https://phys.org/biology-news/plants-animals en-us The latest science news on plants and animals 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 A study published in the journal Pest Management Science sheds light on the behavior of gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and explores methods for the targeted delivery of oral contraceptives to control their populations. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gray-squirrel-effective-contraceptive-delivery.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:12:04 EST news650128321 Sleep is one of the most mysterious, yet ubiquitous components of our biology. It has been described in all major groups of animals, including worms, jellyfish, insects or cephalopods, and in all vertebrates, from fish to humans. Common characteristics of sleep include reduced movement, decreased muscle tone, and an increased need for sleep after periods of deprivation, for example after a night out. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-australian-dragon-reveals-link-motor.html Plants & Animals Evolution Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:56:37 EST news650127388 Albatrosses are exceptionally mobile and use the wind to travel hundreds of thousands of miles to feed on squid, fish, or other animals found near the water surface in the open ocean. In fact, some larger species of albatrosses are so reliant on the wind that they struggle to even take off when the conditions are calm. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-reveals-stormy-conditions-affect-albatrosses.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:21:03 EST news650118061 At less than 3mm long, you may not think Dunatothrips aneurae seem like much. And—as I have shown in a new study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology—you'd be absolutely right. That's because these may be the world's laziest insects. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tiny-insects-world-laziest-bugs.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:51:16 EST news650116272 A pair of biologists at the University of Toronto has found that vampire bats are able to burn amino acids as a fuel source similarly to blood-sucking insects. In their study published in the journal Biology Letters, Giulia Rossi and Kenneth Welch coaxed vampire bats in their lab to run on a treadmill as a way to measure their metabolism. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-vampire-metabolism-mirrors-blood-insects.html Plants & Animals Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:56:34 EST news650112982 The weathered UC Davis Marine Laboratory looms in thick fog on the edge of the ocean near Bodega Bay. Inside, an experiment is playing out that gives a badly-needed boost to Northern California's kelp forests—underwater cathedrals of green and gold that nearly vanished from the north coast a decade ago. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-braving-sharks-hordes-urchins-scientists.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:30:01 EST news650107671 Scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), together with partners from the University of Cologne, have discovered a new group of defense substances in barley that are effective against a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens. One exception is the root rot pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana. This fungus neutralizes the defense substances and uses them to grow better. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scientists-arms-barley-fungal-pathogen.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 13:08:03 EST news650034481 Seventeen new species of plant bugs—a group of insects with a strawlike mouth used to feed on plant and animal matter—have been identified on the islands of French Polynesia, and their names honor scientists, actors, and Vice President Kamala Harris. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-bug-species-french-polynesia.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:11:05 EST news650027461 Today's ecologists have more data than ever before to help monitor and understand the world's biodiversity. Yet researchers are still working to get more detailed information to better combat declining animal populations that can eventually lead to species extinctions, says animal ecologist Scott Yanco of the University of Michigan. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-qa-animal-tracking-biodiversity.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:00:01 EST news650010337 Each year, the annual humpback whale migration up and down the East Australian Coastline brings with it a multitude of highs and lows for marine scientists such as Griffith University whale expert, Dr. Olaf Meynecke. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-season-highs-lows-australian-humpback.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:03:35 EST news650023382 Swallows infected with parasites move less and in smaller ranges than healthy ones—with detrimental effects on their foraging success and their survival. As a result, infected individuals foraged in less productive areas, such as cultivated farmland, clearly avoided by their healthy conspecifics. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mini-transmitters-infections-parasites-affect.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:47:05 EST news650018821 A critically endangered Sumatran elephant has been born in Indonesia, officials said Tuesday, another rare birth that has given renewed hope to conservation efforts. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-critically-endangered-sumatran-elephant-calf.html Plants & Animals Tue, 05 Nov 2024 03:55:26 EST news650001321 The fastest animal on land is the cheetah, capable of reaching top speeds of 104 kilometers per hour. In the water, the fastest animals are yellowfin tuna and wahoo, which can reach speeds of 75 and 77 km per hour respectively. In the air, the title of the fastest level flight (excluding diving) goes to the white-throated needletail swift, at more than 112 km per hour. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-big-small-modern-humans-ideal.html Plants & Animals Evolution Sat, 02 Nov 2024 15:20:01 EDT news649592697 A squirrel named Peanut who was propelled to the heights of internet celebrity has been euthanized, New York authorities said Friday, biting a government staffer on the way out. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-nuts-ny-authorities-euthanize-instagram.html Plants & Animals Sat, 02 Nov 2024 06:45:15 EDT news649748711 Wilting flowers might not signal poor flower or plant health, but rather the effects of a sophisticated resource management strategy in plants, millions of years in the making. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-wilt-energy.html Plants & Animals Sat, 02 Nov 2024 05:00:01 EDT news649680808