Biological Sciences

Male guppies that glow with more orange aren’t just fashion-forward — they’re also significantly more sexually active. A UBC study reveals that brighter coloration is linked to virility and is genetically tied to brain development, suggesting a deeper evolutionary function. Researchers found that these bold hues aren't just for attracting mates, but are rooted in a vast, multi-chromosomal genetic system that enables tens of thousands of possible color pattern combinations. The work sheds light on how vibrant displays, behavior, and genetic fitness are intertwined in evolution.

What if humans didn’t have to suffer the slow-burning fire of chronic inflammation as we age? A surprising study on two types of lemurs found no evidence of "inflammaging," a phenomenon long assumed to be universal among primates. These findings suggest that age-related inflammation isn’t inevitable and that environmental factors could play a far bigger role than we thought. By peering into the biology of our primate cousins, researchers are opening up new possibilities for preventing aging-related diseases in humans.

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.

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.

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.

Hovering fish aren’t loafing—they burn twice resting energy to make micro-fin tweaks that counteract a natural tendency to tip, and body shape dictates just how costly the pause is. The discovery flips a long-held assumption about effortless neutral buoyancy and offers fresh blueprints for agile, instability-embracing underwater robots.

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.

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.

Feral water buffalo now roam Hong Kong s South Lantau marshes, and a 657-person survey shows they ignite nostalgia, wonder, and worry in equal measure. Many residents embrace them as living links to a fading rural past and potential conservation icons, yet others fear road blockages, safety hazards, and ecosystem impacts. Attitudes skew more positive among younger locals familiar with wildlife, while concern rises in groups with less rural exposure.

Scientists found that embryonic skin cells “whisper” through faint mechanical tugs, using the same force-sensing proteins that make our ears ultrasensitive. By syncing these micro-movements, the cells choreograph the embryo’s shape, a dance captured with AI-powered imaging and computer models. Blocking the cells’ ability to feel the whispers stalls development, hinting that life’s first instructions are mechanical. The discovery suggests hearing hijacked an ancient force-sensing toolkit originally meant for building bodies.

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.

Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow. By tapping into a built-in protein pathway, the bacteria keep themselves alive until they can infect a new host. The research opens the door to new methods of stopping these diseases before ticks ever get the chance to bite. A new web tool also reveals that this trick might be used by other blood-feeding bugs too.

Scientists at UC Davis discovered a small genetic difference that could explain why humans are more prone to certain cancers than our primate cousins. The change affects a protein used by immune cells to kill tumors—except in humans, it’s vulnerable to being shut down by an enzyme that tumors release. This flaw may be one reason treatments like CAR-T don’t work as well on solid tumors. The surprising twist? That mutation might have helped our brains grow larger over time. Now, researchers are exploring ways to block the enzyme and give our immune system its power back.

Female chimpanzees that forge strong, grooming-rich friendships with other females dramatically boost their infants’ odds of making it past the perilous first year—no kin required. Three decades of Gombe observations show that well-integrated mothers enjoy a survival rate of up to 95% for their young, regardless of male allies or sisters. The payoff may come from shared defense, reduced stress, or better access to food, hinting that such alliances laid early groundwork for humanity’s extraordinary cooperative spirit.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way that urea—an essential building block for life—could have formed on the early Earth. Instead of requiring high temperatures or complex catalysts, this process occurs naturally on the surface of tiny water droplets like those in sea spray or fog. At this boundary between air and water, a unique chemical environment allows carbon dioxide and ammonia to combine and spontaneously produce urea, without any added energy. The finding offers a compelling clue in the mystery of life’s origins and hints that nature may have used simple, everyday phenomena to spark complex biological chemistry.

Remove the top male spotty fish and, within minutes, the next-in-line female morphs into the tank s new tyrant charging and nipping rivals while her body quietly begins a weeks-long transition to male.

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.

Cats overwhelmingly choose to sleep on their left side, a habit researchers say could be tied to survival. This sleep position activates the brain’s right hemisphere upon waking, perfect for detecting danger and reacting swiftly. Left-side snoozing may be more than a preference; it might be evolution’s secret trick.

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.

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.

Poachers are using a sneaky loophole to bypass the international ivory trade ban—by passing off illegal elephant ivory as legal mammoth ivory. Since the two types look deceptively similar, law enforcement struggles to tell them apart, especially when tusks are carved or polished. But scientists may have found a powerful new tool: stable isotope analysis.

The shift from lizard-like sprawl to upright walking in mammals wasn’t a smooth climb up the evolutionary ladder. Instead, it was a messy saga full of unexpected detours. Using new bone-mapping tech, researchers discovered that early mammal ancestors explored wildly different postures before modern upright walking finally emerged—much later than once believed.

Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn defenders into nurses or gardeners into leaf harvesters. These same molecular signals echo in naked mole-rats, revealing a deep evolutionary link in how complex societies function, even across species. The study also teases out a possible connection to insulin and longevity, hinting at new frontiers in understanding human behavior and lifespan.

Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.

Two Ice Age wolf pups once thought to be early dogs have been identified as wild wolves, thanks to detailed DNA and chemical analysis. Surprisingly, their last meals included woolly rhinoceros meat—an unusually large prey item—hinting that ancient wolves might have been bigger than today’s. Their well-preserved bodies also shed light on wolf pack behavior and Ice Age environments.

Exploration for deep-sea minerals in the Clarion Clipperton Zone threatens to disrupt an unexpectedly rich ecosystem of whales and dolphins. New studies have detected endangered species in the area and warn that mining noise and sediment could devastate marine life that relies heavily on sound. With so little known about these habitats, experts urge immediate assessment of the risks.

In a remarkable twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was once feared for its deadly spores. Now, scientists at Penn and several partner institutions have extracted a new class of molecules from it—called asperigimycins—that show powerful effects against leukemia cells. These compounds, part of a rare group known as fungal RiPPs, were bioengineered for potency and appear to disrupt cancer cell division with high specificity.

Even after 20 million years of evolutionary separation, two tiny worm species show astonishingly similar patterns in how they turn genes on and off. Scientists mapped every cell s activity during development and found that genes essential to basic functions like muscles and digestion remained largely unchanged. Meanwhile, genes linked to sensing the environment or brain-like functions showed more variation. This high-resolution comparison of every cell between species may help unlock mysteries of how life evolves and adapts without always changing how it looks.

Researchers investigating the enigmatic and antibiotic-resistant Pandoraea bacteria have uncovered a surprising twist: these pathogens don't just pose risks they also produce powerful natural compounds. By studying a newly discovered gene cluster called pan, scientists identified two novel molecules Pandorabactin A and B that allow the bacteria to steal iron from their environment, giving them a survival edge in iron-poor places like the human body. These molecules also sabotage rival bacteria by starving them of iron, potentially reshaping microbial communities in diseases like cystic fibrosis.

New research is shaking up our understanding of evolution by revealing that some species may not evolve gradually at all. Instead, scientists discovered that certain marine worms experienced an explosive genetic makeover when they transitioned to life on land over 200 million years ago. Their entire genome broke into pieces and was randomly reassembled an event so extreme it stunned researchers. This radical shift supports the theory of "punctuated equilibrium," where species remain unchanged for ages and then suddenly leap forward.

Beetles that can see the color red? That s exactly what scientists discovered in two Mediterranean species that defy the norm of insect vision. While most insects are blind to red, these beetles use specialized photoreceptors to detect it and even show a strong preference for red flowers like poppies and anemones. This breakthrough challenges long-standing assumptions about how flower colors evolved and opens a new path for studying how pollinators influence plant traits over time.

A massive, extinct salamander with jaws like a vice once roamed ancient Tennessee and its fossil has just rewritten what we thought we knew about Appalachian amphibians. Named Dynamognathus robertsoni, this powerful predator wasn t just a curiosity; it may have sparked an evolutionary chain reaction, shaping the region s remarkably diverse salamander population. Once thought to be isolated to southern Alabama, salamanders like this one were clearly far more widespread and potentially far more influential than previously believed. And it all began with a volunteer sifting through tons of dirt near East Tennessee State University.

Scientists have uncovered that fish biofluorescence a captivating ability to glow in vivid colors has ancient roots stretching back over 100 million years. This trait evolved independently in reef fish more than 100 times, likely influenced by post-dinosaur-extinction reef expansion. The glowing spectacle is more diverse than previously imagined, spanning multiple colors across hundreds of species.

Nematodes tiny yet mighty form wriggling towers to survive and travel as a team. Long thought to exist only in labs, scientists have now spotted these towers naturally forming in rotting orchard fruit. Remarkably, the worms aren t just piling up they build responsive, coordinated structures that hitch rides on insects to escape harsh conditions.

A lifelong fascination with nature and fieldwork led this researcher to the world of ethnobiology a field where ecology, culture, and community come together. Investigating how local people relate to species like the anaconda, their work blends traditional knowledge with scientific methods for better conservation. The tale of the mythic Great Snake morphs into economic concerns over vanishing chickens, revealing how cultural beliefs and practical needs coexist.

Aphid-hunting wasps can reproduce with or without sex, challenging previous assumptions. This unique flexibility could boost sustainable pest control if its hidden drawbacks can be managed.

Underground fungi may be one of Earth s most powerful and overlooked allies in the fight against climate change, yet most of them remain unknown to science. Known only by DNA, these "dark taxa" make up a shocking 83% of ectomycorrhizal species fungi that help forests store carbon and thrive. Their hotspots lie in tropical forests and other underfunded regions. Without names, they re invisible to conservation efforts. But scientists are urging more DNA sequencing and global collaboration to bring these critical organisms into the light before their habitats, or the fungi themselves, disappear forever.

A University of Queensland-led project has developed a tool to standardise genetic testing of koala populations, providing a significant boost to conservation and recovery efforts.

Ten thousand years after mastodons disappeared, scientists have unearthed powerful fossil evidence proving these elephant cousins were vital seed spreaders for large-fruited trees in South America. Using dental wear, isotope analysis, and fossilized plant residue, researchers confirmed that mastodons regularly consumed fruit supporting a decades-old theory that many tropical plants evolved alongside giant animals. The extinction of these megafauna left a permanent ecological void, with some plants now teetering on the edge of extinction. Their story isn t just prehistoric it s a warning for today s conservation efforts.

Study suggests that appetite for bushmeat -- rather than black market for scales to use in traditional Chinese medicine -- is driving West Africa's illegal hunting of one of the world's most threatened mammals. Interviews with hundreds of hunters show pangolins overwhelmingly caught for food, with majority of scales thrown away. Survey work shows pangolin is considered the most palatable meat in the region.

Despite Earth's most devastating mass extinction wiping out over 80% of marine life and half of land species, a group of early reptiles called archosauromorphs not only survived but thrived, venturing across the supposedly lifeless tropics to eventually evolve into the dinosaurs and crocodiles we know today. Armed with a groundbreaking model dubbed TARDIS, researchers have reconstructed their ancient dispersal routes, revealing how these resilient reptiles conquered a hostile, post-apocalyptic Earth.

Reef "beauty salons" staffed by tiny cleaner fish aren t just for parasite removal they may also shape the microbial life of the entire ecosystem. A fascinating new study shows these bustling fish stations influence which microbes move around the reef, possibly helping or harming coral health. Cleaner gobies, it turns out, don t just offer spa treatments to their fish clients they may also serve as tiny microbiome engineers of the sea.

Mercury contamination is surfacing as a serious concern in parts of Georgia and South Carolina, particularly in regions like the Okefenokee Swamp. University of Georgia researchers found alarmingly high levels of the neurotoxic metal in alligators, especially in older individuals and even hatchlings suggesting the toxin is passed both up the food chain and through generations. These ancient reptiles act as environmental indicators, raising red flags for the broader ecosystem and potentially for humans who fish or hunt nearby.

Sea cucumbers, long known for cleaning the ocean floor, may also harbor a powerful cancer-fighting secret. Scientists discovered a unique sugar in these marine creatures that can block Sulf-2, an enzyme that cancer cells use to spread. Unlike traditional medications, this compound doesn t cause dangerous blood clotting issues and offers a cleaner, potentially more sustainable way to develop carbohydrate-based drugs if scientists can find a way to synthesize it in the lab.

What if all life on Earth followed a surprisingly simple pattern? New research shows that in every region, species tend to cluster in small hotspots and then gradually thin out. This universal rule applies across drastically different organisms and habitats from trees to dragonflies, oceans to forests. Scientists now believe environmental filtering shapes this global distribution, providing new tools to predict how life responds to climate change and biodiversity threats.

A prehistoric digestive time capsule has been unearthed in Australia: plant fossils found inside a sauropod dinosaur offer the first definitive glimpse into what these giant creatures actually ate. The remarkably preserved gut contents reveal that sauropods were massive, indiscriminate plant-eaters who swallowed leaves, conifer shoots, and even flowering plants without chewing relying on their gut microbes to break it all down.

After millions of years of evolutionary isolation, Madagascar developed an unparalleled array of wildlife, and recent research has uncovered an unsung ecological hero: the lizard. Though often dismissed in studies of seed dispersal, lizards in Madagascar have proven to be vital agents of endozoochory, consuming fruits and spreading the seeds of over 20 plant species. Surprisingly, their seed choices differ from those of the dominant lemurs, suggesting an unrecognized ecological role. Even more striking, these lizards persist in degraded environments where larger frugivores can t, hinting at their crucial function in restoring Madagascar s forests.

Bumblebee queens don t work nonstop. UC Riverside scientists discovered that queens take strategic reproductive breaks early in colony formation likely to conserve energy and increase the chance of survival. These pauses aren t due to stress but are a built-in response to brood development stages. The study shows queen behavior is far more flexible and dynamic than previously thought, potentially offering new insights into how to protect declining bee populations.

For millions of years, large herbivores like mastodons and giant deer shaped the Earth's ecosystems, which astonishingly stayed stable despite extinctions and upheavals. A new study reveals that only twice in 60 million years did environmental shifts dramatically reorganize these systems once with a continental land bridge, and again with climate-driven habitat change. Yet the ecosystems adapted, with new species taking on old roles. Now, a third, human-driven tipping point threatens that ancient resilience.

In a paper published in National Science Review, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within a Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, which pushes back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years. The new finding provides crucial fossil evidence for studying the origin and early evolution of blue-stain fungi and offers fresh insights into understanding the ecological relationships between the blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period.

Humpback whales have been observed blowing bubble rings during friendly interactions with humans a behavior never before documented. This surprising display may be more than play; it could represent a sophisticated form of non-verbal communication. Scientists from the SETI Institute and UC Davis believe these interactions offer valuable insights into non-human intelligence, potentially helping refine our methods for detecting extraterrestrial life. Their findings underscore the intelligence, curiosity, and social complexity of whales, making them ideal analogues for developing communication models beyond Earth.

Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians are not just battling habitat loss and pollution they're now also contending with increasingly brutal heat waves and droughts. A sweeping 40-year study shows a direct link between the rise in extreme weather events and the growing number of species landing on the endangered list. Europe, the Amazon, and Madagascar have become danger zones, with amphibians unable to adapt quickly enough. But there s hope scientists are calling for focused conservation efforts like habitat restoration and micro-refuges to help these vulnerable creatures survive.

Scientists have discovered that a molecule known for defending animal immune systems called itaconate also plays a powerful role in plants. Researchers showed that itaconate not only exists in plant cells but actively stimulates growth, such as making corn seedlings grow taller. This surprising crossover between plant and animal biology may unlock new, natural ways to boost agriculture and even improve human health.

Scientists have uncovered over 200 new giant viruses lurking in ocean waters that not only help shape marine ecosystems but also manipulate photosynthesis in algae. These massive viruses once nearly invisible to science are now being exposed using powerful supercomputing and a new tool called BEREN. By studying these viruses, researchers hope to predict harmful algal blooms and even explore biotech applications from the novel enzymes found in these viral genomes.

To satisfy the seafood needs of billions of people, offering them access to a more biodiverse array of fish creates opportunities to mix-and-match species to obtain better nutrition from smaller portions of fish.

In the heart of Dublin, scientists have discovered that the air holds more than melodies and Guinness-infused cheer it carries invisible traces of life, from wildlife to drugs and even human diseases. Using high-powered air filters and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, researchers vacuumed up the city s air and uncovered genetic material from cannabis, magic mushrooms, and pathogens. This emerging technology, which doesn t require direct contact with organisms, could revolutionize how we monitor ecosystems, track diseases, and even locate endangered species all from the sky above. It's science fiction turned science fact, and it s changing what we thought was possible from a simple breath of air.

The biosynthesis of the great variety of natural plant products has not yet been elucidated for many medically interesting substances. In a new study, an international team of researchers was able to show how ipecacuanha alkaloids, substances used in traditional medicine, are synthesized. They compared two distantly related plant species and were able to show that although both plant species use a comparable chemical approach, the enzymes they need for synthesis differ and a different starting material is used. Further investigations revealed that the biosynthetic pathways of these complex chemical compounds have developed independently in the two species. These results help to enable the synthesis of these and related substances on a larger scale for medical use.

Researchers have discovered that baboons walk in lines, not for safety or strategy, but simply to stay close to their friends.

A new study shows how person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population.

Making a discovery with the potential for innovative applications in pharmaceutical development, a microbiology student has found a long sought-after fungus that produces effects similar to the semisynthetic drug LSD, which is used to treat conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.