A study in the Cascade Range in Oregon of a tiny, elusive skunk found the animal can cover more ground than deer and is sensitive to climate change, particularly severe winter weather.
Seven new frog species discovered in Madagascar: Sounds like something from Star Trek
Researchers have discovered seven new species of tree frogs that make otherworldly calls in the rainforests of Madagascar. Their strange, high-pitched whistling calls sound more like sound effects from the sci-fi series Star Trek. As a result, the researchers have named the new species after seven of the series' most...
Scientists have successfully bred corals to improve their heat tolerance
A new study has shown that selective breeding can lead to a modest rise in coral heat tolerance. The study documents the world s first effort to selectively breed adult corals for enhanced heat tolerance, i.e. the ability of adult corals to survive intense marine heatwaves. The breeding effort was...
Let there be light: Bright future for solar panels, TV screens and more
From brighter TV screens to better medical diagnostics and more efficient solar panels, new research has discovered how to make more molecules stick to the surface of tiny nanocrystals, in a breakthrough that could lead to improvements in everyday technology.
Traces of ancient immigration patterns to Japan found in 2000-year-old genome
A joint research group has demonstrated that the majority of immigration to the Japanese Archipelago in the Yayoi and Kofun periods (between 3000 BCE and 538 CE) came from the Korean Peninsula. The researchers analyzed the complete genome of a 'Yayoi' individual and found that, among the non-Japanese populations, the...
Dance, gibbon, dance!
Female crested gibbons display jerky, almost geometric patterns of movement. Researchers have studied these conspicuous movements, which are comparable to human dances. They describe the structure of the dances, their rhythm and the contexts in which the dances occur.
How did the building blocks of life arrive on Earth?
Researchers have used the chemical fingerprints of zinc contained in meteorites to determine the origin of volatile elements on Earth. The results suggest that without 'unmelted' asteroids, there may not have been enough of these compounds on Earth for life to emerge.
Genomic study identifies human, animal hair in ‘man-eater’ lions’ teeth
Scientists analyzed hairs extracted from the broken teeth of two 19th century 'man-eater' lions. Their analysis revealed DNA from giraffe, human, oryx, waterbuck, wildebeest and zebra as prey, along with hairs that originated from the lions.
Scientists cut harmful pollution from hydrogen engines
Scientists have discovered a low-cost method to significantly reduce this pollution from hydrogen internal combustion engines by improving the efficiency of their catalytic converters. The researchers found that infusing platinum in catalytic converters with a highly porous material called Y zeolites greatly enhances the reactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrogen,...
How a bunch of seemingly disorganized cells go on to form a robust embryo
Embryo development starts when a single egg cell is fertilized and starts dividing continuously. Initially a chaotic cluster, it gradually evolves into a highly organized structure. Scientists have now provided new insights into the process, emphasizing the critical role of both chaos and order.