News by Subject Biology

Researchers evaluated the performance of a Hyb-Seq (hybrid capture with high-throughput sequencing) probe set designed for the large and diverse sunflower family (Asteraceae) and found it effective in reconstructing relationships at multiple taxonomic levels. As part of the study, an optimized pipeline is presented for the preparation and analysis of Hyb-Seq data. These findings are important both for evolutionary studies in Asteraceae and to demonstrate the broad use of phylogenetic studies using Hyb-Seq.

A study in Pacific Panama identifies 11 potential nursery areas of locally common and migratory sharks, which could support shark conservation efforts in the region.

'Penny-pinching' evergreen species such as Christmas favourites, holly and ivy, are more climate-ready in the face of warming temperatures than deciduous 'big-spending' water consumers like birch and oak. As such, they are more likely to prosper in the near future -- with this pattern set to be felt more strongly in cooler climates.

Close friendships improve the survival chances of rhesus macaques, new research shows.

A new UNSW study has shown that using a drone to film hippos in Africa is an effective, affordable tool for conservationists to monitor the threatened species' population from a safe distance, particularly in remote and aquatic areas.

What waddled on land but swam supremely in subtropical seas more than 60 million years ago, after the dinosaurs were wiped out on sea and land? Fossil records show giant human-sized penguins flew through Southern Hemisphere waters -- along side smaller forms, similar in size to some species that live in Antarctica today. Now the newly described Kupoupou stilwelli has been found near New Zealand's South Island and it appears to be the oldest penguin known with proportions close to its modern relatives.