Plants & Animals News - Biology news (2024)

What makes voatsiperifery the world's best pepper

The triple Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic has long been raving about its "complex, woody, tangy and spicy nose." It goes particularly well with pigeon, she says, and also with rhubarb and grapefruit.

Plants & Animals

35 minutes ago

Research finds fragrant screw pines are pollinated by sap beetles rather than by wind

Researchers Toru Miyamoto, Ko Mochizuki, and Atsushi Kawakita of the University of Tokyo have discovered the first species pollinated by sap beetles in the genus Pandanus, a group of palm-like plants native to the tropics ...

Plants & Animals

1 hour ago

23

New research could help honeybees fight off their worst enemy

New University of Alberta research could help in the fight against the honeybee's number one enemy—the Varroa mite. Also known as the Varroa destructor, the parasite is a major contributor to annual losses of 30% to 40% ...

Plants & Animals

2 hours ago

7

Research uncovers the neural pathways for primate reciprocity, social support, and empathy

Social interaction is key to survival and reproductive success in primates, including humans. Optimizing outcomes from these encounters requires a calculated approach to cooperation and competition—knowing whom to trust, ...

Plants & Animals

3 hours ago

62

Secrets of the naked mole-rat: New study reveals how their unique metabolism protects them from heart attacks

This unusual, subterranean mammal with extreme longevity shows genetic adaptations to low oxygen environments which could offer opportunities for advancing other areas of physiological and medical research in humans, including ...

Plants & Animals

6 hours ago

74

Australia battles to save last 11 wild 'earless dragons'

Australia's grassland earless dragon is no bigger than a pinkie when it emerges from its shell, but the little lizard faces an enormous challenge in the years ahead: avoiding extinction.

Plants & Animals

7 hours ago

14

Rock-wallabies are 'little Napoleons' when biting, thus compensating for their small size

Australian rock-wallabies are "little Napoleons" when it comes to compensating for small size, packing much more punch into their bite than larger relatives.

Plants & Animals

12 hours ago

1

UK rabbit owners can recognize pain in their pets, study finds

Rabbits are popular family pets, with around 1.5 million in the UK and it is important that owners recognize when their animal is in pain, and know when to seek help to protect their rabbit's welfare. New research by the ...

Plants & Animals

15 hours ago

1

Study assesses geographical patterns and determinants of insect biodiversity in China

A new study titled "Geographical patterns and determinants of insect biodiversity in China" and published in Science China Life Sciences has been led by Prof. Fuwen Wei (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and ...

Plants & Animals

19 hours ago

7

Behavior of ant queens found to be shaped by their social environments

The queens in colonies of social insects, such as ants, bees, and wasps, are considered the veritable embodiment of specialization in the animal kingdom.

Plants & Animals

19 hours ago

120

Solar eclipse could scramble bird behavior

On April 8, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will race across North America. At the same time, researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners will be hurrying to measure the impact of daytime darkness on ...

Plants & Animals

21 hours ago

16

Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge

Named for its ropy-looking long branches, Aplysina cauliformis, a coral reef sponge, provides a critical 3D habitat for marine organisms and helps to stabilize the foundation of coral reefs. However, these upright-branching ...

Plants & Animals

21 hours ago

96

Two coral snakes recorded battling for prey in a scientific first

Two red-tailed coral snakes have been observed competing over a caecilian in the first documented wild case of kleptoparasitism within the family Elapidae.

Plants & Animals

22 hours ago

428

Coral research finds bleaching impedes reproduction and hinders recovery

Bleaching can suppress reproduction in a common coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef, hampering future reef replenishment, new research led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and James Cook University ...

Plants & Animals

22 hours ago

4

Early spring, earlier nesting birds

Did spring arrive early this year? Some people think so. Apparently, some birds do, too. The NestWatch project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology documents when and where birds are nesting.

Plants & Animals

23 hours ago

1

Male and female crab spiders found to 'cooperate' to mimic a flower to fool prey and predators

A pair of environmental scientists at Yunnan University, in China, has found an instance of a pair of spiders, one male, the other female, working together to create the image of a flower, thereby fooling both prey and predators.

Plants & Animals

report

Mar 26, 2024

175

Invasive Pacific oyster proliferation during Blob marine heat wave portends similar events as seas warm

Pacific oysters, non-native to the United States but farmed in the U.S. for aquaculture, are an invasive species. During the Pacific Blob heat wave in the mid-2010s, as sea temperatures in Washington state's Puget Sound rose ...

Plants & Animals

feature

Mar 26, 2024

47

New roadmap to prevent pandemics centers on protecting biodiversity

An international team of 25 scientists has proposed a roadmap for how to prevent the next pandemic by conserving natural areas and promoting biodiversity, thereby providing animals with enough food, safe havens and distance ...

Plants & Animals

Mar 26, 2024

49

Indonesia hunts clues as study suggests Javan tiger may still exist

Indonesia is hunting for more clues that the extinct Javan tiger may still exist in the wild, a government official said Tuesday, after a new study suggested links between a DNA-tested hair and the big cat.

Plants & Animals

Mar 26, 2024

230

Baby gorilla cuddled by mother at London Zoo remains nameless

The newest endangered baby gorilla at the London Zoo is more than six weeks old but doesn't yet have a name. Zookeepers aren't even sure if it's a male or female because they haven't been able to get close enough to examine ...

Plants & Animals

Mar 25, 2024

1