At least eight bat species commute or forage over pig farms in Northern Italy

Strictly embargoed until 15 October, 2025 at 14:00 (2:00 pm) U.S. Eastern Time A new study published in Science Advances and led by the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology uncovers how flexibility made the difference between survival and extinction. By analyzing fossil teeth from Vietnam and Laos, an international team reconstructed the diets and habitats of extinct, extirpated, and still-living species. The results show that animals with varied diets and habitats were more likely to endure, while narrow specialists largely disappeared. The team examined 141 fossil teeth dating from 150,000 to 13,000 years ago and combined them with existing records. Using stable isotope analysis ...

When starting college, many young people report adopting pro-environmental behaviors such as active travel (e.g. walking, biking) and reduced meat consumption, so targeted interventions in these transition moments could be especially effective.  Article URL: https://plos.io/4pZVamA Article Title: Shifting horizons: Significant life events and pro-environmental behaviour change in early adulthood Author Countries: United Kingdom Funding: This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC), under the project “Understanding and leveraging ‘moments of change’ for pro-environmental behaviour shifts” [grant number: 820235 to LW; KM; MG; NN] ...

Researchers developed a soft robotic skin that enables vine robots that are just a few millimeters wide to navigate convoluted paths and fragile environments. To accomplish this, the researchers integrated a very thin layer of actuators made of liquid crystal elastomer at strategic locations in the soft skin. The robot is steered by controlling the pressure inside its body and temperature of the actuators. The researchers showed that a robot equipped with this skin could successfully navigate a model of the arteries in a human body. The robot also was able to navigate a model of the interior of a jet engine.  The research team published their results ...

Researchers have created a class of robots made from thin sheets of material that can snap into hundreds of stable shapes – allowing them to execute a wide variety of actions despite the fact that they have no motor and are made of a single, flat material. These “metabots” essentially resemble animated sheets of plastic, capable of moving around a surface or grasping objects. “We start out with simple polymer sheets that have holes into them, but by applying thin films to the surface of the polymer we’re able to incorporate ...

Starting university doesn’t just change where students live or study; it can also lead to changing their habits. New research from the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) at the University of Bath shows that young people are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviours, like recycling and active travel, during major life transitions. The study, published in PLOS Climate, tracking hundreds of 16–24-year-olds, examined two “moments of change”: the move from school to university and the sudden disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both events reshaped daily routines, offering opportunities ...

New research has unravelled the mystery of how microscopic cilia coordinate to move and propel marine creatures through water. Cilia are tiny, hair-like protrusions found in many organisms, including humans and many aquatic animals. Almost all marine plankton have a life stage where they have cilia, which act like microscopic oars,  fundamental to the organism’s  ability to feed, move and disperse through water, avoid predators, and select suitable habitats. Proper coordination of cilia is essential for the normal physiology of many organisms, from single cells to humans. Yet despite decades of research, the mechanisms ...

New research by UCLA Health has identified a sex-chromosome linked gene that drives inflammation in the female brain, offering insight into why women are disproportionately affected by conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis as well as offering a potential target for intervention. The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, used a mouse model of multiple sclerosis to identify a gene on the X chromosome that drives inflammation in brain immune cells, known as microglia. Because females have two X chromosomes, as opposed to only one in males, they get a “double ...

A groundbreaking international study changes the view that exposure to the toxic metal lead is largely a post-industrial phenomenon. The research reveals that our human ancestors were periodically exposed to lead for over two million years, and that the toxic metal may have influenced the evolution of hominid brains, behaviour, and even the development of language. Moreover, the study – published in Science Advances – adds a piece to the puzzle of how humans outcompeted their cousins, the Neanderthals. Brain organoid models with Neanderthal genetics were more susceptible ...

The uplift of East Africa during the Miocene epoch dramatically transformed the region’s climate and ecosystems, promoting the expansion of grassland and reshaping habitats for mammals and early hominoids. This is revealed in a new study published in Science Advances by researchers at Stockholm University, ETH Zurich, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. ”Our results show that tectonic uplift, combined with declining CO₂ during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition, substantially reduced forest cover and ...

Human Organ Chip technology sets stage for pan-influenza A CRISPR RNA therapies  Human lung alveolus chip infection model enables investigation of viral replication, inflammatory responses, and genetic off-target effects of a novel pan-influenza CRISPR therapy By Benjamin Boettner Boston – The Influenza A virus (IAV) has been the cause of six major flu pandemics, responsible for 50 to 100 million deaths globally. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that, despite seasonally updated vaccines, ...