Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Paleontology
Dinosaurs’ gradual rise to dominance
Early dinosaurs didn't quickly eclipse the creatures they evolved from, but lived alongside them for perhaps 20 million years.
- Ecosystems
Bee All
With continuing concerns about the decline of honeybees in North America—and especially the newly recognized Colony Collapse Disorder—here’s a site to learn more about the important role these and other bees play in plant health and agriculture. This academic site links to plenty of related places on the Web that also address threats to not […]
- Animals
Not-So-Elementary Bee Mystery
Old-style epidemiology casework combines with an array of 21st-century lab tests in the search for clues to the disappearance of honeybees.
- Animals
Den Mothers: Bears shift dens as ice deteriorates
As Arctic ice has dwindled, pregnant polar bears in northern Alaska have become more likely to dig their birthing dens on land or nearshore ice than on floating masses of sea ice.
- Ecosystems
Sea Change: People have affected what penguins eat
Adélie penguins in Antarctica significantly changed their eating habits about 200 years ago, after whaling and other human activities transformed the ocean ecosystem.
- Ecosystems
Sawfish Central
Sawfish will soon be getting United Nations protection from exploitation. Right now, the only U.S. state where these ancient fish can generally be found—and then, only rarely—is Florida. Here’s a site to view the fish, a member of the shark family, and link to research aimed at rescuing populations of its seven beleaguered species worldwide. […]
- Animals
Faker Crayfish: Males keep bluffing but don’t get caught
Some male Australian crayfish fake out their rivals by brandishing claws that look impressive but have little strength.
- Animals
Cat History: DNA study finds domestic-cat kin
DNA evidence shows that the Near Eastern lineage of the wildcat, one of five lineages of Felis silvestris, gave rise to today's domestic kitty cats.
- Animals
West Nile virus hits bird populations
West Nile virus has hammered populations of five common North American birds.
- Animals
Profiles in Courtship: Flirting male fish show their best sides
Courting male guppies that sport a tad more orange on one side of their bodies than on the other tend to flash that brighter side at females.
- Paleontology
Jurassic CSI: Fossils indicate central nervous system damage
Fossils found in the head-thrown-back position, the so-called "dead bird" pose, probably died from central nervous system damage.
- Paleontology
Winged dragon
A quarry on the Virginia–North Carolina border has yielded fossils of an unusual gliding reptile that lived in the region about 220 million years ago.
