Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Oceans
Giant barrel sponges are hijacking Florida’s coral reefs
Giant barrel sponges are gradually taking over and threatening Florida’s coral reefs, a new census suggests.
- Animals
Why we need predators
It might be easy to say that we should wipe out species that can kill us. But the effects of such action would be far ranging.
- Animals
Warmer waters give Arctic mosquitoes a growth spurt
Arctic mosquitoes develop faster in warmer waters, outpacing increased predation.
- Animals
Dogs flub problem-solving test
Confronting a tough task, dogs are more likely than wolves to give up and gaze at a human
- Animals
For a female mosquito, the wrong guy can mean no babies
Male Asian tiger mosquitoes leave female yellow fever mosquitoes uninterested in mating with their own species, a process known as “satyrization.”
- Genetics
Evolution caught red-handed
Scientists have named a new gene on the fruit fly Y chromosome “flagrante delicto Y.”
- Ecosystems
Patrolling bats protect corn fields from pests
Bats play a key role in protecting corn from pests and fungus.
- Animals
Shipwreck provides window into Tudor-era cod fishing
In the 1500s, England was feeding its navy with fish caught far from home, a new study finds.
- Animals
Loss of vision meant energy savings for cavefish
Novel measurement feeds idea that tight energy budgets favored vision loss in cavefish.
- Genetics
Bad Karma can ruin palm oil crops
Missing epigenetic mark makes for Bad Karma and poor palm oil crops.
- Animals
How a seahorse dad is like a pregnant woman
Live birth has evolved at least 150 times in vertebrates, including in seahorses and humans. And there are some surprising similarities between the species.
- Health & Medicine
Less vitamin D and melatonin bad for multiple sclerosis
Vitamin D and melatonin play important roles in multiple sclerosis.
