In many animals, skin coloration and its patterns play a crucial role in camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation. In the corn snake, some morphs display red, yellow, or pink blotches, and their dorsal spots can merge or turn into stripes. But which genetic and cellular mechanisms determine these colorful patterns? A...
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Female bonobos keep males in check — not with strength, but with solidarity
Female bonobos team up to suppress male aggression against them -- the first evidence of animals deploying this strategy. In 85% of observed coalitions, females collectively targeted males, forcing them into submission and shaping the group's dominance hierarchy. This is the first study to test drivers of female dominance in...
The oldest ant ever discovered found fossilized in Brazil
A 113-million-year-old hell ant that once lived in northeastern Brazil is now the oldest ant specimen known to science, finds a new report. The hell ant, which was preserved in limestone, is a member of Haidomyrmecinae -- an extinct subfamily that only lived during the Cretaceous period. These ants had...
Researchers crack the code of cell movement
Scientists have discovered how chemokines and G protein-coupled receptors selectively bind each other to control how cells move.
Massive Icebergs Once Roamed Off Coast of UK
A new study reveals there was a time when massive icebergs, like the ones we see in Antarctica today, were drifting less than 90 miles off the UK coastline.
Transgene-Free Genome Editing in Poplar Trees: A Step Toward Sustainable Forestry
Gene editing tools like CRISPR are revolutionizing plant science by allowing precise and targeted improvements to plant traits, such as wood quality, disease resistance, or drought tolerance.
New and surprising traction trait in sculpin fish
Researchers discovered tiny features on sculpins' fins which may enable them to cling firmly in harsh underwater environments.
Skeletal evidence of Roman gladiator bitten by lion in combat discovered
Bite marks found on a skeleton discovered in a Roman cemetery in York have revealed the first archaeological evidence of gladiatorial combat between a human and a lion.
Nature accounting in Colombia makes sound economic case for protecting native ecosystems
Paper shares innovative natural capital accounting approach to valuing the benefits of ecosystems in Colombia's Upper Sin Basin to key economic sectors.
Scientists identify potential treatments for emerging zoonotic pathogens
A team of biomedical researchers trained a machine learning algorithm to identify more than two dozen viable treatments for diseases caused by zoonotic pathogens that can jump from animal hosts to infect humans. Scientists used Rhodium software to study bat-borne Nipah and Hendra henipaviruses, which are endemic to some parts...