Phytochrome mutants grow very differently from wild type plant (upper left) under the same conditions. Work with these mutants reveals that phytochrome is both a light and temperature sensor.Credit: Vierstra Lab Discovery might allow scientists to create crop varieties better...
Plants have a metabolic signal that adjusts their circadian clock in the evening to ensure they store enough energy to survive the night, a new study reveals. The research—involving scientists from the University of York—suggests this signal might provide important...
The map of dog breeds, which is the largest to date, will likely help researchers identify disease-causing genes in both dogs and humans. Credit: © byrdyak / Fotolia When people migrate, Canis familiaris travels with them. Piecing together the details of...
It is difficult to distinguish caterpillars of the peppered moth from a twig. The caterpillars not only mimic the form but also the color of a twig. In a new study, researchers of Liverpool University in the UK and...
A recent study on the oldest proto turtle, Eunotosaurus (left), suggests the broadening of the ribs in turtles was initially an adaptation for burrowing to escape the extremely arid environment of South Africa 260 million years ago. Later the...
Why do zebras have stripes? A study published in PLOS ONE today takes us another step closer to answering this puzzling question and to understanding how stripes actually work. The evolution of the zebra's two-tone coat has intrigued scientists for...
These are mating Drosophila fruit flies. Credit: Image: Stefan Luepold, University of Zurich In the animal kingdom, sperm usually are considerably smaller than eggs, which means that males can produce far more of them. Large numbers of tiny sperm can...
Two studies by scientists at Bristol's Schools of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Biological Sciences have shown these insecticides affect the amount of sleep taken by both bumblebees and fruit flies, which may help us understand why insect pollinators are vanishing from...
Half of the world's fruit and vegetable crops are lost during the food supply chain, due mostly to premature deterioration of these perishable foods, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Tufts University biomedical engineers...
Marine protected areas support and maintain a rich diversity and abundance of reef fishes in the Rock Islands of Palau, Micronesia.Credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor Researchers have discovered a handful of 'bright spots' among the world's embattled coral reefs, offering the promise...
P. polycephalum, a single-celled organism otherwise known as a slime mold, grown on agar in the laboratory.Credit: Audrey Dussutour (CNRS) It isn't an animal, a plant, or a fungus. The slime mold (Physarum polycephalum) is a strange, creeping, bloblike organism...