Category: Plants & Animals
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Prehistoric Monster Bird Was Really Nutter
A preliminary study of dietary clues preserved in the bones of a German specimen of the bird suggested a menu of plants rather than flesh.
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The cost of attracting pollinators is … attracting everyone else
Showy flowers might attract animals that steal the rewards offered to pollinators
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Crocodilians can climb trees and bask in the tree crowns
The data suggests that at least some crocodilian species are able to climb trees despite lacking any obvious morphological adaptations to do so.
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Jumbo-gardeners: How elephants affect weather
How elephants are the most important player when it comes to the diversity of tree species in the rainforest.
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Insect’s Tobacco Breath Repels Predators
Thus, chemical defenses, too toxic to sequester, can be repurposed for defensive functions through respiration as a form of defensive halitosis, and predators can assist the functional elucidation of herbivore genes
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Co-evolution Insufficient to Explain All Nature’s Connections
The study provides an interesting and novel story about early mammal evolution, diet, and paleoecology. More importantly, it provides a good example of how simple narratives don’t always explain nature’s messiness.
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Grazing Pressure Affects Evolution Of Plants
The study shows that grazing pressure impacts not only which plants dominate but also the genetic composition of the plant populations. These findings help us understand how differences in environmental conditions influence the evolution of genetic differentiation among plant populations,
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Bats Using Leaves To Play Telephone
Bats that nest inside curled-up leaves may be getting an extra benefit from their homes: the tubular roosts act as acoustic horns, amplifying the social calls that the mammals use to keep their close-knit family groups together.
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Disguised As Flower, Mantis Catch More Prey
Their bright floral colours and petal shaped legs create a tantalizing lure for insects. So it seems that orchid mantises not only look like flowers but also beat flowers at their own game.
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Plants Anticipate Attacks… And Prepare!
Plants can eavesdrop on herbivore cues to mount a defensive response even before any plant is attacked.