Vertebrates show variation in species numbers among groups, with land animals exhibiting higher diversification rates, suggests a study by UA evolutionary biologist John Wiens. Habitat is likely a more important variable than climate or metabolic rate explaining species richness.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have discovered ethylenedione, a diradical molecule that was previously thought to be elusive. The discovery has significant implications for understanding radical molecular species, industrial processes, and potentially even atmospheric chemistry and climate modeling.
A new open-source software will put digitized biomedical data at the fingertips of healthcare professionals, enabling quicker second opinions and diagnoses. The software compresses images up to 100 times without losing detail or resolution.
The OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) instrument will help the team select a suitable sampling site on asteroid Bennu by measuring visible and near infrared light. The mission aims to investigate the composition of the early solar system, organic materials, and water.
The OSIRIS-REx team is preparing to ship its instruments to the spacecraft's assembly facility, with a launch date of September 2016. The mission aims to bring back a small sample from asteroid Bennu for study, providing insights into the asteroid's composition and properties.
A study by the University of Arizona's BIO5 Institute has identified potential protective compounds in dust samples from Amish farming communities. The findings suggest that these natural environmental products could be transformed into medicines to promote lung health and prevent asthma. The research aims to understand the biological ...
A study analyzing data from over 8,000 married couples found that the physical health and cognitive functioning of a person's spouse can greatly affect their own quality of life. The research suggests that targeting both partners' health and cognition is crucial for improving overall well-being in older adults.
Beetle species segregate mating activity by time of day and seasonal changes, allowing females to choose mate from specific species. This discovery provides a framework for understanding how insects produce separate signals with the same pheromone.
Marine viruses and microbes interact on a global scale, driving ecological processes and producing half of the oxygen we breathe. A study by an international team led by University of Arizona scientists reveals how viral communities maintain high regional diversity through passive transport by ocean currents.
Researchers have developed a new variety of low-allergenic soybean that lacks key allergenic and anti-nutritional proteins, making it suitable for use in infant formulas, livestock feed, and aquaculture. The 'Triple Null' soybean has the potential to reduce processing costs and make animal feed production more efficient.
Astronomers have combined telescopes across the Earth to create the Event Horizon Telescope, which will take detailed images of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The South Pole Telescope has joined the EHT, bringing a two-to-three times increase in resolution to study black holes and test Einstein's the...
The LEECH exoplanets survey has obtained new images of HR 8799, a 30-million-year-old star with four known giant planets. The team found that the system likely consists of multiple double resonances, indicating gravitational interactions between the planets.
Scientists have found a record of the ancient Moon-forming giant impact observable in stony meteorites. The team used data analysis and numerical modeling work to infer the Moon formed about 4.47 billion years ago.
Researchers created a model that predicts asthma-related emergency room visits with 75% accuracy by analyzing Twitter data and air quality sensors. The study highlights the potential of big data to address health challenges, particularly for chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes.
Researchers have found two groups of type Ia supernovae with different properties, hinting at a reevaluation of the universe's expansion rate and dark energy. The discovery uses combined observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and Swift satellite.
A University of Arizona team developed a new model that improves seasonal hurricane forecast accuracy for the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico by 23 percent. The model incorporates wind force on the ocean and sea surface temperature over the Atlantic, reducing El Niño's impact during warm AMO phases.
Researchers used ESA's Herschel and Planck space observatories to identify objects in the distant Universe that could be precursors of today's galaxy clusters. These early galaxies were found to be forming stars at an extremely high rate, with some converting gas and dust into stars at a rate 1,500 times faster than our own Milky Way.
Archeologists discover that mobile and sedentary Maya groups co-existed and collaborated on construction projects, participating in public ceremonies. This finding challenges the idea that sedentary and mobile communities were separate.
Researchers create detailed digital terrain models of Hawaiian lava flows using a kite-mounted camera and GPS system. The models reveal complex patterns of lava movement and challenge current interpretations of Martian surface features.
A research team at the University of Arizona has discovered sulfide chondrules in meteorites, providing evidence for a new type of environment in the early solar system. The discovery sheds light on the formation of elements essential for life, such as carbon and oxygen.
Researchers at the University of Arizona discovered how cells know to rush to a wound and heal it, shedding light on mechanisms of cell migration. They found that biomechanical stress and biochemical signaling orchestrate this process, which can be regulated and manipulated to create new tissues.
Researchers have discovered the brightest quasar in the early universe, powered by a massive 12 billion solar mass black hole. The quasar's luminosity is equivalent to 420 trillion suns and is seven times brighter than the most distant known quasar.
A team of researchers found that sea levels rose by an average of four inches along the Northeast Coast from New York to Newfoundland, causing flooding independent of hurricanes or winter storms. The extreme increase was linked to changes in ocean circulation and the North Atlantic Oscillation.
A new study found that LGBT teens who come out at school have higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression as young adults. Researchers analyzed data from the Family Acceptance Project and found that coming out was associated with better well-being outcomes. The study suggests that being open about one's sexual orientation or gend...
Researchers found that communities with stronger social connections were better equipped to manage crises like the megadrought in the Southwest. This finding has implications for modern crisis management research.
A University of Arizona-led team reports that Iceland's glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate, causing the island's crust to rise rapidly. The study uses GPS measurements to track geological activity and finds a direct connection between glacier loss and uplift.
Scientists studied the fly species Scaptomyza flava to understand its transition from a non-plant diet to herbivory. They found that genetic and neurological processes underlying behaviors were drastically remodeled, enabling the flies to seek out healthy plants and lay eggs on them.
A new study led by University of Arizona scientists found that transgenic crops producing two or more Bt toxins do not effectively delay pest evolution. In reality, the actual efficacy against pests often does not live up to computer simulation models, leading to inadequate management guidelines.
Astronomers have discovered a star with three planets only slightly larger than Earth, one of which orbits in the habitable zone where surface temperatures could be moderate enough for liquid water and life to exist. The study found that these planets are about 2.1, 1.7, and 1.5 times the size of Earth.
Researchers found highly conserved brain centers in insect species that share similarities with vertebrate learning centers, such as the hippocampus. The study suggests a common ancestral origin for these structures, possibly dating back 600 million years.
A recent engineered pulse of water to the lower Colorado River Delta resulted in significant improvements, including a 23% increase in riparian zone vegetation's greenness. The event also led to germinated new willows and cottonwoods, which can grow quickly enough to keep up with receding water tables.
A new study suggests that biotechnology and traditional agriculture can be compatible approaches toward sustainable agriculture. Combining computer modeling and field research, the international team found that diverse patchwork of crops in northern China slowed adaptation to genetically engineered cotton by a wide-ranging insect pest.
Researchers discovered that yeast cells can clear themselves of misfolded prion proteins by activating a stress response and producing specific heat-shock proteins. This finding suggests a new approach to treating diseases associated with prion misfolding, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's.
The iPlant Collaborative will manage Jetstream, a new all-science cyber-computing platform, providing a scalable and flexible interface for researchers in various disciplines. The platform enables easy use of cloud resources for large-scale and integrated data processing in science and engineering research.
Researchers have discovered two young stars with analogues to our solar system's asteroid and Kuiper belts, surrounded by a large dust halo. These findings suggest a common model for planetary formation and evolution, providing insight into the early stages of star formation and planet creation.
A new species of microbe, Methanoflorens stordalenmirensis, has been found to control the release of methane from thawing permafrost soils, affecting global climate change predictions. The study reveals that this microbe plays a significant role in amplifying climate change by controlling greenhouse gas emissions.
A new study published in Science Express reviews progress in addressing challenges using evolutionary histories and rapid adaptation approaches. The research highlights the urgent need for better implementation of these strategies to combat escalating resistance to antibiotics and pesticides.
A new study reveals that marine viruses are more important to microbial ecology below sunlit surface waters than previously suspected. The research focused on a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium called SUP05, which is dominant in oxygen minimum zones and has not been successfully cultivated in a lab setting.
A study of fossilized leaves reveals that the meteorite impact that ended the dinosaurs' reign favored fast-growing, deciduous plants. This shift from slow-growing evergreens to fast-growing species indicates that the extinction was not random, but rather a response to the major disturbance caused by the impact.
Research reveals Asian monsoon's origins date back 40 million years to high CO2 levels and warmer temperatures. The climate pattern was stronger then than now and weakened with decreasing CO2 levels during an ice age.
Research reveals that the population structure of feather lice matches that of Galápagos hawks across the archipelago, indicating a co-evolutionary relationship. This study provides evidence for the hypothesis of co-divergence between parasites and hosts as a major driver of biodiversity.
African rice genome sequencing enables scientists to identify traits resistant to environmental stress and develop new varieties with high-yield potential. The effort aims to solve the 9 billion-people question by creating a super-rice that requires less water, fertilizer, and pesticides.
A new study by University of Arizona researchers found that plant size and age control most of the variation in plant productivity, not temperature and precipitation as traditionally thought. Climate still plays an important role, but its influence on ecosystem functioning has been revised.
Using lab-cultured bacteria as 'bait,' researchers sequenced complete and partial genomes of 10 million viruses from an ocean water sample, revealing distinct categories and enabling recognition of actual virus populations. This breakthrough enables scientists to study the ecology and evolution of viruses in nature.
A recent study published in Health Psychology found that people who experience persistent sleep problems after a divorce may be at risk for increased blood pressure. The longer the sleep problems persist, the more likely they are to have an adverse effect on blood pressure.
An interdisciplinary team of University of Arizona researchers is studying language abilities in patients recovering from a stroke. They will use combined language assessments with comprehensive brain imaging techniques to understand the neural processes underlying successful recovery.
Researchers have found the fossilized remains of the brain of the world's earliest known predators, which lived in the oceans 520 million years ago. The discovery reveals a surprisingly simple brain compared to its prey, and similarities with modern-day velvet worms.
Researchers from the University of Arizona have discovered two juvenile gomphotheres at an archaeological site in northwestern Mexico, dating back 13,400 years. The findings suggest that early humans in North America likely hunted and consumed gomphotheres, expanding our understanding of their diet and behavior.
Researchers have identified a novel mechanism of resistance in pink bollworm insects to genetically engineered Bt cotton, which could impact the effectiveness of integrated pest management strategies. Alternative splicing is responsible for the diverse variants of cadherin protein that confer resistance.
Scientists at the University of Arizona have developed a way to control graphene's crystal structure using an electric field. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of faster and more versatile transistors, which would enable faster computing and new applications for graphene in microelectronics.