The glacial relict amphipod Gammaracanthus lacustris only occurs in deep and cold waters. A new study produced new information on the life cycle and ecology of this rare amphipod. G. lacustris is adapted to cold water and would probably not survive in rising water temperatures due to climate change.
Read moreScientists have studied the diversity of tropical parasitoid wasps for years. Parasitoid wasps are among the most species rich animal taxa on Earth, but their tropical diversity is still poorly known. Recently, the research group sampled Afrotropical rhyssine wasps, which are among the largest wasps.
Read moreIdentifying how groups of animals select where to live is important for understanding social dynamics and for management and conservation. In a recent study, researchers examined the movement of a maternity colony of big brown bats as a response to naturally occurring tree loss.
Read moreResearchers recommend additional measures to protect and conserve one of the most iconic Antarctic species — the emperor penguin (Aptenodyptes forsteri).
Read moreDeep beneath the ocean's surface, surprisingly cute pink octopuses creep along the seafloor. Some of them have super warty skin, and some are smooth. Scientists weren't sure if these octopuses were even members of the same species, and they didn't know how to explain the differences in the animals' looks. But a new study shows that the deeper in the ocean the octopuses live, the bumpier their skin and the smaller their bodies.
Read moreIrrigation significantly exacerbated the earthquake-triggered landslides in Palu, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in 2018, according to an international study.
Read moreScientists have demonstrated that not only plant odors determine the best oviposition site for egglaying hawkmoths, but also the frass of other larvae. They specified the repelling substance in the feces which signals the presence of competing conspecifics. Moreover, the researchers identified an odorant receptor which is involved in the detection of the typical smell of larval frass and thereby governs competition avoidance during oviposition.
Read moreNew evidence in Belize shows the ancient Maya responded to population and environmental pressures by creating massive agricultural features in wetlands, potentially increasing atmospheric CO2 and methane through burn events and farming, according to geographical research.
Read moreLimits to growth lie at the heart of how all living things function. The diversity of life is staggering. From microscopic algae to elephants, life has devised countless ways to thrive in every environment on the planet. But while biologists have tended to focus on the many varied forms that species have evolved, the age of 'big data' offers an unprecedented view of some surprisingly common features shared by all creatures, great and small.
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