News by Subject Biology

Scientists have identified a new phylum of microbes found around the world that appear to be playing an important (and surprising) role in the global carbon cycle by helping break down decaying plants without producing the greenhouse gas methane. The phylum is named Brockarchaeota after Thomas Brock, a pioneer in the study of microbes that live in extreme environments who died on April 4.

A new study by Simon Fraser University historical ecologists finds that Indigenous-managed forests--cared for as "forest gardens"--contain more biologically and functionally diverse species than surrounding conifer-dominated forests and create important habitat for animals and pollinators.

Insect decline poses challenges for the pollination of wild and cultivated plants. Landscape ecologists from Münster University have now discovered that the diversity of insects that interact with plant communities is influenced not only by plant species but also by the geographical provenance of seeds. The results of the study have been published in the "Journal of Applied Ecology".

An antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in humans is showing promise in treating stony coral, found throughout the tropical western Atlantic, including several areas currently affected by stony coral tissue loss disease. Preserving M. cavernosa colonies is important due to its high abundance and role as a dominant reef builder in the northern section of Florida's Coral Reef. Results show that the Base 2B plus amoxicillin treatment had a 95 percent success rate at healing individual disease lesions.

Scientists have discovered the fossils of three new species of giant cloud rats that lived alongside ancient humans in the Philippines. These fluffy, squirrel-like creatures may have been a source of food for the ancient humans.

Climate change is driving some fish into cooler, deeper waters. Now they may be faced with another challenge: how to make sense of a world drained of color. Duke and Exeter researchers report that even small increases in depth could make it harder for fish to discern the hues they use to find food, friends and family. They are trying to predict which species will be most impacted, and whether they'll be able to adapt.

It's a common sight: pelicans gliding along the waves, right by the shore. These birds make this kind of surfing look effortless, but actually the physics involved that give them a big boost are not simple. Researchers at the University of California San Diego have recently developed a theoretical model that describes how the ocean, the wind and the birds in flight interact in a recent paper in Movement Ecology.