https://phys.org/biology-news/ en-us Read the latest science news from Phys.org on biology, evolution, microbiology, biotechnology A study has found concerning new evidence of long-term declines in coral reef fish around highly visited inshore islands of the Great Barrier Reef. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-coral-reef-fish-recover-great.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:23:03 EST news650222581 Colors are widely used in communication within and among animal species. For example, peacocks proudly display their vibrant tails, adorned with iridescent eyespots, to attract peahens for courtship. This is a classic example of sexual selection using color signaling. Conspicuous colors are also displayed by toxic animal species, including many venomous snakes and the brilliantly colored poison frogs of Central and South America, as a warning to potential predators. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-vision-animals-million-year-explosion.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:07:03 EST news650221621 More than 40 monkeys were on the loose Thursday in a small US town after escaping a research facility, with authorities warning residents to keep their doors and windows closed. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-town-monkeys-facility.html Plants & Animals Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:10:19 EST news650218209 The crucian carp (Carassius auratus) is a common freshwater fish species in China, and its aquaculture mainly depends on excellent varieties through artificial breeding. The hybrid strain derived from Carassius cuvieri (♀) × C. auratus red var. (♂) (HFJ) and the new homodiploid crucian carp-like strain derived from Cyprinus carpio (♀) × Megalobrama amblycephala (♂) (NCRC) are important germplasm sources of crucian carp. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-team-population-genetic-characteristics-hybrid.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:59:03 EST news650217541 A new field study of arachnid hunting behavior has shown that spiders forage for prey rich in specific nutrients, and their preferences depend on the individual spider's species, life stage and sex. The results suggest that it may be possible to link spider predation to pest control in famers' fields if the various arachnid species can be encouraged to selectively hunt troublesome insects. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-spiders-forage-prey-rich-specific.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:39:40 EST news650216376 The radiation levels experienced by the frogs living in Chernobyl have not affected their age or their rate of aging. These two traits do not differ, in fact, between specimens captured in areas with high levels of radiation and those living in control areas without radiation. Nor have differences been found in the levels of corticosterone, a hormone associated with the response to stress, depending on the radiation received by these amphibians. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chernobyl-frogs-exposed-aging-stress.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:35:17 EST news650216113 What if we could keep an eye on nature 24/7 without constantly being there? Researchers at the University of Amsterdam Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) have teamed up with Waternet in a nature reserve in the Dutch coastal dunes to do just that. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-advancing-biodiversity-network-automated-wildlife.html Ecology Biotechnology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:21:03 EST news650215261 Plastic debris can break down into smaller particles due to different environmental factors, and become micro-nanoplastics (MNPs). Foliar accumulation of MNPs in leafy crops could negatively affect plant productivity and nutritional value and therefore poses a direct threat to plants. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-accumulation-polystyrene-nanoplastics-poses-threats.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:20:10 EST news650215201 The densely-populated island of Luzon is home to over half of the Philippines' population, many of whom consume shellfish on a regular basis. An international team of scientists has just confirmed the presence there of two species of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms capable of producing a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause severe sickness and memory loss. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-amnesia-diatoms-luzon-shellfish-farms.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:58:05 EST news650213882 Mirroring the mechanisms that make human faces and bodies—and those of many multicellular organisms—symmetrical, bee colonies build symmetrical nests when they are placed on either side of a double-sided comb. The finding, published in Current Biology, extends examples of symmetry in biology to the behavior of communities and the architectural structures that they build. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-symmetry-biology-bees-mirroring-patterns.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:51:15 EST news650213472 A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has developed an AI tool that traces back the most recent places you have been to. The tool acts like a satellite navigation system, but instead of guiding you to your hotel, it identifies the geographical source of microorganisms. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gps-microorganisms-forensic.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:43:04 EST news650212982 Raspberry production faces many challenges, including pests. To reduce the use of chemical pesticides, it is essential to find environmentally friendly control methods. Now, researchers at NIBIO are studying how sprinkling with water can reduce the pressure from spider mites. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-sprinkling-effective-spider-mites-raspberry.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:39:04 EST news650212742 University of Maryland entomologists have uncovered a unique relationship between two species of fungi known for their ability to invade, parasitize and kill insects efficiently. Instead of violently competing for the spoils of war, the two fungi peacefully cooperate and share their victims. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-insect-fungi-unexpected-harmony-war.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:36:04 EST news650212562 Most research on plant stem cells focuses on the tips of roots and shoots, where growth occurs in height. But biologist Kirsten Ten Tusscher from Utrecht University explains that thickness growth is just as essential. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-uncovers-thickness-growth-mechanisms.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:30:04 EST news650212201 The more a plant species invests in defense, the less potential it has for growth, according to a new study. Research made possible by open science provides new insights into plant adaptation and interspecies variation. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-defense-growth-allocate-resources.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EST news650190482 As bird populations dwindle across the globe, a new study from University of Vermont researchers suggests some species may be more flexible to habitat changes than previously understood, creating new opportunities for supporting populations through city planting efforts. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-space-substitutions-exaggerate-habitatbird-ecological.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:10:02 EST news650206650 Programmed cell death-1, or PD-1, has become a headline-grabbing molecule best known for its role in cancer immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors. A study from Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers is offering an improved understanding of why these inhibitors work—and how to make them effectively fight cancer for more patients. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-physical-affects-cancer-treatment-explores.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:27:05 EST news650204821 The ability to genetically engineer plants is largely thanks to a microscopic helper: a bacterium called Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Agrobacterium in the wild causes damaging tumors in flowering plants, including some economically important crops, but its ability to insert its own DNA into host plants is what makes it both a pest to farmers and a powerful tool for biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-method-biofuel-bioproduct.html Biotechnology Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:08:05 EST news650203682 The cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove have been placed under quarantine on Wednesday in light of an uninvited and unwelcome visitor: the oriental fruit fly, an invasive pest that attacks over 230 crops including fruits, nuts and vegetables. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-invasive-fruit-fly-species-southern.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:30:01 EST news650200922 Genes contain instructions for making proteins, and a central dogma of biology is that this information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. But only two percent of the human genome actually encodes proteins; the function of the remaining 98% remains largely unknown. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-rna-crispr-reveals-hundreds-noncoding.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:01 EST news650193702 Killer whales off Canada's Atlantic coast continue to be contaminated with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals that put them at elevated risk of severe immune-system and reproductive problems, a recent McGill-led study has found. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-atlantic-killer-whales-dangerously-high.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:54:04 EST news650199242 The brain is a marvel of efficiency, honed by thousands of years of evolution so it can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Yet, despite decades of research, the mystery of how the brain achieves this has remained elusive. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-brains-fruit-flies-monkeys-scientists.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:34:29 EST news650194465 "How is plant growth controlled?" and "What is the basis of variation in stress tolerance in plants?" were among the 125 most challenging scientific questions, according to the journal Science in 2016. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scientists-reveal-strigolactone-perception-mechanism.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:30:38 EST news650194234 Teams of mountaineering mice are helping advance understanding into how evolutionary adaptation to localized conditions can enable a single species to thrive across diverse environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mountaineering-mice-evolutionary.html Plants & Animals Evolution Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:21:03 EST news650193661 By studying changes in gene expression, researchers learn how cells function at a molecular level, which could help them understand the development of certain diseases. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-causal-theory-effect-relationships-genes.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:20:38 EST news650193632 What gives an Australian finch its brilliantly colored red, yellow or orange bill? A major new study has uncovered the genetic switches controlling these distinctive colors, revealing a key piece in the puzzle of how animals develop their coloration. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-genetic-red-yellow-orange-bills.html Plants & Animals Evolution Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:45:04 EST news650191501 Why is human culture—the shared body of knowledge passed down across generations—so much more powerful than animal cultures? https://phys.org/news/2024-11-evolutionary-anthropologist-hypothesis-humans-dominating.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:00:01 EST news650107581 Forget snakes, it's scorpions Brazilians most need to worry about. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scorpion-population-problem-brazil.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 04:11:22 EST news650175075 In his stone house perched on a hill in northern Ethiopia, Amanuel Hiluf puts on his protective suit, carefully adjusting the hood and gloves. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ethiopia-famed-honeybees-recovery-war.html Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 04:03:39 EST news650174614 Research led by the University of New Hampshire sheds light on how coyotes, North America's most successful predators, are responding to various environmental pressures, including human development, hunting and competition with larger carnivores. Surprisingly, the study's findings suggest that human hunting practices may actually contribute to increasing the number of coyotes. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-coyotes-human-predator-pressures-large.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:30:04 EST news650133001