On the left is Hylaeus derectus, and on the right is Hylaeus navai, both are among the newly discovered species found in Fiji.Back in the 1930s, a scientist named Elwood Zimmerman found three very small, pretty bees on tahetahe flowers in Polynesia. People were amazed because these bees were so far away from other...
As climate change warms the planet, planning to include urban infrastructure like botanical gardens, parks, street trees, green walls and wetlands could help cool city air. Credit: PixaobayGlobal temperatures are increasing, with 2023 being officially recognized as the hottest year on record. A recent study suggests that incorporating nature into urban areas could mitigate...
If this creature can find a mate, then there's hope for everyone. Image credit: Ayushi JainAllow us to introduce you to one of the flattest creatures out there: the Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii). Thanks to insights from the local community, researchers have recently uncovered the species' inaugural nesting female and breeding population.Regrettably,...
Lead scientist Stephanie Fraley works with one of the possibly infected blood samples used in the studyDavid Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of EngineeringA new technique that melts bacterial DNA in blood samples could diagnose life-threatening infections faster than before.Typically, to detect harmful bacteria in a person's bloodstream, a blood sample is cultured in...
Brachycephalus pulex. Credit: Dias, I/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAA group of biologists from Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz in Brazil has confirmed that the Brachycephalus pulex, commonly known as the Brazilian flea toad, found exclusively in southern Brazil, holds the title of the world's smallest amphibian and vertebrate. Their findings are published in the journal Zoologica Scripta.In...
Fungal friend or foe? We may never knowLohit Y.T./WWF-IndiaResearchers were astonished to observe a healthy frog with a small mushroom growing from its body, marking the first known instance of such an occurrence in live animal tissue.While fungal infections are relatively common in small animals, this growth seemed distinct from the parasitic types that...
Stanford scientists have discovered a completely new type of microbe in the human microbiome, which they call ObelisksDepositphotosTrillions of microbes, spanning bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more, inhabit our bodies. Recently, Stanford researchers unearthed a fresh category of biological entities within us, dubbing them "Obelisks" with an air of mystery.The expansive microbiome we harbor continues...
A new molecule called A485 has been found to boost levels of white blood cells, which can help clear out infectionsDepositphotosWhite blood cells play a crucial role as immune system defenders, but their levels can be diminished by health conditions or treatments such as chemotherapy. Researchers at Yale have identified a molecule that, when...
Plant biology professor James Dalling and colleagues discovered that some tree ferns recycle their dead fronds into rootsFred ZwickyTypically, when a fern's leaf fronds die, the plant no longer benefits from them. However, the Cyathea rojasiana fern is an exception. A scientist has identified that its expired fronds transform into "zombie leaves" that absorb...
Now you see it: Like most animals, owl vision has evolved for survival and they perceive the world around them very differently to how humans do. Credit: PixaobayIt's simple to overlook that the majority of animals perceive the world differently from humans. In reality, due to their ability to see infrared and ultraviolet light,...
