Did animal evolution begin with a predatory lifestyle?
Were the first animals predators or filter feeders like the sponges living in today's oceans? And what role did symbiosis with algae play, as with reef-building corals? Surprising findings by a research group led by Prof. Dr. Thomas W. Holstein of He.....»»

Study suggests climate played a crucial role in human migration from Africa
About 6 million years ago, in the deep forests of eastern Africa, something spectacular happened. Chimpanzees, our closest relative in the animal kingdom, evolved in one direction, while our earliest ancestors continued in another......»»
Q&A: Reducing the use of animal tissues for testing the safety of cosmetics
Imperial College London researchers speak to us about their work exploring animal-free methods for the future of testing cosmetics safety......»»
Better use of grass-covered areas across the EU can protect nature and strengthen agriculture
German farmers in the Lower Oder Valley National Park on the eastern border with Poland faced a dilemma: what to do with grass that was useless as animal feed......»»
A mathematical model connects the evolution of chickens, fish and frogs
One of the most enduring, basic questions of life is: How does it happen? For instance, in human development, how do cells self-organize into skin, muscles or bones? How do they form a brain, a finger, a spine?.....»»
Eight-eyed cave creature with unique genitalia discovered as new species in China
As light filtered into a cave in southeastern China, an eight-eyed creature moved around underneath a rock. Despite its small size, the animal caught the attention of nearby scientists. It turned out to be a new species......»»
Astronomers discover galaxies have bipolar gas outflows reaching far into intergalactic space
Astronomers have observed, for the first time in three dimensions, that gas from spiral galaxies is blown upward and downward at high velocity, far out of the galaxy. The observations confirm the prevailing theory of galaxy evolution that says that s.....»»
Parasitic creature with unique teeth found in forests of Asia: It"s a new species
In a forest in southern China, a parasitic creature flew through the air. Suddenly, a net enveloped the animal. Scientists looked at their successful catch—and discovered a new species......»»
New unified theory shows how past landscapes drove the evolution of Earth"s rich diversity of life
Earth's surface is the living skin of our planet—it connects the physical, chemical and biological systems......»»
DEAL: Grab the Garmin Instinct for Less than $200!
Garmin's wide selection of ruggedly-designed wearables are a great choice for folks after a device that can keep up with their active lifestyle. The post DEAL: Grab the Garmin Instinct for Less than $200! appeared first on Phandroid. When.....»»
A Galápagos Island warbler population does not recognize call signaling mainland threat
Researchers are realizing that animal communication is more complicated than previously thought, and that the information animals share in their vocalizations can be complex. For example, some animals produce calls that warn of specific dangers in th.....»»
Research traces modern maize back to a hybrid created 5,000 years ago in Mexico
Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been h.....»»
Venezuela zoo welcomes three white lion cubs
A Venezuelan zoo this week welcomed the country's first three white lion cubs born in captivity, a boost for the genetically rare animal whose wild population numbers only about a dozen living in their native South Africa......»»
The miraculous effect of music: Concerts bind people together
Why does music exist? Some researchers believe that music is so widespread across human cultures because it brings people together. The theory is that during evolution, human groups who were musical worked better together, and therefore music may hav.....»»
Landscape dynamics determine the evolution of biodiversity on Earth, research reveals
Movement of rivers, mountains, oceans and sediment nutrients at the geological timescale are the central drivers of Earth's biodiversity, research published in Nature has revealed......»»
Elephant at center of animal rights campaign dies in Philippine zoo
An elderly elephant has died in a Philippine zoo, an official said Wednesday, after a failed global campaign to relocate her to an animal sanctuary......»»
Molecular diversity and evolution of far-red light photosynthesis
A collaborative study led by Dr. Christopher Gisriel at Yale University and Dr. Tanai Cardona at Queen Mary University of London, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, offers new insight on the origin and evolution of a unique type of photosynthes.....»»
Early humans in the Paleolithic Age: More than just game on the menu
In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (SHEP) at the University of Tübingen show that early humans of the Middle Paleolithic had a more varied diet th.....»»
Study is the first to document dialect differences in a parrot across its European range
In the 50 years since monk parakeets arrived in Europe and spread across the continent, the species has developed distinct dialects that vary across countries and cities, according to a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institutes of Animal Beh.....»»
Comprehensive analysis of the telomere-to-telomere genome of soybean cultivar ZH13
Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most crucial oil and protein crops, and contributes to more than a quarter of the protein utilized in both human food and animal feed. It is widely acknowledged that the cultivated soybean emerged through the domes.....»»
High-valence metal-doped amorphous IrOx as stable electrocatalyst for acidic oxygen evolution reaction
Hydrogen has been regarded as a potential energy carrier instead of fossil fuels, addressing energy demand and environmental issues. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), with its high energy density, elevated hydrogen purity, and rapi.....»»