Biology
From the smallest microbe to the largest dinosaurs and from the tiniest spore to the biggest giant sequoia, biological research continues to shed new light on the weird and wonderful world of living organisms.
Top News
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For four years, orcas have been ramming and sinking luxury yachts, and scientists finally have an idea why. No, it's not their anticapitalist 'eat the rich' agenda, nor is it to do with territory and aggression. The truth is, well, it's child's play. -
Scientists have discovered that a once-in-a-billion-years evolutionary event is underway, as two lifeforms have merged into one organism that boasts abilities its peers would envy. Last time this happened, Earth got plants. -
In the 1800s, a conflict between the founding fathers of evolution divided the community. Charles Darwin said sexual selection drove male butterfly looks, while rival Alfred Russel Wallace believed it was just natural selection. Now we have an answer.
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Latest News
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March 26, 2025 | Bronwyn ThompsonWe're one step closer to that elusive goal preventing hair loss and enabling new growth, as scientists identify the crucial role that one all-important protein has in protecting the hard-working cells on the production line. -
March 26, 2025 | Michael IrvingIf you ever travel back in time to the reign of dinosaurs, don’t touch any flowers – it might just be a parasitic wasp in disguise. Analysis of wasps preserved in amber show how the insect ensnared hosts for its larvae with a Venus flytrap-like butt. -
March 20, 2025 | Michael IrvingWhy don’t we remember specific events during those crucial first few years, when our brains worked overtime to learn so much? A new Yale study finds evidence that we do form memories, but can’t retrieve them. -
March 17, 2025 | Michael IrvingDr. Frankenstein might not have needed a lightning bolt to bring his monster to life after all. A new study from Stanford suggests that life might have been kickstarted by constant zaps from “microlightning” between water droplets. -
March 14, 2025 | Michael IrvingYou could compensate for broken speakers by cranking up the volume on others that still work. It turns out that the brain does the same thing when damaged hair cells in the ear lead to hearing loss – and this could be causing your tinnitus. -
March 14, 2025 | Michael IrvingIn a major breakthrough for regenerative medicine, MIT scientists have developed a way to convert skin cells directly into brain cells extremely efficiently, without needing to go through the intermediate step of converting them to stem cells first. -
March 12, 2025 | Ben CoxworthYou may not think of fish as being noisy, but they can actually be a pretty vocal bunch. A new AI system is able to quickly identify specific fish calls within general reef noise, allowing scientists to better track local populations. -
March 11, 2025 | Ben CoxworthEveryone's favorite prehistoric shark may have been much sleeker and much larger than previously thought. A new study suggests that the megalodon wasn't as stocky as the great white shark, and that it could have reached over 24 m (80 ft) in length. -
March 08, 2025 | Michael IrvingEye injuries that damage the cornea are usually irreversible and cause blindness. But a new clinical trial has repaired this damage in patients thanks to a transplant of stem cells from their healthy eyes. -
March 05, 2025 | Michael IrvingScientists have identified new gene modifications that can make tomatoes and eggplants grow bigger, which could help boost yields in developing countries. -
March 04, 2025 | Bronwyn ThompsonA fascinating new look into the private lives of apes has found that chimps settle conflict with friends with genital contact, much like their bonobo cousins. This sheds light on where our own sexual behavior originates, some six million years ago. -
February 27, 2025 | Bronwyn ThompsonBuilt to be carnivorous, giant pandas spend up to 16 hours a day on their backsides eating bamboo. But contrary to all the panda jokes, it's not because they're lazy or too dumb to know better. It's far more fascinating – and it may help humans, too. -
February 16, 2025 | Abhimanyu GhoshalResearchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center have identified the specific neurons in mice brains that tell them they've eaten enough. This fascinating discovery could play a big role in the future of weight loss treatments for humans. -
February 14, 2025 | Michael IrvingYou lean back from the dinner table, feeling like you physically couldn’t fit another bite in – but then someone offers pie and you just can’t say no. Scientists have now identified the neurons behind the “dessert stomach” phenomenon. -
February 07, 2025 | Ben CoxworthYou might think that by now, we would have learned all we're ever going to know about plesiosaurs. Such is not the case, however, as a recent study indicates that the creatures had smooth skin on some parts of their body, and hard scales on others.
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