Scientists used chemical isotopes to measure tree cover and shade in ancient soil, finding that grassy savannas were prevalent at most East African sites where human ancestors evolved. The study suggests that hominins partitioned their time between open and closed habitats, with sparse woody canopy providing essential resources.
The NSF has launched a national synthesis center, SESYNC, to develop solutions for pressing environmental issues. The center will bring together natural and social scientists to identify synergies and create effective, workable solutions.
Researchers reveal how bats interpret echoes to distinguish targets from background clutter, using a mental fingerprint of emitted sound and echo. The bat's neurons process the information in as little as 3 microseconds, allowing for precise targeting even in complex environments.
The largest-ever map of plant protein interactions has been created, covering 6,205 interactions involving 2,774 individual proteins in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The new network map provides insights into protein functions and compositions, and may help advance efforts to improve crop plants.
Research reveals individuals with dyslexia struggle to recognize voices speaking their native language due to phonological impairment. The study's findings suggest that the underlying deficit in dyslexia is linked to difficulty processing spoken language sounds, not reading per se.
Researchers found that humans experience significant brain shrinkage and degeneration with aging, unlike chimpanzees who do not display comparable losses. The study suggests evolution led to large brains in humans, but also increased vulnerability to age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer's.
Researchers analyzed over 4,000 mineral inclusions in diamonds to determine when the Wilson cycle of plate tectonics began. The study found that continents started breaking apart and colliding around three billion years ago, leading to the growth of the Earth's continental crust and the distribution of ores and materials.
Research finds that animal species large and small are governed by the same rule for how common they are in an ecosystem. Body size and food chain position determine abundance and biomass production.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $10 million grant to launch a national center for teaching innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering. The center at Stanford's School of Engineering will provide resources, including curriculum development, dissemination tools, and industry mentorship, to undergraduate engineering stud...
A scientist has discovered that a viral host can persist and coexist with the same genetic populations of a virus for centuries. The study, published in Science, reveals that DNA viruses and their algal hosts have been preserved in sediments under the Black Sea for thousands of years.
Bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs a unique secretion system to break down its opponents' cell walls, causing their breakdown. The bacteria protects itself from this attack by using immunity proteins that counteract the effects of toxic proteins it secretes.
Chemists have created molecular flasks that can house other molecules, allowing for the isolation of certain chemical reactions and potential control over chemical reactivity. The flasks are self-assembling and take the shape of a truncated octahedron, with the potential to create new materials with unique properties.
A research team led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution determined what chemicals were contained in a deep, hydrocarbon-containing plume in the Gulf of Mexico. The plume was found to be 22 miles long and comprised mainly of BTEX compounds, with concentrations significantly higher than background levels.
Researchers found that alpha males in Kenya's baboon groups have higher glucocoricoid levels, indicating a potential cost to high social rank. The study has implications for human behavior and societal structures.
The decline of apex consumers has triggered trophic cascades, affecting ecosystem dynamics and leading to changes in vegetation, wildfire frequency, and disease outbreaks. Restoration efforts focus on reestablishing large animals, requiring large-scale approaches to conserve functional ecosystems.
A new study links increased insecticide use in the US Midwest to landscape change, finding that simplification of agricultural landscapes boosts crop pest pressure. The research suggests that preserving or restoring semi-natural lands can reduce the need for insecticides and contribute to agricultural economies.
Scientists have created a new map of the potato genome that could improve crop yields and nutritional content. The study's findings suggest that breeding potatoes with improved genes could help feed a growing global population.
The National Science Foundation awards four grants to create a national resource of digital data documenting existing biological collections. This will increase accessibility to valuable information and stimulate new research across multiple fields of science.
Research suggests planes may induce odd-shaped holes or canals into clouds, potentially increasing precipitation near airports with frequent cloud cover. This inadvertent seeding process works similarly to intentional cloud seeding and may require more frequent de-icing for planes.
Scientists use a novel technique to analyze virus-bacterium associations in living organisms, revealing one-to-one correspondence and potential ancient infections. The study opens new avenues for understanding coevolution between viruses and their hosts.
Researchers tracked bird populations over 25 years in isolated forest fragments and found that many species returned after being thought extinct. The study suggests that local extinction is accompanied by continual recolonization, dependent on habitat size.
Researchers used a new technique to determine dinosaur body temperatures, finding that sauropod dinosaurs had temperatures similar to those of modern mammals. The study provides insights into dinosaur physiology and suggests alternative explanations for their metabolism and behavior.
Routine weather events like rain and cooler days can have a significant impact on the US economy, affecting every state. The study found that the mining and agriculture sectors are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation.
Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered a way to speed up the flow and filtering of water or ions in fuel cells, improving their efficiency and power. By stretching the Nafion polymer electrolyte membrane, they increased its ability to selectively filter substances.
A recent study found that the rate of sea level rise along the US Atlantic coast is the fastest in 2 millennia, linked to rising global temperatures. The research, conducted by a team of scientists, used microfossils and radiocarbon dating to reconstruct sea levels over the past 2000 years.
Scientists have found a mid-season decline in wildflowers at high-altitude meadows, affecting pollinator populations. This shift is attributed to climate change, which alters moisture availability and flowering timing, leading to ecosystem-wide impacts on animals that feed on pollen and nectar.
Researchers discovered that plant cells use a distinct transmembrane signaling mechanism involving a small steroid molecule, unlike animal cells. This novel approach enables plants to grow and respond to external signals.
Researchers found that studying both types of stem cells has become more common, with a growing proportion of papers combining adult and embryonic stem cells. This means that banning either type of research could harm the field overall. The study suggests that federal funding for one area could negatively impact the other.
A recent study by Yale University economists found that microloans can increase ability to cope with risk and strengthen community ties, but may not lead to increased investment in businesses. The researchers also discovered that awardees' subjective well-being slightly declined, contradicting previous claims.
A new study reveals that jellyfish blooms drastically alter marine food webs by shunting food energy toward bacteria. This shift can lead to a detour of energy away from higher trophic levels and towards bacteria, altering the microbial community composition.
A new study suggests that widespread urban development can lead to reduced nighttime winds and increased air pollution in coastal cities. Researchers found that paved surfaces absorb heat, reducing the temperature contrast between land and sea, and causing stagnation. This can result in a buildup of pollutants during warm summer weather.
Research shows that moral responses differ across ages, with young children being more inclined to punish perpetrators for intentional harm versus accidental damage. As people mature, their brain's response to moral situations changes, becoming more tempered and reflecting on the values linked to outcomes and actions.
Researchers uncover the mechanism by which Didymo 'scrubs' phosphorus from streams and rivers, making it available for growth. This study solves the puzzle of Didymo blooms in low-nutrient waterways.
Research suggests that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current played a key role in the onset of ancient global cooling, with evidence pointing to its impact around 30 million years ago. This finding is significant as it places the development of the current's shallow circulation in the same interval when the climate began its long-term shif...
A new international study found that countries like Japan, Korea, and Singapore have strong social norms and low tolerance for deviation, while nations like Ukraine, Israel, and the US have weak social norms and high tolerance. Understanding these cultural differences can foster greater cross-cultural tolerance and understanding.
The Milky Way belongs to a rare subset of galaxies with two satellites as bright and close by as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Researchers analyzed over 20,000 galaxies similar to the Milky Way using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data.
A new study published in Nature reveals that Mars developed in just two to four million years after the solar system's formation, significantly faster than Earth. This rapid formation helps explain why Mars is so small compared to our planet.
Researchers have discovered liquid crystals that can detect low concentrations of bacterial endotoxin with high sensitivity. This breakthrough has the potential to replace the current LAL assay using horseshoe crab blood, reducing costs and variability associated with the test.
A recent study using data collected between 2006 and 2007 found evidence for 10 free-floating planets roughly the mass of Jupiter, suggesting they are common. The discovery supports the 'ejection' scenario where planets are kicked out from their solar systems due to close gravitational encounters with other planets or stars.
Researchers found that just four percent of galaxies are similar to the Milky Way, with two satellites as bright and close by as the Magellanic Clouds. The study used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and computer simulations to understand how the Milky Way fits into the broader context of the universe.
Engineers at Asius Technologies create a device that seals the ear canal, boosting sound pressures and alleviating listener fatigue. The technology uses a sacrificial membrane to absorb pressure waves, protecting the ear drum and preventing over-activation of the acoustic reflex.
Researchers find that marine diatoms have a functional urea cycle, allowing them to recycle carbon and nitrogen from their environment. This discovery reveals a surprising evolutionary link between diatoms and animals.
Researchers have discovered that some extrasolar planets, known as hot Jupiters, can orbit in the opposite direction of their star's spin. This occurs due to gravitational interactions with nearby planets, which perturb the inner planet's orbit and cause it to lose energy via strong tides.
Researchers discovered key bacterial genes influencing sulfur gas flux from seawater, impacting cloud formation. This finding helps evaluate the impacts of climate change on cloud manipulation as a potential method to mitigate global warming.
Researchers have found that minute particles of pyrite from hydrothermal vents are a rich source of iron in the deep sea, providing a nutrient supplement for tiny plants and bacteria. This iron is released as these particles travel through the ocean, making them an important food source for life in the deep sea.
Researchers analyze carbon isotope ratios in fossil teeth to reveal Paranthropus boisei's diet was 77% C4 plants, similar to grazing animals like warthogs and hippos. The findings contradict the common view of the hominid feeding on nuts and seeds.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have detected an unmistakable warning sign of an impending ecological catastrophe in a remote Wisconsin lake. The team, led by ecologist Stephen Carpenter, monitored vital signs across three years and found subtle changes in the system's natural patterns of variability, indicating a reg...
Researchers suggest Agulhas leakage could trigger strengthening of Atlantic overturning circulation, which would counteract effects of global climate change on North America and Europe. Increased Agulhas leakage over the past few decades may have triggered end of glacial cycles.
Scientists have discovered that low-latitude sites during the Eocene were much wetter than today, challenging previous estimates of water temperature and paleoclimate. This finding, based on isotopic composition of sirenian fossils, could transform our understanding of global climate change.
Scientists discover a polymer-based material that can heal itself quickly and easily with the help of ultraviolet light, restoring its original properties. The material, called metallo-supramolecular polymers, has potential applications in coatings for consumer goods such as cars, floors, and furniture.