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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.
Maple seeds’ unique spinning motion allows them to travel far even in the rain, a new study shows
Winged seeds called samaras grow on maple trees. These are seeds from the Japanese maple, Acer palmatum. AlessandroZocc/iStock…
Parrotfish support healthy coral reefs, but they’re not a cure-all, and sometimes cause harm
Rainbow and midnight parrotfish feed at Alacranes Reef in the Gulf of Mexico. Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip, CC BY-ND Lorenzo…
Whales sing when they’ve had a good meal – new research
Stock Photos Studios/Shutterstock Ted Cheeseman, Southern Cross University and Jarrod Santora, University of California, Santa Cruz Spanning more…
How Mountains Drive (and Divide) Evolution
Researchers discovered that mountainous regions like the Rockies preserve unique evolutionary patterns. In these regions, species such as…
Octopuses Are Assembling Fish “Armies”
Despite being solitary creatures, octopuses like “Dave” collaborate with fish to hunt more efficiently. The fish locate prey,…
How AI Is Helping Save Medicine
DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2 solved a decades-old challenge by predicting the 3D structures of over 200 million proteins, drastically…
Lake Victoria is turning green – the deadly bacteria behind it
Lauren Hart, University of Michigan; George S Bullerjahn, Bowling Green State University; Gregory J. Dick, University of Michigan,…
New “Zombie” Fungus Discovered in British Caves, Manipulating Spider Behavior
At a Glance A newly discovered species of fungus, Gibellula attenboroughii, has been found to infect cave-dwelling spiders…
Study Traces the Genetic History of Domestic Sheep Over 12,000 Years
At a Glance For over 11,000 years, sheep have played a crucial role in human history, providing meat,…
Did Asteroids Seed Life?
Early Earth experienced violent asteroid impacts that vaporized oceans and altered the atmosphere, potentially creating conditions necessary for…