135 articles from MONDAY 2.5.2022

Using 'counterfactuals' to verify predictions of drug safety

Scientists rely increasingly on models trained with machine learning to provide solutions to complex problems. But how do we know the solutions are trustworthy when the complex algorithms the models use are not easily interrogated or able to explain their decisions to humans?

Precipitation helped drive distribution of Alaska dinosaurs

Precipitation more than temperature influenced the distribution of herbivorous dinosaurs in what is now Alaska, according to new research. The finding discusses the distribution of hadrosaurids and ceratopsids -- the megaherbivores of the Late Cretaceous Period, 100.5 million to 66 million years ago.

Discovery about coral-algal symbiosis could help coral reefs recover after bleaching events

Although photosynthesis by algae is a key part of the symbiotic relationship it is not required to initiate symbiosis. The discovery adds to the little-understood relationship between cnidarians and algae at the molecular level and offers insight into how to jump start the symbiotic relationship between the two organisms after a bleaching event. It could also lead to strategies that might prevent...

Park rangers use butterflies to take planet's pulse in a biodiversity hotspot

In 2017, a group of scientists raised alarm bells by showing that flying insects had declined in Germany by more than 70% in the three preceding decades. Studies before and since then have shown similar patterns in insects on a global scale. But with 1 million known species—and conservative estimates indicating there are millions more awaiting discovery—there aren't nearly enough entomologists...

Highly valuable Asian rosewood trees face a host of threats to survival

Safeguarding native tree diversity through improved conservation and restoration efforts is at a critical juncture in Southeast Asia, as many tree species face threats from habitat loss, fire and climate change, among other human-caused threats. A new study has used a spatially explicit framework to identify species-specific priority areas for conservation and restoration among rosewood species in...

Scientists map living corals for the first time before and after marine heat wave: Winners and losers discovered

As the world sees rising ocean temperatures, it will also see more cases of coral bleaching. When corals bleach, they become more vulnerable to other stressors such as water pollution. However, many reefs harbor corals that persist despite warming oceans. Unraveling the complex issue of coral bleaching and its impact on their survival or death may be key to conserving coral reefs— ecosystems...

Park rangers use butterflies to take planet's pulse in a biodiversity hotspot

For the last decade, biologists have documented a worrying decline in insect abundance, which some fear may prelude an arthropod apocalypse. These studies, however, are primarily carried out in temperature regions while the tropics, which harbor the vast majority of insect species, largely remains a black box. In a new study, biologists turn to the aid of park rangers in Ecuador's Yasuní National...

Strong solar flare erupts from sun

The sun emitted a strong solar flare on April 30, 2022, peaking at 9:47 a.m. EDT. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

Lighting the tunnel of plant evolution: Scientists explore the importance of two-pore channels in plants

Two-pore channels (TPCs) are ancient ion channels present in the cells of both animals and plants. In animals, including humans, these ion channels play important roles in biological activities in various tissues, such as in the brain and nervous system. All land plant species contain TPC genes; in many higher vascular plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and Oryza sativa (rice), a...

Enzymes discovered in capybara gut could accelerate utilization of agroindustrial waste

Converting agroindustrial waste into molecules of interest to society, such as biofuels and biochemicals, is one of the ways to mitigate dependence on oil and other fossil fuels. As one of the world's largest producers of plant biomass, Brazil is well-placed to lead this transition, but lignocellulosic raw materials (containing lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose) are hard to deconstruct, or (more...

Using tiny sensors to monitor migrating monarchs

Millions of monarch butterflies migrate each fall to a specific cluster of mountain peaks in central Mexico. How exactly they navigate to their winter home, and the way they choose their path, is a topic of great interest to scientists—especially as climate change redirects their chosen path.