Early bloomers: Using citizen-science data to investigate unseasonal flowering in Joshua trees
In November 2019, visitors to Joshua Tree National Park in California encountered a strange sight. Joshua trees and closely related…
Read More
Who observes the observers? Scientists conduct large-scale study of iNaturalist users
Scientists analyzed more than 31 million iNaturalist records in a new study to find out who most often uses the…
Read More
Cities are making mammals bigger
A new study shows urbanization is causing many mammal species to grow bigger, possibly because of readily available food in…
Read More
Extinct Caribbean bird’s closest relatives hail from Africa, South Pacific
In a genetic surprise, ancient DNA shows the closest family members of an extinct bird known as the Haitian cave-rail…
Read More
Robert Guralnick named UF Research Foundation Professor
The University of Florida Research Foundation has named Florida Museum of Natural History scientist Robert Guralnick a UFRF Professor for…
Read More
Plant study challenges tropics’ reputation as site of modern evolutionary innovation
In a surprise twist, a major group of flowering plants is evolving twice as quickly in temperate zones as the…
Read More
New books present the PhyloCode, an evolution-based system for naming organisms
Move over, Linnaeus: There’s a new way of naming organisms. Scientists have formalized an alternative set of rules 285 years…
Read More
Mice are shrinking, but are climate change and cities to blame?
According to a well-studied but controversial principle known as Bergmann’s Rule, species tend to be larger in cold climates and…
Read More
Bulb size matters: Uncovering the evolution of the plant kingdom’s doomsday preppers
Botanist Cody Coyotee Howard compares bulbs to living bunkers. With an underground stockpile of resources, bulbs can hunker down during…
Read More
Hot town, springtime in the city: Urbanization delays spring plant growth in warm regions
The first appearance of bright green leaves heralds the start of spring, nudging insects, birds and other animals into a…
Read More