The evolutionary pros and cons of group living vary for males and females, according to a study of ostriches reported today in eLife. The findings help explain why the size of ostrich groups living can vary so widely in the wild, showing that the optimal size of a group depends on the balance of males […]
Tag: evolution
Study: Same ‘Jumping Genes’ are Active in Octopus and Human Brains
Transposons are DNA sequences that move from one location on the genome to another, shuffling or duplicating. These elements were first identified more than five decades ago by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory geneticist Barbara McClintock. For example, transposons make up approximately 50% of the human genome and up to 90% of the maize genome. In […]
Bad taste in the moth: study reveals insect’s chemical defence
It might seem like they are being lazy but some moths do not bother to flee from predators because they make themselves taste disgusting. That is the case for a certain species of tiger moth, which researchers have found displays a nonchalant approach when faced with potential predators, on account of its disgusting flavour. Dr […]
Amazing Discovery: Yucatan Bird’s IQ – Superior to Humans’
We have all heard or used the expression “Bird-Brain.” Birds have comparatively small brains, and because of that we humans place them at a very low level of intelligence. Yes, we recognize that we can train birds of certain species to react to a limited assortment of commands, but animal science has, until now, been […]
New insect discovered in Brazil, only third known in its bizarre family (photos)
A new species of forcepfly named Austromerope brasiliensis, was recently discovered in Brazil and described in the open access journal Zoo Keys. This is the first discovery of forcepfly in the Neotropics and only the third known worldwide. The forcepfly, often called the earwigfly because the male genital forceps closely resemble the cerci of the […]