A new study has decoded the complex genome of the Tibetan wild tree peony (Paeonia ludlowii), revealing its evolutionary history and the genetic drivers behind its unique traits. This comprehensive genomic resource could transform tree peony breeding and shed light on how plants adapt to high-altitude environments. The research unveils the genome’s intricate structure, emphasizing the crucial role of transposable elements and DNA methylation in shaping the genetic diversity of this rare species.
Tag: Animal Research
Researchers create human aortic aneurysm model to advance disease understanding, treatment testing
There are currently no medical treatments for thoracic aortic aneurysm. Using human cells in laboratory rats, researchers have developed a functional model of thoracic aortic aneurysm, creating opportunities for more effective understanding of disease development and treatments for the potentially fatal condition, a study suggests.
Animal hair structure changes from summer to winter to fend off freezing weather
Some animals can withstand frigid weather, thanks to the insulating properties of the hollow hairs that make up their coats. Little was known about the hairs, but researchers have now discovered that their inner structure changes with the seasons. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2024.
Arctic nightlife: seabird colony bursts with sound at night
Acoustic recordings of a colony of little auks reveal their nocturnal activities and offer valuable monitoring means for avian biology in the Arctic.
Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
A new study in Nature Communications unveils the hidden world of sensory evolution in fruit flies.
Scientists Pinpoint Growth of Brain’s Cerebellum as Key to Evolution of Bird Flight
Evolutionary biologists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have combined PET scans of modern pigeons along with studies of dinosaur fossils to help answer an enduring question in biology: How did the brains of birds evolve to enable them to fly?
Self-powered microbial fuel cell biosensor for monitoring organic freshwater pollution
Ritsumeikan University researchers designed a low-cost biosensor for assessing water quality at the input of lakes and rivers
Finding the genes that help kingfishers dive without hurting their brains
Scientists discover genes that help kingfishers dive without hurting their brains
Whaling wiped out far more fin whales than previously thought
A new genomic study by UCLA biologists shows that whaling in the 20th century destroyed 99% of the Eastern North Pacific fin whale breeding, or “effective,” population — 29% more than previously thought.
Critical step made for managing brushtail possums
Researchers say mapping the genetic code of the brushtail possum will benefit those working to both conserve and control the animal.
Bumblebees drop to shake off Asian hornets
Bumblebees have a remarkably successful method for fighting off Asian hornets, new research shows.
Fish reveal cause of altered human facial development
Some substances in medicines, household items and the environment are known to affect prenatal child development.
Changing Dosing Methods Means Fewer Mice Needed to Study Lung Infections
Researchers will need fewer mice to study lung infections thanks to improvements in dosing methods, according to a new study from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Jackdaws switch friends to gain food – but stick with family
Jackdaws ditch old friends and make new ones if it helps them get rewards – but stick with family through thick and thin, new research shows.
Animal testing under REACH: bringing numbers into the debate
Sixteen years ago, the REACH chemical regulation came into force across Europe. REACH obliges the chemical industry to identify the health risks of all chemicals used in their products.
Male crickets court females in unison – unless rivals get too close
Male crickets sing in unison to attract females – but stop singing if a rival gets too close, new research shows.
New fossil flying reptile ‘Elvis’ takes flight
A new 145-million-year-old pterosaur (extinct flying reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs) was named today by a team of British, American and German researchers.
Slightly lost bumblebees use scent to find their way home
Put yourself in the exoskeleton of a bumblebee for a moment: your world would be a riot of colors and scents, both essential to guide your search for pollen and nectar.
New DNA testing technology shows majority of wild dingoes are pure, not hybrids
Wild dingo populations have less dog lineage, with a significantly greater proportion of pure dingoes than previously thought, according to new research, challenging the view that pure dingoes are on the decline due to crossbreeding.
‘Love hormone’ guides young songbirds in choice of ‘voice coach’
Oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” plays a key role in the process of how a young zebra finch learns to sing by imitating its elders, suggests a new study by neuroscientists at Emory University. Scientific Reports published the findings, which add to the understanding of the neurochemistry of social learning.
Archaeologists map hidden NT landscape where first Australians lived more than 60,000 years ago
Scientists at Flinders University have used sub-surface imaging and aerial surveys to see through floodplains in the Red Lily Lagoon area of West Arnhem Land in Northern Australia.
Testing vaccine candidates quickly with lab-grown mini-organs
Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a new testing platform that encapsulates B cells — some of the most important components of the immune system — into miniature “organoids” to make vaccine screening quicker and greatly reduce the number of animals needed for testing.
Can some snakes do cartwheels to escape or startle predators?
In research published in Biotropica, investigators report that the Dwarf Reed Snake (Pseudorabdion longiceps) performs cartwheels when threatened. This is the first time such an active rolling motion has been documented in snakes, with images and a detailed description.
FASEB Joins Partners to Support Biomedical Animal Research
New report is designed to educate the animal research community about the growing threat of animal rights activism and encourage stakeholders to improve communication and outreach efforts.
Lack of canine COVID-19 data fuels persisting concerns over dog-human interactions
Early COVID-19 pandemic suspicions about dogs’ resistance to the disease have given way to a long-haul clinical data gap as new variants of the virus have emerged.
How consciousness in animals could be researched
There are reasons to assume that not only humans but also some non-human species of animal have conscious perception.
Tracking data reveals how seabird species adopt different strategies to cope with extreme storms
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany and Swansea University have revealed how different seabird species use distinct strategies to cope with cyclones, with some flying directly into the storm, and others using avoidance tactics.
Cohesion and connection drop in ageing population
Social cohesion and connection decline in an ageing population, according to a new study of one of humanity’s closest relatives.
To save our pets, we need to know our neighbors’ Lessons from an urban firestorm
More than 1,000 pets perished in the Dec. 30 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colo., many of them trapped inside their homes as guardians who had left for the day desperately tried to devise a plan to free them, according to new CU Boulder research published in the journal Animals.
Researchers identify the neurons that synchronise female preferences with male courtship songs in fruit flies
When it comes to courtship, it is important to ensure that one is interacting with a member of the same species.
Dogs show things to humans but pigs do not
Researchers at the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Department of Ethology, Budapest investigated if companion pigs and dogs would show their owners the location of a food reward out-of-their reach (but reachable for their owner).
New study finds animals play key role in restoring forests
As nations meet this week in Montreal on efforts to address an unprecedented loss of biodiversity — more than a million species are threatened with extinction — a new study published in The Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B points to the unique and vital role animals play in reforestation.
Study finds flightless Puffins vulnerable to winter storms for two months a year
Puffins lose the ability to fly for up to two months every year – twice as long as previously believed.
Tropical wildlife follow the same daily patterns worldwide
How do animals in the wild use their time? A researcher at Rice University is part of a new study that shows what motivates the daily ramble of tropical populations.
Rats bop to the beat
Accurately moving to a musical beat was thought to be a skill innately unique to humans.
Identity theft the secret of the cat parasite’s success
The parasite Toxoplasma is carried by a large portion of the global human population.
NASA laser project benefits animal researchers, UW scientists show
Scientists researching forest carnivores such as martens, foxes and coyotes spend hours clambering through rugged terrain, sometimes in deep snow, placing and baiting camera traps to learn about animals’ behavior in relation to their habitat.
Which animals can best withstand climate change?
Extreme weather such as prolonged drought and heavy rainfall is becoming more and more common as the global average temperature rises – and it will only get worse in the coming decades. How will the planet’s ecosystems respond?
Swans Sacrifice Rest to Squabble
Swans give up resting time to fight over the best feeding spots, new research shows.
Honeycomb Maze Reveals Role of Hippocampus in Navigation Decisions
Researchers at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at University College London have discovered that the hippocampus creates a vector-based representation to support animals to make optimal navigation decisions.
New Research Shows Long-Term Personality Traits Influence Problem-Solving in Zebra Finches
Personality is not unique to humans. New research published in the Royal Society Open Science journal demonstrates that zebra finches have personalities, and some traits are consistent over two years of the birds’ lives.
Pequenos primatas com faces mais expressivas do que se pensava
Universidade de Quioto adaptou o sistema humano de codificação de acção facial, ou FACS, como uma ferramenta para comparações sistemáticas de músculos faciais entre espécies. As contrações musculares faciais movem porções da pele, produzindo um conjunto de mudanças de aparência que são visíveis no rosto. O FACS analisa e classifica os movimentos visíveis feitos pelos músculos faciais através das chamadas unidades de acção.
India’s relic forests reveal a new species of leopard gecko
Deep in the forests of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in India lives a colourful gecko species that only now revealed its true identity. Meet Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko.
“Fuel of evolution” more abundant than previously thought in wild animals
The raw material for evolution is much more abundant in wild animals than we previously believed, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).
Some Monkeys Might Pull a Poker Face
How could a human mother tell that her child is upset? Humans can distinguish the meanings of facial expressions of our fellow species either explicitly through speech or implicitly by context.
Stress Among Wild Life
“I am stressed!” We have all said this sentence many times. Stress is a widespread phenomenon among humans.
Sea turtle success stories along African east coast – but thousands still dying Peer-Reviewed Publication
Conservation of sea turtles along much of Africa’s east coast has made good progress in recent decades – but tens of thousands of turtles still die each year due to human activity, researchers say.
Gene Therapy Could Treat Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, Proof-of-Concept Study Suggests
University of North Carolina School of Medicine scientists, who report their results in the journal eLife, devised an experimental, gene-therapy-like technique to restore the normal activity of the gene deficient in people with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.
Brain Size Determined The Chances of Survival Among Large Animals
Researchers at Tel Aviv University, and the University of Naples, have examined the mass extinction of large animals over the past tens of thousands of years and found that extinct species had, on average, much smaller brains than species that survived.
How Ant Teeth Cut Like a Scalpel
The built-in tools of ants have been imaged in atomic detail for the first time by materials scientist Arun Devaraj.