Nature News -- ScienceDaily
Nature. Read the latest scientific research on the natural world, ecology and climate change.
Tiny ancient whale with a killer bite found in Australia
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 02:33:06 EDT
An extraordinary fossil find along Victoria??s Surf Coast has revealed Janjucetus dullardi, a sharp-toothed, dolphin-sized predator that lived 26 million years ago. With large eyes, slicing teeth, and exceptional ear bone preservation, this early cousin of modern baleen whales offers unprecedented insight into their evolution.
In the dark for 11 million years: How blind cavefish rewrote evolution
Fri, 29 Aug 2025 22:11:12 EDT
Yale scientists discovered that cavefish species independently evolved blindness and depigmentation as they adapted to dark cave environments, with some lineages dating back over 11 million years. This new genetic method not only reveals ancient cave ages but may also shed light on human eye diseases.
Scientists discover armored ??goblin monster? in prehistoric Utah
Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:44:02 EDT
Scientists have identified a new giant lizard, Bolg amondol, from Utah??s Kaiparowits Formation, named after Tolkien??s goblin prince. Part of the monstersaur lineage, Bolg reveals that multiple large lizards coexisted with dinosaurs, suggesting a thriving ecosystem. Its discovery in long-stored fossils underscores how museums hold hidden scientific gems.
Protected seas help kelp forests bounce back from heatwaves
Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:07:15 EDT
Kelp forests bounce back faster from marine heatwaves when shielded inside Marine Protected Areas. UCLA researchers found that fishing restrictions and predator protection strengthen ecosystem resilience, though results vary by location.
What happens when bees can??t buzz right? Nature starts falling apart
Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:24:57 EDT
High heat and heavy metals dampen a bumblebee??s trademark buzz, threatening pollen release and colony chatter. Tiny sensors captured up-to-400-hertz tremors that falter under environmental stress, raising alarms for ecosystems and sparking ideas for pollination robots.
Great white sharks have a DNA mystery science still can??t explain
Sat, 16 Aug 2025 12:42:34 EDT
Once on the brink during the last ice age, great white sharks made a remarkable recovery globally, but their DNA reveals a baffling story. Classic migration explanations fail, leaving scientists with a mystery that defies reproductive and evolutionary logic.
Bumble bees balance their diets with surprising precision
Wed, 27 Aug 2025 01:07:24 EDT
Bumble bees aren??t random foragers ?? they??re master nutritionists. Over an eight-year field study in the Colorado Rockies, scientists uncovered that different bee species strategically balance their intake of protein, fats, and carbs by choosing pollen from specific flowers. Larger, long-tongued bees seek protein-rich pollen, while smaller, short-tongued species prefer carb- and fat-heavy sources. These dietary preferences shift with the seasons and colony life cycles, helping bees reduce competition, thrive together, and maintain strong colonies.
Fiji ant plant builds tiny condos that stop ant wars
Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:34:00 EDT
High in Fiji s rainforest, the ant plant Squamellaria grows swollen tubers packed with sealed, single-door apartments. Rival ant species nest in these chambers, fertilizing their host with nutrient-rich waste while never meeting face-to-face. When researchers sliced open the walls, fatal battles erupted, confirming that the plant s compartmentalized architecture prevents war and sustains the partnership. CT scans of the tubers unveiled a meticulously isolated maze, showcasing evolution s clever fix for keeping multiple, unrelated houseguests peacefully productive.
New ??evolution engine? creates super-proteins 100,000x faster
Fri, 08 Aug 2025 04:59:10 EDT
Researchers at Scripps have created T7-ORACLE, a powerful new tool that speeds up evolution, allowing scientists to design and improve proteins thousands of times faster than nature. Using engineered bacteria and a modified viral replication system, this method can create new protein versions in days instead of months. In tests, it quickly produced enzymes that could survive extreme doses of antibiotics, showing how it could help develop better medicines, cancer treatments, and other breakthroughs far more quickly than ever before.
This is where tree planting has the biggest climate impact
Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:34:57 EDT
Planting more trees can help cool the planet and reduce fire risk??but where they are planted matters. According to UC Riverside researchers, tropical regions provide the most powerful climate benefits because trees there grow year-round, absorb more carbon dioxide, and cool the air through processes like evapotranspiration, or ??tree sweating.?
From air to stone: The fig trees fighting climate change
Sun, 06 Jul 2025 23:54:49 EDT
Kenyan fig trees can literally turn parts of themselves to stone, using microbes to convert internal crystals into limestone-like deposits that lock away carbon, sweeten surrounding soils, and still yield fruit??hinting at a delicious new weapon in the climate-change arsenal.
Scientists just found a hidden factor behind Earth??s methane surge
Sun, 17 Aug 2025 23:27:32 EDT
Roughly two-thirds of all atmospheric methane, a potent greenhouse gas, comes from methanogens. Tracking down which methanogens in which environment produce methane with a specific isotope signature is difficult, however. UC Berkeley researchers have for the first time CRISPRed the key enzyme involved in microbial methane production to understand the unique isotopic fingerprints of different environments to better understand Earth's methane budget.
Bigger crops, fewer nutrients: The hidden cost of climate change
Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:16:58 EDT
Climate change is silently sapping the nutrients from our food. A pioneering study finds that rising CO2 and higher temperatures are not only reshaping how crops grow but are also degrading their nutritional value especially in vital leafy greens like kale and spinach. This shift could spell trouble for global health, particularly in communities already facing nutritional stress. Researchers warn that while crops may grow faster, they may also become less nourishing, with fewer minerals, proteins, and antioxidants raising concerns about obesity, weakened immunity, and chronic diseases.
These dogs are trained to sniff out an invasive insect??and they're shockingly good at it
Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:02:40 EDT
Dogs trained by everyday pet owners are proving to be surprisingly powerful allies in the fight against the invasive spotted lanternfly. In a groundbreaking study, citizen scientists taught their dogs to sniff out the pests?? hard-to-spot egg masses with impressive accuracy. The initiative not only taps into the huge community of recreational scent-detection dog enthusiasts, but also opens a promising new front in protecting agriculture. And it doesn??t stop there??these canine teams are now sniffing out vineyard diseases too, hinting at a whole new future of four-legged fieldwork.
DNA from the deep reveals a hidden ocean ??superhighway?
Thu, 07 Aug 2025 02:25:04 EDT
Deep beneath the ocean's surface, a groundbreaking DNA study reveals that the deep sea is far more globally connected than once thought. By analyzing thousands of brittle stars preserved in museum collections, scientists discovered these ancient creatures have silently migrated across the planet's seafloor for millions of years, forming a vast evolutionary network from Iceland to Tasmania.
The secret motor protein that slams leaf pores shut??and saves crops
Wed, 16 Jul 2025 02:25:01 EDT
Scientists have discovered that a protein once thought to be just a cellular "courier" actually helps plants survive drought. This motor protein, myosin XI, plays a critical role in helping leaves close their pores to conserve water. When it's missing, plants lose water faster, respond poorly to drought, and activate fewer protective systems. The finding could open the door to hardier crops that can withstand a warming, drying world.
Bizarre ancient creatures unearthed in the Grand Canyon
Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:14:30 EDT
A groundbreaking fossil discovery in the Grand Canyon has unveiled exquisitely preserved soft-bodied animals from the Cambrian period, offering an unprecedented glimpse into early life more than 500 million years ago. Researchers uncovered molluscs, crustaceans, and exotic worms with remarkable feeding adaptations, preserved in a nutrient-rich ??Goldilocks zone? that fueled evolutionary experimentation. The find not only reveals the complexity of Cambrian ecosystems but also draws intriguing parallels between ancient biological innovation and modern economic risk-taking.
Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need ?? Colonies grew 15-fold
Sat, 23 Aug 2025 05:53:35 EDT
Scientists have developed a breakthrough food supplement that could help save honeybees from devastating declines. By engineering yeast to produce six essential sterols found in pollen, researchers provided bees with a nutritionally complete diet that boosted reproduction up to 15-fold. Unlike commercial substitutes that lack key nutrients, this supplement mimics natural pollen??s sterol profile, giving bees the equivalent of a balanced diet.
Scientists just solved the 9-million-year mystery of where potatoes came from
Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:05:44 EDT
About 9 million years ago, a wild interspecies fling between tomato-like plants and potato relatives in South America gave rise to one of the world??s most important crops: the potato. Scientists have now traced its roots to a rare natural hybridization that created the tuber, a storage organ that allowed the plant to survive harsh Andean environments and spread rapidly.
Living night lights: Succulents that store sunlight and shine for hours
Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:00:52 EDT
Scientists have created glow-in-the-dark succulents that can recharge with sunlight and shine for hours, rivaling small night lights. Unlike costly and complex genetic engineering methods, this breakthrough relies on phosphor particles??similar to those in glow-in-the-dark toys??carefully sized to flow through plant tissues. Surprisingly, succulents turned out to be the best glow carriers, with researchers even building a wall of 56 glowing plants bright enough to read by.
No training needed: How humans instinctively read nature??s signals
Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:09:54 EDT
People can intuitively sense how biodiverse a forest is just by looking at photos or listening to sounds, and their gut feelings surprisingly line up with what scientists measure.
Scientists?? top 10 bee-magnet blooms??turn any lawn into a pollinator paradise
Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:49:17 EDT
Danish and Welsh botanists sifted through 400 studies, field-tested seed mixes, and uncovered a lineup of native and exotic blooms that both thrill human eyes and lure bees and hoverflies in droves, offering ready-made recipes for transforming lawns, parks, and patios into vibrant pollinator hotspots.
Drones reveal 41,000-turtle nesting mega-site hidden in the Amazon
Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:30:27 EDT
A team at the University of Florida used drones and smart modeling to accurately count over 41,000 endangered turtles nesting along the Amazon??s Guaporé River??revealing the world??s largest known turtle nesting site. Their innovative technique, combining aerial imagery with statistical correction for turtle movement, exposes major flaws in traditional counting methods and opens doors to more precise wildlife monitoring worldwide.
Tiny creatures, massive impact: How zooplankton store 65 million tonnes of carbon annually
Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:51:43 EDT
Zooplankton like copepods aren??t just fish food??they??re carbon-hauling powerhouses. By diving deep into the ocean each winter, they??re secretly stashing 65 million tonnes of carbon far below the surface, helping fight climate change in a way scientists are only just starting to understand.
Multisensory VR forest reboots your brain and lifts mood??study confirms
Sun, 06 Jul 2025 08:17:22 EDT
Immersing stressed volunteers in a 360° virtual Douglas-fir forest complete with sights, sounds and scents boosted their mood, sharpened short-term memory and deepened their feeling of nature-connectedness??especially when all three senses were engaged. Researchers suggest such multisensory VR ??forest baths? could brighten clinics, waiting rooms and dense city spaces, offering a potent mental refresh where real greenery is scarce.
Why most whale sharks in Indonesia are scarred by humans
Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:01:37 EDT
Whale sharks in Indonesia are suffering widespread injuries, with a majority scarred by human activity. Researchers found bagans and boats to be the biggest threats, especially as shark tourism grows. Protecting these gentle giants may be as simple as redesigning fishing gear and boat equipment.
Your nature photo might be a scientific breakthrough in disguise
Sun, 03 Aug 2025 08:28:15 EDT
Every time someone snaps a wildlife photo with iNaturalist, they might be fueling breakthrough science. From rediscovering lost species to helping conservation agencies track biodiversity and invasive threats, citizen observations have become vital tools for researchers across the globe. A new study reveals just how deeply this crowdsourced data is influencing modern ecological science, and how much more it could do.
This genetic breakthrough could help thousands of species cheat extinction
Mon, 21 Jul 2025 02:24:03 EDT
Gene editing may hold the key to rescuing endangered species??not just by preserving them, but by restoring their lost genetic diversity using DNA from museum specimens and related species. Scientists propose a visionary framework that merges biotechnology with traditional conservation, aiming to give struggling populations like Mauritius?? pink pigeon a fighting chance against extinction. From agriculture to de-extinction, these tools are already transforming biology??and now, they could transform the future of biodiversity itself.
Ancient predators and giant amphibians found in African fossil treasure trove
Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:36:14 EDT
Over 15 years of fossil excavations in Tanzania and Zambia have revealed a vivid portrait of life before Earth s most devastating mass extinction 252 million years ago. Led by the University of Washington and the Field Museum, scientists uncovered saber-toothed predators, burrowing herbivores, and giant amphibians, offering rare insight into southern Pangea s ecosystems just before the Great Dying.
Selfies, sugar, and death: How tourists are endangering elephants
Fri, 18 Jul 2025 03:12:05 EDT
Tourists feeding wild elephants may seem innocent or even compassionate, but a new 18-year study reveals it s a recipe for disaster. Elephants in Sri Lanka and India have learned to beg for snacks sugary treats and human food leading to deadly encounters, injuries, and even the ingestion of plastic. Once wild animals become accustomed to handouts, they lose their natural instincts, grow bolder, and risk both their lives and the safety of humans.
Why tiny bee brains could hold the key to smarter AI
Sun, 24 Aug 2025 03:15:28 EDT
Researchers discovered that bees use flight movements to sharpen brain signals, enabling them to recognize patterns with remarkable accuracy. A digital model of their brain shows that this movement-based perception could revolutionize AI and robotics by emphasizing efficiency over massive computing power.
Deep-sea fish just changed what we know about Earth??s carbon cycle
Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:07:34 EDT
Mesopelagic fish, long overlooked in ocean chemistry, are now proven to excrete carbonate minerals much like their shallow-water counterparts??despite living in dark, high-pressure depths. Using the deep-dwelling blackbelly rosefish, researchers have demonstrated that carbonate production is consistent across ocean layers, bolstering global carbon cycle models. These findings reveal that these abundant fish play a hidden but crucial role in regulating Earth??s ocean chemistry and could reshape how we understand deep-sea contributions to climate processes.
How a lost gene gave the sea spider its bizarre, leggy body
Mon, 07 Jul 2025 04:49:54 EDT
Scientists have decoded the sea spider??s genome for the first time, revealing how its strangely shaped body??with organs in its legs and barely any abdomen??may be tied to a missing gene. The detailed DNA map shows this ancient creature evolved differently from its spider and scorpion cousins, lacking genome duplications seen in those species. With new gene activity data, researchers now have a powerful tool to explore how sea spiders grow, regenerate, and evolved into some of the oddest arthropods on Earth.
A tiny dinosaur bone just rewrote the origin of bird flight
Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:05:02 EDT
A tiny, overlooked wrist bone called the pisiform may have played a pivotal role in bird flight and it turns out it evolved far earlier than scientists thought. Fossils from bird-like dinosaurs in Mongolia reveal that this bone, once thought to vanish and reappear, was actually hiding in plain sight. Thanks to pristine preservation and 3D scans, researchers connected the dots between ancient theropods and modern birds, uncovering a deeper, more intricate story of how dinosaurs evolved the tools for powered flight.
When rainforests died, the planet caught fire: New clues from Earth??s greatest extinction
Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:07:42 EDT
When Siberian volcanoes kicked off the Great Dying, the real climate villain turned out to be the rainforests themselves: once they collapsed, Earth??s biggest carbon sponge vanished, CO?? rocketed, and a five-million-year heatwave followed. Fossils from China and clever climate models now link that botanical wipe-out to runaway warming, hinting that losing today??s tropical forests could lock us in a furnace we can??t easily cool.
They fled the flames??now jaguars rule a wetland refuge
Wed, 16 Jul 2025 23:30:36 EDT
After devastating wildfires scorched the Brazilian Pantanal, an unexpected phenomenon unfolded??more jaguars began arriving at a remote wetland already known for having the densest jaguar population on Earth. Scientists discovered that not only did the local jaguars survive, but their numbers swelled as migrants sought refuge. This unique ecosystem, where jaguars feast mainly on fish and caimans and tolerate each other??s presence unusually well, proved remarkably resilient. Researchers found that this floodplain may serve as a natural climate sanctuary, highlighting its crucial role in a changing world.
Teen bats are spawning new viruses??here??s why scientists are paying close attention
Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:46:30 EDT
New research from the University of Sydney sheds light on how coronaviruses emerge in bat populations, focusing on young bats as hotspots for infections and co-infections that may drive viral evolution. By analyzing thousands of samples over three years, scientists discovered that juvenile bats frequently host multiple coronaviruses simultaneously??offering a real-time window into how new strains might arise. These findings, while involving non-human-infecting viruses, provide a powerful model to forecast how dangerous variants could eventually spill over into humans, especially as environmental pressures bring bats closer to human habitats.
500-million-year-old ??squid? were actually ferocious worms
Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:14:39 EDT
A stunning discovery in North Greenland has reclassified strange squid-like fossils, revealing that nectocaridids were not early cephalopods but ancestors of arrow worms. Preserved nervous systems and unique anatomical features provided the breakthrough, showing these creatures once ruled as stealthy predators of the Cambrian seas. With complex eyes, streamlined bodies, and evidence of prey in their stomachs, they reveal a surprising past where arrow worms were far more fearsome than their modern descendants.
A 16-million-year-old amber fossil just revealed the smallest predator ant ever found
Sat, 09 Aug 2025 10:09:22 EDT
A fossilized Caribbean dirt ant, Basiceros enana, preserved in Dominican amber, reveals the species ancient range and overturns assumptions about its size evolution. Advanced imaging shows it already had the camouflage adaptations of modern relatives, offering new insights into extinction and survival strategies.
700,000 years ahead of their teeth: The carbs that made us human
Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:17:42 EDT
Long before evolution equipped them with the right teeth, early humans began eating tough grasses and starchy underground plants??foods rich in energy but hard to chew. A new study reveals that this bold dietary shift happened 700,000 years before the ideal dental traits evolved to handle it.
This tiny rice plant could feed the first lunar colony
Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:01:11 EDT
In a bold step toward sustainable space travel, scientists are engineering a radically small, protein-rich rice that can grow in space. The Moon-Rice project, led by the Italian Space Agency in collaboration with three universities, aims to create crops that thrive in microgravity while boosting astronaut nutrition and well-being.
Scientists unlock the gene that lets bearded dragons switch sex
Wed, 20 Aug 2025 04:07:36 EDT
Two independent research teams have unveiled near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon, a reptile with the rare ability to change sex depending on both chromosomes and nest temperature. Using next-generation sequencing technologies from China and Australia, the projects uncovered the long-sought genetic basis of sex determination in this lizard.
This prehistoric predator survived global warming by eating bones
Wed, 06 Aug 2025 23:53:38 EDT
A prehistoric predator changed its diet and body size during a major warming event 56 million years ago, revealing how climate change can reshape animal behavior, food chains, and survival strategies.
The heatwave that shattered ecosystems, starved whales, and drove fish north
Mon, 21 Jul 2025 02:44:41 EDT
A scorching marine heatwave from 2014 to 2016 devastated the Pacific coast, shaking ecosystems from plankton to whales and triggering mass die-offs, migrations, and fishery collapses. Researchers synthesized findings from over 300 studies, revealing the far-reaching impacts of rising ocean temperatures. Kelp forests withered, species shifted north, and iconic marine animals perished??offering a chilling preview of the future oceans under climate change. This sweeping event calls for urgent action in marine conservation and climate mitigation.
Skull study shows Chicago's rodents are rapidly evolving
Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:28:31 EDT
Urban wildlife is evolving right under our noses ?? and scientists have the skulls to prove it. By examining over a century??s worth of chipmunk and vole specimens from Chicago, researchers discovered subtle yet significant evolutionary changes in these rodents?? skulls, seemingly in response to city life.
Woodpeckers thrive where missiles fly. How a bombing range became a wildlife refuge
Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:55:28 EDT
In a surprising twist of conservation success, a U.S. Air Force bombing range in Florida has become a sanctuary for endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker. Michigan State University researchers used decades of monitoring data to study the impact of moving birds from healthier populations to struggling ones. The outcome? A powerful success story showing that with long-term commitment, strategic partnerships, and smart interventions like controlled burns and translocations, even isolated wildlife populations can rebound and thrive. This model may hold the key to saving many more species teetering on the edge.
These butterflies look the same, but DNA uncovered six hidden species
Mon, 04 Aug 2025 08:11:39 EDT
Glasswing butterflies may all look alike, but behind their transparent wings hides an evolutionary story full of intrigue. Researchers discovered that while these butterflies appear nearly identical to avoid predators, they produce unique pheromones to attract suitable mates from their own species. A massive genetic mapping effort has now revealed six new butterfly species and uncovered a surprisingly high level of chromosomal rearrangement that helps explain why these butterflies evolve so rapidly.
MIT scientists just supercharged the enzyme that powers all plant life
Tue, 08 Jul 2025 23:57:18 EDT
Scientists at MIT have turbocharged one of nature??s most sluggish but essential enzymes??rubisco??by applying a cutting-edge evolution technique in living cells. Normally prone to wasteful reactions with oxygen, this revamped bacterial rubisco evolved to work more efficiently in oxygen-rich environments. This leap in enzyme performance could pave the way for improving photosynthesis in plants and, ultimately, increase crop yields.
Ancient bird droppings reveal a hidden extinction crisis
Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:16:42 EDT
An intriguing new study reveals that over 80% of parasites found in the ancient poo of New Zealand??s endangered kākāpō have vanished, even though the bird itself is still hanging on. Researchers discovered this dramatic parasite decline by analyzing droppings dating back 1,500 years, uncovering an unexpected wave of coextinctions that occurred long before recent conservation efforts began. These hidden losses suggest that as we fight to save charismatic species, we may be silently erasing whole communities of organisms that play crucial, yet misunderstood, ecological roles.
Stunning ??wonder reptile? discovery rewrites the origins of feathers
Sat, 09 Aug 2025 11:15:10 EDT
The newly described Mirasaura grauvogeli from the Middle Triassic had a striking feather-like crest, hinting that complex skin appendages arose far earlier than previously believed. Its bird-like skull, tree-climbing adaptations, and pigment structures linked to feathers deepen the mystery of reptile evolution.
Sharks?? teeth are crumbling in acid seas
Wed, 27 Aug 2025 03:28:46 EDT
Even sharks?? famous tooth-regrowing ability may not save them from ocean acidification. Researchers found that future acidic waters cause shark teeth to corrode, crack, and weaken, threatening their effectiveness as hunting weapons and highlighting hidden dangers for ocean ecosystems.
400-million-year-old fish exposes big mistake in how we understood evolution
Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:46:23 EDT
A fish thought to be evolution??s time capsule just surprised scientists. A detailed dissection of the coelacanth ?? a 400-million-year-old species often called a ??living fossil? ?? revealed that key muscles believed to be part of early vertebrate evolution were actually misidentified ligaments. This means foundational assumptions about how vertebrates, including humans, evolved to eat and breathe may need to be rewritten. The discovery corrects decades of anatomical errors, reshapes the story of skull evolution, and brings unexpected insights into our own distant origins.
Did humans learn to walk in trees?
Tue, 29 Jul 2025 01:17:01 EDT
In the quest to understand how and why early humans started walking on two legs, scientists are now looking to chimpanzees living in dry, open savannah-like environments for clues. A new study reveals that these chimpanzees, despite the open terrain, still frequently climb trees to gather fruit and other foods found high in the canopy. Their behavior suggests that bipedalism may not have evolved purely as a response to ground-based travel, but also for safe and efficient movement within trees.
North america??s oldest pterosaur unearthed in Arizona??s Triassic time capsule
Tue, 08 Jul 2025 04:57:00 EDT
In the remote reaches of Arizona s Petrified Forest National Park, scientists have unearthed North America's oldest known pterosaur a small, gull-sized flier that once soared above Triassic ecosystems. This exciting find, alongside ancient turtles and armored amphibians, sheds light on a key moment in Earth's history when older animal groups overlapped with evolutionary newcomers. The remarkably preserved fossils, including over 1,200 specimens, offer a rare glimpse into a vibrant world just before a mass extinction reshaped life on Earth.
Greenland??s glacial runoff is powering explosions of ocean life
Mon, 18 Aug 2025 03:27:17 EDT
NASA-backed simulations reveal that meltwater from Greenland??s Jakobshavn Glacier lifts deep-ocean nutrients to the surface, sparking large summer blooms of phytoplankton that feed the Arctic food web.
Corals in crisis: A hidden chemical shift is reshaping Hawaiian reefs
Wed, 16 Jul 2025 23:51:08 EDT
Hawaiian coral reefs may face unprecedented ocean acidification within 30 years, driven by carbon emissions. A new study by University of Hawai??i researchers shows that even under conservative climate scenarios, nearshore waters will change more drastically than reefs have experienced in thousands of years. Some coral species may adapt, offering a glimmer of hope, but others may face critical stress.
These 545-million-year-old fossil trails just rewrote the story of evolution
Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:40:44 EDT
A groundbreaking study suggests that the famous Cambrian explosion??the dramatic burst of diverse animal life??might have actually started millions of years earlier than we thought. By analyzing ancient trace fossils, researchers uncovered evidence of complex, mobile organisms thriving 545 million years ago, well before the traditionally accepted timeline. These early creatures likely had segmented bodies, muscle systems, and even directional movement, signaling a surprising level of biological sophistication. Their behavior and mobility, preserved in fossil trails, offer new insight into how complex life evolved, potentially rewriting one of the most important chapters in Earth??s evolutionary history.
Can these endangered lizards beat the heat? Scientists test bold relocation plan
Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:43:41 EDT
South Australia??s tiny pygmy bluetongue skink is baking in a warming, drying homeland, so Flinders University scientists have tried a bold fix??move it. Three separate populations were shifted from the parched north to cooler, greener sites farther south. At first the lizards reacted differently??nervous northerners diving for cover, laid-back southerners basking in damp burrows??but after two years most are settling in, suggesting they can ultimately thrive.
Most of Earth??s species came from explosive bursts of evolution
Sat, 23 Aug 2025 05:33:02 EDT
A new study reveals that the majority of Earth??s species stem from a few evolutionary explosions, where new traits or habitats sparked rapid diversification. From flowers to birds, these bursts explain most of the planet??s biodiversity.
Scientists uncover the secret to orangutan survival in the trees
Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:11:57 EDT
Young orangutans master the art of building intricate treetop nests not by instinct alone, but by closely watching their mothers and peers. Researchers tracking wild Sumatran orangutans over 17 years discovered that ??peering???the deliberate act of observing nest construction??is the key to learning.
