Throat structure explains why male mating calls are bizarrely deeper than expected for the animal’s size. For such diminutive animals, male koalas have an uncannily deep voice. The pitch of their bellowing mating call is 20 times lower than would be anticipated for their size, and more like something you would hear from an elephant, […]
Nature
Smelly microbes help hyenas to communicate
Bacteria in scent glands give information about hosts’ species, sex and reproductive state. The hordes of microbes that inhabit every nook and cranny of every animal are not just passive hitchhikers: they actively shape their hosts’ well-being and even behaviour. Now, researchers have found evidence that bacteria living in the scent glands of hyenas help […]
Enhanced medical vision
The ability to look inside the human body without using a scalpel has revolutionized how we diagnose and treat illness and injury. See the infographic in Nature.
Pesticide makes invading ants suicidally aggressive
Neonicotinoids change behaviour in ways that could affect spread of invasive species. Neonicotinoid insecticides have developed a bad reputation for their unintended and potentially harmful effects on pollinating insects such as bees. A study in New Zealand now shows that the chemical can also change how native and invasive ants interact. New Zealand is facing […]
Cultured follicles offer hope for beating baldness
Old cell-growth method moves hair restoration technique from mice to humans. Life seemed to be unfair to balding people. More than four decades ago, scientists found a way grow hair follicles in hairless rodents by cultivating skin cells in a dish and implanting them under the skin. But when they tried the same thing in […]
Judgement day
Many governments are assessing the quality of university research, much to the dismay of some researchers. Two years ago, academics at Lancaster University, UK, found themselves in the uncomfortable position of being graded. They each had to submit the four best pieces of research that they had published in the previous few years, and then […]
Bats use ear trumpets for social calls
Mammals roost in megaphone-shaped leaves that amplify calls from friends. Bats that nest inside curled-up leaves may be getting an extra benefit from their homes: the tubular roosts act as acoustic horns, amplifying the social calls that the mammals use to keep their close-knit family groups together. South American Spix’s disc-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor) roost […]
Amorous insects predict the weather
Changes in atmospheric pressure reduce mating in beetles, moths and aphids. People have long claimed that animals can predict the weather, for examply by curtailing their activity when rain threatens. Such theories have had little evidence to support them, but now, a team of scientists has found a concrete example: insects shy away from sex […]
Bacteria from lean mice prevents obesity in peers
But microbes are only part of the story — the effect also depends on a healthy diet. Gut bacteria from lean mice can invade the guts of obesity-prone cage-mates and help their new hosts to fight weight gain. Researchers led by Jeffrey Gordon, a biologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, set out to […]
Last-minute reprieve for Canada’s research lakes
Government strikes temporary deal with independent institute to keep freshwater experimental site open. Canada’s world-renowned Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) has been saved from imminent closure after the federal government signed a makeshift 11th-hour deal with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to take over the running of the facility. Effective from 1 September to […]