New research provides interdisciplinary support for the ‘Farming Hypothesis’ of language dispersal, tracing Transeurasian languages back to the first farmers moving across Northeast Asia beginning in the Early Neolithic — roughly between 8-10 thousand years ago. A new paper published in the journal Nature by an international team that includes researchers from the University of…

Bees are pollinators of many plants, but their diversity and density is declining. A team investigated their foraging behavior in agricultural landscapes. They found that honey bees prefer strawberry fields, even if flowering next to oilseed rape fields. Only when oilseed rape was in full bloom were fewer honey bees in the strawberries. Wild bees,…

The World Climate Conference in Glasgow has just ended, and the question is whether the goal of maximum global heating of 1.5°C can still be achieved. In a model calculation, researchers show how the energy transition could lead to the lowest possible cumulative emissions: Instead of slowly cutting back emissions, we should quickly push ahead…

Researchers create compelling scenario for the evolution of membraneless microdroplets as the origin of life. Where and how did life begin on Early Earth more than 3.5 billion years ago from non-living chemicals? Discovering the answer to this question has long been debated and is a challenge for scientists. One thing that scientists can look…

Scientists have spotted signs of ‘pre-resistance’ in bacteria for the first time — signs that particular bacteria are likely to become resistant to antibiotics in the future — in a new study. The findings, published in Nature Communications, will allow doctors in the future to select the best treatments for bacterial infections. The team led…

As scientists continue to explore the wide-ranging effects of heat stress on the health of dairy cattle, a new study adds to the growing understanding of the negative influences of heat stress, not just throughout the lifespan but across generations. With the goals of evaluating the effects of in utero heat stress on overall fetal…

Scientists are beginning to unravel the key microorganisms that contribute to the fermentation of kombucha, research that is already aiding large-scale kombucha producers in the fast-growing industry. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that has been homebrewed around the world for centuries, but in recent years has become widely popular with a global market size…

Researchers have successfully mapped the entire genome of the Eurasian spruce bark beetle. The breakthrough paves the way for new research into bark beetles and better prospects for effective pest control of a species that can destroy more than 100 million cubic meters of spruce forest during a single year in Europe and Asia. Mapping…

There’s a widespread hypothesis that links the resilience of coral reefs with their remoteness from human activities — the farther away they are from people, the more likely corals are to bounce back from disturbances. «The idea is that these coral reefs might serve as arks, that they could harbor biodiversity and intact ecosystems,» said…

When males have to fight for reproductive rights, having larger weapons such as horns gives them an edge. However, this can also limit their mobility, making them more vulnerable to predators. In a recent study, scientists demonstrated that males of a species adopt different anti-predator tactics — tonic immobility or escape — based on the…