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Stories from Elizabeth Gamillo

Scientists found the smell ranked the most pleasant regardless of cultural background was vanilla.

The World’s Favorite Scent Is Vanilla, According to Science

Some smells are perceived as more pleasant than others, which means preferences for certain odors could have evolutionary roots in our past

Out of the deer tested in Iowa between September 2020 and January 2021, a third of total white-tailed deer had SARS-coV-2.

Wildlife Biologists Prioritize Monitoring Wild Animals for SARS-CoV-2

The Covid-19 pandemic is driven by human-to-human transmission, but the virus is known to infect animal species

The Hubble Space Telescope detected Earendel after homing in on a magnified streak of light boosted by a nearby galaxy.

Hubble Telescope Spots the Most Distant Star Ever Detected in Outer Space

The star, nicknamed Earendel, is 28 billion light-years from Earth

Bats, rodents, hedgehogs, and shrews are mammals among the orders that are predicted to have the most undescribed mammals. (Pictured: a bicolored shrew)

Study Finds Hundreds of Mammals Are Waiting to Be Discovered

New species may be hidden in areas that have more comprehensive geographic ranges with high variability in temperature and precipitation

After analyzing the DNA of 50 domestic cats, researchers identified regions along the two genes that code for Fel d 1 that the team could cut and edit with CRISPR.

Researchers Are Closer to Creating Hypoallergenic Cats Using CRISPR Technology

The allergen-causing protein Fel d 1 was removed from feline cells using the gene-editing tool

Researchers turned to Mercury for the possibility of impact-born diamonds because previous surveys of the planet and molten rock found that the surface may have fragments of graphite, a carbon-rich mineral.

Mercury’s Cratered Crust May Hold Glittering Gemstones

Fragments of a graphite shell from the planet’s past and a series of violent meteorite impacts may have combined to form sparkling diamonds

Vampire bats are found in caves and forests throughout Central and South America and often prey on livestock at night for a quick bite.  

Missing Genes Allow Vampire Bats to Survive on All-Blood Diets

Genes linked to taste receptors, insulin secretions, and stomach were absent in the flying mammals

The near-complete dinosaur fossil was sold at auction at Christie's to an anonymous buyer in October 2020 and many speculated that the dinosaur was lost to science.

Stan the T. Rex Will Be the Star of a New Museum in Abu Dhabi

The natural history museum will chronicle the story of the universe and life on Earth with a focus on the Arabian Peninsula’s flora and fauna

Researchers chose to focus on lettuce because the plant has been grown numerous times aboard the International Space Station and would provide a way for astronauts to eat fresh greens besides only canned and freeze-dried foods.  

Genetically Modified Lettuce May One Day Help Space Travelers Fight Bone Loss

The vegetable could provide fresh leafy greens to astronauts’ diet while providing a new way to transport and consume medications in the cosmos

Each sensor is unique in size and ranges between 10 to 50 milliliters in diameter and weighs about 30 milligrams.

Tiny, Solar-Powered Sensors Fly Through the Air Like Dandelion Seeds

The battery-free devices could be used to gather environmental data over long distances and provide insights into an ecosystem’s health

The moons appear as two blurry dots located close together in the upper right area of the image. Io, seen as a darker speck on the left of the two dots, is the most volcanically active world in the solar system. Europa is seen on the right and features a global ocean beneath its icy surface. 

Citizen Scientist Captures Glimpse of Jupiter’s Moons, Io and Europa, Using Juno Space Probe Data

The natural satellites are seen in the distant background of the gas giant’s portrait

Because of shore development and its heavily populated coastal cities, the Persian Gulf was one of the areas with the most light pollution.

First Global Atlas Reveals How Deep Artificial Light at Night Goes Underwater

Offshore development and coastal city lights negatively impact many marine species

Emerald ash borers are already predicted to kill all ash trees in more than 6,000 urban areas.

1.4 Million Urban Trees May Fall to Invasive Insects by 2050

It could cost 30 million a year to replace infected trees in areas hardest hit by the non-native species

Entomologists obtained and synthesized the pheromone by swabbing various virgin giant hornet queens captured in Yunnan, China.

Scientists Are Using Sex Pheromones to Lure in Murder Hornets

The method may be the best way to eliminate the insects from non-native habitats

For decades, researchers and divers have observed curious and intelligent octopi utilize oceanic pollution as tools or taking up residence in glass bottles.

Octopuses Are Reusing Human Trash as Shelter

In crowdsourced images, the cephalopods were observed making refuse their home, even using the junk as a place to lay eggs

The rose-veiled fairy wrasse is the first Maldivian fish to be described by a local scientist. Pictured: a male rose-veiled fairy wrasse

New Rainbow-Colored, Deep-Sea Fish Officially Described by Scientists in the Maldives

The new-to-science species was named after roses, the Maldivian national flower

This image of a leopard seal about to chomp down on a Gentoo penguin won gold in the "Behavior—Mammals" category. It is also the grand prize winner of the World Nature Photography Awards.  

A Penguin Faces Death by Leopard Seal in Jaw-Dropping Grand Prize Image

Winners in this year’s World Nature Photography Awards were selected for 14 different categories varying by species and habitat

A flashy jewel bug butt. 

Science Twitter’s ‘InverteButt Week’ Puts Backsides on Display

The behinds of spineless organisms are diverse among species and serve a multitude of purposes beyond expelling waste

Even at thresholds of sodium chloride that were considered safe at 230 milligrams of chloride per liter of water in the U.S. to 120 milligrams of chloride per liter in Canada, researchers found a significant loss of zooplankton populations an increase in algae.  

Road Salt Pollution Levels Deemed Safe in U.S. and Canada May Not Protect Freshwater Ecosystems Enough

At current thresholds, salinization can kill off zooplankton, a crucial microorganism at the center of many food webs

Researchers suspect that breeding is a possibility because of how close the narwhal is to the pod of belugas.

Adopted Lone Narwhal Traveling Among Belugas Could Produce Narluga Calves

The mammal, now reaching sexual maturity, could mate soon, giving researchers more insight into the previously elusive hybrid animals

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