New research decodes plant defense system, with an eye on improving farming and medicine
The plant circadian clock determines when certain defense responses are activated (often timed with peak activity of pests), and compounds used in defense affect...
Origins of cannabis smoking
A chemical residue study of incense burners from ancient burials at high elevations in western China has revealed psychoactive cannabinoids. The finding provides some...
Pollen collected by US honey bees in urban settings shows dramatic seasonal variation
The diversity and availability of pollen foraged by honey bees across urban and suburban areas in the US varies drastically with the seasons.
The benefits of being different
Six different color morphs of the elusive Asiatic golden cat have been discovered in Northeast India -- with the findings being hailed as 'an...
Wine has barely changed since Roman times, and that’s a problem
Lack of diversity makes grapes vulnerable to climate change.
Structuring sweetness: What makes Stevia 200 times sweeter than sugar?
New research reveals the molecular machinery behind the high-intensity sweetness of the stevia plant. The results could be used to engineer new non-caloric products...
Argentine fossils take oak and beech family history far into Southern Hemisphere
One of the world's most important plant families has a history extending much farther south than any live or fossil specimen previously recorded, as...
Mathematics of plant leaves
A Japanese plant species with a peculiar leaf pattern recently revealed unexpected insight into how almost all plants control their leaf arrangement.
Swine flu outbreak is a wakeup call to change farming and diets
The way we're doing things clearly doesn't work.
Two new species of ‘tweezer-beaked hopping rats’ discovered in Philippines
A highly distinctive (weird-looking) group of rodents sometimes called 'tweezer-beaked hopping rats' love earthworms. Armed with this knowledge (and worms), the scientists discovered two...
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Gorillas, rhinos, lions and more will soon become extinct without immediate action
A report by 43 wildlife experts warns that without changes now, many of Earth's most iconic species will be lost forever.
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Do you see a devil in this orchid?
Named for 'el diablo' himself, a new and extremely rare orchid species reveals a wicked heart.
Link to full source: Do you see a devil...
Florida man arrested for stealing sea turtle eggs
He's given a whole new meaning to "poached eggs."
Link to full source: Florida man arrested for stealing sea turtle eggs
Rare blindcat found in US, could prove water-filled caves connect Texas and Mexico
The extremely rare cave-dwelling albino fish with no eyes, the Mexican blindcat, has previously only been known to exist in Mexico.
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10 magical places saved by endangered species
In our efforts to save animals at risk of extinction, we've saved some extraordinary places as well.
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