Birds Found To Plan For The Future - Planning and worrying about the future has always been considered an exclusively human activity, but now at least one species of bird has also been found to plan for tomorrow. April 13, 2007

Tracking Sperm Whales And Jumbo Squid - The sperm whale and its large prey, the jumbo squid, are among the deepest divers in the ocean, routinely reaching depths of 3,000 feet or more. April 12, 2007

Marine Bacteria With A Hybrid Engine - What was considered a breakthrough in the automobile industry almost five years ago is in fact a million year old success story of nature - the ability to use a mix of different energy sources. April 11, 2007

Instruction Manual For Creating A Molecular Nose - An artificial nose could be a real benefit at times: this kind of biosensor could sniff out poisons, explosives or drugs, for instance. April 10, 2007

Social Life Of Honeybees Coordinated By A Single Gene - Students of the evolution of social behavior got a big boost with the publication of the newly sequenced honeybee genome in October 2006. April 9, 2007

Stem Cells Determine Their Daughters' Fate - From roundworm to human, most cells in an animal's body ultimately come from stem cells. When one of these versatile, unspecialized cells divides, the resulting "daughter" cell receives instructions to differentiate into a specific cell type. In some cases this signal comes from other cells. April 6, 2007

How Arthropods Survive The Cold - Given the choice, many of us would opt for warmer climes during the bleak midwinter. However, most of us cannot afford to move abroad for a few months, so instead we pile on extra layers of clothing to keep warm. April 5, 2007

Remote Sheep Population Resists Genetic Drift - A wild sheep population on a remote Indian Ocean island is creating a buzz among genetics researchers. April 4, 2007

Researchers Learn What Sparks Plant Growth - A secret long held by plants has been revealed by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers. The new discovery, which builds on more than a decade of painstaking surveillance of cellular communication between different types of plant tissues ... April 3, 2007

Genes Behind Animal Growth Discovered - How many genes influence a complex trait, like weight, height or body type? And why does the answer matter? April 2, 2007

'Regressive Evolution' In Cavefish - "Regressive evolution," or the reduction of traits over time, is the result of either natural selection or genetic drift, according to a study on cavefish by researchers at New York University's Department of Biology, the University of California at Berkeley's Department of Integrative Biology, and the Harvard Medical School. March 30, 2007

Extremely Rare Owl Spotted In Peruvian Nature Reserve - The extremely rare Long-whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi), a species that wasn’t discovered until 1976, and until now was only known from a few specimens captured in nets after dark, has been seen in the wild for the first time... March 29, 2007

Malaria-resistant Mosquitoes Thrive In Lab - Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) determined that genetically-engineered malaria-resistant mosquitoes fared better than their natural counterparts when fed malaria-infected blood. March 28, 2007

Genetic Evaluations Help Breed Better Bossies - Breeding dairy cattle is an inexact science, so many gene-linked traits must be considered. Some of the major ones are quantity of milk produced, its fat and protein content, mothers' pregnancy rates, calving ease and, most recently, stillbirth rate. March 27, 2007

Studying Snail Slime Substitutes - A team of engineers have set a small robot climbing walls in order to compare how natural and artificial snail slimes work. March 26, 2007

World Shark Attacks Rise Slightly But Continue Long-term Dip - Shark attacks edged up slightly in 2006 but continued an overall long-term decline as overfishing and more cautious swimmers helped take a bite out of the aggressive encounters, new University of Florida research finds. March 23, 2007

No Sex For 40 Million Years? No Problem - A group of organisms that has never had sex in over 40 million years of existence has nevertheless managed to evolve into distinct species. March 22, 2007

Fish Can Determine Their Social Rank By Observation Alone - A male fish can size up potential rivals, and even rank them from strongest to weakest, simply by watching how they perform in territorial fights with other males, according to a new study by Stanford University scientists. March 21, 2007

Rats' Senses A Whisker Away From Humans - The sophisticated way in which rats use their whiskers in their surrounding environments show significant parallels with how humans use their fingertips, according to new research carried out at the University of Sheffield. March 20, 2007

Stealth Camouflage At Night - Giant Australian cuttlefish employ night camouflage to adapt quickly to a variety of microhabitats on temperate rock reefs. New research sheds light on the animal's remarkable visual system and nighttime predator/prey interactions. March 19, 2007

New Species Of Snapper Discovered In Brazil - A popular game fish mistaken by scientists for a dog snapper is actually a new species discovered among the reefs of the Abrolhos region of the South Atlantic Ocean. March 16, 2007

Fatal Attraction: Elephants And Marula Fruit - Being female can be a risky business, especially if you are a Marula tree in Africa receiving the attention of elephants. March 15, 2007

Leeches Ferry Infection Among Newts - Parasite-carrying bloodsucking leeches may be delivering a one-two punch to newts, according to biologists, who say the discovery may provide clues to disease outbreaks in amphibians. March 14, 2007

Fungal Factories May Save Hemlock Forests - Reaching into a box glowing with fluorescent light, Stacie Grassano pulls out a tube. "This is a great one," she says, holding the clear plastic up to her face. Inside, a tree branch is speckled with white fluff. "It's growing really well," she says, handing it to Scott Costa. March 13, 2007

Lipid Plays Big Role In Embryonic Development - A little-known lipid plays a big role in helping us grow from a hollow sphere of stem cells into human beings, researchers have found. March 12, 2007

20 New Species Of Sharks, Rays, Discovered In Indonesia - At least 20 new species have been discovered in the first comprehensive survey of Indonesia’s sharks and rays since the 1850s. March 9, 2007

Programmed Cell Death Protects Against Infections - They are the largest group of white blood cells: neutrophil granulocytes kill microorganisms. Neutrophils catch microbes with extracellular structures nicknamed Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) that are composed of nucleic acid and aggressive enzymes. March 8, 2007

Ancient Retrovirus Is Resurrected - Retroviruses have been around longer than humanity itself. In fact, the best-known family member, HIV, is a relative youngster, with its first known human infections occurring sometime in the mid-20th century. March 7, 2007

Spiders: Chastity Belts Protect Paternity - The fact that female wasp spiders have numerous sexual contacts is something which their male partners cannot prevent. March 6, 2007

Whitefly Spreads Emerging Plant Viruses - A tiny whitefly is responsible for spreading a group of plant viruses that cause devastating disease on food, fiber, and ornamental crops, say plant pathologists with The American Phytopathological Society. March 5, 2007

Scientists Discover New Life Forms In The Arctic Ocean - An international group of researchers has succeeded in identifying a previously unknown group of algae. March 2, 2007

How Fishes Conquered The Ocean - Scientists at the University of Bergen, Norway have deduced how bony fishes conquered the oceans by duplicating their yolk-producing genes and filling their eggs with the water of life ... March 1, 2007

Genetic Marker Predicts Pig Litter Size - Bigger is often better where litter size is concerned, especially when it comes to piglets. February 28, 2007

Larval Fish Use Smell To Return To Coral Reefs - Tiny larval fish living among Australia's Great Barrier Reef spend the early days of their lives swept up in ocean currents that disperse them far from their places of birth. February 27, 2007

New Research Finds People And Pigeons See Eye To Eye - Pigeons and humans use similar visual cues to identify objects, a finding that could have promising implications in the development of novel technologies. February 26, 2007

Wheat Can Fatally Starve Insect Predators - A newly identified wheat gene produces proteins that appear to attack the stomach lining of a crop-destroying fly larvae so that the bugs starve to death. February 23, 2007

Rare Fish Clean Up Weed-choaked Coral Reefs - A masked marauder has emerged unexpectedly from the ocean to rescue a dying coral reef from destruction in the nick of time. February 22, 2007

Is There A Pilot In The Insect? - When they fly, insects use their vision for piloting, just like human pilots. The electric signals from their facetted eyes travel through specialized neurons to stimulate the wing muscles, which let the insects correct their flight and avoid crashes. Could these same neurons be used in a sort of "automatic pilot"? February 21, 2007

Plant A Tree And Save The Earth? - Can planting a tree stop the sea level from rising, the ice caps from melting and hurricanes from intensifying? February 20, 2007

Bats Prey On Nocturnally Migrating Songbirds - It was until now believed that nocturnally migrating songbirds, while venturing into the unfamiliar night sky for accomplishing their long, challenging trans-continental migrations, could at least release anti-predator vigilance thanks to the concealment of darkness. February 19, 2007

Beneficial Bacteria Boost Intestinal Health - A probiotic supplement was found to stimulate the immune system and improve nutrient absorption in two separate animal studies recently conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. February 16, 2007

Researchers Find Biological Clock For Smell In Mice - Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a large biological clock in the smelling center of mice brains and have revealed that the sense of smell for mice is stronger at night, peaking in evening hours and waning during day light hours. February 15, 2007

Scientists Clone Mice From Adult Skin Stem Cells - For cells that hold so much promise, stem cells' potential has so far gone largely untapped. But new research from Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists now shows that adult stem cells taken from skin can be used to clone mice using a procedure called nuclear transfer. February 14, 2007

Which Small And Large DNA Variants In Our Genome Matter? - Findings published in Science will accelerate the search for genes involved in human disease. The report provides a first genome-wide view of how the unique composition of genetic variation within each of us leads to unique patterns of gene activity. February 13, 2007

Male-killing Bacteria Makes Female Butterflies More Promiscuous - A study at UCL (University College London) finds that a high-prevalence of male-killing bacteria active in many species of insect including the butterfly, actually increases female promiscuity and male fatigue. February 9, 2007

Shoulder Ligament A Linchpin In The Evolution Of Flight - Brown and Harvard scientists have learned that a single ligament at the shoulder joint stabilizes the wings of birds during flight. In an advanced online publication of Nature, they explain how this tough bit of tissue evolved to become a linchpin for today’s fliers. February 8, 2007

Human Skin Harbors Completely Unknown Bacteria - It appears that the skin, the largest organ in our body, is a kind of zoo and some of the inhabitants are quite novel, according to a new study. February 7, 2007

Domestic Violence In The Jungle - Love is not a pretty thing in the chimpanzee world. Male chimps frequently and brutally beat females, sometimes using branches as weapons. According to a new study, the belligerent behavior is meant to police girls' wandering eyes. February 6, 2007

Uncovering Natural Products From Mystery 'Orphan Genes' - Microorganisms have a proven track record for producing powerful molecules useful in antibiotics, as anticancer agents, and in treating human diseases. February 5, 2007

Scientists Discover New Species Of Distinctive Cloud-forest Rodent - A strikingly unusual animal was recently discovered in the cloud-forests of Peru. The large rodent is about the size of a squirrel and looks a bit like one, except its closest relatives are spiny rats. February 2, 2007

Big-brained Birds Survive Better In Nature - Birds with brains that are large in relation to their body size have a lower mortality rate than those with smaller brains, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. February 1, 2007

Hybrid Speciation Discovered In Butterflies In Sierra - University of Nevada, Reno researcher Matthew Forister is among a group of scientists that have documented an unusual type of speciation in the Sierra Nevada, including a hybrid species of butterfly that can trace its lineage as far back as almost a half a million years ago. January 31, 2007

Squirrels Place Winning Bet In Unpredictable World - In an evolutionary game of tug-of-war, red squirrels have gained the upper hand over the cunning spruce trees, says new University of Alberta research that suggests the clever animals are staying one step ahead of its food source. January 30, 2007

Fungal Factories May Save Hemlock Forests - Reaching into a box glowing with fluorescent light, Stacie Grassano pulls out a tube. "This is a great one," she says, holding the clear plastic up to her face. Inside, a tree branch is speckled with white fluff. "It's growing really well," she says, handing it to Scott Costa. January 29, 2007

DNA Detective Work Reveals Paper-eating Bacteria That 'Glide' - The eco-friendly fuel ethanol is usually made from grain, but the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would like to find other renewable materials that will be cost-effective alternatives, such as paper pulp, sawdust, straw and grain hulls. January 27, 2007

Mouse Lemur Species Not Determined By Coat Color - A team of researchers has found that nocturnal lemurs thought to belong to different species because of their strikingly different coat colors are not only genetically alike, but belong to the same species. January 26, 2007

New Clues To How Sex Evolves - Sex is a boon to evolution; it allows genetic material from parents to recombine, giving rise to a unique new genome. January 25, 2007

Bright White Beetle Dazzles Scientists - An obscure species of beetle could teach us how to produce brilliant white ultra-thin materials, according to a research team led by the University of Exeter. January 24, 2007

New Species Of Lizard Found In Borneo - Chris Austin, assistant curator of herpetology at LSU's Museum of Natural Science, or LSUMNS, and adjunct professor in biological sciences, recently discovered a new species of lizard while conducting field research in Borneo. January 23, 2007

Two Central Mysteries In Genome Inheritance Solved - The dance of the chromosomes during cell division, first described in the late 1800s and familiar to all high-school students from movies shown in biology classes, has long fascinated biologists. January 22, 2007

Bats In Flight Reveal Unexpected Aerodynamics - The maneuverability of a bat in flight makes even Harry Potter’s quidditch performance look downright clumsy. January 21, 2007

Genetic Map Offers New Tool For Malaria Research - In one of three genomic studies of malaria appearing in Nature Genetics, scientists chart genetic variation across the genome of the malaria parasite, unlocking novel DNA regions associated with drug resistance. January 20, 2007

Genetic Archaeology Offers Clues To Gender-bending Mystery - A bit of genetic archaeology is giving clues to one of the greatest gender bending mysteries in the world of fish: How did a family of fish come to embrace male pregnancy? January 19, 2007

Vanishing Beetle Horns Have Surprise function - The function of horned beetles' wild protrusions has been a matter of some consternation for biologists. Digging seemed plausible; combat and mate selection, more likely. January 18, 2007

Electrical Activity Alters Language Used By Nerve Cells - UC San Diego biologists have shown that the chemical language with which neurons communicate depends on the pattern of electrical activity in the developing nervous system. January 17, 2007

Human-chimp Difference May Be Bigger - Approximately 6 percent of human and chimp genes are unique to those species, report scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and three other institutions. January 16, 2007

Seagrass Ecosystems At A 'Global Crisis' - An international team of scientists is calling for a targeted global conservation effort to preserve seagrasses and their ecological services for the world's coastal ecosystems. January 15, 2007

World's Largest Flower Evolved From Family Of Much Tinier Blooms - The plant with the world's largest flower - typically a full meter across, with a bud the size of a basketball - evolved from a family of plants whose blossoms are nearly all tiny ... January 14, 2007

A Human Taste For Rarity Spells Disaster For Endangered Species - A model shows how the value that humans place on rarity fuels disproportionate exploitation of rare species, rendering them even rarer and thus more desirable, ultimately leading them into a vortex of extinction. January 13, 2007

How Fish Species Suffer As A Result Of Warmer Waters - Ongoing global climate change causes changes in the species composition of marine ecosystems, especially in shallow coastal oceans. January 12, 2007

Extraordinary Life Found Around Deep-sea Gas Seeps - An international team led by scientists from the United States and New Zealand have observed, for the first time, the bizarre deep-sea communities living around methane seeps off New Zealand's east coast. January 11, 2007

Gibbons Scare Off Predators With 'Song' - It is well known that animals use song as a way of attracting mates, but researchers have found that gibbons have developed an unusual way of scaring off predators - by singing to them. January 10, 2007

Why Do Some Queen Bees Eat Their Worker Bee's Eggs? - Worker bees, wasps, and ants are often considered neuter. But in many species they are females with ovaries, who although unable to mate, can lay unfertilized eggs which turn into males if reared. January 9, 2007

How Does A Zebrafish Grow A New Tail? - If a zebrafish loses a chunk of its tail fin, it'll grow back within a week. Like lizards, newts, and frogs, a zebrafish can replace surprisingly complex body parts. A tail fin, for example, has many different types of cells and is a very intricate structure. January 8, 2007

Serengeti Patrols Cut Poaching Of Buffalo, Elephants, Rhinos - A technique used since the 1930s to estimate the abundance of fish has shown for the first time that enforcement patrols are effective at reducing poaching of elephants, African buffaloes and black rhinos in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. January 7, 2007

Mice Have Biological Clock For Smell - Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered a large biological clock in the smelling center of mice brains and have revealed that the sense of smell for mice is stronger at night, peaking in evening hours and waning during day light hours. January 6, 2007

We Are More Different Than We Thought - New research shows that at least 10 percent of genes in the human population can vary in the number of copies of DNA sequences they contain a finding that alters current thinking that the DNA of any two humans is 99.9 percent similar in content and identity. January 5, 2007

New Approach Helps Expand Study Of Living Fossils - The origin of life lies in unique ocean reefs, and scientists from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science have developed an approach to help investigate them better. January 4, 2007

Chemical Exchanges Show Wasps Are Bad Losers - Wasps have more than just a sting in their tail according to new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they also carry the insect version of pepper spray in their heads, which they can release when fighting other wasps. January 3, 2007

Dragonfly's Metabolic Disease Provides Clues About Human Obesity - Parasite-infected dragonflies suffer the same metabolic disorders that have led to an epidemic of obesity and type-2 diabetes in humans, reveal the findings of research conducted at Penn State University. January 2, 2007

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