Bio-

By Melissa Sterry

Exploring the wonders of the natural world.

Seed banking not an option for over a third of threatened species
phys.org - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
In paper published today in Nature Plants, researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, detail for the first time the scale of threatened species …
Moths use acoustic camouflaging fur to evade bats
physicsworld.com
Scientists in the UK have discovered that the fur of some moths can absorb up to 85% of incoming ultrasound. According to the researchers, this fur …
Habitats
Luminescent ocean drifters hold keys to deep-sea animal adaptations
nsf.gov
Comb jellies, or ctenophores, link the shallows and the depths More at …
Sighting of sperm whales in Arctic a sign of changing ecosystem, say scientists
The Guardian - Leyland Cecco in Toronto
A rare sighting of sperm whales in the Canadian Arctic is the latest sign of a quickly changing ecosystem, say scientists, as a growing number of species expand their range into warming Arctic waters.
Animals
An ode to earwig wings, which break standard laws of origami
National Geographic
An ode to earwig wings, which break standard laws of origami AnimalsWeird & Wild Earwigs may look dull—until they open their wings, shimmering structures that expand 10-fold and lock without the use of
DNA project to decode 'all complex life' on Earth
bbc.co.uk - By Victoria Gill
A mission to sequence the genome of every known animal, plant, fungus and protozoan - a group of single-celled organisms - is underway. The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) has been described as a "moonshot
Humanity has wiped out 60% of animal populations since 1970, report finds
The Guardian - Damian Carrington Environment editor
Humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970, leading the world’s foremost experts to warn that the annihilation of wildlife is now an emergency that threatens civilisation.
Bioluminescence: light in the dark
nhm.ac.uk
Lanternfishes have light-producing organs on their bodies that are called photophores. This light is created by a chemical reaction, and it is one …
Metabolic evolution in ancient microbial ecosystems
nature.com - Nature Research Ecology & Evolution Community
Before animals and plants diversified and colonized the surface of our planet, terrestrial ecosystems were exclusively microbial. For around three …
Dandelion seeds use ‘extraordinary’ technique to spread
scotsman.com
The humble dandelion is able to spread so easily because its seeds use an extremely efficient form of flight never previously observed in nature, …
'Rewilding' the countryside by introducing large animals like buffalo and rhino could stop global warming and cut forest
dailymail.co.uk - Phoebe Weston
'Rewilding' the countryside with large grazers such as buffalo and rhino could stop global warming, new research suggests. Rewilding is a type of …
Team discovers the genetic basis for the repeated evolution of color patterns
phys.org - University of Konstanz
A team of evolutionary biologists from the University of Konstanz, headed by Prof. Dr. Axel Meyer, has discovered the genetic basis for the repeated …
‘Hyperalarming’ study shows massive insect loss
The Washington Post - By Ben Guarino
Insects around the world are in a crisis, according to a small but growing number of long-term studies showing dramatic declines in invertebrate populations. A new report suggests that the problem is widespread
Nikon Small World photo competition reveals nature in minuscule detail
newscientist.com - Simon Ings
Microphotography has come along way since Nikon staged the first Nikon Small World competition in 1974. Finalists in 2018 harnessed a dizzying array …
Secret filming reveals hidden cruelty of licensed badger culls
The Guardian - Jamie Doward
‘Brutal slaughter’ will cost £1,000 per animal, claim campaigners, as government defends battle to beat bovine TB Trapped in a cage and shot at close range, the badger takes almost a minute to die. Covert
Solar Cycle
Bacteria found 600m underground hint at alien life on Mars, scientists say
independent.co.uk - Josh Gabbatiss
Bacteria discovered in a 600m-deep hole in Spain have provided tantalising clues about possible alien life that could be hiding on other …
Tracking elephant movements reveals transboundary wildlife corridors
mongabay.com - Sue Palminteri
Data from satellite tracking tags deployed on elephants in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and along the border of Angola and Zimbabwe have revealed that …
Dumping 15m tonnes of salt at Queensland creek 'considerable' risk to water
Australia News - Ben Smee
Study concludes considerable likelihood waste from coal seam gas operations could contaminate Stockyard Creek in headwaters of Murray-Darling Basin Plans to dump up to 15m tonnes of salt and other waste
Microplastics found deep in sand where turtles nest
phys.org - University of Exeter
Microplastics have been found deep in the sand on beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs. University of Exeter scientists found an average of 5,300 …
Animal Collective + Coral Morphologic: Tangerine Reef
Cool Hunting
Ahead of their upcoming full-length audio visual album Tangerine Reef, Animal Collective (this time just Avey Tare, Deakin and Geologist) and Coral Morphologic have released this mesmerizing video, “A
Moose and sheep pass down their migration routes through culture
newscientist.com - Frank Swain
It takes decades for some migratory animals to learn their routes, and this knowledge can be lost in a generation if their journeys are …
How Starlings Spoke for the Gods in Ancient Rome
audubon.org - BirdNote
This audio story is brought to you by BirdNote, a partner of the National Audubon Society. BirdNote episodes air daily on public radio stations …
University of Washington
How DNA Testing Could Bring Down Ivory Trade’s Biggest Criminals
smithsonianmag.com - Katherine J. Wu
Behind every piece of ivory is the death of an elephant. Up to 40,000 African elephant lives are lost to poaching each year, with some regions …
Beluga whales adopt lost narwhal in St. Lawrence River
cbc.ca - Emily Chung headshot
An unusual visitor has been hanging out in the St. Lawrence River for the past three years: A narwhal, more than 1,000 kilometres south of its usual …
Wildlife Trade
Join our fight to end illegal wildlife trade
wwf.org.uk
WHAT WWF IS CALLING FOR AT THE LONDON CONFERENCE The UK Government will host the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade from 11-12 October which …
Watch Plants Light Up When They Get Attacked
The New York Times - By JOANNA KLEIN
Plants have no eyes, no ears, no mouth and no hands. They do not have a brain or a nervous system. Muscles? Forget them. They’re stuck where they started, soaking up the sun and sucking up nutrients from
State of the World's Fungi 2018
stateoftheworldsfungi.org
The facts and figures contained in the pages of the 2018 State of the World’s Fungi report and this website will probably come as a total revelation …
Jellyfish
There's no such thing as a jellyfish
www.youtube.com
As Spring Arrives Earlier, Arctic Geese Speed Up Their Migration
scientificamerican.com - Annie Sneed
The birds are arriving in the Arctic up to 13 days earlier than they used to. But at a cost: hunger. Annie Sneed reports.