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Working out the kinks of mating in the animal kingdom helps to gain insights into the survival of species. Among animals that have multiple partners who deposit eggs outside their body, such as most fish, the males release sperm several times a day, but producing these gametes requires energy and time.

A team of ecologists, evolutionary biologists and resource managers affiliated with several institutions across the U.S. has found that the snail darter, which was famously used by environmentalists in the 1970s to block construction of a damn, is not actually a distinct fish species. In their study, published in the journal Current Biology, the group used standard species determination testing to investigate the distinctiveness...

Scientists have revealed a parasite's role in boosting male insect appeal by modulating host processes to facilitate female attraction, thereby enhancing the parasite's own transmission and survival.

Glowing mushrooms are often associated with tropical environments, but they can also be found in Switzerland. In fact, Zurich-based artists Heidy Baggenstos and Andreas Rudolf have been working with bioluminescent organisms for more than 10 years. "We want to show that these bioluminescent mushrooms are present in Swiss forests and that we do not have to travel far to find them," explains Baggenstos.

Spiders have always lived alongside humans, so it's surprising how much we still don't know about them. One long-standing mystery was related to how spiders detect smells. Now, our latest research has finally uncovered the secret.

Computer models developed by the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory predict that hotter, drier conditions in North America will limit the growth of a fungus that normally curbs the spread of the spongy moth, an invasive species that has caused millions of dollars in damage to forests.

Courtship and procreative behavior in many species of elasmobranchs—cartilaginous fish including rays, sawfish, sharks, and skates—may include following and biting. However, there has been little research on procreative behavior specific to whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Now a multi-institutional research team from Australia has observed a sexually mature male whale shark following and biting a smaller female in the wild.

A new biological pest control method that targets the lifespan of female insects could significantly reduce the threat of insect pests such as disease-carrying mosquitoes by offering faster and more effective results than current methods.

Is walking on water possible for frogs? Several species have fascinated observers with their abilities to skip side-to-side and leap into the air from the surface of a pond as if the water were land. One such breed native to Virginia and North Carolina is the cricket frog. The way these frogs move in the water could bring insights to tools for the future...

The tiny particles that are shed from clothing, packaging and other plastic products are winding up in the fish that people eat, according to a new study from Portland State researchers, highlighting a need for technologies and strategies to reduce microfiber pollution entering the environment.

When a new species is introduced into an ecosystem, it may succeed in establishing itself, or it may fail to gain a foothold and die out. Physicists at MIT have now devised a formula that can predict which of those outcomes is most likely.

One of the hardest-working organisms in the ocean is the tiny, emerald-tinged Prochlorococcus marinus. These single-celled "picoplankton," which are smaller than a human red blood cell, can be found in staggering numbers throughout the ocean's surface waters, making Prochlorococcus the most abundant photosynthesizing organism on the planet. (Collectively, Prochlorococcus fix as much carbon as all the crops on land.) Scientists continue to find new...

Some of the most productive apple regions in America are facing big challenges from a changing climate, according to a Washington State University study.

Pollination by animals contributes to a third of global food production, but little research has been done into the extent to which the identity of pollinators, pollen and crop varieties influence fruit quality when it comes to the nutritional, sensory and commercial value of crops. Pollinators influence the quality of crops through their movement patterns on the plantations and through the plant variety they...

Birds are the undisputed champions of epic travel, but they are not the only long-haul fliers. A handful of bats are known to travel thousands of kilometers in continental migrations across North America, Europe, and Africa. The behavior is rare and difficult to observe, which is why long-distance bat migration has remained an enigma.

Growers and conservationists have a new weapon to detect invasive spotted lanternflies early and limit their spread: dogs trained to sniff out egg masses that overwinter in vineyards and forests.

When it comes to deciding where they're going to get their next meal, different species of bees may be attracted to different flower traits, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and published in PNAS Nexus.

The Hades' snake moray (Uropterygius hades), a dark brown, slender snake moray eel, has chosen the road less traveled, thriving in dim and muddy river mouths, unlike most of its marine moray eel relatives. It is widely distributed across the Central Indo-Pacific, and has been found in southern Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, southern Java, and Fiji. This new moray eel was named after Hades,...

The University of Cape Town, along with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, have conducted a large-scale study identifying significant cranial shape differences between four genetically distinct giraffe species. The findings suggest that these species exhibit unique developmental and morphological characteristics, which have implications for conservation efforts.

Dr. Nobuyuki Kawai from Nagoya University in Japan has found that the rapid detection of snakes by monkeys is because of the presence of snake scales as a visual cue. His findings highlight an evolutionary adaptation of primates to identify snakes based on specific visual characteristics.

A team of anthropologists at the University of Oxford's School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, working with a colleague from Chubu Gakuin University, in Japan, has found that some chimpanzees are better at cracking nuts than others in their same group.

A team of botanists at Malaysia's Sabah Forestry Department's Forest Research Centre, working with a pair of colleagues from Australia, has identified a new species of giant pitcher plant growing on the ultramafic mountains in central Sabah, Borneo. In their paper published in the Australian Journal of Botany, the group describes how they came to know of the plant and what they found when...

Anyone who has dealt with ants in the kitchen knows that ants are highly social creatures; it's rare to see one alone. Humans are social creatures too, even if some of us enjoy solitude. Ants and humans are also the only creatures in nature that consistently cooperate while transporting large loads that greatly exceed their own dimensions.