Phys.org

Beavers are being reintroduced across the UK, with around 100 set for release this year and more planned. As ecosystem engineers, beavers help create wetlands, improve water quality, and support biodiversity, marking a significant step in restoring natural habitats and enhancing landscape resilience.

Systematic monitoring indicates that the Yangtze River fishing ban has effectively halted a 70-year decline in aquatic biodiversity, with early signs of recovery in fish populations and the Yangtze finless porpoise. Continued conservation efforts and long-term monitoring are essential to sustain and build on these ecological gains.

The extinct Hawaiian ibis, Apteribis, exhibited unusually small eyes and reduced visual capacity, indicating a shift to nocturnal activity. This adaptation likely arose from island conditions and nocturnal prey, highlighting unique evolutionary pathways and the loss of ecological diversity following extinction.

Newly uncovered frescoes at Villa Poppaea near Pompeii display vivid, original pigments and intricate motifs, offering rare insight into Roman artistry and luxury. Limited public access now allows visitors to witness both these exceptional artworks and ongoing conservation efforts at this remarkably preserved archaeological site.

New climate and machine learning models indicate that wild ancestors of wheat, barley, and rye were far less widespread in the Middle East 12,000 years ago than previously thought, challenging established views on the origins and geography of early agriculture and plant domestication.

A new 3D printing ink composed of 70% lignin, an industrial byproduct, enables fully recyclable manufacturing by dissolving in water. This innovation supports circular production, reduces reliance on fossil-derived polymers, and offers a sustainable alternative for creating prototypes and components across multiple industries.

#A 7,000-year-old roe deer antler headdress from Eilsleben provides rare evidence of intensive contact and cultural exchange between Neolithic farmers and Mesolithic hunter–gatherers in Central Germany.

Gravitational lensing offers a new method to detect supermassive black hole binaries by identifying repeating flashes of magnified starlight. This approach could reveal hidden pairs in merging galaxies and provide valuable insights into their properties and evolution, even before future gravitational wave observatories launch.

#The Einstein Probe has detected an X-ray event consistent with an intermediate-mass black hole tearing apart a white dwarf, offering potential first observational evidence of this extreme process. @HKUniversity doi.org/hbn5mv

#Shipping traffic in the Baltic Sea disrupts water stratification and accelerates seabed erosion, with turbulence from large vessels impacting both the water column and marine habitats more than previously recognized. @NatureComms doi.org/hbn53p

#Shelterbelts in wet-farmed landscapes support some bird species but significantly reduce grassland and wetland bird diversity, highlighting the need for tailored habitat management strategies. @Hiroshima_Univ doi.org/hbn9zs

#Ancient DNA indicates that hunter-gatherer communities in Europe's lowlands maintained their way of life and genetic legacy until 2500 BCE, with women playing a key role in cultural transitions. @HuddersfieldUni @Nature doi.org/hbn735

#The human chin is unique among primates and likely exists as an evolutionary byproduct, not as a direct adaptation, offering insight into how random processes shape anatomy. @PLOSONE doi.org/hbn72k

#On average, adults experience passionate love about twice in their lifetime, with only minor differences across age, gender, or sexual orientation, highlighting its rarity and universality. @kinseyinstitute doi.org/hbn7gt

#A single elephant #Bone discovered in Córdoba, Spain, offers the first direct physical evidence of war elephants in Western Europe during the Punic Wars, aligning with historical accounts. doi.org/hbnscc