Bees use 'biological autopilot' to land

Bees get a perfect touchdown by detecting how fast their landing site 'zooms in' as they approach, new research has found.

Snakes shaped the primate brain

Primate vision is the result of an evolutionary battle with snakes, a study of monkeys suggests.  The study provides key experimental evidence in support of the hypothesis that the threat of snakes strongly influenced the evolution of the primate brain.

Genes extinguish Aboriginal fire theory

For thousands of years, Australia's Aboriginal people have used fire to hunt and to manage the landscape. Some scientists have argued that when people first arrived in Australia they set a large number of these fires, which reshaped the country's ecosystems.  A new study examines this hypothesis by analysing the genetic fingerprints of more than 1400 trees from the Callitris genus, fire-sensitive conifers found across the continent.

Interbreeding With Denisovans

Ancient humans known as Denisovans only interbred with modern humans after they both crossed the Wallace Line. This may explain why DNA from these ancient humans is only found in people from some parts of Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea and in Australian Aborigines. Evidence of the now-extinct human relative was first found in a Siberian cave three years ago. Since then, genetic studies have revealed they interbred with modern humans. But while traces of Denisovan DNA have been found in Southeast Asia, they have not been found in mainland Asian populations, which is closer to where the original fossils were found.

Traces of blood survive 46 million years

Organic molecules from blood can survive in fossils for nearly 50 million years. The molecules have been found in the last meal of a mosquito that died 46 million years ago.

First “cloud map” of planet beyond our so­lar system

Astronomers using data from NASA’s Kepler and Spitzer space telescopes have created what they call the first cloud map of a planet beyond our solar system. It’s a sizzling, Jupiter-like world known as Kepler-7b.

Could bouncing droplets help us sort out the nature of reality?

The strange, beautiful behaviour of tiny liquid droplets may be related to the seemingly nonsensical laws describing nature at the smallest scales.

“Pristine” gas from birth of universe detected

Astronomers have detected streams of “pristine” hydrogen gas left over directly from the birth of the universe.

Transition between the two stages of neutron star observed

Astronomers have found a neutron star that can switch from being a rotating radio wave beacon to a weight-gaining x-ray emitter, in a relatively short space of time. The finding may explain an intermediate phase in the life of these powerful objects.

“Maternal instincts” seen in group of colourful beetles

Eight species within a subfamily of leaf beetles known as broad-shouldered leaf beetles, or Chrysomelinae shows signs of maternal instincts and active care. Mothers “actively defend offspring” as well as the eggs.

Carbon-nanotube computer could revolutionise electronics

Engineers have made a basic computer using carbon nanotubes, a material they say could launch a new generation of faster, more energy-efficient electronic devices. Carbon nanotubes are semiconductors, materials that conduct electricity in a limited way. Semiconductors are essential to electronic devices because they allow electrical signals to be controlled. Silicon is the semiconductor material used in most electronics now.  Carbon nanotubes are a tough, flexible material composed of carbon atoms arranged geometrically into thin tubes, each thousands of times thinner than a hair.

Milky Way black hole’s last big blast dated to 2 million years ago

A dormant “volcano” — a giant black hole — lies at the heart of our galaxy. Fresh evidence suggests it last erupted two million years ago, astronomers say.  The evidence, they say, comes from a lacy thread of gas, mostly hydrogen, called the Magellanic Stream, trailing our galaxy’s two small companion galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

Termites create their own antibiotics

Termites have developed an ingenious defence against pesticide: They make antibacterial nests out of their own fæces.

Higgs boson could explain facets of dark energy

One of the biggest mysteries in physics is why a mysterious substance called “dark energy,” found to dominate the energy count in the universe, has a smaller value than it’s supposed to have. Scientists estimate that value as one-followed-by-120-zeros times smaller than would be expected based on fundamental physics. The puzzle is often called the cosmological constant problem. Now, two physicists suggest that the recently discovered Higgs boson—an entity considered responsible for giving objects their mass, so they can weigh something — is also behind the cosmological constant problem.

Researchers measure consciousness through brain activity

A new study seems to back up previous proposals that the level of complexity of your brain activity largely determines whether you’re conscious or not.

Orangutans found to plan, communicate future routes

Male orangutans plan their travel route up to a day in advance and communicate it to other orangutans, research indicates. Anthropologists at the University of Zurich found that wild-living orangutans make use of the planning ability to attract females and repel male rivals.

Fossil find solves marine mystery

The identification of the 12-million-year-old fossils pushes the record of sirenia or sea cows, the group of marine mammals that includes dugongs, in the region back seven millions years.

Shades of grey help brain sense surfaces

A new theory of how the brain perceives visual surfaces in the physical world could open pathways to improvements in robotics and bionics.  Dr Tony Vladusich, of the University of South Australia, has developed a mathematical theory of how the brain perceives surface characteristics, such as glossiness, transparency and lightness.

Fossil of most successful mammal unearthed

Remains of the oldest ancestor of the most evolutionarily successful and long-lived mammal lineage have just been unearthed in China. The mammal — one of several creatures known as multituberculates — looked like a cross between a small rat and a chipmunk. It lived 160 million years ago during the Cretaceous era. This particular new species was Rugosodon eurasiaticus, which is the oldest known multituberculate. Its remains were found preserved in lake sediments, suggesting that it lived on the shores.

Qubits teleported at kilobits per second

For the first time, researchers have teleported 10,000 bits of information per second inside a solid state circuit. Although the accomplishment differs from teleporting mass - such as that seen on science fiction shows like Star Trek — the remarkable feat demonstrates what could be possible with a quantum computer.

Bone tools found at Neanderthal site

Sophisticated leather-working tools found in a cave in France offer the first evidence that Neanderthals had more advanced bone tools than early modern humans. The four fragments of hide-softening bone tools known as lissoirs, or smoothers, were found at two neighbouring sites in southern France.

First colour detected for planet outside our system

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope say they have figured out the colour of a planet outside our solar system for the first time. It’s cobalt blue, though not at all Earth-like, they said, describing a world where surface temperatures are hot enough to melt stone and where it may rain glass — sideways. The planet is HD 189733b, one of the closest worlds out­side our solar system visible crossing the face of its star, 63 light-years away.

Dolphin memory

A new study has found dolphins can remember the call of another dolphin decades later.

Giant viruses raise questions about life

The discovery of two giant new viruses has made scientists ponder the origins of life.  The so-called Pandoraviruses are at least twice the size, both in terms of their physical scale and genome complexity, of the previous record holder Mimivirus.

Snow lines reveal birthplace of planets

Astronomers have identified a ring of frozen carbon monoxide orbiting a newly-formed star, which could provide new clues into how planets first form.

DNA study unlocks microbial dark matter

Scientists have uncovered the genomes of 'microbial dark matter' - microbes previously unexplored by science - using cutting-edge DNA technology. The research provides new insight into bacterial genetics and helps create a more detailed picture of the evolutionary tree of life. Microbial dark matter refers to an enormous number of microbes that can't be grown in the laboratory. Consequently, their biology and genetics have been a mystery to science. Now, a new technology called single cell genome sequencing has allowed scientists in this study to uncover the genomes of 29 groups of these microbes.

Smart parrots solve five-step puzzle to unlock treat

A species of Indonesian parrot can solve complex problems that involve undoing a series of different locks — revealing new depths to physical intelligence in birds.

Neanderthals may have contributed to our languages

Neanderthal people may have possessed language, and their words might even have contributed to the languages of our species.

Model reveals Gondwana jigsaw puzzle

A new study pieces together Australia's breakup with Antarctica and India and paints a new picture of the demise of the supercontinent Gondwana.

Earth generates its own "solar" wind

Scientists have discovered that Earth produces a 'plasmaspheric wind' of ionised particles flowing from inside Earth's atmosphere into the outer magnetosphere.

Scans might reveal even past brain activity

Research hints that scientists could probe the brain and uncover the history of past experiences.

Particle may combine nature’s building blocks in new way

A newfound particle may consist of four quarks — fundamental units previously thought to group only

in twos and threes.

Ball-shaped robot

A new robot that’s basically just a rolling ball has been tested and seems to work fine, researchers say.  The developers deployed the little machine, dubbed RoSphere, into crop fields where it rolled around and took measurements of soil moisture using detectors on its surface.

Panoramic snapshots help ants find home

Ants can find their way back to a nest many metres away, even from areas they have never been before, just by using visual landmarks, new research has found.

Early talkers benefit from non-verbal clues

Giving toddlers non-verbal cues about words can have a big impact on their vocabulary three years later, according to new research.

Flare fallout creates bright spots on Sun

The rare appearance of bright spots on the Sun's surface is caused by material raining down from solar flares.

Bacterial Trail Formation

Bacteria in slimy biofilms are able to spread rapidly over surfaces such as catheters by building a transport network with DNA for tracks.

North America being drawn to Iberian coast

Scientists have discovered the beginning of an active fault system off the coast of Portugal.  The fault system may herald the start of a cycle that will eventually see the Atlantic Ocean close up as North America is pulled towards the Iberian Peninsula.

Speedy winds on Venus getting faster

Already travelling at super-hurricane speeds, winds on Venus have accelerated by an astonishing one-third over the past six years.

Oldest nearly complete primate fossil reported

Scientists have found the oldest known nearly complete skeleton of a primate.  The fossil of the tiny tree-dweller Arch­i­ce­bus dates back an estimated 55 million years, to the so-called Eocene Epoch, and was found in Hubei Province in central China. This adds to growing evidence that primates originated in Asia.

Lyrebird has different dance for different songs

When male superb lyrebirds sing, they often move their bodies to the music in a choreographed way. Like humans, male superb lyrebirds have different dance movements to go with different songs. The lyrebirds’ dance movements are a voluntary embellishment to their singing; in other words, they can and do sing without dancing.

Bacterial Populations Grow In Fractal Branching Patterns

Scientists have discovered strange, branching patterns in bacterial populations.  They found that as each bacterium grows in a single direction, lines or files of cells are formed, but these buckle and fold easily. This happens repeatedly as the cells grow and divide, leading to the formation of rafts of aligned cells arranged in self-similar branching patterns called fractals.

Archaeopteryx Feathers

The feathers of Archaeopteryx, a famous fossil linking dinosaurs and birds, were not all black, but rather patterned—light-coloured with a dark edge and tip, a new chemical analysis indicates.

Study dates arrival of humans in Asia

The first anatomically modern humans almost certainly arrived in southern Asia within the last 70,000 years, having dispersed as small groups of pioneer settlers along coastal regions from Africa.

Barbaturex morrisoni

A giant lizard that lived 40 million years ago at a time when Earth was a hothouse has been named in honour of rock singer Jim Morrison.  Around 1.80 metres from snout to tail and tipping the scales at up to 27 kilograms, the plant-eating reptile is one of the biggest-known lizards ever to have lived on land.  It competed with mammals for food in the humid tropical forests of Southeast Asia.  A fossil of the beast, found in sediment in Sagaing district in Myanmar, has been dated to the late-middle Eocene period, when Earth was so hot there was no ice at its poles.

The lowest mass of any directly observed exoplanet

Breaking new ground in the detection of planets beyond our solar system, European astronomers have recorded the most lightweight world to be discovered so far through direct observation. The new discovery is a gas giant about four to five times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet of our solar system, say astronomers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

Koala Evolution

More than 20 million years ago an Australian koala was leaping possum-like through the trees at night - a far cry from its couch potato cousins that slump in eucalypts today.  The more-agile marsupial was half the size of the modern-day koala and ate younger, softer plants, including possibly fruit.

Plants regrown after 400 years in 'freezer'

After four centuries in nature's freezer, ancient plants uncovered by the rapid retreat of Canadian glaciers have been regenerated by scientists.

Alien material on the Moon

Unusual minerals found in craters on the Moon may be alien, a new study suggests.

Allosaurus ate more like a falcon, T. rex more like a croc

Mighty T. rex may have thrashed its huge head sideways to dismember prey, but a new study suggests its smaller cousin Allosaurus was a more dexterous hunter and tugged at prey more like a falcon.

Mammoths may have died after impact from space

Dinosaurs aren’t the only animals that might have gone extinct after disasters such as the crash of a space rock in­to Earth. New research suggests wooly mammoths, the gigantic cousins of modern elephants, al­so died out as a result of climate change following a cosmic impact—and that blast may have shocked human populations as well.

Rejuvenated Asteroidal Belt Comets

Astronomers have found a group of comets that have risen from the dead.

“Tantalising hint” of dark matter particles

A new analysis of some old data has turned up what a scientist calls a “tantalising hint” of particles theorised to make up dark matter, a mysterious component of the universe.

DNA of “living fossil” decoded

Researchers have decoded the genome of a fish often seen as the most famous “living fossil”: the African coelacanth.

“Earth-like,” possibly habitable planets identified

Researchers say they have identified the first fairly Earth-sized planets in a Sun-like star’s “habitable zone.”

Co-operating and cheating go hand in hand

Lying, cheating and other forms of Machiavellian skulduggery seem to be the inevitable evolutionary consequences of living in co-operative communities, suggest UK scientists.

Human Frontal Cortex Did Not Evolve Fast Relative To Other Brain Regions

The commonly-held belief that human brain evolution was driven by large frontal lobes is a myth, an anthropological study has found.

The superiority of human intelligence isn’t due mainly to the large size of the front part of our brain — contrary to decades of scientific thinking, say scientists.  New research concludes that this brain area, called the frontal lobes, isn’t disproportionately enlarged in humans. So other, supposedly more primitive brain areas may have been just as important.

Linguistic Super-Family

In a study Professor of Evolutionary Biology Mark Pagel and his team used statistical methods to show that certain words have changed so slowly over long periods of time as to retain traces of their ancestry for up to 10,000 or more years. These words, they say, point to the existence of a linguistic super-family tree from which the seven major language families of Eurasia (Indo-European, Uralic, Altaic, Kartvelian, Dravidian, Chuckchee-Kamchatkan and Eskimo-Aleut) have evolved.

Apollo rocks put new spin on Moon's magnetic past

A new study of Apollo 11 lunar rocks has revealed that the Moon's magnetic field lasted some 160 million years longer than previously thought.

Cloud mystery in Saturn's rings solved

Faint clouds detected just above Saturn's rings are caused by meteoroid debris slamming into the rings, a new study has found. The research could help explain some of the ring's characteristics such as their colour and age, as well as providing new clues about the meteoroids inhabiting the outer solar system.