Wolves Caught on Camera Fishing for the First Time: Wolves seem to have pulled traps out of the water and stolen the bait. But was it tool use?

Ein gewisses Maß an Ungleichheit mag in komplexen Gesellschaften unvermeidbar sein. Ungerecht wird es da, wo sie auf Umständen basiert, die die Benachteiligten nicht beeinflussen können.

Wer Igel fit für den Winter machen will, sollte seinen Garten fit für Igel machen, denn Gärten sind für die stacheligen Tiere wichtige Lebensräume. Das ideale Winterquartier besteht aus einem Haufen aus totem Holz, Reisig und Laub.

Eine aktuelle NABU-Analyse zeigt: Zwei Drittel der Arten und drei Viertel der Lebensräume in Deutschland sind in schlechtem Zustand. Mit wirksamen Schutzgebieten und der Wiederherstellung von Natur ist die dringend nötige Trendwende möglich. Doch die Zeit drängt.

New studies show that a bacterial molecule, peptidoglycan, is present in the brain and fluctuates with sleep patterns. This challenges the idea that sleep is solely brain-driven, instead suggesting it’s a collaborative process between our bodies and microbiomes. The theory links microbes not only to sleep but also to cognition, appetite, and behavior, pointing to a profound evolutionary relationship.

Scientists have confirmed that the Atlas blue butterfly carries the most chromosomes of any animal, with 229 pairs. Unlike duplication, its chromosomes split apart, reshaping its genome in surprising ways. This discovery sheds light on evolution, conservation, and even cancer research.

Fungi may have shaped Earth’s landscapes long before plants appeared. By combining rare gene transfers with fossil evidence, researchers have traced fungal origins back nearly a billion years earlier than expected. These ancient fungi may have partnered with algae, recycling nutrients, breaking down rock, and creating primitive soils. Far from being silent background players, fungi were ecosystem engineers that prepared Earth’s surface for plants, fundamentally altering the course of life’s history.

Billions of years ago, Earth’s atmosphere was hostile, with barely any oxygen and toxic conditions for life. Researchers from the Earth-Life Science Institute studied Japan’s iron-rich hot springs, which mimic the ancient oceans, to uncover how early microbes survived. They discovered communities of bacteria that thrived on iron and tiny amounts of oxygen, forming ecosystems that recycled elements like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.