In recent years, the hedgehog population has declined. In 2021, they were redlisted. Hedgehogs are a threatened species in Norway and several other European countries.

Scientists have made enormous advances in understanding the structures of proteins over the past several decades. Imaging technologies like cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography help researchers visualize the shapes of proteins in unprecedent

An international team of experts has resolved long-standing questions about the evolutionary history of mollusks, one of the most diverse zoological groups on the planet. The study, published in Science, reconstructs the family tree of mollusks and provid

Rats successfully distinguished between two varieties of white wine, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, in a study led by researchers from the University of Trento, the University of Lincoln, the University of London, and the University of Vienna. Findings ind

The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), an iconic whale of remote Arctic waters, is widely known for its long, spiral tusk, which is really an elongated tooth. The tusk, which is predominantly found in males and can grow up to 10 feet long, is one of the most fa

Giant pandas have digestive systems that are typical for carnivores. Yet, bamboo is their main source of food. They have evolved several features; for example, pseudo thumbs to grasp bamboo and flat teeth that are well suited for crushing it, that make it

A team of biological, Earth and environmental scientists from North Carolina State University, Stellenbosch University and the University of Minnesota has found new types of ancient eggshells in the Mussentuchit Member in Utah. Their study is published in

On the shores of Lake Tahoe at Emerald Bay State Park grows what some consider to be the most iconic old-growth forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Giant ponderosa pines—some of the last remaining in the area—share space with at least 13 other tree species.

More than 99% of birds can fly. But that still leaves many species that evolved to be flightless, including penguins, ostriches, and kiwi birds. In a study in the journal Evolution, researchers compared the feathers and bodies of different species of flig

A basic business principle is that no worker is irreplaceable; that also holds true for most proteins, the cellular factory workers of our bodies. If we fire a protein—that is, permanently delete it from our genome using genetic engineering—the cell will

A new study has identified a genetic circuit in plants that controls individual leaf growth and allows the plants to adapt to their environment. The findings could help the development of more drought-resistant crops.

Biological tissues are made up of different cell types arranged in specific patterns, which are essential to their proper functioning. Understanding these spatial arrangements is important when studying how cells interact and respond to changes in their e