Researchers using sensor technology have found calves reared on farms not only vary significantly in their movement and space patterns, but are more predictable in their behavior compared to others. A team from the University of Nottingham, led by Jasmeet Kaler from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, has published a study in the … Read more
Scientists are joining forces in a new £ 1.5 million research consortium to tackle avian influenza. The consortium has received the money from the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council and Defra to develop new strategies to tackle future bird flu outbreaks. Outbreaks occur each year due to the UK’s position in the migratory flight path … Read more
The unusual social life of a native species of Australian bee has shed light on how cooperative behaviors in bees evolved, new research suggests. Flinders University scientists have analyzed the behavior of Amphylaeus morosus, a forest-dwelling bee that lives in small nests of rarely more than two females. The researchers believe the bee only made … Read more
Tadpoling is a thing of the past in many suburban creeks, as humans encroach on frogs’ territory. But there is a way to lure them back – frog hotels. Herpetologist Dr Jodi Rowley, from the Australian Museum, says frogs are the “canary in the coalmine” that suffer first when the environment is toxic. “Most frog … Read more
Otters are able to learn from each other – but still prefer to solve some puzzles on their own, scientists have found. The semi-aquatic mammals are known to be very social and intelligent creatures, but a study by the University of Exeter has given new insight into their intellect. Researchers gave otters “puzzle boxes”, some … Read more
The government has set damaging and illogical targets for species recovery in England that could mean there is eight years of decline before any improvement, despite already being at the “rock bottom”, scientists have warned the prime minister. Twenty-three leading scientists from institutions including Oxford and Cambridge universities, the Natural History Museum, the Zoological Society … Read more
Dingoes are genetically distinct from domestic dogs and their evolution has been shaped by Australia’s environment, scientists who have fully decoded the dingo genome have said. An international team of researchers have analyzed the genetic makeup of a pure desert dingo called Sandy Maliki, finding that dingoes are an intermediary between wolves and domestic dog … Read more
Geoengineering to prevent the worst impacts of climate breakdown could expose up to a billion more people to malaria, scientists have found. The report, published in Nature Communications, is the first assessment of how geoengineering the climate could affect the burden of infectious diseases. Geoengineering includes removing carbon dioxide from the sky so the atmosphere … Read more
To administer this Covid test, Todd Kautz had to lie on his belly in the snow and worm his upper body into the narrow den of a hibernating black bear. Training a light on the bear’s snout, Kautz carefully slipped a long cotton swab into his nostrils. For postdoctoral researcher Kautz and a team of … Read more