Earth & Climate

How Mammals Became Huge

Titanotherium robustum was one of the giant representatives of the brontothera. © ZU_09/ iStock Shortly after the dinosaurs went extinct, most mammals weighed less than...

Oceans: nutrients from atmospheric dust

Atmospheric dust off the coast of Australia. © NASA Earth Observatory. Atmospheric dust deposited on the sea surface appears to play an important role in...

Giraffes recognize the better chance

At Barcelona Zoo, giraffes have shown statistical acumen. © Alvaro L Caicoya. Surprisingly clever long-necks: In order to get their favorite food, giraffes make smart...

Chimpanzees combine calls into new meanings

Chimpanzees emit different calls depending on the situation. © Adrian soldi A basis of our language is the combination of individual words to meaningful word...

Insect decline in Germany: causes and solutions researched

Sampling of flying insects using so-called malaise traps. © Krefeld Entomological Association Insect diversity is also decreasing in Germany - even in nature reserves. In...

Wild boar as a bioindicator of PFAS exposure

Wild boar can betray PFAS levels. © André Künzelmann / UFZ Fluorinated alkyls (PFAS) are considered forever chemicals: they are extremely persistent and accumulate in...

When the vascular plants conquered the land

Germinating vascular plants. © amenic181/ iStock The colonization of the primeval land masses by the first plants was a milestone in the history of the...

Ice algae accumulate microplastics

Slimy-sticky biomass under the ice. © Julian Gutt Contaminated green under the ice: Arctic seaweed collects microplastics from the environment, a study shows. As they...

Fishy blinks provide evolutionary clues

Video: How a Mudskipper blinks. © Brett Aiello Targeting the mudskipper's eyes: A study of the blinking of these amphibious fish links the evolution of...

Bacterial genes could improve photosynthesis

Photosynthesis binds CO2 and generates plant biomass. © megakunstfoto/ iStock In view of the growing world population, researchers around the world are looking for new...

Artificial spider silk thanks to shell glue

Electron micrograph of a fiber of the new synthetic spider silk. © Nature Communications, doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37563-0. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License,...

Recent Articles