Summary: Researchers have identified a previously unknown population of neurons in the hypothalamus that play a critical role in regulating appetite. These neurons express both leptin receptors and the BNC2…
Category: Life
species coexistence and niche segregation in Mediterranean green lizards. – Functional Ecologists
In our latest post, author Carolina Reyes-Puig asks us if it’s all about size (in this case, it is…kinda!). In their latest paper: “Is it all about size? Dismantling the…
Meet a scientist tracking cactus poaching in the Atacama Desert
Pablo Guerrero has been visiting cacti in the Atacama Desert his whole life, first on family trips to the Chilean coast and later as a researcher studying the impacts of…
Depression Genes in Women Linked to Higher Heart Disease Risk
Summary: A new study analyzing genetic data from over 300,000 people revealed that women with a high genetic risk for depression also face a higher likelihood of developing heart disease,…
Climate stress may undermine male spiders’ romantic gift giving
Courtship dazzle in spiders can lose some zing in uncertain climates. Males in places with hard-to-predict rain and temperatures devolve into suitors who woo mostly with cheap, useless gifts. Researchers…
Leaded Gas Exposure Linked to Mental Illness
Summary: A new study estimates that childhood lead exposure, peaking between 1960 and 1990 due to leaded gasoline, caused 151 million excess cases of mental illness by 2015. Researchers linked…
New videos reveal the hidden lives of Andean bears
Camera collar footage is unveiling the secret lives of Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus), South America’s only surviving ursid. A wild Andean bear in Peru was caught eating soil or clay, courting…
How We Filter Out Background Sounds When Speaking
Summary: Researchers have traced how the brain filters out background noise during speech using signals between the motor and auditory cortices. These milliseconds-long electrical signals, called auditory corollary discharge, originate…
Empathy Loss in Dementia Linked to Brain Activity Changes
Summary: Frontotemporal dementia, affecting about 3% of dementia patients in Sweden, is characterized by a loss of empathy that challenges patients and their families. Using functional MRI, researchers found that…
A herbivore-induced defense- plant protein in honeydew enhances natural enemy fitness – Functional Ecologists
In this post, Pablo Urbaneja-Bernat, tenure track at Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (Spain), presents his work ‘Not just candy: A herbivore-induced defense- plant protein in honeydew enhances natural…
