biology
2023-08-28 @ 19.00.02 ∈ In English
‘Oh my God’: live worm found in Australian woman’s brain in world-first discovery
The doctors and scientists involved in her case hypothesise that a python may have shed the parasite via its faeces into the grass. They believe the patient was probably infected with the parasite directly from touching the native grass or after eating the greens.
2023-08-20 @ 9.41.21 ∈ In English
Ultrasound can briefly induce a hibernation-like state in animals
By examining mouse brain activity and tissue, they determined that the ultrasound procedure was activating neurons within the preoptic area. The authors also identified a likely mechanism for the ultrasound-induced torpor—a protein, also found in humans, that allows ions to flow into and activate these neurons.
2023-07-23 @ 13.57.46 ∈ Suomeksi
2023-07-11 @ 19.17.27 ∈ In English
2023-07-07 @ 19.20.07 ∈ In English
Stressed rattlesnakes found to calm down in the company of a nearby ‘friend’
In highly social animals, such as mammals and birds, this phenomenon is well studied. Now, researchers have examined social buffering in rattlesnakes and found that the presence of a second snake significantly reduced rattlesnakes' change in heart rates after they experienced disturbance. It is the first evidence of social buffering in reptiles.
2023-06-15 @ 17.05.41 ∈ In English
Urban great tits less stressed than their countryside cousins, finds study
"The great tit's high cognitive capacity means it is highly adaptable, and urban great tits seem to have adapted so well to the new environment that they are not stressed by high population density. Another possible explanation is that it was the most intelligent and most flexible individuals who succeeded in colonizing urban environments in the first place," says Anders Brodin, biologist at Lund University.
2023-06-14 @ 19.35.34 ∈ In English
Climate change has increased diversity of butterflies in Sweden and Finland, may have major ecosystem consequences
New research shows that butterflies have expanded their ranges over the past 120 years to cope with a warmer climate in Sweden and Finland. Although driven by a warmer climate, range expansions have also been influenced by human land use and vary according to species thermal tolerances and habitat preferences.
2023-06-14 @ 19.14.46 ∈ In English
How seeing corpses reduces the lifespan of flies
Researchers led by Christi Gendron at the University of Michigan have found the link between death perception and reduced aging in flies. [A] specific group of brain cells in the fly, called R2 and R4 neurons, are activated when flies encounter other dead flies, and that this increased activity leads to more rapid aging.
2023-06-09 @ 17.49.03 ∈ In English
Wolves in Minnesota switch to fish as a main source of food in the spring
A team of wildlife specialists from the University of Minnesota, the University of Manitoba and Voyageurs National Park has found […] that wolves do, in fact, catch and eat fish, almost exclusively in the spring. This was because deer are a less reliable food source due to reductions in population each year over the hunting season.