Life
- Life
Biologists go bats for storm-watch data
Borrowing meteorologists’ weather radar info may reveal new view of the ecology of flying animals.
By Susan Milius - Microbes
Gulf floor fouled by bacterial oil feast
Observations may explain the widespread mortality of sediment-dwelling animals.
By Janet Raloff - Genetics
Some genes like it hot
Some regional DNA differences may be due to climate, global surveys suggest.
- Life
Genes & Cells
A study of the Amish reveals that sleep habits are inherited, plus more in this week’s news.
By Science News - Humans
Sweeps weak in human evolution
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the rapid spread of beneficial mutations has been relatively rare in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens, a new study shows.
- Life
Packing away the poison
A genetic adaptation in a Hudson River fish species allows it to simply store toxic pollutants in its fat.
By Janet Raloff - Life
Hibernation mystery
Somehow overwintering bears slow their metabolic rates far more than their slightly decreased body temperatures would predict.
By Susan Milius -
- Life
Carnivorous bladderworts suck up prey
High-speed movies confirm that bug-eating plants are vacuum feeders.
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- Life
Moonless twilight may cue mass spawning
Subtle color shifts on the nights just after the full moon might synchronize the release of gametes by corals and other marine creatures.
By Susan Milius - Life
Fleas leap from feet, not knees
After years of scratching their heads over the question of exactly how the impressive jumpers launch themselves, scientists find an answer.