FLORA FAUNA

5,060 articles

Theory of 'smart' plants may explain the evolution of global ecosystems
Dec 04, 2015 (SPX)
It's easy to think of plants as passive features of their environments, doing as the land prescribes, serving as a backdrop to the bustling animal kingdom. But ...
A changing season means a changing diet for bison
Nov 27, 2015 (SPX)
North American bison adjust their diet seasonally in order to take full advantage of the growing season when grasses become less nutritious, a new study led by ...
When every species counts
Nov 27, 2015 (SPX)
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning greatly depends on the prevalent environmental conditions. An interdisciplinary team consisting ...
For pigeons, follow the leader is a matter of speed
Nov 27, 2015 (SPX)
Many birds travel in flocks, sometimes migrating over thousands of miles. But how do the birds decide who will lead the way? Researchers reporting in the Cell P...
South African judge lifts domestic ban on rhino horn trade
Nov 26, 2015 (AFP)
A South African judge on Thursday lifted a domestic ban on trade in rhino horns, alarming conservationists who described it as an "extremely dangerous move" tha...
Ecological extinction explains how turbulence dies
Nov 26, 2015 (SPX)
As anyone who has experienced turbulence knows, its onset and departure are abrupt, and how long it lasts seems to be unpredictable. Fast flowing fluids are alw...
The cuckoo sheds new light on the scientific mystery of bird migration
Nov 26, 2015 (SPX)
The cuckoo is not only capable of finding its way from unknown locations; it does this through a highly complex individual decision making process. Such skills ...
Wolves return to Warsaw area after decades
Nov 25, 2015 (AFP)
Wolves have returned to a large national park on the northern outskirts of Warsaw, decades after they were wiped out in the area under a hunt launched by the co...
Why are some wild animals more tolerant to human interaction than others?
Nov 25, 2015 (SPX)
When most wild animals first encounter humans, they respond as they would to any predator - by running, swimming or flying away. Over time, some species become ...
Over half of world's primates on brink of extinction: experts
Nov 24, 2015 (AFP)
More than half the world's primates, including apes, lemurs and monkeys, are facing extinction, international experts warned Tuesday, as they called for urgent ...
Researchers sequence genomes of parasite that is actually a 'micro jellyfish'
Nov 20, 2015 (SPX)
It's a shocking discovery that may redefine how scientists interpret what it means to be an animal. This week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Scie...
'Frozen Ark' collects animal DNA in face of mass extinction
Nov 19, 2015 (AFP)
A British-led project called "Frozen Ark" is preserving the DNA of endangered species before they disappear as the Earth undergoes what scientists are calling t...
NMSU researchers find some surprising results testing mosquito repellents
Nov 17, 2015 (SPX)
If you want to keep away blood-sucking insects, DEET products are your best bet according to a recent study from New Mexico State University. Researchers also d...
Half of all natural history specimens may have the wrong name
Nov 16, 2015 (UPI)
The world's natural history museums are going to need some new identification placards. According to researchers at the University of Oxford, half of all natura...
Freshwater fish, amphibians supercharge their ability to see infrared light?
Nov 15, 2015 (SPX)
Salmon migrating from the open ocean to inland waters do more than swim upstream. To navigate the murkier freshwater streams and reach a spot to spawn, the fish...
Implantable wireless devices can trigger and block pain signals
Nov 15, 2015 (SPX)
Building on wireless technology that has the potential to interfere with pain, scientists have developed flexible, implantable devices that can activate - and, ...
Hair increases surface area for animals by 100 times
Nov 15, 2015 (SPX)
Georgia Institute of Technology researchers combed through more than two dozen studies and did surface measurements for 27 mammals and insects to better underst...
An arms race among venomous animals
Nov 13, 2015 (SPX)
In a new study published in the journal PLOS Genetics, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have revealed new discoveries about how animal venom evo...
World's tiniest snail record broken with a myriad of new species from Borneo
Nov 12, 2015 (SPX)
The world's record for the smallest land snail is broken once again. A minute shell with an average diameter of 0.7 mm was found in Malaysian Borneo by a team o...
Pakistan asks Supreme Court to overturn ban on hunting rare bird
Nov 12, 2015 (AFP)
Pakistan on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to review its ban against hunting a rare desert bird whose meat is prized among Arab sheikhs as an aphrodisiac, say...
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