Armadillos have long been considered to be the only living mammals that produce protective bony plates. But a new study unexpectedly shows that African spiny mice produce the same structures beneath the skin of their tails, which until now had gone largely undetected.
Where do our limbs come from?
Scientists have uncovered new clues about the origin of paired appendages -- a major evolutionary step that remains unresolved and highly debated.
Engineers create bacteria that can synthesize an unnatural amino acid
Researchers have engineered bacteria to synthesize an amino acid that contains a rare functional group that others have shown to have implications in the regulation of our immune system. The researchers also taught a single bacterial strain to create the amino acid and place it at specific sites within target...
New technique substantially reduces mouse damage to crops even during plagues
A non-toxic method to prevent mice from devouring wheat crops has been shown to drastically reduce seed loss.
Simultaneous atmospheric and marine observations directly beneath a violent, Category 5 typhoon in the North-West Pacific
Scientists have successfully conducted a simultaneous marine and atmospheric measurements at multiple locations directly beneath a violent, Category 5, which is the strongest class, typhoon in the North-West Pacific, before it reached land.
Researchers examine cooling power plants with brackish groundwater
Nontraditional water sources can be deployed to help cope with climate-induced water risks and tackle the increasing water demand for decarbonization of fossil fuel-fired power plants, but that could increase the cost of electricity generation by 8 percent to 10 percent.
Humans are unique but not exceptional species of mammal
Humans appear to resemble mammals that live in monogamous partnerships and to some extent, those classified as cooperative breeders, where breeding individuals have to rely on the help of others to raise their offspring.
Prescribed burns encourage foul-smelling invaders
Though prescribed burns reduce wildfire threats and even improve habitat for some animals, new research shows these fires also spread stinknet, an aptly named weed currently invading superblooms across the Southwestern U.S.
Electronic noses sniff out volatile organic compounds
Tracing volatile organic compounds is important for public safety and all 'smell' related issues. To this end, researchers introduce a fluid mechanics-based chamber design for an electronic nose that consistently detects VOCs at low concentrations. The strategy, which includes using a shunt-like device to control the behavior of fluid flow,...
Identifying the bee’s knees of bumble bee diets
A new study has identified the bee's knees of bumble bee dietary options in Ohio and the Upper Midwest. By viewing almost 23,000 bumble bee-flower interactions over two years, researchers found that these bees don't always settle for the most abundant flowers in their foraging area -- suggesting they have...