News tagged with experimental biology
Wide heads give hammerheads exceptional stereo view
Nov 27, 2009 |
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Hammerhead sharks are some of the Ocean's most distinctive residents. 'Everyone wants to understand why they have this strange head shape,' says Michelle McComb from Florida Atlantic University. One possible ...
Tough yet stiff deer antler is materials scientist's dream
Nov 27, 2009 |
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Prized for their impressive antlers, red deer have been caught in the hunters' sights for generations. But a deer's antlers are much more than decorative. They are lethal weapons that stags crash together when duelling. John ...
Study finds bees can learn differences in food's temperature
Nov 17, 2009 |
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Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered that honeybees can discriminate between food at different temperatures, an ability that may assist bees in locating the warm, sugar-rich nectar or high-protein pollen ...
Sponges recycle carbon to give life to coral reefs
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Coral reefs support some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, yet they thrive in a marine desert. So how do reefs sustain their thriving populations?
Longer toes eyed as sprinters' edge
Nov 12, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Longer toes may give sprinters a leg up on other runners, according to a new study.
Super sticky barnacle glue cures like blood clots
Oct 16, 2009 |
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Barnacles are a big problem for boats. Adhering to the undersides of vessels, carpets of the crustaceans can increase fuel consumption by as much as 25%. Ship owners would love to know how to stop these hitchhikers gluing ...
Short heels make elite sprinters super speedy
Oct 30, 2009 |
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What is it about elite sprinters that gives them the edge over non-sprinters in the 100m dash? Stephen Piazza from the Pennsylvania State University publishes his discovery, in The Journal of Experimental Bi ...
Cockroaches Control Their Breathing to Save Water
Sep 24, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Many insects have been known for decades to hold their breath when resting, but the reasons have not been well understood. A new study on cockroaches suggests the insects reduce their breathing ...
Team offers first look at how bats land (w/Video)
Mar 20, 2009 |
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People have always been fascinated by bats, but the scope of that interest generally is limited to how bats fly and their bizarre habit of sleeping upside down. Until now, no one had studied how bats arrive ...
Dolphins maintain round-the-clock visual vigilance
May 01, 2009 |
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Dolphins have a clever trick for overcoming sleep deprivation. Sam Ridgway from the US Navy Marine Mammal Program explains that they are able to send half of their brains to sleep while the other half remains ...
Why Winning Athletes Are Getting Bigger
Jul 17, 2009 |
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While watching swimmers line up during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, former Olympic swimmer and NBC Sports commentator Rowdy Gaines quipped that swimmers keep getting bigger, with the shortest one in ...
Get a grip! Blistering new evidence on why we have fingerprints
May 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Fingerprints do not help primates grip, as previously thought, scientists have discovered. They actually reduce the friction needed to hold onto flat surfaces. Now Dr Roland Ennos and his ...
Triangles Go Underwater and Supersonic
Jun 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The seemingly effortless way dolphins and porpoises slice through the water and the unique capabilities of the supersonic Concorde airplane have more in common than one might think.
Neon blue-tailed tree lizard glides like a feather
Jul 17, 2009 |
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Most lacertid lizards are content scurrying in and out of nooks and crannies in walls and between rocks. However, some have opted for an arboreal life style. Neon blue tailed tree lizards (Holaspis guentheri) leap from b ...
Spread your sperm the smart way
Jul 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Attractive males release fewer sperm per mating to maximise their chances of producing offspring across a range of females, according to a new paper on the evolution of ejaculation strategies. The findings ...
