biology
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Early Humans Were Walking Around With Ape-Like Brains, Study Finds
Humans can be distinguished from other apes in many ways, such as our general hairlessness, our upright bipedalism, and, of course, our powerful brains. But it turns out that our cognitive ability didn’t evolve as early as previously thought, according to new research by an international team of researchers.
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Airborne DNA Could Help Scientists Find Elusive Animals
A UK-based team says they were able to pull genetic material from the air and correctly identify the species it belonged to, an exciting leap for the field of environmental DNA. The technique of sampling an environment for DNA to figure out what organisms inhabit it, known as environmental DNA or eDNA, is regularly used…
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Mysterious Bald Eagle Killer Finally Identified
In a new study out Thursday, scientists say they’ve solved the mystery of a neurological disease that’s been killing bald eagles and other birds in the U.S. for over 25 years. The disease appears to be caused by a toxin produced by a species of blue-green algae that grows on an invasive plant — a…
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Florida Bans Sale of Invasive Reptiles as Iguanas and Snakes Take Over
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is clamping down on invasive reptiles, making it illegal for Floridians to breed or sell these problematic creatures except in special circumstances.