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Nature
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As grandiose as we might think our civilizations have become, we are but the latest entry in the long chronicle detailing life on Earth. We humans share this planet with fellow organisms whose vast numbers completely tower over our own. We borrowed this planet from its previous inhabitants from eons ago and whose lives were written on the soil-turned-rock on which they were laid to rest. Modern Sciences urges its readers to contemplate our planetary co-inhabitants, both past and present.
Ancient leaf waxes reveal a wetter African past than dust records suggested
New evidence from ancient leaf waxes reveals that northern African summer rainfall remained stable even as the world plunged into an ice age, challenging a long-held view of the continent's climate history.
The great coral reef relocation
An Acropora coral during a spawning event. Coral Brunner/Shutterstock Jack Marley, The Conversation Underwater cities. Rainforests of the…
Study finds wild Galápagos tomatoes resurrecting ancient chemical defenses
New research reveals how a single enzyme acts as a molecular switch to create distinct chemical defenses in plants, such as tomatoes and eggplants, even driving evolution in reverse.
We tracked 13,000 giants of the ocean over 30 years, to uncover their hidden highways
Alexandra Vautin, Shutterstock Ana M. M. Sequeira, Australian National University Big animals of the ocean go about their…
Baboon travel lines shaped by friendship, not fear, study finds
New research reveals that baboons travel in orderly lines not for strategic protection but simply to stay close to their friends.
The Dinosaur Dilemma That Darwin Couldn’t Solve
An ingenious experiment with chickens reveals the surprising evolutionary advantage of a "half wing" in non-flying dinosaurs, finally solving a puzzle that has stumped scientists since Darwin's time.
The Dinosaurs Too Big To Be Dinosaurs
These sauropods were barely possible, seemingly existing only despite physics and persisting only thanks to some extreme evolutionary adaptations.
Faces you hear? Dolphin ‘signature whistles’ may transmit more than just identity information
Ekaterina Ovsyanikova Ekaterina Ovsyanikova, The University of Queensland Like us humans, many animals rely on social interactions to…
The Hidden Rule That Shapes All Life on Earth
Life uses only one “hand” of its molecular building blocks—a mysterious asymmetry called homochirality that may hold clues to life’s origins and even the possibility of mirror life beyond Earth.
Toxic alligators serve as a warning for southeastern US ecosystems
New research reveals that the place an alligator lives determines its toxic mercury load, with some populations carrying levels eight times higher than others.