A two-month-old epaulette shark pup, born through apparent parthenogenesis, is now on display at Brookfield Zoo’s Living Coast exhibit.Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo A female epaulette shark at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois produced a pup in 2023 despite having no contact with a male for years, in a rare example of parthenogenesis among sharks. The female, which…
PC: Study : Assessment of process variability and colour in synthesised and ancient Egyptian blue pigments A vivid blue pigment used in ancient Egypt has revealed a far more complicated story than its striking colour suggests. Known as Egyptian blue, the material dates back around 5,000 years and is regarded as the world’s oldest synthetic…
On the edge of farm fields in British Columbia, where cultivated land meets forest and mountain, farmers have long struggled with deer that slip in at dusk to feed on crops. In search of non-lethal ways to protect their harvest, scientists tested a simple idea. They broadcast recordings of human shouts, wolf howls and cougar…
Daniel ZhangPhoto: Tumor Tactics/ Instagram In a San Diego high school classroom, a deck of 72 cards sits on a desk, each one representing a different cancer treatment option, side effect or patient factor. The game built from these cards was designed to help young patients and their families visualise complex treatment decisions, turning abstract…
Swiftiephylus taylorae (Image Credit: Sarah Schroeder/UCR) Taylor Swift has inspired songs, fashion and fan culture around the world, but her latest namesake comes from an unexpected corner of science: a newly described genus of Australian plant-feeding insects. According to the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside), entomology doctoral student Sarah Schroeder, a lifelong Swift fan,…
Representative Image (AI-generated) Truman Lake in Missouri is getting a major boost to its underwater habitat through a project designed to create more places for fish to shelter, feed and gather. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Annual Review for Fiscal Year 2025, MDC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with…
Representative Image (AI-generated) For thousands of years, layers of partially decomposed plants accumulated beneath a vast wetland in North Carolina, creating a deep store of carbon. That changed when an abandoned farming venture carved about 50 miles of drainage ditches through the land, lowering the water table and exposing the ancient peat to air. The…
Villagers separate and collect the heads of Sal Borer insects after catching them in the forest. (Photo: Down to Earth and Instagram) In the forests of Madhya Pradesh, a rather unusual “mala” is being used in the fight to save thousands of Sal trees. But this is no ordinary garland. Made from the severed heads…
An 18-acre stretch of Arizona desert that was once heavily disturbed and overrun by invasive buffelgrass has been transformed through 16 years of sustained restoration work by volunteers and conservation partners. The Waterman Restoration Project, located on Bureau of Land Management land within Ironwood Forest National Monument near Marana, began in 2010 after earlier attempts…
During its first decade, the partnership installed approximately 90 acres of artificial habitat, improving about 875 acres of cove complexes. Lake Havasu is famous for striped bass, redear sunfish, world-class fishing tournaments and unforgettable days on the water. But beneath that success is a decades-long conservation effort that many visitors never see. For more than…
