Phys.org news
Phys.org / Urokodia! 518-million-year-old fossil shows beginning of spider's bite
The earliest evidence of spiders' fangs has been identified in a 518-million-year-old fossil by scientists at the University of Leicester and Yunnan University.
Phys.org / XMM-Newton and Chandra help revise distance to Milky Way's outer spiral arms
The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescopes have spotted the aftermath of three bright explosions echoing through the outer spiral arms of our galaxy, the Milky Way. By measuring the distance ...
Phys.org / Himalayan pangolin emerges as distinct species, confirmed with DNA from 19th-century specimen
The pangolin is a midsize mammal found only in Africa and Asia. The pangolins' scales make them unique, but these scales have become their undoing. Pangolins are poached for their scales, making them the most highly trafficked ...
Phys.org / Walkable, greener neighborhoods linked to better physical and mental health across the U.S.
A new big-data analysis of the U.S. pinpoints how urban design aids the health of city residents—especially when cities provide walking opportunities, greenery and mixed-use streets with a blend of commercial and residential ...
Phys.org / Italy displays paintings from an ancient Etruscan tomb, its latest cultural acquisition
Italy on Tuesday put on display one of the best known examples of Etruscan painting, panels from a tomb that it acquired for 15 million euros ($17 million) in the Culture Ministry's buying spree of big-ticket pieces of the ...
Phys.org / Earliest Americans specialized in megafauna hunting from Alaska to South America, analysis of 50 sites reveals
New research led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks archaeologist reveals that the earliest Native Americans had highly specialized diets, primarily hunting the largest animals on the landscape, and they targeted these megafauna ...
Phys.org / Fish in a polluted Mexican river may mate with the wrong species, leading to hybrid offspring
The byproducts of modern society appear to be messing with the love life of two tiny fish species that have long coexisted in Mexican rivers.
Phys.org / Woodcock charge deer to defend nests, footage reveals
American woodcock, short, plump shorebirds with long, thin beaks, are widely known for their bobbing stride and nasally "peent" calls, but not for being aggressive. Yet one April afternoon, when a deer sniffed around a woodcock ...
Phys.org / What made trees possible? New research points to drought
A study is reframing a fundamental question in plant evolution: What made trees possible? Researchers from Cal Poly Humboldt, Yale University, the University of Hohenheim in Germany and the Czech Academy of Sciences set out ...
Phys.org / Baker's yeast shows potential in treatment of persistent fungal infection
Millions of women worldwide suffer from vaginal yeast infections. These infections are most commonly caused by the fungus Candida albicans and can lead to symptoms ranging from itching and burning to recurrent inflammation. ...
Phys.org / World's first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle could revolutionize biological engineering
While many of life's mysteries remain unsolved, every biologist can describe the basic processes performed by a living organism, including energy use, reproduction, growth and development. While these characteristics can ...
Phys.org / Acceptor molecule upconverts low-energy green light to high-energy purple with high efficiency
Solar cells and photocatalysts can be surprisingly inefficient. Despite light consisting of many wavelengths, the range that even highly efficient devices use is limited. Other wavelengths, especially long wavelengths, simply ...
