Trading energy for safety, bees extend legs to stay stable in wind
New research shows some bees brace themselves against wind and turbulence by extending their sturdy hind legs while flying. But this approach comes at a steep cost, increasing aerodynamic drag and the...
View ArticleScientists unravel the mystery of white-nose syndrome
The mysterious disease that has killed more than 90 percent of wintering bats in some caves and mines from Vermont to Virginia during the last three years has raised numerous questions about the nature...
View ArticleBiologists consider unifying framework to explain evolutionary puzzles
Birds are commonly thought of as being the paragon of monogamous fidelity, staying true to their mate for life. Yet, in most bird species, some nests contain offspring of individuals other than the...
View ArticleBiologist discovers pink-winged moth in Chiracahua Mountains
University of Arizona biologist Bruce Walsh has identified a new species of moth in southern Arizona. Normally, this is not a big deal. The region is one of the most biologically rich areas in the...
View ArticleWhat do toad toes show? Plenty, says ASU biologist
(PhysOrg.com) -- Brian Sullivan has been clipping toes from toads since the early 1980s. It’s not some type of strange hobby, and he releases the toads back into their habitat along the Agua Fria River...
View ArticleBirds with a nose for a difference
Avoidance of inbreeding is evident amongst humans, and has been demonstrated in some shorebirds, mice and sand lizards. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology now...
View ArticleInbred bumblebees less successful
Declining bumblebee populations are at greater risk of inbreeding, which can trigger a downward spiral of further decline. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology have...
View ArticleBattle of the sexes benefits offspring, says research
Parents compensate for a lazy partner by working harder to bring up their offspring, but not enough to completely make up for the lack of parenting, says research by bird biologists at the University...
View ArticleNew theory on why male, female lemurs same size
When it comes to investigating mysteries, Sherlock Holmes has nothing on Rice University biologist Amy Dunham. In a newly published paper, Dunham offers a new theory for one of primatology's...
View ArticleNot Only Dogs, but Deer, Monkeys and Birds Bark to Deal with Conflict
(PhysOrg.com) -- Biologically speaking, many animals besides dogs bark, according to Kathryn Lord at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, but the evolutionary biologist also says domestic dogs...
View ArticleProfessor hatches century-old eggs to study evolution
(PhysOrg.com) -- Suspending a life in time is a theme that normally finds itself in the pages of science fiction, but now such ideas have become a reality in the annals of science.
View ArticleAustralia discovered by the 'Southern Route'
Genetic research indicates that Australian Aborigines initially arrived via south Asia. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology have found telltale mutations in...
View ArticleResearchers Find Key 'Conductor' of Nature's Synchronicity
(PhysOrg.com) -- Synchronicity in nature is seen in beating hearts, the flashing of fireflies' lights, the ebb and flow of infectious disease—and the simultaneous rise and fall of populations across...
View ArticleMaternal, paternal genes' tug-of-war may last well into childhood
(PhysOrg.com) -- An analysis of rare genetic disorders in which children lack some genes from one parent suggests that maternal and paternal genes engage in a subtle tug-of-war well into childhood, and...
View ArticleBizarre walking bat has ancient heritage
A bizarre New Zealand bat that is as much at home walking four-legged on the ground as winging through the air had an Australian ancestor 20 million years ago with the same rare ability, a new study...
View ArticleNaming evolution's winners and losers
(PhysOrg.com) -- Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among evolution's "winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among the losers,...
View ArticleRound Goby invade Great Lakes
Canadian scientists uncover alarming invasion of round goby into Great Lakes tributaries: impact on endangered fishes likely to be serious.
View ArticleScientists identify gene that makes water striders glide across water
(PhysOrg.com) -- Water striders, the familiar semi-aquatic bugs gliding across the lake at the cottage, have a novel body form that allows them to walk on water. This was not always the case. Achieving...
View ArticleEvolution of the appendix: A biological 'remnant' no more
The lowly appendix, long-regarded as a useless evolutionary artifact, won newfound respect two years ago when researchers at Duke University Medical Center proposed that it actually serves a critical...
View ArticleMice living in sandy hills quickly evolved lighter coloration
In a vivid illustration of natural selection at work, scientists at Harvard University have found that deer mice living in Nebraska's Sand Hills quickly evolved lighter coloration after glaciers...
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