How old are butterflies, and where did they evolve? And perhaps more importantly, how and when did they reach the isolated continent of Australia? Answers to these simple questions have baffled scientists for decades. Until recently, we had very little idea when butterflies evolved, and hypotheses concerning their place of origin were largely educated guesses. ...
Many visitors to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory are struck by the magnificent cliffs, stunning bird life, and extraordinary rock art. Some may know this landscape includes the earliest evidence of human occupation in what is now Australia, at Madjedbebe, where signs of habitation have been dated to 65,000 years ago. Most people, however, ...
The state of California in the U.S. had one of the wettest winters in history. The deluge was intense, uncontrollable, and in some cases, disastrous. But as the storms subsided, a magnificent “superbloom” emerged. Arizona and California are dotted with a beautiful flurry of flowers. This new explosion of color is the area’s first superbloom ...
Tucked away in the Okanagan Valley, near the US border and just 60 miles from Vancouver, is one of Canada’s most intriguing natural spectacles — Lake Kliluk, better known as Spotted Lake. This unique geographical wonder, situated in the region of British Columbia, is renowned for its leopard-like spots, a feature that has made it ...
In April 2023, India’s Prime Minister hailed the efforts of a village in Kerala. The once biologically-dead Kuttamperoor River has been restored to its former glory thanks to a coordinated partnership between the villagers, the Budhanoor village council, the Kerala state government, and other well-wishers, The slow decay of the Kuttamperoor River The 4-mile-long Kuttamperoor River, ...
If you’re like me, you’ve managed to kill even the hardiest of indoor plants (yes, despite a doctorate in plant biology). But imagine a world where your plants actually told you exactly when they needed watering. This thought, as it turns out, may not be so silly after all. You might be familiar with the ...
Bees provide myriad benefits to humanity, including pollination services, honey production, food security and crop pollination, artistic inspiration, and even career opportunities. But what if bees could also provide insights into human and city health? A new study published today in Environmental Microbiome shows how honeybee hives reveal information about human health, pathogens, plant life, ...
Over millennia, humans have observed and been inspired by beautiful displays of light bands dancing across dark night skies. Today, we call these lights auroras: the aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere and the aurora australis in the south. Nowadays, we understand these are caused by charged particles from Earth’s magnetosphere and the solar wind ...
Global squid fishing increased by 68 percent between 2017 and 2020, according to our international analysis, prompting concerns that much of the international fishing fleet is sidestepping necessary conservation and management. Our study, carried out with colleagues in Australia, Japan, the United States, Chile, and Canada, and published in Science Advances, reveals that almost all ...
Seaweed is increasingly seen as a solution to many of the world’s most pressing problems. Interest in farming it has exploded. There’s such a wide range of applications, from fertilizers to foods, bioplastics, textiles, supplements, and carbon sinks. It’s hard to think of another substance with so much potential. Can seaweed save the world? It’s ...
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