Biology

How climate change is shifting plankton

Marines zooplankton. (Image: tonaquatic / iStock) The warming of the oceans means that the climatic zones in the ocean are shifting. As a...

Birds capture the appearance of plants

Birds evidently avoid not only the conspicuous caterpillars on St.Jameswort (right), but also the yellow-flowered plants themselves (left). (Images: Callum McLellan) "You should avoid...

Evolution in evolutionary research

Charles Darwin is and will remain the symbol for the exploration of the development of life. (Image: dan_wrench / iStock) The venerable Charles Darwin...

Rainforest heals more slowly than expected

Tree litter frog Phrynobatrachus guineensis (Image: Mark-Oliver Rödel / Museum für Naturkunde Berlin) How long does it take for a forest to recover from deforestation...

Earth sculpture: “The fragile paradise”

The German Aerospace Center participated in an exhibition in Oberhausen, in which a giant copy of the earth shows how nature and man shape...

Bees: More parasites from blooming monocultures

Wild bee on a sunflower. (Image: Cohen et al.) Large flowering fields attract bees and provide them with plenty of food for a short...

How fishing affects the global carbon cycle

Fishing in the Arctic. (Image: piola666 / iStock) Up until now, discussions about the effects of industrial fishing have mostly focused on the impact...

“Lost Forest” reveals a secret

An astonishingly remote habitat for mangroves in the interior of the Yucatan Peninsula. (Image: Octavio Aburto-Oropeza) Usually mangroves only grow on the coast of...

Amazingly fast-paced snap suction cups

The distinctive head shape of the seahorses has to do with their hunting strategy. (Image: Gil Koplovitz) Tiny fins drive them leisurely forward -...

Grasslands in danger

Grassland is increasingly degraded here, too. (Photo: Peter Manning / Senckenberg) When it comes to threatened habitats, tropical forests or coral reefs are among...

Beetle with Teflon effect in the knee

The black beetle is on the move with sophisticated synovial fluid in its knee. (Photo: Konstantin Nadein) Well lubricated for animals: Researchers report on...

How beneficial insects keep pests at bay

Various predatory insects are the natural enemies of aphids and the like. In a research project, biologists are investigating why equilibria in field ecosystems...

Origins of photosynthesis dated

Cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc. (Image: Elif Bayraktar / iStock) When did bacteria acquire the ability to generate energy from light and release oxygen...

Why not all tropical forests are equally rich in species

Toucan in the Amazon rainforest. (Image: agustavop / iStock) The tropical rainforests are hotspots of biodiversity, but there are differences. Researchers have now...

Hope in the fight against bee virus

Bees have to find their way back to the hive after their excursions - an ability that can affect a viral disease. (Image:...

Eagle look at stressed trees

Even forest trees that appear healthy to the naked eye can already suffer from stress. (Image: ViktorCap / iStock) Subtle stress signals made visible:...

Lost sea centipede rediscovered

The marine centipede Strigamia maritima was thought to have been lost in Germany for a long time. (Image: Hans Reip) The marine centipede Strigamia...

Coordination among vampire friends

Vampire bats are known for their amazingly complex social behavior. (Image: Michel VIARD / iStock) Quirky and amazingly social: Researchers have gleaned new insights...

How bacteria “zombify” plants

A test plant under the spell of the manipulative active ingredient of phytoplasms forms a bushy structure known as a witch's broom. (Image:...

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