New research shows that Lesser Goldfinches, a small songbird traditionally found in Southwest USA, are expanding their range northward through the Pacific Northwest at an unprecedented rate, providing insights into how species adapt to environmental change.
Trash talk: As plastic use soars, researchers examine biodegradable solutions
Researchers document a multi-faceted global snapshot of the environmental aspects and trends surrounding single-use plastics in a review article. The researchers state that the largest area of application for biodegradable plastic materials is the packaging segment, which accounts for about half of single-use plastic production.
Activity stabilizes mixtures
Asymmetric interactions between molecules may serve as a stabilizing factor for biological systems. A new model reveals this regulatory role of non-reciprocity. The scientists aim to understand the physical principles based on which particles and molecules are able to form living beings and, eventually, organisms.
Major dust-up for water in the Colorado River
Dust-on-snow is a major threat to water in the Colorado River, yet no snowmelt forecasts integrate dust-accelerated melt. Using pioneering remote sensing techniques, new research is the first to capture how dust impacts the headwaters of the Colorado River system. The new method could help predict the timing and magnitude...
More ticks carry Lyme disease bacteria in pheasant-release areas
Ticks are more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in areas where pheasants are released, new research shows.
The eukaryotic cell emerged as an evolutionary algorithmic phase transition
An international collaboration has published groundbreaking research, shedding light on the most significant increase in complexity in the history of life's evolution on Earth: the origin of the eukaryotic cell.
What if Mother Earth could sue for mistreatment?
The study highlights the transformative potential of the Rights of Nature, which views nature as a rights-bearing entity, not merely an object of regulation and subjugation by extractive industries. The Llurimagua case -- a dispute over a mining concession in Ecuador's cloud forest -- illustrates this approach, providing a unique...
How activity in Earth’s mantle led the ancient ancestors of elephants, giraffes, and humans into Asia and Africa
What roils beneath the Earth's surface may feel a world away, but the activity can help forge land masses that dictate ocean circulation, climate patterns, and even animal activity and evolution. In fact, scientists believe that a plume of hot rocks that burst from the Earth's mantle millions of years...
Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes no difference to muscle building after weight training, study finds
A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein -- plant or animal-based -- make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout...
Unlocking the genetic basis of adaptive evolution: study reveals complex chromosomal rearrangements in a stick insect
Scientists report adaptive divergence in cryptic color pattern is underlain by two distinct, complex chromosomal rearrangements, where millions of bases of DNA were flipped backwards and moved from one part of a chromosome to another, independently in populations of stick insects on different mountains.