Biology

Sick fungi on microplastics in the soil

Fungal spores on a crack in a microplastic particle. (Bar = 30 microns). (Image: University of Bayreuth / Mycology Department) Microplastic particles in...

Tomatoes sound the alarm

Tomato fruits inform their mother plant of a pest infestation. (Image: Denisfilm / iStock; detail: Owl butterfly caterpillar, image: Hhelene / iStock) Fruits are...

Warning “butterfly thermometer”

The red apollo is one of the mountain butterfly species that have moved significantly upwards since 1960. (Image: Thomas Schmitt, Senckenberg; graphic: Jan...

Identify wolf-dog mixed breeds more easily

Is this a wolf or a dog-wolf hybrid? (Image: Senckenberg Society for Nature Research) As controversial as the spread of wild wolves in Germany...

Hedges as climate protectors

Hazel hedge near Nienburg / Saale (Image: Sophie Drexler / Thünen-Institut) An agricultural landscape interspersed with hedges not only offers many animals valuable habitat and...

Sea Otters: Warm Secret Revealed

Not only their thick fur enables these cute fellows to survive in cold water. (Image: Randall Davis, Image obtained under USFWS Marine Mammal...

Songbirds like it cute

The unusual sweet tooth may have enabled songbirds to occupy new ecological niches. (Image: A Honeyeater, Credit: Gerald Allen, Macaulay Library 340326621) Many birds...

What is the shape of the Romanesco cauliflower?

Genetic peculiarities ensure the development of fractals and Fibonacci spirals in Romanesco. (Image: AlasdairJames / iStock) The Romanesco cauliflower variety has an unusual shape:...

Microbes in beef stomachs break down plastic

There are microorganisms in the cow's stomach that can break down plastic. (Image: FooTToo / iStock) Plastic is known to be difficult to break...

Skin teeth tell a shark-human story

False color scanning electron microscope images of denticles. The characteristics of the tiny skin teeth vary in sharks with different lifestyles. (Image:...

Monkeys too have to learn to communicate first

Common marmosets (Image: Manfred Eberle / German Primate Center GmbH) People first have to learn to speak - in the first few years of life...

Plastic waste: the consequences could be irreversible

Plastic waste is a global problem. (Image: Caroline Hansen, Heidi Knutsen / NGI) Plastic waste drifts in huge carpets on the oceans, accumulates as...

A look inside the earthworm

Cross-section and molecular distribution of an earthworm using the combined method, mass spectrometry on the left and fluorescence microscopy on the right. (Image:...

Storks have a fine nose

Storks on a freshly mown meadow. (Image: rotofrank / iStock) The keen eyes of an eagle, the extraordinary hearing of an owl - the...

On the trail of the “compass” of migratory birds

Migratory birds such as robins can sense the earth's magnetic field. Researchers have now shown that a biomolecule in birds' eyes reacts to...

Butterflies on a long-distance journey

A painted lady in Morocco. (Image: Orio Massana) Painted ladies undertake the longest known insect migration over several generations - from their winter quarters...

Poisonous algae bloom after asteroid impact

The explosive multiplication of algae can pollute water. (Image: Vladimirovic / iStock) It not only put an end to the dinosaurs - how the...

Recent Articles