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Researchers in ACS Central Science report a proof-of-concept device that “sniffs” seawater, trapping dissolved compounds for analyses. The team showed that the system could easily concentrate molecules that are present in underwater caves and holds promise for drug discovery in fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs.

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Scientists have unlocked the genetic basis underlying the remarkable variation in body size observed in song sparrows, one of North America’s most familiar and beloved songbirds. This discovery also provides insights into this species’ capacity to adapt to the challenges of climate change.

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Sage grouse and cows can coexist on the same land without declines in greater sage grouse nest success or insect abundance, according to a 10-year University of Idaho study.

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Officially established in 1983, today Tufts Wildlife Clinic provides medical care for thousands of orphaned, sick, and injured New England wildlife each year. It serves as a regional information resource on wildlife health for the public, state and federal agencies, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and health professionals, among others.

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Whole genome sequencing of North American song sparrows has revealed the genetic underpinnings for a stunning range of body sizes found throughout the bird’s westernmost range—an adaptation that may make the birds more resilient to climate change. This work is the first output from a larger research effort to sequence song sparrow genomes from across North America, spanning nearly all of the 25 recognized subspecies.

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If you’ve ever witnessed a shark breach the water—whether in person or somewhere on the Internet—that fleeting but awe-inspiring moment is just a small fraction of the time it spends at the surface of the ocean. Most of the time sharks and other large marine predators are out of sight, begging the question—where do they go?

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A CT scan of an often-overlooked, plant-eating dinosaur’s skull reveals that while it may not have been all that “brainy,” it had a unique combination of traits associated with living animals that spend at least part of their time underground, including a super sense of smell and outstanding balance. The work is the first to link a specific sensory fingerprint with this behavior in extinct dinosaurs.

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Domestic cats introduced from the Near East and wildcats native to Europe did not mix until the 1960s, despite being exposed to each other for 2,000 years, according to two research papers published today in Current Biology.

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Two Florida State University faculty members will receive Rising Star Awards from the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.

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A species of exotic tick arrived in Ohio in 2021 in such huge numbers that their feeding frenzy on a southeastern farm left three cattle dead of what researchers believe was severe blood loss.

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BeeBDC, a new tool to consolidate bee pollinator occurrences around the globe, addresses major gaps in public bee data, especially from Africa and Asia.

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Sharks differ from other fish in many ways, including an apparently remarkable ability to heal from wounds, according to reports of sharks recovering from injuries sustained in the wild. While this healing ability has not yet been documented in controlled laboratory conditions, some of the chemical compounds found in shark skin may have significant biomedical potential.

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Chimpanzees use high ground to conduct reconnaissance on rival groups, often before making forays into enemy territory at times when there is reduced risk of confrontation, a new study suggests.

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A Cornell analysis finds telescopes could better detect potential chemical signatures of life in an Earth-like exoplanet that more closely resembles the age the dinosaurs inhabited than the one we know today.

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New research led by a Florida State University professor shows that potential adaptive responses by sea turtles, such as shifting the timing of when they nest, may not be enough to counteract the projected impacts from climate change on hatchling production.

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Tufts experts explain more about babesiosis, which is on the rise in the U.S.

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Firsthand observations of a wolf hunting and killing a harbor seal and a group of wolves hunting and consuming a sea otter on Alaska’s Katmai coast have led scientists to reconsider assumptions about wolf hunting behavior.

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One West Virginia University researcher is working to protect the communities and economies often affected when companies move in to harness a region’s natural resources.

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Both elegant and fierce, killer whales are some of the oceans’ top predators, but even they can be exposed to environmental pollution.

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Biodiversity Research Institute announces publication of a series of multiyear research studies that assessed the global impact of mercury on air, water, fish, and wildlife in a two-part special issue of Ecotoxicology, an international scientific journal devoted to presenting critical research on the effects of toxic chemicals on populations, communities, and terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.

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A new two-year study will focus on how current heat information is accessed and understood by people in the U.S. through $471,805 in support from NOAA.

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Noctilionoid bat species evolved wildly different faces as they adapted to exploit diverse food sources -- including insects, fruit, nectar, blood and fish. New research shows that those adaptations include dramatic, but also consistent, modifications to tooth number, size, shape and position.

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A new album out this week showcases the daily rhythms of pond life.

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New research from Japan published in the Ecological Society of America’s journal Ecology suggests that increasingly severe weather driven by climate change may push oceangoing seabirds to their limits.

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Researchers report that a single, simplified model can predict population fluctuations in three realms: urban employment, human gut microbiomes, and tropical forests.

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Pair-bonded Java sparrows show enlarged eye rings to signal breeding readiness.

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Research has found that bumblebees make foraging choices to collect the most sugar from flowers in the shortest time – even if that means using more energy in the process – to provide an immediate energy boost for the colony.

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Which sustainability goals do people in Germany find more important: Animal welfare? Or environmental protection? Human health is another one of these competing sustainability goals.

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Read the latest research news on air pollution, nanoplastics, waterborne illnesses and more in the Pollution channel on Newswise.

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The dry, wind-swept summits of volcanoes in the Puna de Atacama of Chile and Argentina are the closest thing on Earth to the surface of Mars due to their thin atmosphere and freezing temperatures.

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What if your house plant could tell you your water isn’t safe? Scientists are closer to realizing this vision, having successfully engineered a plant to turn beet red in the presence of a banned, toxic pesticide.

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Using satellite images, a team of researchers led by Northern Arizona University found that fires in North America's boreal forest may be changing the environment in ways that researchers didn't previously anticipate.

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Longer days and warmer nights, it’s the perfect recipe for mosquito season. But before you reach for the repellent, did you know that some species of mosquitoes rarely touch a drop of blood, instead favouring flower nectar? Or that mosquitoes only smell with their feet?

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In an article published in the journal Flora, researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil examine some of the strategies developed over eons of evolution by plants in the Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna-like biome, to protect themselves and resprout quickly after fire.

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Urbanization and human activities have transformed a significant proportion of the land on Earth, resulting in the formation of urban environments.

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New research unveils the cascading effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest ecosystems ahead of an historic convergence of broods set to emerge spring of 2024.

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Genetic evidence looked at how salmon were affected by two major culvert replacements near the city of Bellingham. One project, a major upgrade under Interstate-5, had a big impact, while the other old culvert may have been less of a barrier to fish. Researchers at the University of Washington and NOAA are studying the use of eDNA in future environmental impact reporting.