Two new studies published in the journal Science are reshaping what scientists understood about how dogs became so physically varied and how closely their history has tracked our own. Comparing a village dog, a toy poodle, and a mastiff makes clear just how extreme the physical range within a single species can be. Roughly 700…
Image Credit: Jake Brooker / Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust Our closest animal relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees, share a quick hug or a pat on the back before having their meal, to keep the tensions from rising and maintain peace among them, as their hunger could create conflict within the group. For years, scientists believed these…
Beavers may weigh only around 20 kilograms, but their engineering skills can reshape entire landscapes. Using little more than their powerful teeth, branches, stones and mud, these rodents build dams that slow rivers, create wetlands and transform dry valleys into thriving ecosystems. While these structures are best known for forming ponds, scientists have discovered they…
pc: Study: Fossil leaves of Pandanaceae from India suggest Paleogene persistence of the family in South Asia For most people, Kevda is recognised by its unmistakable fragrance. Its flowers are distilled into the aromatic essence used in sweets, perfumes, religious offerings and traditional remedies across India. Yet the plant has quietly carried a far older…
Life aboard the International Space Station (ISS) depends on making the most of every available resource, especially water. Transporting supplies from Earth is enormously expensive, so astronauts cannot simply rely on regular deliveries for drinking water. Instead, the ISS uses one of the most sophisticated recycling systems ever built. At the heart of that system…
Under the watchful eye of scientists, volunteers clean the skeleton of a mastodonsaurus A huge fossilised skeleton weighing 1,300 kilograms (2,865 pounds) that was found in southern Poland is currently being chipped out of solid rock by a group of more than 2,000 public volunteers.According to a report by the Associated Press, this unusual public…
A scientific paper describing a previously unknown group of rove beetles has produced an unusual meeting point between taxonomy and popular culture. Researchers have introduced a new beetle genus named Luffy, borrowing the name of Monkey D. Luffy, the central character from the long-running manga and anime series One Piece. While the choice may appear…
A worker ant of the species Temnothorax nylanderi infected with the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis, recognizable by its yellowish coloration, alongside an uninfected worker (Credit: Susanne Foitzik) Deep inside the damp leaf litter of the Lenneberg Forest near Mainz, Germany, tiny worker ants of the species Temnothorax nylanderi are living surprisingly long lives. While a normal…
From a great distance, the planet could easily give the wrong first impression. Seen in visible light, it appears as a rich blue world, bringing to mind the familiar colour of Earth as viewed from orbit. Yet the resemblance ends almost immediately. Instead of oceans reflecting sunlight, this distant planet is wrapped in an atmosphere…
Hand reaching into a mosquito enclosure. Credit: Credit: Edwin Remsberg / University of Maryland Low-income urban neighbourhoods in Baltimore and Washington, DC, have higher mosquito numbers partly because of the types of trees growing on their streets and in empty lots, according to new research published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.The study, co-authored by…
