This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine. From the brightly colored poison frogs of South America to the prehistoric-looking newts of the Western US, the world is filled with beautiful, deadly amphibians. Just a few milligrams of the newt’s tetrodotoxin can be fatal, and some of those frogs make the most potent poisons found in…
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Driving north on state Highway 66 through the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in central Montana, it’s easy to miss a small herd of bison lounging just off the road behind an 8-foot fence. Each winter, heavy snows drive bison out of Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park – the…
Following the Sri Lanka Agriculture Ministry’s confirmation of a request from a Chinese company to import 100,000 toque macaques for their zoos, environmentalists have mounted protests over fears that monkeys may be used for medical experiments or as a food delicacy.The toque macaque (Macaca sinica) is a primate endemic to Sri Lanka but is also…
Asian elephant habitat loss coincides with colonial-era use of land and subsequent agricultural intensification, scientists say. The largest living land animal in Asia, Asian elephants once roamed the grasslands and rainforests that spanned the continent. Prior to the 1700s, habitats for the now-endangered pachyderms were relatively stable. But now, a new study looking at land-use…
For the first archaeologists, the only way to peer inside an ancient coffin or container was to take the artifact apart. In fact, it was only through the dismantling of ancient artifacts that these individuals learned about the lives, religions and rituals of antiquity, including those of Egypt.Nowadays, there's a longer list of less invasive…
“Consumer research on perceptions of fermentation enabled products is still pretty limited. However, existing research does point to consumer interest and willingness to try products made with fermentation,” Mallie O’Donnell, corporate engagement project manager at Good Food Institute, said this week during a webinar hosted by the non-profit think tank.Pulling data from the group’s recently…
She’s got his number. An animal rights activist went viral on TikTok after revealing her new and unusual tattoo — matching the one found on her pet’s ear. Sam McGraw’s precious rescue pup Ted came stamped with a serial number — a sad souvenir from his time in the murky world of animal testing. The…
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Blood clot researchers could benefit from a new device that mimics a human vein, replacing the need for animals for some studies. The vein-on-a-chip model has been developed by scientists at the University of Birmingham and can be used in experiments to understand mechanisms of blood clot formation. The device, described…
Anti-vaccine advocates have for years used foreboding imagery of syringes to paint immunizations as dark and dangerous. But recent vaccine conspiracy theories are casting an air of fear around more mundane things — like cows and lettuce.In widespread posts online in recent weeks, misinformation purveyors have spread an erroneous narrative that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are…
Plant-based foods are well and truly in the limelight, as innovators work to mimic conventional meat and dairy products with animal-free ingredients. Statista expects the global plant-based food market to be valued at an eye-watering $77bn (€69bn) by 2025.But at a global level, plant-based foods may not provide sufficient nutrition to achieve public health targets.In…
