Biology News

Biologists Observe Highly Unusual Reproductive Behavior in Endangered Freshwater Mussels

The thick-shelled river mussel (Unio crassus) squirts out regular water jets that land in the river water up to a meter away. Image credit: University of Cambridge.
Mar 14, 2023 by News Staff

In spring, female thick-shelled river mussels (Unio crassus) were seen moving to the water’s edge and anchoring into the riverbed, with their back ends raised above the waterline; then they squirted out regular water jets, which landed in the water up to a meter away; squirting cycles lasted 3-6 hours. The jets disturb the river surface and attract fish; mussel larvae in the jets can then attach to the gills of the fish and complete their metamorphosis...

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Sardinian dwarf mammoth, Sardinian giant otter, deer, Sardinian dhole and giant pica. Image credit: Peter Schouten, http://studioschouten.com.au.

Study: Island-Dwelling Dwarfs and Giants are More Vulnerable to Extinction than Other Species

Mar 10, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Islands often contain distinctive ecological conditions that can lead to unusual evolutionary trajectories such as dwarf mammoths and giant rats. In new...

Toxorhynchites domrey: (A) thorax; (B) abdomen; (C) habitus; (D) lateral view of thorax. Image credit: Maquart et al., doi: 10.1016/j.aspen.2023.102064.

New Species of Elephant Mosquito Discovered in Cambodia

Mar 8, 2023 by Natali Anderson

A team of scientists from Cambodia and France has identified a new species of giant mosquito in the genus Toxorhynchites. Toxorhynchites domrey: (A) thorax;...

This artist’s impression shows the evolution of the Universe beginning with the Big Bang on the left followed by the appearance of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The formation of the first stars ends the cosmic dark ages, followed by the formation of galaxies. Image credit: M. Weiss / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Study: Our Momentary Perception of Time May Stretch or Shrink with Each Heartbeat

Mar 8, 2023 by News Staff

The role of the heart in the experience of time has been long theorized but empirical evidence is scarce. In new research, scientists from Cornell University...

The dusky tetraka (Xanthomixis tenebrosa) is the second species to be rediscovered by the Search for Lost Birds. Image credit: John C. Mittermeier.

Rare Songbird Feared Extinct Rediscovered in Madagascar

Mar 6, 2023 by News Staff

The previous documented sighting of the dusky tetraka (Xanthomixis tenebrosa) — one of the top 10 most wanted species by the Search for Lost Birds...

A digital reconstruction of a humpback whale trap feeding. Image credit: McCarthy et al., doi: 10.1111/mms.13009.

Head-Lifting Feeding Seen in Whales May Be Recorded in Ancient Texts

Mar 1, 2023 by News Staff

Trap feeding and tread-water feeding are whale hunting strategies first recorded in the 2000s in two whale species at opposite sides of the globe. In both...

The Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). Image credit: Serge Santiago.

Study: Eurasian Woodcocks Have Brightest White Feathers Ever Measured

Mar 1, 2023 by News Staff

New research led by Imperial College London suggests that Eurasian woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) have evolved their bright white feather patches for long-range...

Drosophila melanogaster and other non-migrating animals can sense external magnetic fields. Image credit: University of Manchester.

Animals’ Ability to Sense Magnetic Field May Be More Widespread than Previously Thought

Feb 23, 2023 by News Staff

New research led by University of Leicester and University of Manchester scientists shows that a molecule present in all living cells called flavin adenine...

In a controlled laboratory protocol, Isherwood et al. investigated if the human circadian system anticipates large meals. Image credit: Rita E.

Human Body Can Predict Timing of Regular Meals: Study

Feb 23, 2023 by News Staff

In new research, scientists at the University of Surrey tested the hypothesis that the human circadian system anticipates large meals. In a controlled...

Horse coats with patterns photographed in situ: (A) color photographs of the check, random check, black triangle, white triangle, gray and bark coat patterns; (B) polarization images of a bare horse (top), and black triangle (middle) and white triangle (bottom) coats; images on the left are monochrome photographs viewed through horizontally oriented polarizing filter; images on the right are false-colored according to the right-most scale to represent degree of polarization. Image credit: Caro et al., doi: 10.1242/jeb.244778.

New Research Reveals How Zebra Stripes Deter Horseflies

Feb 21, 2023 by News Staff

Stripes deter tabanid horseflies from landing on zebras and, while several mechanisms have been proposed, these hypotheses have yet to be tested satisfactorily....

Horaglanis populi. Image credit: C.P. Arjun.

Strange New Species of Aquifer-Dwelling Catfish Discovered in India

Feb 20, 2023 by Natali Anderson

The newly-discovered species belongs to Horaglanis, a genus of rarely-collected, tiny, blind, pigment less, and strictly aquifer-residing catfish. Horaglanis...

The Río Negro stream frog (Hyloscirtus tolkieni). Image credit: Juan Carlos Sánchez-Nivicela / Archive Museo de Zoología, Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Magnificent New Species of Treefrog Discovered in Ecuador

Feb 17, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

The newly-discovered species, Hyloscirtus tolkieni, belongs to the stream-breeding treefrog genus Hyloscirtus; its specific epithet, tolkieni, is in honor...

Biologging float package attached to a sailfish. Image credit: Logan et al., doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-28748-0.

New Video Reveals Hunting Behavior of Solitary Sailfish

Feb 16, 2023 by News Staff

Surface-based group feeding of Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), a highly popular species in recreational fishing worldwide, is commonly...

A woma python in the wild. Image credit: Christina Zdenek.

Snakes Can Hear and React to Airborne Sound, New Study Shows

Feb 16, 2023 by News Staff

Evidence suggests that snakes can hear, but how they naturally respond to sound is still unclear. Scientists from the University of Queensland, Australian...

Coradion calendula. Image credit: Matsunuma et al., doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7504828.

New Species of Butterflyfish Discovered

Feb 14, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Scientists from the Kyoto University Museum and elsewhere have described a new species of the fish genus Coradion from Australian waters. Coradion calendula....

Captive Goffin’s cockatoos are able to innovate the flexible use of a toolset. Image credit: Osuna-Mascaró et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.023.

Goffin’s Cockatoos Can Use and Transport Toolsets, Study Shows

Feb 14, 2023 by News Staff

In new research from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, the majority of Goffin’s cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) spontaneously innovated toolset...

Kohda et al. show that bluestreak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) recognize their own mirror image using a mental image of the self-face comparable to humans. Image credit: Masanori Kohda, Osaka Metropolitan University.

Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasses Can Recognize Themselves in Photographs: Study

Feb 13, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

In a series of experiments conducted in Japan, mirror-naïve bluestreak cleaner wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus) frequently attacked photographs of both...

Neolissochilus pnar. Image credit: Uros Aksamovic.

Meet Neolissochilus pnar, World’s Largest Cavefish

Feb 8, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Neolissochilus pnar grows to over 400 mm (1.3 feet) and occurs only in the limestone caves of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India. Neolissochilus...

The potent antibacterial activity of lunaemycins against antibiotic resistant Gram-positive bacteria may in part explain how Streptomyces lunaelactis strains have found their own place in extremely oligotrophic and competitive environments such as moonmilk deposits. Image credit: Martinet et al., doi: 10.3390/ijms24021114.

New Group of Antibiotics Isolated from Moonmilk Deposits

Feb 8, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Lunaemycins are produced by Streptomyces lunaelactis, a species of bacterium that inhabits the moonmilk deposits of La Grotte Des Collemboles in Belgium...

Hyperolius ukaguruensis. Image credit: Christoph Liedtke.

Scientists Discover New Species of Voiceless Frog in Tanzania

Feb 6, 2023 by Natali Anderson

The newly-identified species belongs to the frog genus Hyperolius and has an unusual trait — it’s completely silent. Hyperolius ukaguruensis. Image...

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