Bumblebees successfully learned a two-step puzzle box task through social observation. This task was too complex for individual bees to learn on their own. Observing trained demonstrator bees performing the first unrewarded step was crucial for successful social learning. Individual bees failed to solve the puzzle without previous demonstration, despite...
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Mapping Chemical Footprints in European Streams
UFZ analysis shows a mix of chemicals that endanger invertebrate organisms in particular.
Glacier Shrinkage Is Causing a “Green Transition”
Glacier-fed streams are undergoing a process of profound change, according to EPFL scientists in a paper appearing in Nature Geoscience.
Hungry Herbivores Threaten Subtropical Seagrass Meadows
Tropical herbivores are on the move and that could spell trouble for subtropical seagrass meadows.
Synthetic gene helps explain the mysteries of transcription across species
'Random DNA' is naturally active in the one-celled fungi yeast, while such DNA is turned off as its natural state in mammalian cells, despite their having a common ancestor a billion years ago and the same basic molecular machinery, a new study finds.
Decoding the language of epigenetic modifications
Epigenetic changes play important roles in cancer, metabolic and aging-related diseases, but also during loss of resilience as they cause the genetic material to be incorrectly interpreted in affected cells. A major study now provides important new insights into how complex epigenetic modification signatures regulate the genome. This study will...
Genetic mutation in a quarter of all Labradors hard-wires them for obesity
New research finds around a quarter of Labrador retriever dogs face a double-whammy of feeling hungry all the time and burning fewer calories due to a genetic mutation.
Understanding Wind and Water at the Equator Key to More Accurate Future Climate Projections
Getting climate models to mimic real-time observations when it comes to warming is critical – small discrepancies can lead to misunderstandings about the rate of global warming as the climate changes.
Sinking land increases risk for thousands of coastal residents by 2050
A new study provides a new comprehensive look at the potential for flooding in a combined 32 cities along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. It predicts as many as 500,000 people will be affected by flooding alongside 1 in 35 privately owned properties within the next three decades, and...
Key advance toward removing common herbicide from groundwater
Chemists are closing in on a new tool for tackling the global problem of weedkiller-tainted groundwater.