Biology

Flood protection with a multi-benefit effect

The success of dyke removal and renaturation measures can also be seen on the Elbe. Geogif/iStock Buffer areas are created for water...

Will microbial meat alternatives save our forests?

Beef like in this burger promotes deforestation and harms the climate. © dulezidar/ iStock In order to meet the high meat consumption of the...

Why sunscreen harms reefs

Apparently, those who smear themselves with certain sunscreens before swimming or snorkeling can give corals a phototoxic hit. © Cunfek/iStock Sunscreen that bathers release...

On the trail of South German primeval robbers

Reconstruction of Batrachotomus and its habitat in present-day southwest Germany. © SMNS, M. Rech The primeval horsetail forests of what is now south-west Germany...

Checkered rat history in Europe

The once so successful house rat has been almost entirely replaced by the brown rat. © division, CSIRO An animal career that was marked...

Extreme plant grows faster under stress

The extreme plant Schrenkiella parvula © José Dinneny If conditions are too dry, too salty, or too cold, most plants will grow poorly and eventually...

On the trail of secret reef dwellers

Researchers demonstrate the potential of so-called environmental DNA metabarcoding for studying biodiversity in tropical reefs. © Mihtiander/iStock Biodiversity research with "forensic" methods: A study...

On the trail of unrecognized chemical exposure

Sampling at the Xiaoqing River. © Hereon/ Hanna Joerss The pollution of the environment with industrial chemicals is strictly monitored, but the monitoring currently...

Climate change could trigger mass extinctions in oceans

Many marine animals could become extinct if climate change continues. © Evan Davis The climate and oceans are warming due to man-made greenhouse gas...

Pesticides make male bees less attractive

Male mason bee (Osmia cornuta). © hsvrs/ iStock Bee populations have been declining for some time, often attributed to the use of pesticides. ...

Earliest evidence of plate tectonics

Landscape in the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa. © Nadja Drabon Plate tectonics is responsible for the current shape of our earth. ...

Targeting invasive small predators

Anyone who sees a raccoon, raccoon dog or mink can report this via an app to help research the problematic aliens. © Dorian...

World’s first fossil cartilage from squid

Micro-CT of fossil squid head cartilage. © NHM Vienna, Alexander Lukeneder In 2021, mysterious black structures appeared during excavations at the Polzberg fossil deposit...

Pterosaurs with colored feathers

tical reconstruction of the feathered pterosaur Tupandactylus. © Nicholls 2022 Copyright Bob Nicholls Did pterosaurs also have feathers – similar to some dinosaur species?...

Leafhoppers hear with their abdomens

Rhododendron leafhopper (Graphocephala fennahi) on a rhododendron leaf. © Jürgen Deckert/ Museum of Natural History Berlin Even supposedly well-known insects sometimes cause surprises -...

On the trail of egg counterfeiters’ tricks

Cuckoo finch eggs laid by different females to mimic the clutches of different host species. © Claire N Spottiswoode They cheer other birds on...

Urban gardens are so valuable

Urban gardens produce significant amounts of vegetables and, above all, contribute to the quality of life of city dwellers. © Julief514/iStock Urban gardens bear...

Field streams reduce nitrate pollution in groundwater

Measurements at a field ditch. © Tillmann Lüders Purifying effect: ditches and small streams at the edge of fields make a significant contribution to...

Dino footprint shows twisted toe

In the features of a fossilized track reflected: The left foot of the dinosaur was pathologically deformed. © Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain,...

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