SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
An international team* led by researchers from INRA and CEA managed to assemble the first sequence of the pea genome. This study, published on September 2, 2019 in Nature Genetics, will, in addition to increasing knowledge of this genome compared to that of other legumes, help to improve traits of interest for peas, such as … Read more
A research team has successfully identified an unknown population of the endangered Yamato salamander (Hynobius vandenburghi) in Gifu Prefecture, using a methodology combining GIS and eDNA analysis. This method could be applied to other critically endangered species, in addition to being utilized to locate small organisms that are difficult to find using conventional methods. The … Read more
When Kīlauea Volcano erupted in 2018, it injected millions of cubic feet of molten lava into the nutrient-poor waters off the Big Island of Hawai’i. The lava-impacted seawater contained high concentrations of nutrients that stimulated phytoplankton growth, resulting in an extensive plume of microbes that was detectable by satellite. A study led by researchers at … Read more
Hearing casual chatter of birds after predator call reassures squirrels to come off high alert when they feel safe to communicate the absence of danger or share their location. To test this hypothesis, the researchers observed the behavior of 54 wild Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in public parks and residential areas in Ohio in … Read more
They may not have been seen for the past 50 and 110 years, but an international study into their extinction has provided answers to how the world lost New Zealand’s South Island kokako and huia. Lead author Dr Nicolas Dussex, of the University of Otago, New Zealand, and Swedish Museum of Natural History, says the … Read more
Humans use a snorkel and fish have gills. Now researchers have found a sea snake which uses a complex system of blood vessels in its head to draw in extra oxygen when it dives and swims underwater. During submersion, the blue-banded sea snake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) is now thought to use an extensive vascular network across … Read more
After patient RDS (identified only by his initials for privacy) suffered a stroke, he experienced a rare and unusual side effect: when he saw something red, blue, green, or any other chromatic hue, he could not name the object’s color. Using RDS as a subject, a study publishing on September 3 in the journal Cell Reports looks … Read more
Say hello to the common fruit fly: a regular guest in all our homes, feasting on that banana peel you tossed into the garbage a few days ago. Despite their name, it’s not just fruit they fly to; these insects will feed on various kinds of plant matter. In a paper published in Cell Reports scientists describe … Read more
Diversity is a hallmark of life and it shows up in unexpected places. A multi-national team of evolutionary biologists investigated how two types of poison frog co-exist when we expect only one. Their innovative study uncovers conditions where diversity flourishes against the odds, and offers new perspectives on chemical defense. The project was a collaboration … Read more
Dog brain structure varies across breeds and is correlated with specific behaviors, according to new research published in JNeurosci. These findings show how, by selectively breeding for certain behaviors, humans have shaped the brains of their best friends. Over several hundred years, humans have selectively bred dogs to express specific physical and behavioral characteristics. Erin Hecht … Read more