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Categories: Biology: Botany, Ecology: Animals
Published Rainforest's next generation of trees threatened 30 years after logging



Rainforest seedlings are more likely to survive in natural forests than in places where logging has happened -- even if tree restoration projects have taken place, new research shows.
Published Gene flow in giraffes and what it means for their conservation



Giraffes, with their bizarre body plan, have always held a special place in the minds of evolutionary biologists and non-experts alike. In a new study whole-genome sequencing data was used to investigate the evolutionary processes occurring within giraffes. In particular, the authors were interested in establishing whether different populations of giraffes really have been isolated from each other for extended periods of time, which is normally a requirement before new species can arise.
Published Cheetahs' unrivalled speed explained by their 'sweet spot' size, finds Imperial study



A new study has answered a long-held question about why medium-sized land animals like cheetahs tend to be fastest.
Published Anemonefish are better taxonomists than humans



Scientists reveal new lineages of giant sea anemones in Japan and their surprising associations with anemonefish.
Published Evolutionary nature of animal friendships



Biologists present groundbreaking research shedding new light on the evolution of social bonds and cooperation among group-living animals.
Published Mapping the future's sweet spot for clean energy and biodiversity



A new study of Joshua trees, kit foxes and solar energy developments highlights the need to consider climate-induced range shifts for species as we expand clean energy.
Published Reptile roadkill reveals new threat to endangered lizard species



The chance sighting of a dead snake beside a sandy track in remote Western Australia, and the investigation of its stomach contents, has led researchers to record the first known instance of a spotted mulga snake consuming a pygmy spiny-tailed skink, raising concerns for a similar-looking, endangered lizard species.
Published Earth's earliest forest revealed in Somerset fossils



The oldest fossilized forest known on Earth -- dating from 390 million years ago -- has been found in the high sandstone cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast of South West England.
Published Early life adversity leaves long-term signatures in baboon DNA



Early experiences in an animal's life can have a significant impact on its capacity to thrive, even years or decades later, and DNA methylation may help record their effects. In a study of 256 wild baboons, researchers found that resource limitation during early life was associated with many differences in DNA methylation, a small chemical mark on the DNA sequence that can affect gene activity.
Published The world's most prolific CO2-fixing enzyme is slowly getting better



New research has found that rubisco -- the enzyme that fuels all life on Earth -- is not stuck in an evolutionary rut after all. The largest analysis of rubisco ever has found that it is improving all the time -- just very, very slowly. These insights could potentially open up new routes to strengthen food security.
Published Marine algae implants could boost crop yields



Scientists have discovered the gene that enables marine algae to make a unique type of chlorophyll. They successfully implanted this gene in a land plant, paving the way for better crop yields on less land.
Published Global warming is affecting bats' hibernation



Global change is altering the physiology of the hibernation and behavior of bats, according to a study carried out over a twenty year period. Given the milder winters we are having, bats are accumulating less fat reserves in autumn, they shorten their hibernation periods and they leave their winter shelter sooner. These changes could alter the migration pattern of bats and the phenology of their seasonal displacements.
Published Invasive plant time bombs: A hidden ecological threat



Invasive plants can stay dormant for decades or even centuries before rapidly expanding and wreaking ecological havoc, finds a new study.
Published Fossils of giant sea lizard with dagger-like teeth show how our oceans have fundamentally changed since the dinosaur era



Fossils of a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived 66 million years ago, show a dramatically more biodiverse ocean ecosystem to what we see today.
Published Microalgae with unusual cell biology



A globally distributed single-celled organism that occurs in harmful algal blooms has been found to exhibit an unusual organisation of photosynthesis. Researchers have taken a closer look at the unusual cell biology of the species Prorocentrum cordatum from the group of dinoflagellates. The results of their study could help to better understand the role of the species in the environment and the increased occurrence of algal blooms at higher water temperatures.
Published 8 in 10 lizards could be at risk due to deforestation



These reptiles move around tree trunks to seek warmth or shade. With trees disappearing, they would have trouble controlling their body temperature, a new study shows.
Published Plant Lavender, Marjoram and Ivy on your green wall to clean up the air



Green walls can strip pollution from the air -- and some plants do it better than others, according to new research. Researchers planted 10 species on a custom-built 1.4m green wall.
Published An inside look at Beech tree disease



A new study found differences at the cellular level of leaves from infected Beech trees -- variations that may account for tree mortality.
Published An evolutionary mystery 125 million years in the making



Plant biologists have uncovered an evolutionary mystery over 100 million years in the making. It turns out that sometime during the last 125 million years, tomatoes and Arabidopsis thaliana plants experienced an extreme genetic makeover. Just what happened remains unclear. But the mystery surrounds CLV3, a gene key to healthy plant growth and development.
Published Photosynthetic secrets come to light



Secrets of photosynthesis have been discovered at atomic level, shedding important new light on this plant super-power that greened the earth more than a billion years ago.