Phys.org news
Phys.org / Peacock-like displays outpace antlers and tusks in evolutionary change, model suggests
Many animal species, ranging from peacocks and birds of paradise to some lizards, fish and beetles, display physical features or ornaments that can attract potential mates. These ornaments can include colorful plumage, elaborate ...
Phys.org / When biology inspires mathematics: Hidden symmetries explain why widely used evolutionary methods can give false answers
Why do some groups of organisms contain thousands of species while others have only a handful? Evolutionary biologists have spent decades trying to answer this question using mathematical models that estimate how biological ...
Phys.org / Iguanodon shinbone growth may be first evidence of an infected skin ulcer in a dinosaur
Fossilized bones can reveal a wealth of details about animals, including their size, appearance, what they ate and any injuries they may have suffered. In a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, researchers ...
Phys.org / Eight-letter DNA alphabet is accurately transcribed by a natural enzyme
All known life on Earth uses the same genetic alphabet, consisting of four letters. Now, researchers at the University of California San Diego have demonstrated that one of biology's most essential enzymes can accurately ...
Phys.org / Hubble tracks new decagon encircling Saturn's south pole
Recent observations with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have revealed a giant, evolving, 10-sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn's south pole. This discovery marks the first time a large, regular-sided jet pattern has ...
Phys.org / Mammalian genes can combine to make previously unknown mRNAs and proteins
For decades, scientists have understood that each of the roughly 20,000 genes in the human body carries instructions for a single kind of protein. Now, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered that instructions ...
Phys.org / New 'devil flower' species discovered in Thai national park
Researchers have described a new species of leafless flowering plant found on the forest floor of a national park in western Thailand, and its otherworldly appearance has earned it a fittingly dramatic name: Thismia daemona, ...
Dialog / Making superconductors thinner can change how they accommodate magnetic fields
What happens when a superconductor becomes so thin that electrons can no longer behave as if they were moving through an ordinary three-dimensional piece of metal? This question has been at the center of my recent work on ...
Phys.org / Five-metal 2D catalysts could convert CO₂ to CO without needing an extra electrical boost
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is usually discussed as something the world needs to get rid of. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels for daily use, including electricity and transportation, and industrial applications release ...
Phys.org / 'Pac-Man' enzyme breaks down bioplastics and penicillin in laboratory tests
In the ocean, plastic waste collects to form large garbage patches that endanger marine life. This is partly because the synthetic plastic polymers used today can only be broken down biologically—that is, by microorganisms—at ...
Phys.org / Blue Origin's New Glenn explosion shows infrasound can detect rocket accidents from up to 1,700 kilometers away
When Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle accidentally exploded during a static test fire in May 2026, the explosion generated low frequency soundwaves below the range of human hearing.
Phys.org / Trees use a 'muscle' to correct their posture—a newly discovered role for tension wood
A research team from INRAE and the University Clermont Auvergne has shown that trees are capable of correcting a curvature they detect in their stems through a specific biological process. In the study, young trees with bent ...
