Animal

Scientists have recently discovered that a species of mouse-sized male marsupials in Australia, named antechinus, are willing to sacrifice hours of sleep for reproductive activities. What’s more, tiny male antechinus die once their intense mating season is over.The study is the first to show direct evidence for this type of “extreme” sleep restriction in any land-dwelling mammal, CNN reported.“Animals that are long-lived, like humans and elephants, don’t have this pressure to reproduce in a short period of time. They have…

Enveloped viruses get their outer coat by budding from cells they’ve invaded. CRISPR-Cas9 researchers coopted this behavior to produce envelope-derived vehicles that encapsulate Cas9 proteins (dark green), guide RNA and transgenes. These loaded carriers target and invade specific types of human T-cells, where they simultaneously edit and insert new genes, turning the T-cells into cancer fighters. Credit: Jenny Hamilton, IGI/UC Berkeley Antibody-targeted ‘enveloped delivery vehicles’ selectively edit T-cells to create CAR…

There’s a productive and, yes, philanthropic way to express your hatred for your ex, as demonstrated by an animal shelter’s not-so-romantic Valentine’s Day campaign.Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, an animal shelter based in New Jersey, USA, took to its Instagram page on Tuesday (January 30) to launch its “Neuter Your Ex” donation event for Valentine’s Day.To make use of the lovers’ celebratory event, the adoption center has invited people to donate $50 to have a feral cat named after their ex and then…

A new camera system, capable of replicating how various animals perceive colors, has been developed by researchers. This system overcomes the limitations of traditional methods like spectrophotometry by using a multi-channel approach to accurately capture and display animal-perceived colors under natural conditions. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.comOpen-source camera and software system records natural animal-view videos with over 90% accuracy.A new camera system allows ecologists and filmmakers to produce…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeAnimal-welfare organisations have slated the makers of a new film featuring a breed of cat associated with “serious health and welfare concerns”.UK charity Cats Protection is among those who have raised concerns over the upcoming film Argylle, which is due to be released by Universal Pictures on 2 February.The film features a Scottish Fold cat, a breed the animal organisations said…

Meet Christine Ward, a talented artist based in Brisbane, Australia. With roots in the tattoo industry since 2011, Ward's creative journey took a turn in 2019 when she decided to explore her role as a photographer. Specializing in bird and nature photography, Ward's work reflects her deep connection with the great outdoors. Nature is Ward's muse, and you can often find her wandering in forests, drawing inspiration from the colors, shapes, and textures around her. Her photographs aren't just pictures; they're a way to…

If you ever find yourself playing a game of twenty questions, there's a little-known life form you can pick that is sure to leave your opponent stumped.It is neither animal, vegetable, nor mineral. It's not even a bacterium or fungi.It's called a Euglenid – and it's a weird fusion of a bunch of different living things.Euglenids are a group of unicellular eukaryotes that gain energy through both photosynthesis, like a plant, and through consuming other beings, like an animal.These aquatic organisms split off from other…

A study reveals that overweight adults who replace animal products with plant-based foods experience significant weight loss and improved health, regardless of the healthfulness of the plant-based foods consumed.Switching from animal products to plant-based foods, regardless of whether these plant-based items are considered healthy or unhealthy as per the plant-based diet index, leads to weight loss in overweight individuals, lowers cholesterol and fat consumption, and boosts fiber intake according to a new analysis by…

If one Oklahoma representative gets his way, children who act like dogs and cats during school hours could be punished by… animal control. Yes, parents might soon have to collect their erstwhile kids from the pound — if Rep. Justin Humphrey’s bill makes it to the finish line as it stands today. That is, of course, if kids acting like animals at school is really that widespread a problem, which is up for debate. Humphrey’s bill, which was filed Wednesday, seeks to put in place a law whereby “students who purport…

Sigrid Nunez’s ninth novel, The Vulnerables, emerges from the words of others. The first line comes not from the narrator herself, but from another work she now barely recalls. From there it’s a deluge. In barely a couple of pages she quotes Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, Edward Bulwer-Lytton. In a single paragraph, Sylvia Plath, Rainer Maria Rilke, Elizabeth Bishop.Nunez has long been an allusive writer, attuned to the literature that shapes her outlook. Her narrators – Nunez standins – frequently suspend their train…