News by Subject Biology

A key theory that attributes the climate evolution of the Earth to the breakdown of Himalayan rocks may not explain the cooling over the past 15 million years, according to a Rutgers-led study. The study in the journal Nature Geoscience could shed more light on the causes of long-term climate change. It centers on the long-term cooling that occurred before the recent global warming tied to greenhouse gas emissions from humanity.

Diving seabirds watch each other to work out when to dive, new research shows.

A single gene in sorghum controls bird feeding behavior by simultaneously regulating the production of bad-tasting molecules and attractive volatiles, according to a study publishing Sept. 23 in the journal Molecular Plant. This gene, called Tannin1, controls the synthesis of bird-deterring astringent polyphenols called tannins, as well as bird-attracting fatty-acid-derived volatile organic compounds. The authors suggest that the findings could lead to novel control strategies to protect major cereal crops worldwide.

Cats have a reputation for being aloof and independent. But a study of the way domestic cats respond to their caregivers suggests that their socio-cognitive abilities and the depth of their human attachments have been underestimated. The findings reported in the journal Current Biology on Sept. 23 show that, much like children and dogs, pet cats form secure and insecure bonds with their human caretakers.

A new study by Dr. Norman Lee, in collaboration with St. Olaf College students Alexander Kirtley '19, Isaiah Pressman '19, and Karina (Kari) Jirik '20, and University of Toronto collaborators Dean Koucoulas and Dr. Andrew C. Mason, show a novel approach that can be used to study song recognition in O. ochracea.

2016's Hurricane Nicole had a significant effect on the ocean's carbon cycle and deep sea ecosystems, reports a team from the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Through a research collaboration between Institute of Biology at University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Naturama and Statens Serum Institut, scientists have discovered, that Danish hedgehogs carry mecC-MRSA in their snouts.