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Categories: Ecology: Endangered Species, Mathematics: Puzzles
Published Effectiveness of video gameplay restrictions questioned in new study


Legal restrictions placed on the amount of time young people in China can play video games may be less effective than originally thought, a new study has revealed.
Published Researchers identify peptides for pollen tube growth in rice



Rapid alkalinization factors (RALFs) are required for pollen tube germination and elongation, an essential process in plant fertilization. But their role in monocot plants remains unexplored. Scientists have now identified OsRALF17 and OsRALF19 in rice and determined their functions in pollen tube germination and growth. This study provides novel insights into the role of RALFs in rice fertilization, paving the way for enhanced grain yield.
Published The oldest and fastest evolving moss in the world might not survive climate change



A 390-million-year-old moss called Takakia lives in some of Earth's most remote places, including the icy cliffs of the Tibetan Plateau. In a decade-long project, a team of scientists climbed some of the tallest peaks in the world to find Takakia, sequence its DNA for the first time, and study how climate change is impacting the moss. Their results show that Takakia is one of the fastest evolving species ever studied -- but it likely isn't evolving fast enough to survive climate change.
Published Kordofan giraffes face local extinction if poaching continues



Poaching of two Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffes per year could result in extinction in just 15 years within Cameroon's Bénoué National Park without intervention.
Published Social media algorithms exploit how humans learn from their peers


In prehistoric societies, humans tended to learn from members of our ingroup or from more prestigious individuals, as this information was more likely to be reliable and result in group success. However, with the advent of diverse and complex modern communities -- and especially in social media -- these biases become less effective. For example, a person we are connected to online might not necessarily be trustworthy, and people can easily feign prestige on social media. Now, a group of social scientists describe how the functions of social media algorithms are misaligned with human social instincts meant to foster cooperation, which can lead to large-scale polarization and misinformation.
Published Researchers are using monkey poop to learn how an endangered species chooses its mates



Northern muriquis, which live in the Atlantic forest of Brazil, are one of the most endangered species of monkey in the world. To better understand what goes on in the mating lives of muriquis, researchers turned to the monkeys' poop to help gain insight into how the primates choose their mates.
Published Sea level rise shifts habitat for endangered Florida Keys species



A newly published study describes the response to sea level rise by the silver rice rat, an endangered species only found in the Florida Keys.
Published Scientists uncover a surprising connection between number theory and evolutionary genetics


An interdisciplinary team of mathematicians, engineers, physicists, and medical scientists has uncovered an unexpected link between pure mathematics and genetics, that reveals key insights into the structure of neutral mutations and the evolution of organisms.
Published Why you shouldn't declaw tigers or other big cats



Researchers looked at the effects of declawing on larger cat species and found that declawing disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren.
Published Scientists vacuum animal DNA from air in a Danish forest



Over 60 animal species in three days. That is how many mammals, birds and amphibians researchers found DNA traces from in the air in a Danish forest. The results can pave the way for a new and innovative way of mapping biodiversity.
Published Fast electrical signals mapped in plants with new bioelectronic technology



What happens inside the carnivorous plant Venus Flytrap when it catches an insect? New technology has led to discoveries about the electrical signalling that causes the trap to snap shut. Bioelectronic technology enables advanced research into how plants react to their surroundings, and to stress.
Published Aphids make tropical milkweed less inviting to monarch butterflies



When oleander aphids infested tropical milkweed, monarch butterflies laid fewer eggs on the plant, and the caterpillars developing on those plants were slower to mature.
Published Climate change threatens 771 endangered plant and lichen species



All plants and lichens listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act are sensitive to climate change but there are few plans in place to address this threat directly, according to new research.
Published Global wildlife trade risks altering evolutionary history and ecosystem function, study suggests



Some of the world's most distinct and ancient animal species, which play crucial roles in our planet's ecosystems, are exploited for the wildlife trade across large parts of the world, according to new research.
Published Genetic study reveals that a captive-bred population could save endangered crocodile from extinction



Performing a genetic evaluation on the largest captive-bred population of the critically endangered Orinoco crocodile, researchers have revealed that the population preserves much of its founder diversity and no inbreeding, making it suitable for implementing wild releases. Since this species is almost extinct in the wild, the news brings hope for the recovery of populations.
Published Arctic terns may navigate climate dangers



Arctic terns -- which fly on the longest migrations of any animal on Earth -- may be able to navigate the dangers posed by climate change, new research suggests.
Published Discovery of key genetic sequence essential for plant reproduction



Researchers have identified a genetic sequence that is essential for plant reproduction. As this region is found in all plant species, it is expected to contribute to future crossbreeding initiatives and help solve the important problem of seed formation defects.
Published Soil microbes help plants cope with drought, but not how scientists thought



In a multi-generation experiment, researchers found microbes helped plants cope with drought, but not in response to plants' cries for help. Instead, the environment itself selected for drought-tolerant microbes. And while those hardy microbes were doing their thing, they just happened to make plants more drought-tolerant, too.
Published Forgotten tropical plants rediscovered after 100-plus years with the help of community science



Deep in the tropical Andes, a genus called Nasa harbored elusive and forgotten plant species. Through the collaborative efforts of botanists and citizen scientists on iNaturalist, these plants have been rediscovered after decades, some even after more than a century.
Published Spurge purge: Plant fossils reveal ancient South America-to-Asia 'escape route'



Newly identified plant fossils found in Argentina suggest that a group of spurges long thought to have Asian origins may have first appeared in Gondwanan South America.