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a round water flea is illustrated in black and white on a striated background
Environmental RNA Reveals Heat Stress in Water Fleas
Katherine Irving | Dec 2, 2022 | 5 min read
The eRNA detection method could one day be used to catch early warning signs of distress in wild ecosystems. 
a black wolf and a gray wolf follow a third gray wolf, whose head is tilted back to watch, as they trot through a snowy background, with light colored, barren trees in the background.
Black and Gray Wolf Pairings Stem Disease, Stabilize Population: Study
Katherine Irving | Oct 20, 2022 | 4 min read
The black fur allele has fitness costs but also confers higher immunity against canine distemper virus, making mix-and-match mating key to population survival.
Microscopy image of the cnidarian <em>Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus&nbsp;</em>with cell nuclei stained blue and oocytes stained yellow
Ancient Immunoglobulin Genes Help Cnidarians Decide to Fight or Fuse
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Oct 11, 2022 | 4 min read
Immunoglobulin genes might have evolved much earlier than previously expected, perhaps even in the common ancestor of Cnidarians and Bilateria, a study suggests.
teabag with green tag on a white background
Spilling the Tea: Insect DNA Shows Up in World’s Top Beverage
Shawna Williams | Jun 14, 2022 | 5 min read
The Scientist speaks with Trier University’s Henrik Krehenwinkel, whose group recently detected traces of hundreds of arthropod species from a sample of dried plants—in this case, the contents of a tea bag.
Ribbon weed meadow in Shark Bay, Western Australia
World’s Largest Organism Discovered Underwater
Andy Carstens | Jun 2, 2022 | 2 min read
Off the western Australian coast, in Shark Bay, a field of seagrass big enough to cover Washington, DC, has flourished for more than four millennia, a new study finds.
Photo of a North American caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Jasper National Park in Canada
Dozens of Genes Tied to Caribou’s Seasonal Migration
Maddie Bender | May 2, 2022 | 2 min read
Researchers tracked the movements of endangered caribou and sequenced a portion of their genomes to determine which genes may influence migratory behavior.
two women wearing plastic gloves hold up hand-sized air-capture devices in a wooded area.
Scientists ID Dozens of Plants, Animals from Free-Floating DNA
Dan Robitzski | Jan 6, 2022 | 8 min read
In a trio of studies, researchers report capturing and analyzing airborne environmental DNA from a wide variety of plants and animals, suggesting a new way of monitoring which terrestrial species are present in an area.
Aphid Salivary Gene May Regulate Gall Color
Asher Jones | May 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Whether the galls that aphids make on witch hazel leaves are red or green is associated with a gene expressed in the insects’ salivary glands.
Gene Drive–Equipped Mosquitoes Released into Lab Environment
Jef Akst | Feb 20, 2019 | 2 min read
The large-scale experiments aim to test how the technology would fare in the wild, if deployed to knock down populations of the pests.
Beyond the Blueprint
Jennifer A. Schweitzer, Mark A. Genung, and Joseph K. Bailey | Sep 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
In addition to serving as a set of instructions to build an individual, the genome can influence neighboring organisms and, potentially, entire ecosystems.
Lichen Legion
Jyoti Madhusoodanan | Jul 2, 2014 | 2 min read
Genetic analysis splits one species into 126.
Week in Review: January 20–24
Tracy Vence | Jan 23, 2014 | 3 min read
Mistimed sleep disrupts human transcriptome; canine tumor genome; de novo Drosophila genes; UVA light lowers blood pressure; aquatic microfauna fight frog-killing fungus
Evolving Dependence
Ruth Williams | Sep 27, 2012 | 3 min read
Scientists unravel the confusing molecular biology behind a fruit fly’s reliance on a single type of cactus.
Genetic Shift in Salmon
Cristina Luiggi | Jul 12, 2012 | 2 min read
A new study finds that an Alaskan population of the fish has quickly evolved in response to warming temperatures.
DNA to Nab Illegal Fishers
Cristina Luiggi | May 24, 2012 | 1 min read
A new SNP assay can determine the geographical origin of commonly overexploited fish species.
Climate-Shaped Arabidopsis Genome
Kerry Grens | Oct 6, 2011 | 3 min read
Two genome-wide studies, backed up by field experiments, identify SNPs that correlate with Arabidopsis fitness in various climates.
Fish Affected by Trace Oil Pollution
Sabrina Richards | Sep 28, 2011 | 1 min read
Even highly diluted crude oil can impact fish in the marshes bordering the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Fluorescent fish find pollution
Bob Grant | Jun 13, 2011 | 1 min read
Genetically engineered fish may one day help detect estrogen-like chemicals in consumer products and aquatic habitats.
Honey bee microbiome probed
Bob Grant | Jun 9, 2011 | 1 min read
Researchers reveal several new viruses lurking in healthy hives.
Character Flaws?
Vanessa Schipani | Feb 28, 2011 | 3 min read
Two lizard taxonomists champion the use of Bayesian species delimitation to settle taxonomic debates.
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