Biology Popular Science

Burning mugwort ( Artemisia argyi ) to repel mosquitoes has long been practiced as a traditional pest-control method. Whether this practice represents mere folk wisdom or has genuine biological effectiveness was addressed in a study published in Scientific Reports . Artemisia argyi （Image source：竹围墙， CC BY-SA 3.0 ） Researchers collected mugwort samples from seven provinces of China—Gansu, Shandong, Sichuan, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Yunnan. Essential oils were extracted

Here is a video showing the embryonic development of a salamander, illustrating how a fertilized egg gradually develops into a complete organism. But how does a single fertilized egg transform into an individual? Let me briefly explain the early stages of this process. At the beginning, the fertilized egg is a single, very large cell. Early in development it divides into two cells. These two cells then divide again, producing four cells. At this stage the cells are called

Electric eel （Image source：Chabe01， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） The electric eel ( Electrophorus electricus ) is a fish that inhabits the murky and slow-moving waters of the lower Amazon River and the Orinoco River basin in South America. It belongs to the order Gymnotiformes. Despite its common name, the electric eel is not closely related to true eels of the order Anguilliformes; instead, it is more closely related to catfishes in the order Siluriformes. Adult electric eels can reach

Most people know that the deepest trench on Earth is the Mariana Trench. It is also the place where the deepest-living fish currently known has been discovered: Pseudoliparis swirei , commonly referred to as the Mariana snailfish. This species was first discovered in 2014 and was formally described and named in 2017. It belongs to the family Liparidae within the order Scorpaeniformes. Most individuals have been recorded at depths between 6,898 and 7,966 meters. Observations b

In the western peat-bog forests of Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, researchers documented an unusual ecological interaction. The region consists of acidic wetlands that lack fish but support relatively dense amphibian communities. Among the vegetation growing in this environment is a carnivorous plant, the purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea . Carnivorous plants are typically known for capturing small arthropods and extracting nutrients such as nitrogen an

For many insects, selecting a plant on which to lay eggs requires first determining whether the plant already harbours potential competitors. If other larvae are already present, newly hatched offspring may face severe food shortages and fail to survive. When competitors are visible on the plant surface, the situation is easy to recognize. However, if larvae develop hidden inside fruits, assessing whether the resource has already been occupied becomes far more difficult. The

When people are not familiar with the evolutionary relationships of sirenians (Sirenia) and pinnipeds (Pinnipedia), they often assume that these animals are closely related because of their similar external appearance. In reality, this assumption is incorrect. Their evolutionary histories are far more distant than their superficial resemblance might suggest. Sirenians, which include the families Dugongidae and Trichechidae, share a common ancestry with animals such as aardvar

（Image source：Lawless C， CC BY 4.0 ） The release of ink as a defensive behavior is one of the most familiar traits of cephalopods. When threatened, cuttlefish expel a dense cloud of dark ink into the surrounding water. This black plume is often interpreted simply as a visual smokescreen that obscures the animal from a pursuing predator, buying valuable time for escape. For a long time, however, little was known about the precise chemical composition of this ink or the molec

Many birds rely on visual and auditory cues to evaluate the risk of predation and decide how to respond defensively. When these cues originate from another species, “eavesdropping” becomes an important behavioural strategy. In the grassland ecosystems of the North American Great Plains, the long-billed curlew ( Numenius americanus ) is able to listen to the alarm calls of the black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) and react earlier to potential predators, thereby r

Female spotted hyena（Courtesy of Bettina Wachter） In hyenas such as the striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena ) and the spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ), females possess structures resembling a penis and scrotum that develop from the clitoris. In striped hyenas this condition is typically temporary, whereas in the spotted hyena it is permanent. In female spotted hyenas, the enlarged clitoris forms a fully developed pseudo-penis that functions in urination, copulation, and parturitio

The muscle soreness that appears after exercise has a more formal name: delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). A widely circulated belief claims that post-exercise muscle pain is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid within muscle tissue. In reality, this explanation was rejected by scientific research long ago. Nevertheless, the idea has continued to circulate through popular discussions, and many people still accept it today. During exercise, when muscle cells repeatedly

The jumping spider genus Myrmarachne (family Salticidae) has evolved bodies that closely resemble ants. This is a classic example of Batesian mimicry. Ants are highly territorial and often avoided by predators, making them an advantageous model for imitation. More than 200 species of Myrmarachne have been described, making it one of the most species-rich genera within the jumping spider family. (a) Myrmarachne acromegalis , (b) M. cornuta , (c) M. hashimotoi , (d) M. melano

Aphids are commonly regarded as insects that gather densely on plants yet possess little ability to defend themselves. When predators such as ladybird larvae, hoverfly larvae, or parasitic wasps appear, many aphid species rely on ants for protection. Familiar examples include the cotton aphid ( Aphis gossypii ) and the green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae ). Although these insects often form dense colonies, their aggregations generally lack any sign of task specialization and t

Anthrax is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis . For a long time it has posed a serious threat to many domestic animals, and wildlife populations are not immune when outbreaks spread through natural ecosystems. One anthrax outbreak has continued to affect the region up to 2025. The event occurred in Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As early as 2015, residents of the Kasongwere area began reporting large nu

Lychee orchards in Muzaffarpur（Image source：Tanmay Tarun， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） In Muzaffarpur, a district in the Indian state of Bihar known for its extensive orchards of lychee ( Litchi chinensis ), the region has long been celebrated as the "Lychee Kingdom." The arrival of summer should normally bring the sweetness of ripening fruit and the joy of harvest. Yet over the past decade, this season has also become associated with a troubling pattern of illness. The tragedy began wit

In the Atlantic coastal forests of south-central Brazil grows a peculiar holoparasitic plant that resembles a fungus in appearance: Scybalium fungiforme , a member of the family Balanophoraceae. This plant emerges above the soil surface only during its flowering stage. At all other times it remains hidden underground, deriving nutrients entirely from the roots of its host plants. Its reproductive structure forms a disk-shaped inflorescence wrapped in scale-like bracts, and th

The subpopulation of killer whales ( Orcinus orca ) inhabiting the Strait of Gibraltar primarily feeds on Atlantic bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ). These whales are typically observed in the strait during spring and summer when they forage for tuna. A census conducted in 2011 recorded only 39 individuals in this subpopulation. Because of its small size and declining prospects, the Spanish government established a conservation plan in 2017, and the International Union for Con

For a long time, cactus spines have been regarded as a classic example of plant adaptation to desert environments. These spines are often thought to help reduce water loss by limiting transpiration. Yet this raises an intriguing question: are cactus spines truly an adaptation to aridity? And how did cacti evolve into the familiar leafless plants with thick, swollen stems? A group of plants from the mountainous regions of Central and South America may offer clues to these ques

Since ancient times, locusts have been among the most feared agricultural pests faced by human societies. From ancient Egypt to modern countries such as the United States and China, outbreaks of locust swarms have repeatedly caused severe damage to crops and food supplies. For this reason, understanding the mechanisms behind locust outbreaks has long been a major focus of scientific research. Recently, a research team from Mauritania and Japan investigating the desert locust

Everyone knows that clams are mollusks, and sea snails are mollusks as well. The most obvious difference between them lies in their shells. In the common understanding, animals with a single coiled shell that move using a muscular foot belong to the class Gastropoda—the snails and slugs. In contrast, animals with two hinged shells that move using a hatchet-shaped foot are classified as Bivalvia, the clams and their relatives. Yet within the vast molluscan lineage exists a gro