Agronomists question statistical methods used to predict yield potential and 'yield gaps' for major crops. In some cases, yield potential is overestimated, while in others it can be underestimated. It's important to have accurate information so that worldwide agriculture can meet the food demands of the growing global population.
Eight or more drinks per week linked to signs of injury in the brain
Heavy drinkers who have eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of brain lesions called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, signs of brain injury that are associated with memory and thinking problems, according to a new study.
Sink or Swim: The fate of sinking tectonic plates depends on their ancient tectonic histories
New findings provide a greater understanding of plate subduction, or how tectonic plates slide beneath one another. This recycling of surface materials and volatile elements deep into the Earth's interior, can impact long-term climate stability, atmospheric balance, and the habitability of our planet over billions of years.
Prehistoric rhinos lived in super-herds
Rhinos that flourished across much of North America 12 million years ago gathered in huge herds, according to a new study.
Mammoth genetic diversity throughout the last million years
A new genomic study has uncovered long-lost genetic diversity in mammoth lineages spanning over a million years, providing new insights into the evolutionary history of these animals.
Mediterranean hunter gatherers navigated long-distance sea journeys well before the first farmers
Evidence shows that hunter-gatherers were crossing at least 100 kilometers (km) of open water to reach the Mediterranean island of Malta 8,500 years ago, a thousand years before the arrival of the first farmers.
Starch-based microplastics could cause health risks in mice
Wear and tear on plastic products releases small to nearly invisible plastic particles, which could impact people's health when consumed or inhaled. To make these particles biodegradable, researchers created plastics from plant starch instead of petroleum. An initial study shows how animals consuming particles from this alternative material developed health...
Life recovered rapidly at site of dino-killing asteroid: A hydrothermal system may have helped
About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the planet, wiping out all non-avian dinosaurs and about 70% of all marine species. But the crater it left behind in the Gulf of Mexico was a literal hotbed for life enriching the overlying ocean for at least 700,000 years, according...
What’s on the menu for Ryukyu’s minute mammals?
Japan's Ryukyu Islands, which includes Okinawa, are the exclusive home to two rare mammals, the Amami rabbit and Ryukyu long-furred rat. These animals are hard to observe, but conservationists wish to find out specific details about their diets. So researchers inspected the teeth from deceased specimens to find out what...
New research finds fluorescence in feathers of long-eared owls
Researchers report their discovery of fluorescent pigments in the feathers of Long-eared Owls, that can only be seen by humans with the help of ultraviolet light.