PHYSorg

In the remnant rainforests of coastal far-north Queensland, bushwalkers may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a diminutive marsupial that's the last living representative of its family.

Dogs have many jobs, but one you may not expect is identifying grapevines coated in a destructive and highly contagious fungus. Although dogs can detect serious vine infections by smell, scientists don't know exactly what odor molecules are triggering the…

If you've ever noticed how memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate, a new study reveals the reason: Our brains physically link memories that occur close in time not in the cell bodies of neurons, but rather in…

Playgrounds can host a variety of natural wonders, and of course, kids. Now some students are not just learning about insects and spiders at school—they are putting them on the map and even discovering and naming new species.

A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is how sexual selection influences how entire genomes develop. Sexual selection is where individuals with certain traits have higher reproductive success, leading to the spread of those traits throughout a…

A team of scientists with the Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, in the U.K. has found that gray seals are able to monitor their blood oxygen levels as a means to prevent drowning. In their paper published in the journal…

Parasitic weeds are ruthless freeloaders, stealing nutrients from crops and devastating harvests. But what if farmers could trick these invaders into self-destructing? Scientists at UC Riverside think they've found a way.

Insecticides may help growers hoping to protect their crops from harmful insects, but they also may contribute to a larger amount of some weeds, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State.

Despite decades of warnings about overfishing, Southeast Asia's capture fisheries have proven remarkably robust.

In a groundbreaking study on the synthesis of cellulose—a major constituent of all plant cell walls—a team of Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers have captured images of the microscopic process of cell-wall building continuously over 24 hours with…

Biological cells often possess thin, hair-like protrusions on their surface known as cilia, which serve various functions ranging from movement to sensing environmental signals. Researchers from Germany and Italy have recently revealed new insights into the…

Like people, bacteria get invaded by viruses. In bacteria, the viral invaders are called bacteriophages, derived from the Greek word for bacteria-eaters, or in shortened form, "phages." Scientists have sought to learn how the single-cell organisms survive…

Ten years ago, nobody knew that Asgard archaea even existed. In 2015, however, researchers examining deep-sea sediments discovered gene fragments that indicated a new and previously undiscovered form of microbes.

Because of their importance to life on Earth, forests have gained the nickname "lungs of the planet" for their role in producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need for effective therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2. Although vaccines helped control the spread of the virus, the emergence of new variants continues to challenge global health efforts. Small-molecule…

A rare discovery in France of a pair of wolves, each from a distinct genetic background, has excited animal lovers demanding their protection and objections from farmers eager to protect livestock.

Great recipes require the perfect combination of ingredients—biotechnology recipes are no exception. Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered the ideal genetic "recipe" to turn yeast into a tiny yet powerful eco-friendly factory that…

Better technology for keeping track of glass beer bottles could be important in improving health and safety and operational efficiency in the alcoholic beverage sector, according to work published in the International Journal of Productivity and Quality…

Teeth from sharks and rays can be used to study their diet, but one of the biggest challenges in shark science is collecting samples from rare or protected species.

An international team on board Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor (too) working in the Bellingshausen Sea rapidly pivoted their research plans to study an area that was, until last month, covered by ice. On January 13, 2025, an iceberg the size of Chicago,…

Researchers from the University of Florence and University of Pisa conducted an experiment demonstrating that managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) on Giannutri Island significantly deplete nectar and pollen availability, leading to around an 80% decline in wild…

In collaboration with a foundation that breeds service dogs for the visually impaired, researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Padova in Padova, Italy, have identified a novel variant associated…

Climate change is causing the world's glaciers to disappear at an alarming rate. Scientists have been studying and modeling this process for years, but until now, no research group has specifically examined how glacier melt will affect glacier-fed streams and…

In nature, interactions between species are often framed in terms of survival—those that hunt and those that are hunted. But research is showing some animals form surprising partnerships, reshaping scientists' ideas about how intelligence evolves in the…

A team of botanists with members from Muse–Museo delle Scienze, Udzungwa Corridor LTD, Via Grazia Deledda and the National Museum of Kenya has discovered a new species of tree growing in the mountainous rain forests of Tanzania. In their paper published in…

Slovakia has confirmed its first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 50 years at three farms near the border with Hungary, the government said on Friday, following cases there and in Germany.

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, the University of Cologne, and the University of Copenhagen have uncovered a hidden talent of the Casparian strip—a root structure best known for acting like a plant's security guard. It…

An endangered gray wolf was found illegally killed in Oregon, wildlife officials said.

It's already illegal for fishermen to attract or capture a great white shark, but Bay State officials are proposing new rules to better restrict shore-based shark fishing after anglers were seen "targeting" the protected species along Cape Cod.

A drug-resistant type of bacteria that has adapted to health care settings evolved in the past several years to weaponize an antimicrobial genetic tool, eliminating its cousins and replacing them as the dominant strain. University of Pittsburgh School of…