A new study used a novel modelling approach to predict the zoonotic capacity of 5,400 mammal species, extending predictive capacity by an order of magnitude. Of the high risk species flagged, many live near people and in COVID-19 hotspots. A major bottleneck to predicting high-risk mammal species is limited data on ACE2, the cell receptor…

A new study sheds light on how organisms have evolved to address imbalances in sex chromosomes. The study looks at a species of softshell turtle, but the results could help to illuminate an important evolutionary process in many species. The research centers on a process known as sex chromosome dosage compensation. The study looks at…

New research examining whether forests can mitigate flood risk suggests they may offer less protection against major events than had been hoped. Although the work, which was carried out in forest sites in Ireland and the UK, showed forests can suppress small storm flows it also underlined that they are likely to make minimal difference…

Female vampire bats establish an egalitarian community within a roost rather than a society based on a clear hierarchy of dominance that is often seen in animal groups, a new study suggests. Researchers observed more than 1,000 competitions for food among a colony of 33 adult female bats and juveniles living in captivity, assigning a…

Where the microbe Prochlorococcus lives is not determined primarily by temperature, as previously thought. A study finds a relationship with a shared predator actually sets the microbe’s range. The findings could help scientists predict how Prochlorococcus populations will shift with climate change. Prochlorococcus can be found in the ocean’s warm surface waters, and their population…

The most comprehensive study of the family tree for legumes, the plant family that includes beans, soybeans, peanuts, and many other economically important crop plants, reveals a history of whole-genome duplications. A paper describing the study, led by Penn State Professor of Biology Hong Ma, appears in the May 2021 issue of the journal Molecular…

With a bit of ‘metal whispering,’ engineers have developed technology capable of recovering pure and precious metals from the alloys in our old phones and other electrical waste. All it takes is the controlled application of oxygen and relatively low levels of heat. Using controlled applications of oxygen and relatively low temperatures, the engineers say…

Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands are once again providing insights into the theory of evolution, with two studies investigating their dealings with the parasitic avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi). One study investigated which species of finch proved to be the most successful hosts for the flies, while a second study looked at how the…

A simple mechanism could underlie the growth and self-replication of protocells — putative ancestors of modern living cells — suggests a new study. Protocells are vesicles bounded by a membrane bilayer and are potentially similar to the first unicellular common ancestor (FUCA). On the basis of relatively simple mathematical principles, the proposed model suggests that…

Researchers from the SponGES project collected year-round video footage and hydrodynamic data from the mysterious world of a deep-sea sponge ground in the Arctic. Colourful, thriving communities ‘The deep sea, in most places, is barren and flat’, says marine geologist Furu Mienis. ‘And then, suddenly, we have these sponge grounds that form colourful, thriving communities.…