A groundbreaking University of Bristol study has shed light on how lizards and snakes -the most diverse group of land vertebrates with nearly 12,000 species - have evolved remarkably varied jaw shapes, driving their extraordinary ecological success.

One of the biggest conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Africa is brewing over natural resources. In this case—the water from the Nile River and how upstream damming affects the countries Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and their share of water and hydropower. A new journal article in Communications Earth & Environment provides a scientific framework for operation of the Nile’s “mega” dams during prolonged droughts to in order to balance generating sustainable hydropower while minimizing the water deficit for people living downstream.

As opposed to a constant flow from sources above and below ground, periods of heavy rain and runoff deliver the greatest amounts of fertilizer-derived nitrogen through creeks, rivers, and storm drains into the northern Gulf of Mexico, a team of scientists led by Boston College researchers reports in the journal Communications Earth and Environment. The findings clarify when and how most nitrogen pollution is transported and can be used to develop policies to protect the northern Gulf of Mexico.