New research shows that the oldest ancestors of the group of animals that includes octopuses and vampire squids had not eight but 10 arms. The study, which describes a new species of vampyropod based on a 328-million-year-old fossil that had not been previously described, pushes back the age of the...
Human-induced disease outbreak in animals causes cascading ecological effects
A study that investigated the impacts of a mange outbreak that killed vicunas in a protected area in the Argentine Andes found that it had unique effects on the ecology of the region.
Locally sourced: Pelicans prefer native fish to sportfish at Utah’s strawberry reservoir
American white pelicans who pause their migration at Strawberry Reservoir in Utah are filling their bellies with native species like Utah sucker for the most part, leaving cutthroat trout to the human anglers, according to new research.
Researchers create tool to help protect native fish from hybridizing with non-natives
Researchers have created a tool to assess the risk of hybridization among native and non-native fish, a development that could aid natural resource managers trying to protect threatened or endangered freshwater fish species.
Lead exposure in last century shrank IQ scores of half of Americans, study finds
Researchers calculate that exposure to car exhaust from leaded gas during childhood stole a collective 824 million IQ points from over 170 million Americans alive today, more than half of the population of the United States.
New maps show airplane contrails over the U.S. dropped steeply in 2020
Researchers have generated new maps of jet contrails over the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which show a steep reduction in the area covered by contrails in 2020.
World Trade Center responders at higher risk for blood cancer-associated mutations, study finds
Scientists determined that 9/11 first responders to the World Trade Center have increased levels of mutations that escalate their risk for blood cancers or cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
New study questions explanation for last winter’s brutal U.S. cold snap
A new study challenges a commonly accepted explanation that a 'sudden stratospheric warming' caused the unusually cold weather over the U.S. early last year, a view which was widely reported in the media and discussed among scientists at the time.
Safer, more powerful batteries for electric cars, power grid
A new study tackled a long-held assumption that adding some liquid electrolyte to improve performance would make solid-state batteries unsafe. Instead, the research team found that in many cases solid-state batteries with a little liquid electrolyte were safer than their lithium-ion counterparts. They also found, if the battery were to...
Tiny worms make complex decisions, too
How does an animal make decisions? Scientists have spent decades trying to answer this question by focusing on the cells and connections of the brain that might be involved. Scientists are taking a different approach -- analyzing behavior, not neurons. They were surprised to find that worms can take multiple...