Biology News

Feb 9, 2012 by Natali Anderson

There have been many hypotheses why zebra have stripes, including predator confusion, crypsis or thermoregulation, but the correct answer was unknown – until now. Plains zebra Equus quagga boehmi (Joachim Huber) An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Gábor Horváth of the Eötvös University, Hungary, has found that zebra’s stripes stave off bloodsucking insects. The researchers have successfully demonstrated that a zebra-striped horse...

Feb 7, 2012 by Enrico de Lazaro

A team of Japanese researchers has successfully demonstrated that loss of flight has been the major driving force for beetle diversification. Carrion beetles:...

Feb 3, 2012 by Sergio Prostak

A team of biologists has discovered a new remarkable species of Andean semiaquatic lizard in southern Peru. An adult male Potamites montanicola (Germán...

Jan 31, 2012 by Natali Anderson

An international team of researchers has for the first time studied the mechanism of iridescence in the hairs of golden moles. The iridescence is widespread...

Jan 23, 2012 by Enrico de Lazaro

A team of researchers from the Monash Institute of Medical Research, Australia, has produced embryonic stem-like cells from the tissue of snow leopard. It...

Jan 20, 2012 by Natali Anderson

An international team of researchers has rediscovered the extremely rare primate Miller’s Grizzled Langur, a species which was believed to be extinct...

Jan 12, 2012 by News Staff

A team of biologists has discovered two new species of frogs in New Guinea, one of which breaks the record for the world’s tiniest known vertebrate. The...

Jan 10, 2012 by Sergio Prostak

An international team of researchers has discovered a remarkable new species of bush viper in Tanzania, East Africa. Matilda’s horned viper (Tim Davenport...

Dec 20, 2011 by Natali Anderson

An international team of ornithologists has discovered the breeding area for the extremely rare bird Black-throated blue robin (Luscinia obscura) in Shaanxi...

Dec 14, 2011 by Natali Anderson

A U.S. researcher has discovered the world’s smallest frogs in forests of southeastern Papua New Guinea. The study by Fred Kraus from the Bishop Museum,...

Dec 12, 2011 by Natali Anderson

An international team of researchers has revealed the first evidence of animals advertising their homes to potential mates. Researchers from University...

Dec 11, 2011 by James Freeman

Researchers from Université de La Réunion, Réunion, have found that Barau’s petrels synchronize their migration with the full Moon when travel...

Dec 8, 2011 by News Staff

US researchers found that Kirtland’s warblers like to live in young forests and forests that have been on fire, stated in a press release from NASA’s...

Dec 2, 2011 by Natali Anderson

Evolutionary biologists from University of Michigan found that paper wasps have evolved specialized face-learning abilities analogous to the system used...

Nov 30, 2011 by Natali Anderson

The Zooniverse team at Oxford University and Scientific American have launched the whale-song project, called Whale FM,  to involve curious citizen scientists....

Nov 21, 2011 by News Staff

Researchers used Alaskan huskies to demonstrate the serious health risks posed by contaminants, such as mercury, in the subsistence diets that both indigenous...

Nov 14, 2011 by Natali Anderson

Japanese researchers have discovered a hitherto unknown population of coelacanths, a fish species known as a living fossil, off southeast Africa, according...

Sep 22, 2011 by Natali Anderson

Scientists at Harvard University have created a material that repels just about any type of liquid, including blood and oil, and does so even under harsh...

Sep 20, 2011 by Natali Anderson

Scientists have found that larger groups of great and blue tits are better at solving problems than smaller ones, according to a press release of Oxford...

Sep 16, 2011 by Natali Anderson

A researcher in the School of Biological Sciences, Kate Charlton-Robb, unearthed the remarkable findings, showing that coastal dolphins in southern Australia...