A new study reveals that the majority of Earth’s species stem from a few evolutionary explosions, where new traits or habitats sparked rapid diversification. From flowers to birds, these bursts explain most of the planet’s biodiversity.
Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need — Colonies grew 15-fold
Scientists have developed a breakthrough food supplement that could help save honeybees from devastating declines. By engineering yeast to produce six essential sterols found in pollen, researchers provided bees with a nutritionally complete diet that boosted reproduction up to 15-fold. Unlike commercial substitutes that lack key nutrients, this supplement mimics...
The Rise of Plant Life Changed How Rivers Move, Study Shows
Research reveals that unvegetated meandering rivers can geologically masquerade as braided rivers, suggesting they were much more common in the first 90 percent of Earth’s history than previously thought.
Ecology Professor Explores How and Why Forests Change
Almost everything Nina Wurzburger does — at least in terms of research — relates to forests.
Nature Could Be an Effective Self-Help Tool for Improving Mental Health
Engaging with nature could be an effective measure for those with low wellbeing to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Hidden venom divide in Australia’s deadliest snake raises urgent treatment questions
Scientists have uncovered a startling split in the venom of Australia’s Eastern Brown Snake. In the south, bites cause rock-solid blood clots, while in the north, they trigger flimsy clots that collapse almost instantly. This hidden divide means current antivenoms, made from pooled venom of uncertain origin, may not work...
Ozone recovery could trigger 40% more global warming than predicted
As the ozone layer recovers, it’s also intensifying global warming. Researchers predict that by 2050, ozone will rank just behind carbon dioxide as a driver of heating, offsetting many of the benefits from banning CFCs.
140,000-year-old skeleton shows earliest interbreeding between humans and Neanderthals
Scientists have uncovered the world s earliest fossil showing both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens features: a five-year-old child from Israel s Skhul Cave dating back 140,000 years. This discovery pushes back the timeline of human interbreeding, proving that Neanderthals and modern humans were already mixing long before Europe s later...
Ancient fossil discovery in Ethiopia rewrites human origins
In the deserts of Ethiopia, scientists uncovered fossils showing that early members of our genus Homo lived side by side with a newly identified species of Australopithecus nearly three million years ago. These finds challenge the old idea of a straight evolutionary ladder, revealing instead a tangled web of ancient...
The 8,000-Year History of Great Salt Lake and Its Watershed Is Recorded in Sediments
Over the past 8,000 years, Utah’s Great Salt Lake has been sensitive to changes in climate and water inflow.