Gene drive technology makes mouse offspring inherit specific traits from parents

Jan 27, 2019 14:42 pm UTC| Nature Science

As mouse geneticists, we spend a lot of time waiting for mice to make more mice. Their small size, ease of care and willingness to mate have made mice the mammal of choice for scientists for more than a century. Indeed,...

Flash photography doesn't harm seahorses – but don't touch

Jan 27, 2019 14:36 pm UTC| Nature

We all enjoy watching animals, whether theyre our own pets, birds in the garden, or elephants on a safari during our holidays. People take pictures during many of these wildlife encounters, but not all of these...

The stubborn high-pressure system behind Australia's record heatwaves

Jan 27, 2019 14:35 pm UTC| Nature

If you think the weather this month has been like Groundhog Day (albeit much hotter), youd probably be right! Much like a stuck record, weather systems seem to have stalled over most of the country. Brisbane residents...

Ganges: sewers could be making water quality of India's great river worse

Jan 20, 2019 09:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Ganges is a lifeline for millions of people who live within its catchment as a source of water, transport and food. During the Hindu pilgrimage known as Kumbh Mela the Ganges plays host to the largest human gathering...

Why Antarctica's sea ice cover is so low (and no, it's not just about climate change)

Jan 20, 2019 09:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Sea ice cover in Antarctica shrank rapidly to a record low in late 2016 and has remained well below average. But whats behind this dramatic melting and low ice cover since? Our two articles published earlier this month...

A new way to curb nitrogen pollution: Regulate fertilizer producers, not just farmers

Jan 20, 2019 06:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Nitrogen pollution is produced by a number of interlinked compounds, from ammonia to nitrous oxide. While they have both natural and human sources, the latter increased dramatically over the past century as farmers scaled...

Sloths are far more adaptable than we realised

Jan 20, 2019 06:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Unless you live in the tropical rainforests of South or Central America, most of the sloths youll encounter will be two-toed sloths. This is because they are able to eat quite a varied diet and are therefore relatively...