Museum digitization program iDigBio rockets past 100 million specimen records
iDigBio, the National Science Foundation-sponsored project to help digitize the nation’s natural history collections, now houses more than 100 million...
Extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs cleared way for frogs
The mass extinction that obliterated three-fourths of life on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs, set the stage for the swift rise of frogs, a new study...
Shark scavenging helps reveal clues about human remains
Shark feeding habits are helping scientists identify marks on human bones found in the ocean. By analyzing shark scavenging behavior, the University of...
Potentially lethal parasite rat lungworm found throughout Florida
University of Florida researchers have found rat lungworm, a parasitic nematode that can cause meningitis in humans and animals, in five Florida counties. Rats...
Young hellbenders need a kids’ menu
Juvenile hellbenders have a different diet than adults, a finding that could help improve conservation efforts of the giant aquatic salamanders. A study of...
Drill holes in fossil shells point to bigger predators picking on small prey
The drill holes left in fossil shells by hunters such as snails and slugs show marine predators have grown steadily bigger and more powerful over time but...
Diversity in butterfly mimicry maintained by predator distribution
When thinking of mimicry, most people picture two things that look identical, with little difference in pattern or color. In nature, the mimicking of one...
Herbarium specimens provide snapshots of plants’ past, data for future
While some might press flowers into books to preserve their beauty, researcher Mark Whitten does it to preserve history. Whitten, a botanist in the Florida...
Migratory birds bumped off schedule as climate change shifts spring
New research shows climate change is altering the delicate seasonal clock that North American migratory songbirds rely on to successfully mate and raise...
Noise pollution from gas compressors changes abundance of insects, spiders
The relentless roar of natural gas compressors influences the numbers of insects and spiders nearby, triggering decreases in many types of arthropods...