Scientists at Rutgers University-Newark discovered a small dragonfly species that migrates across vast distances, breeding with each other and creating a global gene pool. The dragonfly, Pantala flavescens, is estimated to have traveled over 4,400 miles, surpassing previously thought records of monarch butterflies.
A five-year $1-million grant aims to teach people how to protect their brains through exercise, with a focus on African-Americans at elevated dementia risk. The program will include dance-based exercise and lifestyle education, and gather data on brain circuitry, aging, and stress levels.
A study by Rutgers University-Newark researchers found that emotional disclosure reduces victim blaming, with witnesses who express disturbing thoughts and feelings blaming victims less than those who suppress their emotions. The research suggests people can best help victims by addressing their own emotional needs.
A team of 100 researchers, led by Rutgers biologist Dr. Jessica Ware, has completed a groundbreaking two-year project to map the evolution of insects using molecular data. The study found that insects originated around 480 million years ago, contemporaneous with the earliest terrestrial plants, and developed wings before other animals.
A study led by Rutgers University-Newark found that plant communities in the Holy Land can withstand significant changes in rainfall, contradicting predictions of dire ecological consequences. The research team subjected diverse ecosystems to nine years of drought and found no measurable changes in vegetation characteristics.