The extinct sea scorpion species Jaekelopterus rhenaniae had eyes comparable to those of today's horseshoe crabs. The two-and-a-half-meter predator was particularly apt at perceiving contrasts and contours under water.

Small woodlands in farmland have more benefits for humans per area, compared to large forests according to a new study. The small woodlands, sometimes even smaller than a football field, can easily go unnoticed in agricultural landscapes. Yet, these small forest remnants can store more carbon in the topsoil layer, are more suitable for hunting activities and host fewer ticks than large forests.

Idris is a worldwide genus of microscopic, parasitic wasps. A new species of Idris from Mexico (Guanajuato) and the United States (California, New Mexico) proved to be an unlikely enemy of the invasive bagrada bug, a major pest of various crops, including cruciferous vegetables.

Scientists have discovered that methionine is highly abundant in some spider silk proteins.

The scientists who discovered that natural silks get stronger the colder they get, have finally solved the puzzle of why.

In 2019, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added 71 new plant and animal species to our family tree, enriching our understanding of Earth's complex web of life and strengthening our ability to make informed conservation decisions. The new species include 17 fish, 15 geckos, eight flowering plants, six sea slugs, five arachnids, four eels, three ants, three skinks, two skates, two wasps, two mosses, two corals, and two lizards. More than a dozen Academy scientists—along […]

The eyes of the extinct sea scorpion Jaekelopterus rhenaniae have the same structure as the eyes of modern horseshoe crabs (Limulidae). The compound eyes of the giant predator exhibited lens cylinders and concentrically organized sensory cells enclosing the end of a highly specialized cell.

Nitrogen is an essential component of life. For example, it is required for the production of proteins. Boran Kartal, head of the Microbial Physiology group at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, studies nitrogen-cycling microorganisms, which control the bioavailability of this vital resource. A particularly interesting part of the nitrogen cycle is the anammox process, short for anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Here, nitrite or nitric oxide and ammonium are converted […]

A tiny termite might see an elephant's foot as its biggest threat. But when elephants and other large herbivores are lost to hunting, the termite's troubles are just beginning.

It's well established that unsustainable human activity is damaging the health of the planet. The way we use Earth threatens our future and that of many animals and plants. Species extinction is an inevitable end point.