Scientists who are trying to save species at the brink of extinction are finding help in an unexpected place. Researchers increasingly are embracing the power of ancient DNA from old museum specimens to answer questions about climate change, habitat loss and other stresses on surviving populations.
Read moreThe rise of dark forms of many species of moth in heavily polluted areas of 19th and 20th century Britain, known as industrial melanism, was a highly visible response to environmental change. But did the different species rely on the same gene to adapt? New research by the University of Liverpool reveals that three species of moth, including the famous peppered moth, indeed did.
Read moreOffshore mussel farm sites need to have the right temperature, food availability, and the right currents. According to a study, several suitable locations can be found off the Northeastern US.
Read moreScientists have developed a model that could help foresters predict which nonnative insect invasions will be most problematic. This could help managers decide where to allocate resources to avoid widespread tree death.
Read moreNew research shows that ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases. The small insects secrete antibiotics from glands in the body. On their legs and body, they also host colonies of bacteria that secrete antibiotics. It is probably these substances that inhibit a number of different diseases and researchers now hope to find biological pesticides that may conquer resistant plant diseases.
Read moreTwo new symbiotic porcelain crab species have been described. One of them, from the South China Sea of Vietnam, inhabits the compact tube-like shelters built by the polychaete worm with other organisms. The other inhabits the intertidal vermetid snail formations in the Colombian Caribbean.
Read moreOaks have a complex evolutionary history that has long eluded scientists. New research, however, provides the most detailed account to date of the evolution of oaks, recovering the 56-million-year history that has made the oaks one of the most diverse, abundant and important woody plant groups to the ecology and economy of the northern hemisphere.
Read moreA computational analysis has identified key regions in the United States where model-based predictions of mosquito species distribution could be improved.
Read moreAmong birds, the practice of laying eggs in other birds' nests is surprisingly common. This phenomenon, known as brood parasitism, was unknown in coral reef fish because most marine fish don't provide any parental care at all. Now, however, biologists studying an unusual kind of coral reef fish that does care for its young have found that, sure enough, other fish are taking advantage of this to get free parental care for their offspring.
Read moreA recent study explores whether right whale mother-calf pairs change their vocalizations to keep predators from detecting them.
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