Scientists discover new species of wasp-mimicking praying mantis
Biologists have described a new species of praying mantis that displays the first documented example of conspicuous mimicking of a wasp among praying mantises.
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How plant roots grow hair
The roots of plants can do a lot of things: They grow in length to reach water, they can bend to circumvent stones, and they form fine root hairs enabling them to absorb more nutrients from the soil. A team of researchers has now identified an important regulator of this process.
Read moreArthropods formed orderly lines 480 million years ago
Researchers studied fossilized Moroccan Ampyx trilobites, which lived 480 million years ago and showed that the trilobites had probably been buried in their positions — all oriented in the same direction. Scientists deduced that these Ampyx processions may illustrate a kind of collective behavior adopted in response to cyclic environmental disturbances.
Read moreFirst widespread chytrid fungus infections in frogs of Peruvian Amazon rain forests
Biologists have documented, for the first time, the widespread presence of the notorious chytrid fungus in 80 species of frogs from lowland rain forest sites in the Peruvian Amazon.
Read moreDEET gives humans an 'invisibilty cloak' to fend off mosquito bites
Since its invention during the Second World War for soldiers stationed in countries where malaria transmission rates were high, researchers have worked to pinpoint precisely how DEET actually affects mosquitoes.
Read more3D printed chocolate without temperature control
A new approach to the 3D printing of chocolate using cold extrusion instead of conventional hot-melt extrusion method eliminates the need for stringent temperature controls, offering wider potential for 3D printing temperature-sensitive food.
Read moreEfficient synthesis of ginkgo compound could lead to new drugs, 'green' insecticides
Chemists have invented an efficient method for making a synthetic version of the plant compound bilobalide, which is naturally produced by gingko trees. It's a significant feat because bilobalide — and closely related compounds — hold potential commercial value as medicines and 'green' insecticides.
Read moreOld friends and new enemies: How evolutionary history can predict insect invader impacts
Scientists 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 moreA secret in saliva: Food and germs helped humans evolve into unique member of great apes
Researchers discovered that the human diet — a result of increased meat consumption, cooking and agriculture — has led to stark differences in the saliva of humans compared to that of other primates.
Read moreStudy helps pinpoint what makes species vulnerable to environmental change
Researchers have reported that a bird species' ability to adapt to seasonal temperature changes may be one factor in whether it can better withstand environmental disruption. The researchers studied 135 bird species in the Himalayas and found that species living in the seasonal western Himalayas adapted to the conversion of forests to agricultural land better than birds native to the tropical eastern Himalayas. Results such as these could help conservationists better determine where to focus their efforts.
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