Decline in snow cover spells trouble for many plants, animals

For plants and animals forced to tough out harsh winter weather, the coverlet of snow that blankets the north country is a refuge, a stable beneath-the-snow habitat that gives essential respite from biting winds and subzero temperatures.

The Black Sea is a goldmine of ancient genetic data

When one marine paleoecologist was mining through vast amounts of genetic data from the Black Sea sediment record, he was amazed about the variety of past plankton species that left behind their genetic makeup (i.e., the plankton paleome). ...

Boom in jellyfish: Overfishing called into question

Will we soon be forced to eat jellyfish? Since the beginning of the 2000s, these gelatinous creatures have invaded many of the world’s seas, like the Japan Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, etc. Is it a cyclic phenomenon, caused by changes in marine currents or even global warming? Un...

Sahara olive tree: Genetic heritage to be preserved

The Saharan cousin of Mediterranean olive trees remains largely unknown. However, this subspecies (called the Laperinne’s olive tree) is of great interest for several reasons. Researchers have shown that its longevity is ensured by its original vegetative reproduction. Extremely drought-resist...

Is the humble fig more than just a fruit?

Figs and fig trees are familiar to a wide cross-section of human society, both as a common food and for their spiritual importance. What is less well understood is the global nature of this association between figs and humans, which is maintained across species, continents and societies. ...

Biologists propose a new research roadmap for connecting genes to ecology

A team of researchers is proposing a new investigative roadmap for the field of evolutionary developmental biology, or “evo devo,” to better understand how innovation at the genetic level can lead to ecological adaptations over time. Evo devo seeks to understand the specific genetic mech...

‘Dirty dozen’ invasive species threaten UK

Parts of the UK are at greater risk of invasion by non-native aquatic species than previously thought, according to new research. The first to include human factors in models used to predict where invasive species will arrive and spread, the study shows the Thames, Anglian and Humber river basins ar...