Insects such as bees and hoverflies are important pollinators of many wildflowers and crop species. The global value of the services provided by pollinators for crop production is estimated at between US$235 billion and US$577 billion per year. There has been a lot of publicity... click to read more

The coordinated movements of bird flocks, fish schools, and insect swarms are among the most impressive collective behaviors in the animal world. Such coordination can be achieved by simple behavioral rules for social interactions, like avoiding a collision from close neighbors and attraction towards distant... click to read more

The brain is a specialized organ that interprets information about the surroundings and translates it into behavior, allowing animals to cope with their dynamic environments. Ever since antiquity, thinkers (and helpless parents) have suggested that the activity of one's brain could somehow impact the fate... click to read more

In recent decades ancient DNA has been continuously used as a part of the tool-kit for studying human history and evolution. Ancient human DNA is found in both organic and inorganic material, for example, bones, teeth, mummified materials, coprolites, soil, etc. Bones and teeth harbor the... click to read more

What do you think of when you hear the word 'extinction'? Chances are you think of dinosaurs or dodos. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks of plants. This contrast reflects that, until recently, we lacked a global overview of ongoing plant extinction. Extinction occurs... click to read more