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First species of venomous frog found in Brazil

The first venomous (yes, venomous – not poisonous) frog was discovered in Brazil by mistake. A frog head-butted Carlos Jared in the hand, and after a while he started feeling a strange pain; it took him a while to connect the dots and realize that the frog was responsible for the pain he was feeling and […]

Scientists discover new abyssal angler fish

For all we know about other planets and even other galaxies, there's still much to learn about our very own planet - especially its oceans. The oceans are teeming with life of which we know nothing or very little about; now, Florida researchers have discovered a new species of angler fish that dwells 1 km below sea level (3200 ft).

Divers find car-sized blob of squid eggs

It seems almost too surreal to be true – a gelatinous, four meter across blob of squid eggs – but that’s exactly what divers found off the coast of Turkey, some 20 meters below sea level. Even up close, the spheroid blob looked almost invisible, but when touched, it felt “very soft” and seemed gelatinous. […]

Bonobos use flexible "baby communication"

Researchers have found that just like babies, bonobos exhibit a type of communication in which they use the same sound with different intonations to say different things. They use these high pitch "peeps" to express their emotions.

Scientists find why earthworms are so good at fertilizing the soil

They're a gardener's best friend, and our fields wouldn't be the same without them. The humble earthworm plays a major role in organic matter recycling in soils worldwide, and now researchers have figured out how. The secret lies in their metabolic system and how they digest their food.

Scientists find evidence of complex reproduction before the Cambrian

Before the Cambrian, more than 541 million years ago, intriguing creatures named rangeomorphs that grew up to 2 meters dwelt in marine environments. They were unable to move, had no apparent reproductive organs and there is no evidence of them having a gut or a mouth. But a new study has found that their reproductive techniques […]

Bees use natural vaccines for their youth

When it comes to vaccines, the young bees don't really have a choice - they're naturally immunized against specific diseases commonly found in their environment. For the first time, researchers have figured out just how they do it.

Plants signal stress like animals do: with neurotransmitters

Plants signal stress when they're affected by drought, high temperatures or a disease using the same chemical and electrical signals that animal use. In animals, these chemicals and signals are delivered, carried and interpreted by the nervous system, which is why it's surprising to find plants use this mechanism. The "machinery", however, is different suggesting plants and animals separately evolved the same communication mechanism.

How crazy ants carry dinner 100 times their size: coordination and individual leadership

Different ant species employ various tactics to forage food and keep the colony in tip top shape. Most often scouts will scour for food, and when a source is deemed fit a trail of pheromones guide worker ants to pick up the crumbs, leftover pizza or cheerios. Ants aren't very picky, you know. What they are is very strong. It's common knowledge that ants carry loads multiple times heavier than their own weight. Some species, like longhorn crazy ants are able to carry some of the biggest loads among ants by working together, joining in a band to perform the lifting. It's a curios matter, one you might have often noticed in your very own backyard.

Remarkable cooperation: how groups of ants carry big things and stay on track

You may have observed how ants can carry things many times their size, both individually and in groups. Researchers have now figured out how ants manage to carry large objects in groups - it takes individual ideas, a lot of teamwork, and the ant equivalent of an air traffic controller.

Skeleton flower turns translucent when it comes in contact with water

This rare flower's petals are usually white, but turn translucent (their "skeleton" form) when exposed to water. Being completely clear and of striking, glass-like beauty while wet, they turn white again when they dry off.

Folding tiny origami bunnies out of DNA and why it's important

The revelation that DNA chemically self-assembles to build life was a game changer. Now, DNA's self-assembly capability is moving past genetics and into structural mechanics. One of the most astonishing demonstrations involves an automated process which basically 3D prints structures made out of DNA, of all shapes and sizes. For instance, the team at Dresden University of Technology built tiny 3d objects like a bunny, a bottle or even a waving humanoid.

Mutation in daisies near Fukushima might not be caused by radiation

After a twitter user and photographer from a city 110 km from Fukushima posted photos of mutated flowers, people started to freak out all over the internet that these plants suffered mutations due to the devastating nuclear incident from 2011 in Fukushima, Japan. According to the photographer @san_kaido, the radiation level near the daisies was measured […]

Researchers find rare marine reptile fossil in Alaska

Fossils of an elasmosaur, a rare type of plesiosaur were discovered in Alaska by Anchorage-based fossil collector Curvin Metzler. Researchers have confirmed this discovery and identified the species.

Four-legged snake is missing link between lizards and serpents

An "absolutely exquisite" fossil of a juvenile snake with limbs has been discovered by English paleontologists in Brazil. The fossil dates back from the early Cretaceous, 110 million years ago, and is the oldest evidence of a definitive snake.

Scientists learn more about hair ice, after 100 years

You may have seen it in forests, and may have dismissed it as an eerie curiosity – a type of ice that looks like white silky hairs, a bit like candy floss. It only grows on rotten branches of trees under very specific conditions, during humid winter nights when the temperature drops just below 0 […]

Boa constrictors don't suffocate their prey. Instead, they cut the blood from the heart

In a first of its kind experiment, biologists found out to everyone's surprise that boa constrictors kill prey by cutting the blood supply from the heart. It was long thought that suffocation is the snakes' modus operandi. This makes sense though, according to evolutionary biologists involved in the study. Cutting the blood supply kills prey much faster than limiting oxygen intake. This comes at an evolutionary advantage since this minimizes risks faced from predators.

Nature's toupee: fungus weaves astonishing hair-ice

For over a century since it was described, a peculiar type of ice known as hair-ice or ice wool has been puzzling scientists. Now, the mystery seems to have been solved. The uncanny fine hairs of ice, which are only 0.02 mm thick and can grow to 20 cm in length, are actually caused by a fungus.

Chinese paleontologists uncover spectacular dinosaur-bird fossil

Researchers have discovered a new dinosaur species covered with feathers. Its wings were very short and it likely wouldn't have been able to fly or glide, but the creature was on the cusp of evolving into a bird. It was also one of the ancestors of the velociraptors.

Science delivers: new seaweed tastes like bacon, healthier than kale

The unexpectedly delicious new creation is actually a new strain of red marine algae named dulse. It's packed full of minerals and proteins, it's low in calories, and it looks a bit like red lettuce. The team claims it's better for you than kale!

The green algae street lamps that suck up CO2

I’ve been recently flooded with emails, questions and Facebook posts with the algae street lamps that not only light up without any electricity, but also suck up a lot of carbon dioxide (200 times more than a tree). This is just such a big thing that I had to see if this actually works. So […]

50 Million Year Old Sperm Found by Accident in Antarctica

Scientists have stumbled on some incredibly old sperm in the wall of a fossilized cocoon in Antarctica. The remains of the long, thin cells represent the oldest animal sperm known to man - 50 million years old.

This sexually transmitted virus castrates crickets, but encourages sexual activity

Meet one of slickest and twisted virus nature has to offer. Called  IIV-6/CrIV , researchers at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia  discovered the virus effectively castrates crickets, while promoting sexual activity at the same time like an aphrodisiac so it can spread. It’s an incredibly effective strategy for the virus, but can we learn anything from it? […]

Frogs use drains to boost their mating call

If you’ve learned during the biology classes in school that the animals are going to adapt no matter the circumstances, your teacher did a great job. Turns out that frogs aren’t the exception to the rule, quite the contrary. New studies show that tree frogs seem to be using city drains in order to amplify the […]

New painkillers could be made out of the venom of a killer snail

Cone snails have one of the most dangerous venom in the animal kingdom. This complex venomous soup is made up of thousands of chemicals used both to hunt prey and ward off predators. The venom is enough to kill a human in a matter of minutes. Now, these lethal chemicals could be used to create a new class of painkiller for chronic pain and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to University of Queensland researchers. The same team also used a genetic and proteomic to find out how the cone snails developed its venom. Apparently, the animals initially used their chemical weaponry as a defense mechanism and later on adapted it into an attack.

What is the Portuguese Man of War

We'll take a look at the Man of War and see what you should do to stay safe on the beach.

Jesus lizard ancestor skimmed the tropical waters of Wyoming, 48 million years ago

Paleontologists have discovered what looks like the earliest member of the Corytophanidae (also known as casquehead or helmeted lizards) judging from fossils collected in Wyoming. The ancient species is also the earliest ancestor of the modern basilisk, or better known as the Jesus Lizard because of its ability to skim the surface of water over short distances.

Ocean-going spiders use their legs to windsurf on the water

Spiders are more adaptable than we give them credit for, and they can make pretty good sailors – a new study has found that some spiders can use strands of silk to windsurf on the ocean surface. It’s been reported for centuries, even Charles Darwin noticed it: “ballooning” spiders flutter from the air into the sails […]

American Museum of Natural History Releases Vintage Drawings of Seashells

The American Museum of Natural History has released a set of postcards you can buy when you visit them – The Seashell Collector. I thought the set looks quite brilliant, and it’s definitely worth sharing, along with some basic information Seashells The word seashell is often used to mean only the shell of a marine mollusk […]

Seahorses may inspire new generation of armored robots

Seemingly small and delicate, seahorses are actually much more resilient than they look. Engineers have demonstrated that the seahorses’ prism-like tails are mechanically superior to the cylindrical ones; the discovery could lead to the development of more resilient robots. There are 54 species of seahorses, and while they may be significantly different one from the other, […]

Saber-tooth cats grew their fangs faster than human fingernails

Saber-tooth cats, the bane of early humans (and pretty much every creature that co-existed with them), roamed the Earth for 42 million years before going extinct at the end of the ice age. Now, a new study has found that their trademark teeth may have evolved later in their evolutionary stage, but when they grew, they grew […]

Woman's face look more attractive when they ovulate, but it's not the blushing

Women's faces are more attractive to men when they hit peak ovulation, past research showed. It's not clear what the amplifying signals are. One suggestion was that women's cheeks turn slightly red during ovulation, providing a subtle cue that enhance attractiveness. Using cameras specially designed to distinguish between subtle colour variations, researchers at University of Cambridge found that women's faces show an increased redness. Peculiarly, this difference is so small that it's not visually perceptible. Is the cue that subtle or can the enhanced attractiveness be attributed to some other factor or signal?

Language is not restricted to humans: Scientists find bird species with its own language

Joining sounds together to create a meaningful language was thought to be a human characteristic, but a new study published in PLoS Biology found that blabber birds also developed their own phonetic language, just like we did! Researchers also believe that studying these birds could give us hints of why and how our language evolved to what […]

Earth-loving Hades: meet the centipede from Hell

Deep below ground level, 3,500 feet (1000 meters) down a Croatian cave, scientists have discovered a new species of centipede. They named this incredibly resilient creature Geophilus hadesi – earth loving Hades – in honor of Hades, the Greek God of the underworld and ruler of Hell. Centipedes are elongated arthropods with one pair of legs per body […]

Fish diversity took off once dinosaurs went extinct

Today, ray-finned fish make up 99% of all fish species, but it wasn't always like this. In an attempt to find out what triggered this spectacular multi-niche dominance, paleontologists traveled back in time sort of speak and analyzed ancient fossils to see what the fish diversity makeup looked like millions of years ago. Intriguing enough, the ray fish practically exploded in their diversity right after the last great mass extinction which occurred 65 million years ago. An asteroid impact wiped out thousands of species, including all dinosaurs. But there was now enough room for other creatures to take their place. On land, mammals started filling in the large-scale niches eventually reaching a dominant position. In the water, it was the ray-finned fish that seized the opportunity.

Carbon emissions threaten to destroy pink salmon population

The effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are great and long reaching - a new study has found that pink salmon in the Pacific Ocean are threatened by increasing ocean acidification.

Like mustard and wasabi? You should thank this catterpillar

In a paper published this month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a group of scientists explain the process through which plants like mustard came to be - as it turns out, an evolutionary arms race with a caterpillar played a key role.

500 million year old worm had impressive spiky armor

Paleontologists working in China have discovered fossils of an impressively armored worm that lived during the Cambrian, 500 million years ago. Called  Hairy Collins’ Monster, this is one of the first creatures to develop a spiky armor. Today, the 180 species of velvet worms are pretty similar – they have tiny eyes, antennae, multiple pairs of […]

New firefly species from California discovered by undergrad student

Despite what you might have seen or not seen, there are actually some fireflies living west of the Rocky Mountains, though they mostly keep to themselves and are rarely spotted by humans. Every once in a while, people spot some. This time, one undergrad who was busy insect hunting in the Los Angeles County hit the jackpot after he discovered a new firefly species.

Monarch butterfly populations went down 80% in 21 years

A new study has found that monarch butterfly populations have went down at alarming rates in the past couple of decades, going down on average by 80%. In the forests of Mexico, they went down by as much as 90%.

Rats dream of getting to a brighter future

It's not just us humans that dream of a better future - rats do too. When rats rest, their brains imagine a favorable future such as a tasty treat, a new study by UCL researchers found.

Why ants don't have traffic jams - hint: it's because they don't show off

Studying ants could help us reduce or even eliminate traffic jams, but only if we let go of our ego. Physicist Apoorva Nagar at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology found that ants don't have traffic jams, and we have much to learn from them when it comes to using a road.

Antarctica Yeti Crab Grows and Harvests its Own Food

Scientists have discovered and described the only known species of Yeti Crab that resides in Antarctica's Southern Ocean. The crab, which has a white fur all over its body, survives in an extremely inhospitable environment, close to the hydrothermal vents that spew hot water in the freezing ocean.

Viagra has its nasty side effects, but skin cancer isn't one of them

Viagra does things to you... but not skin cancer.

Some deep-water sharks can float up, contrary to conventional wisdom

Researchers at University of Hawaii, Manoa in collaboration with a team from the University of Tokyo were surprised to find not one, but two species of deep-water sharks that have positive buoyancy. Most sharks have a negative buoyancy, meaning if they stop swimming they'll sink to the bottom, and some researchers have posited that there may be some species with neutral buoyancy. Finding sharks that defy this conventional wisdom is definitely an important discovery. Now the researchers are trying to find out how the positive buoyancy is attained and whether other shark species have this ability.

Moon Jellyfish morphs back into symmetry after losing limbs

A novel, previously unseen self-repair mechanism was reported by a team of researchers at Caltech who studied the moon jellyfish. A lot of animals, mostly invertebrates, grow back their lost limbs after these are bitten off by predators or lost in an accident. The moon jellyfish, however, employs a different tactic altogether: instead of expending a lot of energy to regrow its lost limb, the animal re-arranges the limbs it has left to regain symmetry. Even when it's left with two limbs out of its initial eight, the jellyfish will still re-arrange itself. This sort of mechanism might prove extremely useful in designing self-repairing robots.

Scientists find how worms brains' feel magnetism

It's no secret that many animals can sense the Earth's magnetic field, but until now, researchers didn't know exactly how they could do this - what the sensor was. Now, a team from the University of Texas at Austin has found a simple, antenna-like structure in the brain of the simple worm C. Elegans that appears to be able to detect magnetic fields.

Social interactions and the microbiome

The microbiome, or the collection of bacteria living inside humans and other organisms, is an important topic in research today, because many scientists have made connections between different diseases and illness to the populations of bacteria inside us, specifically in our guts. Previously, ZME Science has covered what the microbiome is and several important studies.

Octopus is so cute that 'Adorable' might become its name

Among the best thing about being a biologist is you get to name things when you discover it. Now, a marine researcher in California will name one of the cutest invertebrates we've ever seen: so adorable, that it might actually be named 'adorabilis'.

Engineering microorganisms for future generations

Engineering microorganisms may be the key to solving major environmental problems, particularly the accumulation of greenhouse gases and fossil fuel overconsumption.
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