The blue-banded sea snake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) uses a complex system of large blood vessels in its head to draw in extra oxygen when it dives and swims underwater, according to new research. The modified cephalic vascular network provides the blue-banded sea snake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) with a complementary supply of oxygen …
Read More »Carrion Crows Can Volitionally Control Their Calls, Researchers Say
Carrion crows (Corvus corone), a species of songbird in the family of Corvidae, can voluntarily control the release and onset of their calls, suggesting that songbird calls are under cognitive control, according to new research from the University of Tübingen, Germany. The carrion crow (Corvus corone). Image credit: Ian Kirk …
Read More »Study Provides New Insights into Honeybee ‘Waggle Dance’ Communication
According to a study published in the journal eNeuro (bioRxiv.org preprint), changes in vibration-sensitive neurons may equip forager honeybees for waggle dance communication. A honeybee (Apis mellifera). Image credit: Vijaya Narasimha. Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are social insects. As they mature, adult honeybees engage in four primary social roles — cleaners, …
Read More »New Caledonian Crows Enjoy Using Tools, Study Finds
New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) are well-known for their sophisticated tool use. According to a new study, these birds behave optimistically after tool use. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, raise the possibility that enjoyment may be a fundamental cause in the evolution of tool use and other …
Read More »Study: Reef Manta Rays Form Complex and Longer-Lasting Social Relationships
Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) form social bonds and actively choose their social partners, according to a study by researchers from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Macquarie University, the University of Papua, and the University of York. The reef manta ray (Manta alfredi) at Dharavandhoo Thila, Maldives. Image credit: Shiyam Elk …
Read More »Migratory Songbirds Trade Off Safety for Lower Energy Expenditure, New Study Shows
Each spring and fall, millions of birds switch to migrating at night. Most of these are small songbirds migrating long distances that need to alternate their migratory flights with refueling stopovers, which can account for up to 80% of the total migratory period. After a long nocturnal flight, these birds …
Read More »Newly-Discovered Microbe Turns Oil into Methane
Methanoliparia, a species of archaea from deep-sea oil seeps of the Gulf of Mexico, splits long-chain hydrocarbons into methane and carbon dioxide, according to a new paper published in the journal mBio. Methanoliparia is an important methanogenic alkane degrader in subsurface environments, producing methane by alkane disproportionation as a single …
Read More »Mussels, ‘super-filters’ that can help beat water pollution
Like canaries in a coal mine, mussels have long been used as ‘bio-indicators’ of the health of the seas, lakes and rivers they inhabit Seafood lovers who prize the mussel for its earthy taste and succulent flesh may be unaware of its growing potential in the fight against water pollution. …
Read More »New Species of Medicinal Leech Discovered
An international team of biologists has discovered and described a new species of medicinal leech living in the freshwater wetlands of the eastern United States. It is the first description of a North American medicinal leech since 1975. Macrobdella mimicus. Image credit: Ian Cook. Leeches are parasitic worms, many of …
Read More »Crocodiles Have Surprisingly Thin Tooth Enamel, Study Shows
Crocodiles — and their plant-eating ancestors — have thin tooth enamel, a trait that is in stark contrast to humans and other hard-biting species, according to new research. Sellers et al found regardless of tooth position, age, or diet, crocodiles do not have thick tooth enamel. Image credit: Pexels. “Once …
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