https://phys.org/biology-news/biology-other en-us The latest news on biology, natural sciences, environment When biologist Elizabeth Carlen pulled up in her 2007 Subaru for her first look around St. Louis, she was already checking for the squirrels. Arriving as a newcomer from New York City, Carlen had scrolled through maps and lists of recent sightings in a digital application called iNaturalist. This app is a popular tool for reporting and sharing sightings of animals and plants. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-bias-citizen-science.html Ecology Other Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:10:05 EST news628877401 It has long been known that there is a complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping behavior. Recently it has been found that genes governing behavior in the brain operate within flexible and contextually responsive regulatory networks. However, conventional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) often overlook this complexity, particularly in humans where controlling environmental variables poses challenges. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-linking-environmental-genetic-human-behavior.html Other Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:00:01 EST news628247420 A systematic analysis of 40 years of studies on public crop breeding programs found that cereal grains receive significantly more research attention than other crops important for food security, such as fruits and vegetables; only 33% of studies sought input from both men and women household members; and there is significantly less research in South America, the Middle East and North Africa than in sub-Saharan Africa. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-years-crop-inequities.html Other Agriculture Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:31:03 EST news627823861 It's no secret that people can be quick to judge others, particularly when it comes to how a person looks. There have been tons of studies on how physical facial appearance, like makeup or facial hair, impacts a person's perception of someone else. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-explores-people-snap-judgment-unfamiliar.html Plants & Animals Other Wed, 21 Feb 2024 13:27:03 EST news627744421 The editors at the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology have retracted a paper after it was pointed out to them by readers that supporting images had been generated improperly by an AI image generator. In their retraction, the editors report that the reason for the retraction was that "concerns were raised regarding the nature of its AI-generated figures." https://phys.org/news/2024-02-ai-generated-disproportioned-rat-genitalia.html Other Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:11:41 EST news627563496 We've all been there. You're in the supermarket freezer aisle trying to make sense of the different labels on seafood products. You know the oceans are in trouble and you're trying to do the right thing, but the information is confusing and seemingly contradictory. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-buy-sustainable-salmon-expert-nuance.html Ecology Other Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:30:04 EST news627045485 Charles Darwin—arguably the most influential man of science in history, accumulated a vast personal library throughout his working life. Until now, 85% of its contents were unknown or unpublished. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-library-charles-darwin-revealed.html Evolution Other Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news626692119 Ugandans are at increased risk of diabetes and cancer in the wake of the country's expulsion from a trade pact with the U.S., nutritionists say. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-uganda-pesticide-agoa-expulsion.html Other Agriculture Thu, 01 Feb 2024 16:09:57 EST news626026194 Social systems where influence is focused around one or a few individuals may create environments where new ideas are ignored, and innovation is hindered. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-centralized-social-networks-potentially-hinder.html Other Agriculture Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:25:17 EST news625321514 South Africa's government conservation organizations have experienced substantial budget cuts. Even after steps to cut costs, South African National Parks reported a big shortfall (R223 million or about US$11.92 million) for 2021/22. So did the provincial body KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife (R89 million; about US$4.77 million). https://phys.org/news/2024-01-cash-conservationists-south-africa-struggling.html Ecology Other Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:29:04 EST news624889741 Biodiversity data collection is growing exponentially. The increase is driven in part by international commitments to conservation, market investments and technological advances, and the growing urgency of human impacts including climate change. Nations increasingly rely on biodiversity data in order to strategically meet global conservation targets for the coming decades. But not all data is collected equally. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-social-equity-biodiversity-interdisciplinary-policy.html Ecology Other Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:07:02 EST news624643620 In the name of "research," science has often harmed Indigenous Peoples around the world. How can researchers ensure they are conducting their scientific work in a good way, that serves the Indigenous Peoples involved and does not burden Indigenous scholars? https://phys.org/news/2024-01-qa-scientific-indigenous-peoples-good.html Other Tue, 16 Jan 2024 12:39:34 EST news624631168 A network of scientists across the globe have identified more than 700 plant genera named for women. This is a nearly 20-fold increase in the number of genera linked to women before the group started working on the list. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-global-scientific-network-highlights-genera.html Plants & Animals Other Mon, 08 Jan 2024 12:39:03 EST news623939941 Watching someone cry often evokes an emotional response—but according to a new study published Thursday, human tears themselves contain a chemical signal that reduces brain activity linked to aggression. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-whiff-male-aggression.html Other Mon, 25 Dec 2023 08:50:02 EST news622397748 When news broke about a bedbug outbreak in his native South Korea, 29-year-old blockchain engineer and self-professed insectophobe Kang Jae-gu got straight to work—on the data. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-bedbugs-korean-blockchain-infestation.html Other Tue, 19 Dec 2023 04:12:14 EST news622181530 Humans and other animals with brains perhaps aren't the only beings on the planet to experience consciousness, says a study in the journal EMBO Reports. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-explores-cell-based-theory-consciousness-entails.html Evolution Other Mon, 18 Dec 2023 16:22:41 EST news622138959 Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-botany-feature-prominently-school-curriculum.html Ecology Other Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:30:57 EST news620667054 A Hobart-based solicitor built his reputation as "the foremost scientist in the colony" in the mid-1800s, despite limited contributions to scientific knowledge. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-solicitor-19th-century-tasmania-human-aboriginal.html Plants & Animals Other Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:00:01 EST news620411401 Do you like cod, shrimp, salmon, crab or pollock (also known as fish sticks)? Of course you do. Do you shop at Walmart, Costco, Kroger or Albertsons for fish? Who doesn't? Do you eat at one of the more than 400,000 restaurants supplied by food distributor Sysco? Almost certainly. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-kind-seafood-morally-ethical.html Other Agriculture Fri, 24 Nov 2023 14:15:07 EST news620057705 Thanks to videos circulating on social media of bedbugs crawling through Parisian hotel rooms, movie theaters and public transportation, anxiety over the blood-sucking insects is high. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bedbugs-problem-paris-theyre-resurgent.html Other Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:45:04 EST news619274699 Hidden environmental, social and health costs of agrifood systems were as much as $12 trillion globally in 2020, according to new research from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), based on analysis by Oxford's Dr. Steven Lord. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-reveals-trillions-hidden-agrifood.html Other Agriculture Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:52:03 EST news618591121 In Honduras and El Salvador, coffee (Coffea arabica) is one of the leading agricultural exports, and the share of specialty coffee is growing each year. However, despite the importance of specialty coffee production and exports, there is a knowledge gap regarding its cost structure and profitability, particularly those associated with labor costs https://phys.org/news/2023-11-profitability-specialty-coffee-central-america.html Other Agriculture Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:58:03 EDT news618238681 Can Dutch dairy farms that work more sustainably also perform well or even better economically than less sustainable dairy farms? Yes, that is possible, according to a study by Wageningen Economic Research, commissioned by the Sustainable Dairy Chain, a theme group of ZuivelNL. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-sustainable-dairy-farms-economically.html Other Agriculture Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:43:03 EDT news618162181 There are stories in the human bones at the American Museum of Natural History. They tell of lives lived—some mere decades ago, others in past centuries—in cultures around the world. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ny-natural-history-museum-thousands.html Other Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:32:43 EDT news617513560 Coral reefs support approximately 25% of marine species, and are essential to coastal economies, such as the fishing and tourism industries, to name a few. But coral reefs worldwide are at risk due to climate change and are on the brink of collapse. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-biases-coral-reef.html Ecology Other Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:13:04 EDT news617375581 Which sustainability goals do people in Germany find more important: Animal welfare? Or environmental protection? Human health is another one of these competing sustainability goals. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-animal-welfare-environmental-goal.html Other Agriculture Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:12:03 EDT news617368321 Farmers are used to growing crops and producing other goods, but a new study led by Penn State researchers suggests the social media platform TikTok may help them cultivate something new: empathy around the issue of climate change. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-tiktok-farmers-cultivate-empathy-climate.html Other Agriculture Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:37:04 EDT news615724621 The UK government is facing calls to crack down on the backyard breeders of XL bully dogs, and even to cull the breed, following a string of horrifying attacks. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-uk-urged-tackle-killer-xl.html Other Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:24:00 EDT news615713036 A study on social media activity during the Black Summer bushfires has revealed how the discussions changed through the phases of the disaster, and how critical social media is in disseminating information during natural disasters. The study was published in Forest Ecology and Management. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-bushfire-tweets-reveal-role-social.html Ecology Other Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:14:03 EDT news615471241 Every person hosts trillions of microorganisms, like bacteria and viruses, on their skin and in organs including those that make up the digestive tract, like their mouth, that collectively make up their microbiome. Microbiome research can lead to medical breakthroughs to treat diseases like inflammatory bowel syndrome and diabetes. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-qa-indigenous-community-first-approach-ethical.html Cell & Microbiology Other Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:10:50 EDT news615136245