Biology News

Huddling Rodents Behave as ‘Super-Organism,’ Researchers Say

Common degus (Octodon degus). Image credit: Arjan Haverkamp / CC BY 2.0.
Sep 8, 2015 by News Staff

Rodents such as rats and mice huddle together to keep warm. In a new study published in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, scientists at the University of Sheffield found they could simulate huddling by assuming simply that touching individuals in turn brings their temperatures closer to an ideal body temperature. Common degus (Octodon degus). Image credit: Arjan Haverkamp / CC BY 2.0. “Many species of mammals and birds spend a...

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In-situ image of giant file clams Acesta cryptadelphe, from the Gully, located approximately 140 miles off Nova Scotia, to the east of Sable Island, on the edge of the Scotian Shelf. Image credit: Jean-Marc Gagnon et al.

New Species of Giant File Clam Discovered

Sep 7, 2015 by News Staff

A team of marine biologists from Canada has described a new cryptic species of giant file clam, Acesta cryptadelphe, originally collected from the waters...

The new study shows that while dogs perceive their owners as a safe base, the relationship between people and their cats appears to be quite different. Image credit: Kitty Green / CC BY-SA 2.0.

New Study Shows Why Domestic Cats Are More Independent than Dogs

Sep 7, 2015 by News Staff

Adult cats (Felis silvestris catus) are typically quite autonomous, even in their social relationships, and not necessarily dependent on others to provide...

This photo shows the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus). Image credit: Shiny Things / CC BY 2.0.

Fishing Cat Spotted in Cambodia for First Time in More Than Decade

Sep 4, 2015 by News Staff

Spotted by researchers from Cambodia’s Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) – a medium-sized wild cat...

Tushi used a stick to attack the drone; behind her Raimee is also sitting with a long stick. Image credit: Jan A. R. A. M. van Hooff / Bas Lukkenaar.

Scientists: Chimpanzees Are Able to Plan Ahead, Use Tools as Weapons

Sep 4, 2015 by News Staff

In April 2015, a TV crew was filming at the Royal Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands. It was the intention to film chimps in the enclosure from close-by and...

Scientists estimate that about 1.39 trillion trees exist in tropical and subtropical forests, 0.74 trillion in boreal regions and 0.61 trillion in temperate regions.

Study: Earth Has More Than 3 Trillion Trees

Sep 2, 2015 by News Staff

According to a new study published today in Nature, there are 3,041 billion trees on our planet, but over 15 billion trees are cut down each year, and...

The physonect siphonophore Nanomia bijuga. Image credit: John H. Costello et al.

Colonial Siphonophores are Multi-Jet Swimming Machines, Say Scientists

Sep 2, 2015 by News Staff

In a paper published online in Nature Communications, scientists detail how colonial siphonophores – gelatinous planktonic organisms related to jellyfish,...

Australian and British scientists have assessed how widespread the threat of plastic is for the world’s seabirds, including albatrosses, shearwaters and penguins. Image credit: Brian Gratwicke / CC BY 2.0.

Majority of Seabird Species Have Plastic in Their Stomachs, Study Finds

Sep 1, 2015 by News Staff

Nearly 60% of all seabird species, including albatrosses, shearwaters and penguins, have plastic in their gut, according to a new study published in the...

Leucothoe eltoni, male. Image credit: James Thomas.

New Species of Shrimp-Like Crustacean Named after Elton John

Aug 27, 2015 by News Staff

A newly-discovered species of leucothoid amphipod has been named after British singer and composer Sir Elton John. Leucothoe eltoni, male. Image credit:...

This false-color image shows household dust under a microscope. Image credit: NIAID.

Scientists: House Dust Can Reveal Region, Gender Ratio of Residents, Presence of Pet

Aug 26, 2015 by News Staff

The dust in our homes contains more than 5,000 different species of bacteria and around 2,000 species of fungi, according to a team of scientists who investigated...

A crusty nautilus (Allonautilus scrobiculatus) off the coast of Ndrova Island, Papua New Guinea. Image credit: Peter Ward / University of Washington.

Marine Biologists Spot Rare Crusty Nautilus for First Time in Nearly 30 Years

Aug 26, 2015 by News Staff

Meet the crusty nautilus (Allonautilus scrobiculatus), one of the rarest marine animals in the world. These pics are the first ones taken of this ‘living...

Cherax snowden, a paratype male from Oinsok River drainage, Sawiat District. Image credit: Lukhaup C et al.

New Crayfish Species Found in Indonesia Named after Edward Snowden

Aug 25, 2015 by News Staff

A spectacular new species of freshwater crayfish, Cherax snowden, has been described from the Oinsok River Drainage, Sawiat District in the central part...

A harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) colony in Helgoland, Germany. Image credit: Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5.

Phopivirus: Scientists Discover Hepatitis A-Like Virus in Harbor Seals

Aug 25, 2015 by News Staff

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown hepatovirus in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) that is the closest known relative of the human hepatitis...

The extinct straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) is one of the many large mammals that the new study estimates would have occurred in northern Europe if modern humans had never existed. Image credit: Apotea / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Research Reveals What Animal World Would Look Like If Homo sapiens Never Existed

Aug 24, 2015 by News Staff

A new study published in the journal Diversity and Distributions reveals what the world map of mammals would look like if Homo sapiens had never existed. The...

Andatu, the first Sumatran rhino to be born at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, and his mother, Ratu. Image credit: S. Ellis / International Rhino Foundation / CC BY 2.0.

Sumatran Rhinoceros Declared Extinct in the Wild in Malaysia

Aug 21, 2015 by News Staff

According to a new paper published online in the journal Oryx, there have been no signs of the wild Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) in Malaysia...

The Eurasian jackdaw (Corvus monedula). Image credit: Joost J. Bakker / CC BY 2.0.

Eurasian Jackdaws Can Recognize Individual Human Faces

Aug 20, 2015 by News Staff

A new study, led by Dr Gabrielle Davidson at the University of Cambridge, shows that wild Eurasian jackdaws (Corvus monedula) recognize individual human...

Selenops banksi on Barro Colorado Island, Republic of Panama, as typically encountered on a tree trunk during daylight hours. Scale bar - 1 cm. Image credit: Stephen P. Yanoviak et al.

Scientists Discover Gliding Spiders in Peru, Panama

Aug 20, 2015 by News Staff

Spiders of the genus Selenops (Araneae: Selenopidae) have a unique ability to control their gliding fall, as if they were skydivers, according to a team...

A male Allen’s hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) near Santa Cruz, CA. Image credit: Shravans14 / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hummingbird Tongues Work Like Elastic Micropumps, Study Shows

Aug 19, 2015 by News Staff

Since the 1830s, ornithologists have assumed that hummingbirds drink by capillary action (wicking), the passive process of a fluid rising into a narrow...

This image shows a colony of Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) with major and minor workers taking care of the brood. Image credit: Juergen Leibig.

Ants Can Distinguish Nestmates from Non-Nestmates with Smell

Aug 15, 2015 by News Staff

A team of scientists, directed by Dr Anandasankar Ray from the University of California – Riverside, has found that ants communicate using hydrocarbon...

Bathyphysa conifera. Image credit: National Oceanographic Centre / SERPENT Project.

‘Flying Spaghetti Monster’ Caught on Camera off Coast of Angola

Aug 15, 2015 by News Staff

ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operators from Oceaneering International, a provider of oil exploration equipment, have captured fascinating footage of...

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