Stick insects that reproduce asexually cannot adapt as quickly in the course of evolution as sexually reproducing species, leading to a decrease in biological diversity, according to new research. The results have been published on 23 February under the title ‘Convergent consequences of parthenogenesis on stick insect genomes’ in Science Advances. Offspring are produced via…

While standing dead trees in ghost forests did not release as much greenhouse gas emissions as the soils, they did increase GHG emissions of the overall ecosystem by about 25 percent, a new study has found. In the study, researchers compared the quantity and type of GHG emissions from dead tree snags to emissions from…

Scientists have discovered the fossils of three new species of giant cloud rats that lived alongside ancient humans in the Philippines. These fluffy, squirrel-like creatures may have been a source of food for the ancient humans. «Our previous studies have demonstrated that the Philippines has the greatest concentration of unique species of mammals of any…

For species that rely on sexual reproduction, including mice and men, offspring can only happen if sperm from the male fertilize eggs from the female. Even artificial fertilization techniques depend on donors for both of these cells. However, a new study shows that mouse pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into functional sperm. These sperm were…

Researchers report two newly identified super-eruptions associated with the Yellowstone hotspot track, including what they believe was the volcanic province’s largest and most cataclysmic event. The results indicate the hotspot, which today fuels the famous geysers, mudpots, and fumaroles in Yellowstone National Park, may be waning in intensity. Now, in a study published in Geology,…

Animals often use highly specific signals to warn their herd about approaching predators. Surprisingly, similar behaviors are also observed among plants. Shedding more light on this phenomenon, researchers have discovered one such mechanism. Using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system, the researchers have shown that herbivore-damaged plants give off volatile chemical ‘scents’ that trigger epigenetic…

A team of researchers has discovered a jumping behavior that is entirely new to insect larvae, and there is evidence that it is occurring in a range of species — we just haven’t noticed it before. The previously unrecorded behavior occurs in the larvae of a species of lined flat bark beetle (Laemophloeus biguttatus). Specifically,…

As early as 18,000 years ago, humans in New Guinea may have collected cassowary eggs near maturity and then raised the birds to adulthood, according to an international team of scientists, who used eggshells to determine the developmental stage of the ancient embryos/chicks when the eggs cracked. «This behavior that we are seeing is coming…

In 1545, King Henry VIII’s favorite ship, the Mary Rose, capsized and sank in the Battle of the Solent defending England and Portsmouth from a French invasion fleet. The wreck remained on the seabed until 1982 when it was salvaged in a widely viewed televised event. Now, it is a time capsule for 16th century…

Rare fossils preserving the brains of creatures living more than half a billion years ago shed new light on the evolution of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans. The fossils, belonging to an arthropod known as Leanchoilia, confirm the presence — predicted by earlier studies in genetics and developmental biology of insect and spider embryos…