The distribution of the present-day native Brazilian peoples considerably differs from the one found by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. At the time, a third of the Brazilian native population (about 900,000) lived on the Atlantic coast and were part of complex societies. Most... click to read more

Beer making is based on the conversion of starch into alcohol by saccharification and fermentation. While ethanol fermentation is usually carried out by single-celled yeasts, saccharification is one of the few processes in food production that requires the processed organism to, well... process itself. When a... click to read more

The Middle Triassic period, between 247 and 237 million years ago, was the age just before the rise of the dinosaurs and a time of great evolutionary innovation. The largest mass extinction event of all time, known as 'The Great Dying', destroyed almost all species... click to read more

Imagine you are a small frog, only one or two centimeters long, sitting on a leaf high up in the canopy of Ecuador's tropical rainforest. This is one of the most biodiverse places in the world with thousands of species living around you, many of... click to read more

Small prey animals are generally much slower than the predators attacking them, but have a distinct advantage that can help them escape: maneuverability. When a prey observes a predator approaching, the change in the predator's visual profile gives it a good idea of the size... click to read more