Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature
Published

Introducing co-cultures: When co-habiting animal species share culture      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cooperative hunting, resource sharing, and using the same signals to communicate the same information -- these are all examples of cultural sharing that have been observed between distinct animal species. In a new article, researchers introduce the term 'co-culture' to describe cultural sharing between animal species. These relationships are mutual and go beyond one species watching and mimicking another species' behavior -- in co-cultures, both species influence each other in substantial ways.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Wild plants and crops don't make great neighbors, research finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Native plants and non-native crops do not fare well in proximity to one another, attracting pests that spread diseases in both directions, according to two new studies.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology
Published

Pumpkin disease not evolving, could make a difference for management      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The pathogen that causes bacterial spot is very good at what it does. Forming small lesions on the rinds of pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, and other cucurbits, it mars the fruits' appearance and ushers in secondary pathogens that lead to rot and severe yield loss. The bacterium, Xanthomonas cucurbitae, is so successful that it has had no reason to evolve through time or space.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature
Published

Not so simple: Mosses and ferns offer new hope for crop protection      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Mosses, liverworts, ferns and algae may offer an exciting new research frontier in the global challenge of protecting crops from the threat of disease.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Wolves' return has had only small impact on deer populations in NE Washington      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Wolves returned to Washington state in 2008. A new study shows that, despite their rising numbers, wolves are not having much of an impact on white-tailed deer, one of their primary prey. Scientists report that the biggest factor shaping white-tailed deer populations in northeast Washington is the quality of habitat available, which is largely determined by human activity. Cougars were second in their impact. Wolves were a distant third.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Tackling the challenge of coca plant ID: Wild vs cultivated for cocaine      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new paper reveals that it's not as straightforward as it might seem. Despite decades of data collection by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has been valuable to monitor changes in areas occupied by illegal coca plantations in South America, there is no reliable scientific method to distinguish between different types of coca plants.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Botany Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Archaeologists report earliest evidence for plant farming in east Africa      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A trove of ancient plant remains excavated in Kenya helps explain the history of plant farming in equatorial eastern Africa, a region long thought to be important for early farming but where scant evidence from actual physical crops has been previously uncovered.

Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

How a plant app helps identify the consequences of climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has developed an algorithm that analyses observational data from a plant identification app. The novel approach can be used to derive ecological patterns that could provide valuable information about the effects of climate change on plants.

Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Ancient large kangaroo moved mainly on four legs, according to new research      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A type of extinct kangaroo that lived during the Pleistocene around two and a half million to ten thousand years ago, known as the 'giant wallaby', was a poor hopper, a study has found.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Study projects major changes in North Atlantic and Arctic marine ecosystems due to climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research predicts significant shifts in marine fish communities in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans as a result of climate warming.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals
Published

Brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolution trend      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The largest animals do not have proportionally bigger brains -- with humans bucking this trend -- a new study has revealed.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology
Published

Not so selfish after all: Viruses use freeloading genes as weapons      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Certain pieces of DNA have been labeled as 'selfish genetic elements' due to notions that they don't contribute to a host organism's survival. Instead, researchers have now discovered that these elements have been weaponized and play a crucial role by cutting off a competitor's ability to reproduce.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Study illuminates cues algae use to 'listen' to their environment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows how a small group of single-celled algae are able to use chemical cues to communicate stress information. Understanding this ability, once thought unique to plants, helps illuminate the complex evolutionary history of plants and algae.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Nature
Published

AI-powered study explores under-studied female evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pioneering AI-powered research on butterflies has probed the under-studied evolution of females and adds to a debate between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

Anthropology: General Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: General
Published

The evidence is mounting: humans were responsible for the extinction of large mammals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Human hunting, not climate change, played a decisive role in the extinction of large mammals over the last 50,000 years. This conclusion comes from researchers who reviewed over 300 scientific articles from many different fields of research.