Biology

Corkscrew head drives ray sperm

A ray sperm in view. (Image: Panbing Wang et al. / DOI number: 10.1073 / pnas.2024329118) Amazingly mobile germ cells: In the case of...

Tempting scent of corpses

Aristolochia microstoma has brownish flowers that lie close to the ground under leaf litter or stones. The flowers give off an unpleasant odor...

Tiny robots break down microplastics

Metallic microrobots (dark blue) on a piece of microplastic. (Image: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2021, DOI: 10.1021 / acsami.1c04559) To remove microplastics from...

It’s getting tight for the great apes

Chimpanzees like this one could lose large parts of their habitats. (Image: Pascal Gagneux / GMERC) Whether chimpanzees, bonobos or gorillas: the African great...

Tiny “ice mummies” revived

Rotifers are tiny multicellular organisms that can also live in soil. (Image: Michael Plewka) They survived the freezing and then about 24,000 years in...

Algal blooms are becoming more serious

Algal bloom in the Baltic Sea, recorded by the Sentinel-3A satellite. (Image: ESA) From time to time, huge carpets of algae spread out in...

Urbanization winners and losers

The Kleine Maivogel (left) came up last among the 158 species examined for urban affinity and is likely to continue to decline in Europe....

“Sea snow” influences the nitrogen cycle

Sea snow: tiny particles of organic material. (Image: C. Karthäuser and S. Ahmerkamp / MPI for Marine Microbiology) In the productive zones of the...

With “mold” against bee parasites

Varroa mites weaken the bees' immune system, transmit viruses and deprive them of nutrients. (Image: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service) Fungal infection instead...

Parasitic ants live longer

The lighter ant is infected with tapeworm larvae. (Photo: Susanne Foitzik / JGU) Parasites usually harm their host because they live at its expense....

Common mammal species can also be endangered

Reindeer have a large distribution area, but they have very specific food requirements. (Image: Robert Kalinagil / Unsplash) Even if an animal species has...

Primeval shore leave with friends

Even the pioneers of plant-based shore leave could have entered into a symbiosis with mushrooms. (Illustration: Aurélie Le Ru / Mélanie Rich /...

How many birds are there in the world?

Australian pigeons. (Image: Corey T. Callaghan) Birds are omnipresent and their twittering accompanies us even in the big city. But how many of...

Land use changes greater than expected

HILDA + land use map for 2019 (Image: Karina Winkler / KIT People leave their “footprint” on the earth's land through agriculture, clearing forests or...

Honey bees prefer rapeseed to apple blossoms

Honey bee on a rape blossom. (Image: Albin Andersson) Oilseed rape blooms at the same time as apple trees and, like them, is mainly...

Lizards with diving equipment

A blister on their nose allows them to breathe underwater: some American anole lizards use an amazing concept for diving, report biologists. A...

Glyphosate harms insects indirectly

Researchers have shown possible damage to symbiosis systems in insects through studies on flat grain beetles. (Photo: Backiris / iStock) The focus is mostly...

Magnetic sense in the bat’s eye

Rough-skin bats probably orient themselves on their long-distance journeys using a magnetic sense located in the corneas of their eyes. (Image: Oliver Lindecke...

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