Environment

The history of life on Earth often feels like a story about giants. Huge dinosaurs, powerful predators and massive plant-eaters fill our imagination. But that is only part of the picture. Gregory Wilson Mantilla, professor of biology at the UW and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the UW Burke Museum, is quoted.

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: how sunbirds sip nectar through straw-like tongues, why the Seattle Fault might not pose as great a risk as previously thought, how to gauge landslide dam risk in the PNW, what marine microbes use for making meals and when the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will spot small inbound asteroids.

A research team led by the UW has identified a new species of an ancient rodent-like creature. The new species, named Cimolodon desosai, was about the size of a golden hamster, the researchers said. It likely scampered on the ground and in the trees and ate fruits and insects.

A Nigerian scientist's "personal experience" with a wildfire, its threat to endangered bats she discovered just days before, and her campaign to protect them, has won her the global Goldman Environmental Prize. Iroro Tanshi, postdoctoral scholar of biology at the UW and recipient of the award, is quoted.

New research published in Current Biology reveals sunbirds use their long tongues as a kind of makeshift straw to hoover up nectar in flowersthe first vertebrates known to do so. Alejandro Rico-Guevara, associate professor of biology at the UW and curator of birds at the UW Burke Museum, is mentioned.

A new study doubles the evolutionary history of the weasel family. Researchers, including Chris Law, a UW principal research scientist in the biology department, have determined that a fossil that was discovered in Spain belongs to a new species dating back to around 6.5 million years ago. This new species was likely similar in size to the smallest living weasel species today, the least weasel.

A simple act like drinking nectar can hide an unexpected scientific story. Sunbirds, small and colorful birds found in many parts of the world, have surprised researchers with a completely new way of feeding. This discovery shows that even well-known animals can still teach us something new about nature. Scientists continue to study such behaviors to better understand how animals adapt and survive. UW research is mentioned.

The threat of rare, butdeadly diseaseis rising alongside mosquito populations in the Northwest. In response, scientists areresearchinghow mosquitoes detect a common compound in natural repellents. Jeff Riffell, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

New research at the University of Washington could help scientists develop better mosquito repellents as mosquito season grows longer in parts of the Northwest. Jeff Riffell, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted. This story was republished in numerous outlets.

A University of Washington-led team discovered that modern Nautilus and Allonautilus species inhabit deeper waters than their extinct ancestors did over 500 million years ago, with juveniles living at twice the depth of mature adults.

New research reports that sunbirds use suction from their tongue to sip nectar. The find is the first example of any vertebrate drinking through suction generated by the tongue alone, rather than by changing the shape of its mouth. A UW research project is mentioned.

Chemistry professor Matthew Golder and his research team are exploring ways to alter the chemical structure of plastics to keep them out of landfills.

Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the University of Washington, studies how climate change affects human-wildlife interactions and increases conflict around the world. In January, she gave the keynote speech at the International Parliamentary Roundtable on Human-Wildlife Coexistence held in Botswana.

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: the habits and habitats of Nautilus and Allonautilus, how green clay tennis courts remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, why temperature dynamics matter to mussels and what prompts bacteria to attack diatoms.

As spring weather settles over the Northern Hemisphere, those barren branches will soon be bursting with color. Just like humans, plants have a circadian clock which helps them tell time. Takato Imaizumi, a professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.