Phys.org news

Phys.org / Portugal burial reveals first known bone dental bridge in national archaeological record

The first documented case of a fixed bone bridge unearthed in Portugal was presented in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology by researchers Ms. Steffi Vassallo and her colleagues. The item is estimated to date to ...

19 minutes ago
Phys.org / Bees found an unlikely new food source, and it could reshape how a destructive forest disease travels

New research published in NeoBiota has found that the Western honey bee—an introduced species to Australia—and the devastating, invasive plant fungus known as myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) may have formed a mutually ...

19 minutes ago
Phys.org / Tiny sea creature Porpita porpita may live adrift at sea for years longer than previously thought

A new study of the blue button (Porpita porpita), a small and elusive sea creature which lives on the surface of the ocean, has found that it may live for several years adrift at sea, much longer than previously estimated.

59 minutes ago
Phys.org / Lab fish cycles are hours out of sync with natural ones, researchers discover

When researchers moved medaka—a fish commonly used in experiments—out of the lab and into more natural conditions, their reproductive clock shifted by hours, suggesting that laboratory findings may not fully capture their ...

39 minutes ago
Phys.org / How face-building genes get ready early: Genome folding may prime crucial DNA switches

Early in development, a group of migrating cells called cranial neural crest cells go on to form many different parts of the face, including the nose, jaw, ears, and throat. To build these structures correctly, genes must ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Could future Mars settlers print their own tools?

If humans one day settle Mars, they will need tools and parts to build structures on the planet. Carrying heavy, bulky supplies 34 million miles from Earth would be impractical. A better plan, says Zane Mebruer, a recent ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Sri Lanka teeth reveal rising plant diets thousands of years before agriculture

A new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution examining human populations in Sri Lankan tropical rainforests shows that people's consumption of plants began increasing thousands of years before the introduction of ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Glowing fungi expose final enzyme that could make bioluminescent tools more efficient

Like fireflies and many deep-sea creatures, certain fungi can naturally emit light through bioluminescence pathways in which specialized enzymes convert chemical energy into visible light. Medical researchers have used fungal ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / How a 4,000-year-old city defied history's 'rules' by becoming more equal as it became more successful

For decades, historians have generally agreed that the progress of small villages as they evolved into cities came at the price of widening inequality. A small group of leaders, kings and priests, would inevitably seize control ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Rare seals hide in underwater bubble caves to escape tourists

The uninhabited islet of Formicula in Greece's Inner Ionian archipelago is a popular tourist draw for its clear waters, swimming spots, and marine diversity. A major attraction is the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the world's ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Less low cloud cover lets in more heat from the sun—and may lock in centuries of sea level rise

According to NOAA, the global average sea level has risen 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. The rate at which the sea level is rising is increasing, threatening coastal cities and ecosystems around the world.

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Climate catch-22: Cleaning up air pollution could speed key Atlantic current decline

It may sound counterintuitive, but new research suggests that cleaning up air pollution could contribute to a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This is the ocean current system that acts ...

20 hours ago