https://phys.org/biology-news/ en-us Read the latest science news from Phys.org on biology, evolution, microbiology, biotechnology On a sailing boat anchored off Oman's pristine Daymaniyat Islands, volunteer divers pull on wetsuits, check their scuba tanks and then take turns plunging into the clear turquoise water. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-volunteer-divers-oman-unique-coral.html Ecology Mon, 04 Dec 2023 03:51:52 EST news620884307 Polar bears are icons of the Arctic, elusive and vulnerable. Detailed monitoring of their populations is crucial for their conservation—but because polar bears are so difficult to find, we are missing critical data about population size and how well-connected those populations are. Scientists have now developed a new tool to help: DNA analysis using skin cells shed in the bears' footprints in the snow. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-polar-footprints-dna-tracks-threatened.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:01 EST news620633915 A small team of bio-scientists from the University of Rostock's Institute for Biosciences and Nuremberg Zoo's Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab, both in Germany, has found evidence that bottlenose dolphins can sense electric fields. In their study, reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the group tested the ability of two captive bottlenose dolphins to sense a small electric field. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-bottlenose-dolphins-electric-fields.html Plants & Animals Sun, 03 Dec 2023 08:20:01 EST news620648234 A drone buzzed back and forth above rows of verdant orange trees planted near Nabeul, eastern Tunisia. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-maghreb-farmers-embrace-drones-climate.html Agriculture Sun, 03 Dec 2023 05:45:34 EST news620804728 Climate change is causing tropical species in the ocean to move from the equator towards the poles, while temperate species recede. This mass movement of marine life, termed tropicalization, is leading to a cascade of consequences for ecosystems and biodiversity, and has the potential to impact the global economy. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-seas-warmer-tropical-species-equator.html Ecology Sat, 02 Dec 2023 13:30:01 EST news620486497 A golden mole that "swims" in sand has resurfaced in South Africa after 87 years in the wilderness when many specialists feared it had become extinct, researchers have said. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bashful-golden-mole-south-africa.html Plants & Animals Sat, 02 Dec 2023 10:40:01 EST news620476777 A new case of cattle anthrax has been confirmed in southwest North Dakota's Grant County, bringing the number of cases in the state to 25 this year, according to state agriculture officials. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-agriculture-25th-case-cattle-anthrax.html Agriculture Sat, 02 Dec 2023 03:40:43 EST news620710836 Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-botany-feature-prominently-school-curriculum.html Ecology Other Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:30:57 EST news620667054 A new study from Simon Fraser University researchers examines the Canadian military's efforts to reduce the impacts of underwater noise pollution on species during training exercises in the Pacific Ocean but caveat that more can still be done. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-canadian-military-combat-ocean-noise.html Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:25:25 EST news620666718 Upon infection or immunization, all jawed vertebrate species generate proteins called antibodies that bind and neutralize pathogens. Strong and long-lasting antibody responses in warm-blooded species such as mammals are produced in secondary lymphoid microstructures (SLMs) among which germinal centers (GCs) are the centerpiece. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-scientists-uncharted-fish-immunology.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Fri, 01 Dec 2023 14:00:01 EST news620648327 Botanist Denis Conover does not have to go far to study the growing problem of invasive plants. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-survey-dozens-nonnative-invasive-species.html Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:08:41 EST news620654913 In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE-Berlin) shed light on the intricate dance between the prion protein and copper ions in the physiopathology of live cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-physics-biology-prion-protein-orchestrates.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 11:04:03 EST news620651041 James Cook University researcher Matthew Connors has discovered two new praying mantis species with the help of citizen scientists. The finds have been published in Zootaxa. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-citizen-scientists-mantis-species.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:18:00 EST news620648278 Artificial intelligence (AI) may attempt to mimic the human brain, but it has yet to fully grasp the complexity of what it means to be human. While it may not truly understand feelings or original creativity, it can help us better understand ourselves—especially our physical bodies in health and in disease, according to a series of articles published by the journal Quantitative Biology. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-artificial-intelligence-life-science-ai.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:11:54 EST news620644310 As a result of climate change, the Golden State's farms are expected to face a surge in agricultural pests, which poses a threat to California's specialty crops industry. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-climate-surge-insects-almonds-peaches.html Ecology Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:06:27 EST news620643983 New genetic research has revealed how British otters were able to recover from species loss in the 1950s with the help of their counterparts from Asia. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-uncovering-genetic-history-british-otters.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:56:03 EST news620643361 Two teams of bio-researchers have developed similar processes for demonstrating how photolyase isolates use light to repair damaged DNA. In their papers, both published in the journal Science, the two groups outline their stop-motion-animation-type process to capture the action in detail. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-methods-photolyase-isolates-dna.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:55:38 EST news620643336 The tridentiger typically inhabits semi-saline and freshwater environments located in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the western Pacific Ocean. It occupies a crucial position in the food chain, making it ecologically important. As an indicator species, the tridentiger is highly vulnerable to environmental changes, and it is likely that global climate change will result in significant changes or even loss of its habitat. Therefore, it is vital to systematically analyze the response strategies of the tridentiger to global climate change in various habitats. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-global-climate-fish-zones-typical.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:47:03 EST news620642821 When it comes to studying patterns in how bugs damage plants, is it important to know the average amount and type of damage? Or the variation around the average? https://phys.org/news/2023-12-key-patterns.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:33:04 EST news620641982 Ozone can be a powerful and safe sanitizer when infused in water for food processing. However, in a recent Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station study looking at its use in raw pet food processing, scientists found that ozonated water sanitation's effectiveness is variable depending on how it is applied, and on what foods. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-limits-ozonated-sanitizer-raw-veggie.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:30:04 EST news620641802 Logging typically degrades tropical forests. But what if logging is carefully planned and carried out by well-trained workers? https://phys.org/news/2023-12-sustainably-harvest-trees-tropical-forests.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:57:04 EST news620639822 Recent research led by Tigga Kingston, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University, delivers a stark warning concerning the distressing decline of flying foxes and related species, also known as Large Old World Fruit Bats (LOWFBs). https://phys.org/news/2023-12-vital-species-emphasizes-action.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:58:04 EST news620636281 Just as people can get sunburned, plants can also suffer from too much sunlight. To stay healthy, they use an internal "sun protection mechanism." Pierrick Bru, a Ph.D. student working with Alizée Malnoë at Umeå Plant Science Centre and Umeå University, has been studying a special component of this mechanism, called qH, and has found that it is quite adaptable. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-sun-mechanism-survive.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:45:33 EST news620635530 There is good news for researchers working with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy: Biocompatible molecular rulers are available for the first time to calibrate the latest super-resolution microscopy methods. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-molecular-rulers-high-resolution-microscopy.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:42:21 EST news620635338 Researchers from The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) have developed an innovative fermentation process that produces natural betalain-type food colors. This groundbreaking technology is set to revolutionize the food color industry by offering a more sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional extraction methods. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-nature-palette-reinvented-fermentation-breakthrough.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:38:26 EST news620635090 University of California, Davis, researchers are working with the Sacramento SPCA to alleviate a near-universal source of stress for cats and those who care for them: nail trimming. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-science-trim-cat.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Fri, 01 Dec 2023 03:11:45 EST news620622702 A humpback whale visiting the waters off Seattle dazzled onlookers Thursday morning with several breaches in the bay just beyond the city's downtown area. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-young-humpback-whale-seattle-bay.html Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 02:40:43 EST news620620841 Vibrio bacteria, named for their vibrating swimming motion, span approximately 150 known species. Most Vibrio live in brackish or salt water, either swimming free or living as pathogens or symbionts in fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and corals. Because Vibrio thrives at relatively high temperatures, outbreaks in marine animals are expected to become ever more frequent under global warming. For example, over the past few decades, Vibrio have been implicated in the 'bleaching' of subtropical and tropical corals around the world. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-scientists-alarm-bacteria-linked-mass.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:15:04 EST news620612101 Born tail first, bottlenose dolphin calves emerge equipped with two slender rows of whiskers along their beak-like snouts—much like the touch-sensitive whiskers of seals. But the whiskers fall out soon after birth, leaving the youngster with a series of dimples known as vibrissal pits. Recently, Tim Hüttner and Guido Dehnhardt, from the University of Rostock, Germany, began to suspect that the dimples may be more than just a relic. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bottlenose-dolphin-weak-electric-fields.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 18:00:01 EST news620582542 New research from Northern Arizona University has explained coast redwood's remarkable ability to recover from very severe fire, a rare sign of optimism amid a landscape increasingly scarred by severe fires. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-cautious-resilience-redwoods.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:31:03 EST news620587861