California sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century, with only a small number surviving along the central coast.
Climate Change: Fungal Disease Endangers Wheat Production
Climate change poses a threat to yields and food security worldwide, with plant diseases as one of the main risks.
Climate Change Threatens Older Elephants Most, Jeopardizing African Elephants’ Future
A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which runs the world’s largest field conservation program, has conducted first-of-its kind research into how global climate change affects African elephants.
Discovery of a third RNA virus linage in extreme environments Jan 17, 2024
A research group has discovered a novel RNA viral genome from microbes inhabiting a high-temperature acidic hot spring. Their study shows that RNA viruses can live in high-temperature environments (70-80 degrees Celsius), where no RNA viruses have been observed before. In addition to the two known RNA virus kingdoms, a...
Trees struggle to ‘breathe’ as climate warms
Trees are struggling to sequester heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) in warmer, drier climates, meaning that they may no longer serve as a solution for offsetting humanity's carbon footprint as the planet continues to warm, according to a new study.
Pollutants From Aerosols and River Run-Off are Changing the Marine Phosphorus Cycle in Coastal Seas
New research into the marine phosphorus cycle is deepening our understanding of the impact of human activities on ecosystems in coastal seas.
Death Toll Shows Extreme Air Pollution Events a Growing Urban Threat
New Curtin University-led research has estimated that 1454 avoidable deaths (one person every five days) occurred in Australian capital cities in the past 20 years because of fine particle air pollution from extreme events such as bushfires and dust storms, wood-heater smoke or industrial accidents.
Timber Efficiencies Could Help Ease Nation’s Housing Crisis
University of Queensland researchers have found improving timber production efficiencies by just 5% could unlock supply for an extra 8,000 homes to be built in Australia each year.
When and how immune cells decide to form pathogen memories
During infection, reversible switch permits flexible formation of memory T cells, long-lived blood cells that can remember pathogen encounters and respond upon reinfection.
Neanderthals and humans lived side by side in Northern Europe 45,000 years ago
Archaeologists have debated whether Neanderthals or modern humans made stone tools that are found at sites across northern Europe and date from about 40,000 years ago. A new excavation at one site in Germany turned up 45,000-year-old bone fragments that, when analyzed for mitochondrial DNA, proved to be from Homo...