Biology

German scientists have announced the discovery of what is claimed to be the world's largest fish breeding area known to date. Described as a globally unique ecosystem, it consists of tens of millions of icefish nests on the Antarctic sea floor.

The DNA mutations that drive evolution are generally thought to be random, but a new study suggests otherwise. Comparing the genomes of plants grown in a lab, scientists found mutations are far less likely to occur in genes essential for survival.

Scientists have managed to watch memories form inside the brains of live fish in real time. And the results were intriguing – synapses formed in one part of the brain while disappearing from another, rather than strengthening as previously thought.

Researchers in Canada have developed a new tool that can let scientists examine proteins more closely, aiding study of disease and drug development. The team used DNA to create nanoantennas that fluoresce in response to different protein functions.

Two new studies collected air samples from zoos and demonstrated the ability to identify a range of animals living there from their airborne DNA. This could eventually be used as a non-invasive way to track biodiversity.

Scientists have discovered fossils of a new species of aquatic reptile that may be the first giant animal that ever lived on Earth. Cymbospondylus youngorum is a new type of ichthyosaur dating back to the early stages of the Age of Dinosaurs.

We've all seen sports spectators performing "the wave," where people stand up then sit back down to simulate a wave moving through the stadium. Well, schools of mollies have been found to perform a similar action, in order to keep from being eaten.

For some time now, it has been known that modern birds are direct descendants of the dinosaurs. Now a fresh analysis of a fossilized dinosaur embryo has brought that prehistoric relationship into a new and particularly sharp focus.

Scientists are already able to ascertain what species are present in aquatic environments, by analyzing the cast-off DNA which is present in the water. Now, for the first, a team has conducted an insect survey by analyzing DNA found in the air.

Bold new research has plumbed the depths of poo-packed hippo pools and found they constitute a type of "meta-gut," in which microbes might be shared between the hippos to their benefit, kind of like a "probiotic shake."

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside is studying a species of "vulture bee" that has swapped a vegetarian diet for carrion meat by developing an extra tooth and gut bacteria similar to that found in vultures and hyenas.

An animal welfare bill in the UK will now include crabs, octopus, and lobsters after a review concluded they should be considered sentient beings. The review found strong evidence these invertebrates are capable of feelings such as pain and distress.