Biology news — genetics, evolution, ecology, and the science of life on Earth.
Scientists find an immune “false alarm” that may drive rapid aging
# Immune System Misidentifies DNA Damage as Viral Threat, Accelerating Aging Researchers have pinpointed a cellular alarm malfunction that may explai…
UV light reveals possible camouflage on a 125-million-year-old crocodile
# UV Light Reveals Possible Ancient Camouflage on 125-Million-Year-Old Crocodile Fossil Researchers using ultraviolet imaging have discovered alterna…
Wild chimpanzees teach youngsters by handing them tools
# Wild Chimpanzees Teach Young Through Direct Tool Handover Researchers observing wild chimpanzee populations have documented adults deliberately pas…
Scientists discover a major brain shift between ages 50 and 75
Researchers have identified a critical window of brain aging between 50 and 75 years old where the organ undergoes profound changes in immune regulati…
The U.S. Eradicated this flesh-eating parasite. Now it’s back
# Flesh-Eating Parasite Returns to U.S. After Decades of Eradication Success The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly larva that burrows into living …
Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death
Plague ravaged human populations far earlier than historians believed, according to ancient DNA analysis revealing the disease struck Siberian hunter-…
A coral reef thought dead for 60 years is teeming with life
A coral reef presumed destroyed six decades ago is flourishing off the coast of Benin, according to a recent underwater survey that challenges assumpt…
Crocodiles are famous for finding their way home. These ones didn’t
Researchers working in Bangladesh's Sundarbans mangrove forest have discovered an unexpected behavior in saltwater crocodiles that could reshape conse…
Scientists find a new layer of Alzheimer’s hidden in the genome
Researchers have identified a previously overlooked layer of Alzheimer's disease operating at the level of DNA architecture itself, not just genetic m…
Human embryo base editing can reach all cells but causes unpredictable genetic changes
# Human Embryo Gene Editing Achieves Broad Reach But Raises Safety Concerns Researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surg…
The secret to longer life may be hidden in bat DNA
Bats live far longer than similarly-sized mammals, often surviving 30 to 40 years in the wild. A mouse, by contrast, rarely exceeds three years. Now s…
66-million-year-old feather in dinosaur poop may reveal why birds survived the asteroid
# Ancient Feather in Dinosaur Poop Offers Clue to Bird Survival After Asteroid Strike Scientists examining 66-million-year-old fossilized feces have …
Wasps are disappearing this summer, and scientists are worried
# Wasp Populations Plummet Across Britain as Heat and Food Shortages Converge British wasp populations have crashed this summer, triggering concern a…
Scientists discover a hidden immune signal that helps spinal cords regrow
# Hidden Immune Signal Unlocks Spinal Cord Regeneration in Zebrafish Researchers have identified a unexpected immune mechanism that enables zebrafish…
We may finally know what kick-starts muscle contractions in childbirth
# Immune Cells May Trigger Labor by Delivering Energy to Uterine Muscles A surge of immune cells infiltrating the uterus appears to jumpstart the bio…
“Parachute science” is failing the tropics, home to more than 80% of insect species
# Conservation Science Overlooks Tropical Insects, Home to Majority of Global Species Insects form the backbone of ecosystem function, pollinating cr…
Caffeine may flip an ancient cellular switch linked to slower aging
# Caffeine Activates Ancient Cellular Aging Pathway, Study Finds Caffeine activates a dormant cellular energy system that evolved to help organisms s…
Why our common ancestor with chimpanzees keeps getting further away
# The Moving Target of Human-Chimp Evolution Scientists continue to push back the timeline of our most recent common ancestor with chimpanzees, even …
Why don’t dogs look up when a low-flying plane passes overhead? part 3
# Dogs Ignore Low-Flying Planes, and Readers Have Theories Dog owners across the globe are sharing observations about a peculiar animal behavior: the…
Doctors saved this rare monkey from amputation. Months later, she gave birth
# Endangered Roloway Monkey Births Healthy Offspring After Limb-Saving Surgery Surgeons successfully prevented amputation of a critically endangered …
Scientists discover a powerful new antivenom hidden in rattlesnake blood
# Rattlesnake Blood Holds Key to Potent New Antivenom Researchers have identified a revolutionary approach to treating snakebites by harnessing prote…
The American “cheetah” wasn’t a cheetah at all
Researchers have overturned a century-old assumption about one of North America's most famous extinct carnivores. The so-called "American cheetah" was…
Early Earth's auroral belts may have formed a natural ion-beam reactor for prebiotic chemistry
# Early Earth's Auroras May Have Powered Life's First Chemical Reactions Earth's auroras might have done more than paint the sky with light. Research…
Self-processing brain systems show both conservation and reorganization across primates
# Brain's Self-Processing Systems Show Unexpected Mix of Conservation and Change Across Primates Ning Liu and colleagues at the Institute of Biophysi…
How bird movements are helping researchers track a global virus
# Bird Movements Track Global Avian Influenza Spread Researchers at Deakin University in Australia have developed predictive models that use bird mig…
Some joints may be primed for rheumatoid arthritis before birth
# Prenatal Joint Architecture May Predetermine Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Scientists have identified a surprising mechanism that may explain why rheum…
The extinct American 'cheetah' was not a cheetah after all
Researchers have overturned a century of assumptions about Miracinonyx trumani, the extinct North American cat long nicknamed the "American cheetah." …
This “new” frog was hiding in plain sight for 100 years
Researchers have formally identified Pristimantis milpe as a distinct frog species after a century of scientific confusion, resolving a case of mistak…
Breaking through AlphaFold's limits to predict how proteins change shape
# AI Model Gets Upgrade to Predict Shifting Protein Shapes Proteins constantly change shape to do their jobs. AlphaFold3, the cutting-edge AI system …
MIT turns bacteria into living transistors
MIT researchers have engineered bacteria into functional transistors that operate as biological logic gates, capable of performing computational tasks…
Plants may be evolving the wrong traits for a warming world
# Plants Caught Between Climate and Pollinator Crisis, Evolution Slowing Sharply Morning glories are evolving in the wrong direction for survival, ca…
Life uses 4 DNA letters. Scientists just made 8 work
# Scientists Expand Genetic Alphabet to Eight Letters, Doubling Life's Code Researchers at UC San Diego have successfully demonstrated that RNA polym…
Scientists overturn a theory about this shark’s strange head
# Bonnethead Sharks Challenge Sexual Dimorphism Assumptions Researchers have upended decades of assumptions about bonnethead shark development, disco…
Scientists reveal the hidden instructions that build the human brain
# How Glucose and Signals Guide the Brain's Blueprint Before Birth UCLA researchers have identified two fundamental mechanisms that orchestrate the f…
Scientists discover a bizarre “devil flower” hidden in Thailand
# Scientists Discover Bizarre Underground Flower in Thailand That Steals from Fungi Botanists working in Thailand have identified an extraordinarily …
Lucid dreams induced via multisensory stimulation
# Multisensory Stimulation Opens Door to Lucid Dreams in Non-Frequent Dreamers Researchers have developed a method to trigger lucid dreams in people …
One immune switch may help drive aging across the body
# One Immune Switch May Help Drive Aging Across the Body Researchers have identified a potential master control point for aging. By targeting a singl…
Bats carry dangerous viruses without getting sick. This may be why
Bats harbor some of the planet's most dangerous viruses. Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, and Nipah virus all originated in bat populations, yet these animals rarel…
Ancient “living fossils” may reveal how complex life began
Researchers have documented what may be the earliest known partnership between two fundamentally different types of microorganisms, offering fresh ins…
Pygmy raccoons teach each other to make toys out of paper and sand
# Pygmy Raccoons on Cozumel Island Spontaneously Create Toys from Beach Debris Pygmy raccoons inhabiting Cozumel Island off the coast of Mexico have …
Humans can see water, so can fish see air?
# Can Fish See Air? A Question That Challenges How We Understand Vision Itself The question appears simple on its surface but opens a window into how…
If the sun suddenly disappeared, how long would life on Earth last?
# How Long Life on Earth Would Survive Without the Sun The sun's disappearance would trigger a cascade of catastrophic changes, but Earth's survival …
Scientists find a human-only gene that may help explain our brainpower
A team of neuroscientists has identified a fundamentally different developmental timeline for human immune cells in the brain that appears linked to o…
Scientists discover why snake embryos twist into spirals
Snake embryos spiral because their bodies grow faster than their digestive systems, creating mechanical tension that forces the developing organisms t…
Fossil feet may be misleading scientists about human evolution
# Climbing Apes Reshape Understanding of Human Evolution West African monkeys demonstrate a biomechanical capability that overturns a fundamental ass…
Scientists find why the liver may not heal even after you stop drinking
# Scientists Discover Why Liver Fails to Heal After Alcohol Damage Researchers have identified a molecular trap that prevents liver regeneration even…
Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
The triune brain model, which has dominated neuroscience education for seven decades, rests on a misleading foundation, according to new research chal…
Seven new frog species were hiding beneath Madagascar’s forest floor
# Seven New Frog Species Found Hidden in Madagascar's Soil Scientists using genetic analysis of both modern specimens and century-old museum collecti…
Researchers unveil sustainable spirulina solution to vitamin B12 deficiency
Researchers have engineered a strain of spirulina that produces usable vitamin B12 at levels matching beef, potentially transforming how billions of p…
1.4-million-year-old footprints reveal a surprisingly large human relative
# Ancient Footprints Reveal Paranthropus boisei Traveled in Groups 1.4 Million Years Ago Fossilized footprints discovered in Kenya document what may …
Infection kills gut cells, while diet reshapes existing ones, fruit fly study finds
# Infection and Diet Shape Gut Health Through Separate Cellular Mechanisms Researchers at Cornell University have identified two distinct biological …
Scientists discover why damaged nerves struggle to heal
Researchers have identified a molecular brake that prevents damaged nerve fibers from regenerating after injury. The protein, called AHR (aryl hydroca…
Dogs may hold surprising clues to human longevity
# Dog Blood Chemistry Reveals Patterns That Mirror Human Aging Scientists conducting the Dog Aging Project discovered that metabolic markers in canin…
Scientists tracked 4,500 animals and found a surprising human effect
# Human Presence Alone Reshapes Wildlife Movement and Habitat, Study of 4,500 Animals Reveals Scientists discovered that the mere presence of humans …
Chimpanzees have been hurling rocks at the same trees for more than a decade
# Chimpanzees in West Africa Maintain Rock-Throwing Tradition at Sacred Trees Chimpanzees in West Africa have developed a persistent habit of hurling…
Exclusive video of world’s first echidna puggle to be born at a university
# Scientists Achieve Rare Captive Birth of Echidna Puggle at Sydney University Researchers at a Sydney-based university have successfully bred an ech…
Experimental eye drops help blind mice see again
Researchers have developed a novel approach to restoring vision in blind mice using light-activated pharmaceutical compounds delivered as simple eye d…
Healed fang wound found on 520-million-year-old apex predator
# Ancient Predator Bears Scar from Bite That Healed 520 Million Years Ago A 520-million-year-old fossil reveals that an apex predator of the Cambrian…
324-million-year-old fossil reveals how insects conquered land
# Ancient Fossil Reveals Insects' Gradual Path to Land Insects did not leap from water to land in a single evolutionary bound. Instead, a newly disco…
Exercise may create new neurons by making other brain cells contract
# Exercise Triggers Brain Cell Contractions That Spark Neuron Growth Researchers have identified a direct mechanism by which exercise generates new n…
Your dislike of eating bugs may be 9,000 years old
# Ancient DNA Reveals Neanderthals May Have Been More Into Bug-Eating Than Modern Humans Genetic analysis of ancient human remains suggests that eati…
Astonishing whale feeding frenzy seen off the eastern coast of Greenland
# Baleen Whale Population Rebounds Off Eastern Greenland Coast A dramatic recovery of baleen whales off eastern Greenland offers a rare window into e…
Octopuses released into Adriatic Sea to tackle invasive crabs
# Octopuses Released into Adriatic Sea to Combat Invasive Atlantic Blue Crabs Atlantic blue crabs have invaded the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, d…
Childhood trauma may leave a lasting “scar” inside brain cells
# Childhood Trauma May Leave Lasting Molecular Marks in Brain Cells Researchers have identified a molecular mechanism through which early-life stress…
190-year-old DNA reveals a hidden pangolin species
Researchers have confirmed the existence of a previously unrecognized pangolin species in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and northern India by analyzi…
Your brain may not actually “make” decisions
# The Brain Doesn't "Make" Decisions. It Emerges From Your Body and World A neuroscientist is upending the conventional understanding of how decision…
Scientists find hidden “highways” guiding animal evolution
Researchers have uncovered a fundamental organizing principle underlying animal evolution: chromosomes do not wander randomly through genetic space bu…
Scientists discover a real-life “dragon” and name it after Syrax
Researchers have identified a previously unknown species of lizard in Thailand's remote mountain forests and christened it Acanthosaura syrax, honorin…
Protein degradation rate helps explain why humans develop more slowly than mice
Researchers at EMBL Barcelona, PoL-TU Dresden, and EMBL Heidelberg have identified a molecular mechanism that explains why human development unfolds m…
Collaborative drawing offers new insights into how strangers become friends
# How Strangers Grow Close Without Brain Synchronization Two studies from ETH Zurich upend a widespread assumption about friendship formation. Resear…
A hidden “on switch” in human DNA has finally been decoded
Researchers have cracked open one of genetics' most elusive puzzles. A team used artificial intelligence to identify the DNA signature of a genetic in…
Oldest human brain cells grown in lab 'recorded passage of time'
# Oldest Human Brain Cells Grown in Lab Show Signs of Aging Like Real Brains Researchers have grown human brain cells in the laboratory for seven yea…
This shark can live 400 years. Its eyes barely seem to age
# Greenland Sharks Maintain Vision Across Four Centuries, Offering Clues for Human Eye Health Greenland sharks possess a biological puzzle that chall…
Queen bees have a disturbing way to survive pesticides
# Queen Bees Transfer Pesticide Contamination to Eggs as Survival Mechanism Honeybee queens exposed to pesticides employ a previously unknown surviva…
How we found Haida Gwaii's first marbled murrelet nest in more than 30 years
# Scientists Locate First Marbled Murrelet Nest on Haida Gwaii After Three Decades A research team has discovered the first confirmed marbled murrele…
How long could we possibly live? A new estimate is mind-boggling
# New Research Suggests Human Lifespan Could Extend to Nearly 200 Years, Though Experts Urge Caution Biogerontologists have calculated a theoretical …
Scarce emergence of new species drove the decline of African megaherbivores, study suggests
Researchers from Spain's National Museum of Natural Sciences, the National Research Center on Human Evolution, and the University of Alcalá have ident…
This 23-foot crocodylian may have ruled South America’s food chain
Researchers analyzing fossil evidence from Miocene South America have discovered that massive crocodylians, particularly Purussaurus neivensis, domina…
Honeybees struggle to gather nectar in August, direct measurements reveal
Researchers have identified a critical late-summer nectar shortage that undermines honeybee foraging success, according to new findings in Functional …
Female clones created from the blood of male mice
Researchers have successfully used CRISPR gene-editing technology to convert male mouse embryos into female mice by reversing their biological sex at …
Postbiotic could reduce the risk of brain damage after a concussion
A byproduct of gut bacteria shows promise in reducing brain damage from concussions, according to new research on mice. Scientists administered a post…
Billions of invasive round goby are in the Great Lakes. Researchers want to stop them from spreading inland
The round goby population in the Great Lakes has exploded to billions of individuals, making it one of North America's most problematic invasive speci…
A new Ice Age species was hiding in la brea tar pits fossils for decades
Researchers have identified a new extinct amphibian species from fossils stored at Los Angeles' La Brea Tar Pits for over seven decades. The team name…
Human brain cells are far more powerful than scientists thought
Cortical neurons in the human brain perform far more complex computations than scientists previously understood, according to new research. The findin…
Giant crocodylians dominated the food chain in Miocene South America, fossil evidence suggests
Giant crocodylians ruled South American waterways over 10 million years ago, according to fossil evidence from the Miocene epoch. During this period, …
Flightless beetles evolved distinct snail-hunting shapes on Japan's largest island
Researchers studying ground beetles on Honshu, Japan's largest island, discovered that isolated populations evolved distinct body shapes specialized f…
These mammal ancestors birthed live young far earlier than thought
Researchers analyzing growth rings in a 236-million-year-old fossil bone have found evidence that at least one mammal ancestor gave birth to live youn…
Phytophthora dieback linked to habitat loss and lower digging activity among quendas in Western Australia
A new study from Murdoch University reveals how an invasive plant pathogen cascades through an ecosystem to harm native Australian mammals. Phytophtho…
A 60-year-old theory about ants, bees and wasps may be wrong
# Long-Standing Theory About Social Insect Evolution May Need Revision A sweeping new analysis challenges a 60-year-old hypothesis about why ants, be…
A 236-million-year-old fossil could rewrite the story of mammalian birth
A fossilized cynodont skeleton discovered by researchers may overturn established timelines for the evolution of live birth in mammals, suggesting tha…
When gut microbes run low on fiber, they may start eating you
# Gut Microbes Shift to Self-Destructive Diet When Fiber Runs Short Your gut bacteria are picky eaters with a dangerous fallback plan. When dietary f…
Monsoon-driven wildfires may have shaped human evolution
A new study suggests that ancient wildfires driven by seasonal monsoon patterns may have fundamentally altered the landscape where human ancestors evo…
Immune cells flood into the aging brain, Stanford scientists discover
# Immune Cells Invade Aging Brain Earlier Than Scientists Thought Stanford researchers have overturned decades of neuroscience dogma by showing that …