the most...
Toll-like Receptors May be Important in VEE-induced Neurodegneration and Inflammation
A team of scientists from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, or USU, have characterized the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and associated signaling in response to Venezuelan...
Green boost in European elections may trigger nuclear fight
Funding for human embryonic stem cell research another likely battleground.
RARE ANIMAL PHOTOS: Giant Armadillo, Bush Dog, More
In a remote region of the Amazon rain forest, camera traps have captured new images of elusive animals, including ocelots, armadillos, and the extremely rare and little studied bush dog.
AS SEEN ON EARTH: Diving Monk, Train, Nice Dog Photos
See a leaping friar, a train ablaze in India, digging in the West Bank, and more in these glimpses of life around the globe.
Fish dying in Lake St. Clair in Michigan
DETROIT, June 9 (UPI) -- Live fish taken from Lake St. Clair in Michigan show no outward sign of a disease that could have killed thousands of fish...
New research shows potential for a male contraceptive
Researchers have known for more than half a century that sperm is able to fertilize an egg only after it has resided for a period of time in the female...
In lizards, egg size matters
SYDNEY, June 9 (UPI) -- Australian scientists have discovered that for at least one lizard species, whether baby lizards are male or female depends upon the size of...
Researchers solve blood clotting mystery
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 9 (UPI) -- Harvard University medical scientists say they've used single molecule manipulation to identify the molecular basis for the regulation of blood clotting.
Endangered Right Whales Identified Where They Were Presumed Locally Extinct
Using a system of underwater hydrophones that can record sounds from hundreds of miles away, scientists have documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an area they...
Lear's Macaw now listed as endangered
WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- The American Bird Conservancy says Lear's Macaw, a blue parrot found in northeastern Brazil, has been reassessed from critically endangered to endangered.
Bats know individual voices of other bats
TUEBINGEN, Germany, June 9 (UPI) -- German scientists have discovered bats can use echolocation in identifying characteristics of other individual bats' voices to recognize each other.
Biodegradable synthetic resin replaces vital body parts
Researchers at the University of Twente (UT) have developed a new type of resin that can be broken down by the body. This new resin makes it possible to replicate...
Close-up reveals immune facts
Researchers have used new microscope technology to watch immune responses in a live animal – and have learned a lot already.
Glutamate Receptor Believed Dead Comes To Life
To all intents and purposes, the delta2 receptor is an unequivocal member of the family of glutamate receptors, the most important receptors for excitatory neurotransmitters in our brain. To date,...
Fish Robot As An Alternative Marine Propulsion System Of The Future
Scientists have developed a new type of fish-shaped, bionic robot as an alternative means of marine propulsion that might replace ships’ screws in sensitive waters.
Pop or Primate?
Referred to as “the most significant scientific discovery of recent time,” Darwinius masillae also referred to as “Ida” has created quite a media frenzy. “The Missing Link,” Ida is a...
British Hacker Fights U.S. Extradition
The self-confessed British hacker charged with illegally accessing about 100 computers at the Pentagon and NASA is to hear whether his diagnosis with a mild type of autism can prevent...
Life with a little known monkey
A BBC film crew has managed to film a troop of elusive red-capped mangabeys living in the forests of Gabon.
Can light therapy improve your sexual functioning? New promising data
Although we are still far from knowing exactly where and how the pineal suppressive role is exerted, the fact that the gland exerts an inhibitory function on the reproductive axis...