Tatarinow's aster is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a number of ailments; the plant contains an active ingredient known as astin—and it is this agent which cancer researchers are now investigating. However, the plant does not produce...
The Amazon Basin contains the largest number of scientifically described freshwater fish species in the world: 2,257 or 15% of the total number of known freshwater species. According to a new study, however, this vast biodiversity is unevenly distributed...
Fish will mate with a species outside their own if the male's colouring is attractive enough or if the female can't see him properly, according to new research.
Such 'mistakes' in mate choice can lead to the evolution of new species, an international...
Humans are now closer to seeing through the eyes of animals, thanks to an innovative software framework developed by researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Exeter.
Ph.D. candidate Cedric van den Berg from UQ's School of...
The Indian government claims that the national tiger population has more than doubled since 2006, but independent scientists have found this highly unlikely. It is almost impossible for the tiger population to grow with such speed in such an...
Scientists have discovered the world's oldest "comma" shrimp, a tiny crustacean shaped like its punctuation namesake.
The 90-million-year-old creature fills in a major evolutionary gap for a family of marine animals now found in abundance around the planet, according to researchers from...
Scientists placed honey bee hives next to soybean fields in Iowa and tracked how the bees fared over the growing season. To the researchers' surprise, the bees did well for much of the summer. The colonies thrived and gained...
Researchers from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and ZSL (Zoological Society of London) have worked with a team of scientists from institutions across the globe—to uncover the truth behind the origin of venom in some very unusual mammals.
As...
When studying how organisms evolve, biologists consider most traits, or features, as derived from some earlier version already present in their ancestors. Few traits are regarded as truly "novel."
Insects were wingless, then winged. Animals were blind, then had eyes.
And...
Cooperation is one of the most important abilities for any social species. From hunting, breeding, and child rearing, it has allowed many animals -- including humans -- to survive and thrive. As we better understand the details on how...
A new type of micromotor -- powered by ultrasound and steered by magnets -- can move around individual cells and microscopic particles in crowded environments without damaging them. The technology could open up new possibilities for targeted drug delivery,...
