Satellite data reveals bonds between emissions, pollution and economy
The city of Denver, Colorado, blanketed by smog. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Burning fossil fuels has long powered world economies while contributing to air pollution and the buildup of greenhouse gases. A new analysis of nearly two decades of satellite data shows that economic development, fossil-fuel combustion and air quality are closely linked on […]
New skull of tube-crested dinosaur reveals evolution of bizarre crest
IMAGE: New skull of Parasaurolophus as originally exposed in the badlands of New Mexico. Credit: Copyright Doug Shore, Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Usage restrictions: This image may be used… view more Credit: Copyright Doug Shore, Denver Museum of Nature & Science. DISCOVERY BRIEF: The first new skull of a rare species of the dinosaur […]
Spitting Cobra venom reveals how evolution often finds the same answer to a common problem — ScienceDaily
A study of spitting cobras, published in Science reveals how a combination of venom components have evolved to create an instantly painful venom, not once, but on three separate occasions. This is the first clear example of snake venom evolving for defence, and provides a remarkable example of convergent evolution, or how natural selection can […]
Trace fossil reveals more about this ancient creature’s behavior — ScienceDaily
Simon Fraser University researchers have found evidence that large ambush-predatory worms — some as long as two metres — roamed the ocean floor near Taiwan over 20 million years ago. The finding, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, is the result of reconstructing an unusual trace fossil that they identified as a burrow of […]
New starfish-like fossil reveals evolution in action — ScienceDaily
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a fossil of the earliest starfish-like animal, which helps us understand the origins of the nimble-armed creature. The prototype starfish, which has features in common with both sea lilies and modern-day starfish, is a missing link for scientists trying to piece together its early evolutionary history. The […]
Hard to crack research reveals how crop roots penetrate hard soils
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Scientists have discovered a signal that causes roots to stop growing in hard soils which can be ‘switched off’ to allow them to punch through compacted soil—a discovery that could help plants to grow in even the most damaged soils. An international research team, led by scientists from the University of […]
Research reveals how teeth functioned and evolved in giant mega-sharks
Otodus megalodon preying upon the whale Cethoterium. Credit: Hugo Salais, Metazoa Studio A pioneering study by University of Bristol researchers finds that the evolution of teeth in the giant prehistoric shark Megalodon and its relatives was a by-product of becoming huge, rather than an adaptation to new feeding habits. The iconic extinct Megalodon was the […]
New study reveals how fences hinder migratory wildlife in the West
Wildlife biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, combined GPS location data of tagged mule deer and pronghorn antelope with satellite imagery of Wyoming fences to find out just how often these animals encounter fences, and what happens when they do. As part of the study, the researchers created a software package that uses GPS […]
Study reveals jellyfish create a ‘virtual wall’ to enhance performance
Image captured in glass filming vessel. Credit: University of South Florida New research led by the University of South Florida has uncovered one of the reasons jellyfish have come to be known as the “world’s most efficient swimmer.” Brad Gemmell, associate professor of integrative biology, found jellyfish produce two vortex rings, which are donut-shaped bodies […]
Eurasian eagle owl diet reveals new records of threatened giant bush-crickets
Male specimen of the Big-Bellied Glandular Bush-Cricket (Bradyporus macrogaster). Credit: Dragan Chobanov Bird diets provide a real treasure for research into the distribution and conservation of their prey, such as overlooked and rare bush-cricket species, point out scientists after studying the diet of the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) in southeastern Bulgaria. In their paper, […]
