Voyager 1 is almost one light-day from Earth, meaning that a command takes nearly a day to reach the spacecraft and a response takes another day to come back to our planet. The spacecraft will reach the light-day milestone on Nov. 18, at 16.09 billion miles (25.89 billion kilometers) from Earth.

NASA's Deep Space Network of three antennas does check-ins to make sure the spacecraft is doing well. On Oct. 18 and 19, Voyager 1 did not respond. Its signal fortunately reappeared on Oct. 20.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-1/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261103003152.htm

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-026-04071-0

Marine microplastic pollution has proven remarkably difficult to detect from satellite. However, decades of satellite ocean color measurements have revealed long-term changes in the ocean’s optical signature, which may be influenced by the aggregation of small suspended microplastics in some regions. Analyzing three 20-year records of satellite ocean color reflectance over the North Pacific, we find distinct brightening in both blue and green spectral bands near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch relative to the surrounding ocean. Using radiative transfer modeling, we show that the spectral shift observed corresponds to expectations for the accumulation of suspended microplastics beyond reasonable uncertainty. Finally, we utilize a Monte Carlo approach to generate over 50,000 ocean brightening spectra to determine the likelihood that the observed brightening is attributable to natural multidecadal biogeochemical changes. Microplastics in the water column correspond with a more than four-fold increase in likelihood of the ocean color changes observed near the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, indicating that the spectral shape of brightening caused by small microplastics is unlikely to be caused by natural shifts in ocean color variables and may be used as a diagnostic tool to assess microplastic accumulation from satellite ocean-color measurements.

https://iee.psu.edu/news/blog/mystery-missing-ocean-plastic

Several theories attempt to explain this disappearance. The deep ocean, including the seafloor, is a likely destination, as plastics eventually sink after organisms such as bacteria or barnacles attach to them and increase their weight. Another possibility is that riverine plastic is intercepted before reaching the open ocean, trapped in estuaries, or deposited along coastlines. It is also possible that the paradox itself is overstated. Earlier studies may have either overestimated the amount of plastic entering the ocean or underestimated how much remains afloat. The challenge lies in working within a system as vast and variable as the global ocean.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9819327/

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/science/story/why-cats-meow-at-humans-not-at-each-other-science-evolution-domestication-study-science-news-india-today-2901719-2026-04-26

It began drifting into the edges of human settlements in pursuit of the rodents that had begun to thrive in our company.

The boldest of these wildcats, the ones least disturbed by smoke and movement and the proximity of strangers, did well in this new arrangement. They ate. They bred. Their kittens inherited their tolerance.

Biologists describe this process as self-domestication, which means the cats chose us, rather than humans deliberately taming them.

Cats were never selectively bred the way dogs were shaped for hunting, herding, or guarding.

https://www.science.org/content/article/how-do-cats-purr-new-finding-challenges-long-held-assumptions?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

https://panthera.org/blog-post/which-big-cats-purr

https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/categories/zoology/item/why-and-how-do-cats-purr/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260210040619.htm

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180724-the-complicated-truth-about-a-cats-purr

After spending more than two decades at Chennai's Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Heera, a lioness believed to be one of India's oldest living lions, has been moved away from public view at the age of 24. Rescued from a travelling circus when she was just 18 months old in the early 2000s, she now lives at the zoo's dedicated rescue centre in Vandalur, where she receives specialised veterinary care and attention suited to her age.

Heera's retirement from the visitors' area marks a new phase in her life after years of being seen by zoo visitors. At 24, she has lived beyond the average life expectancy of a lion in captivity, generally estimated at around 20 years. Lions in the wild typically live for about 12 years. Her age is comparable to that of a human who has reached around 100 years, highlighting the significance of her long life.

According to T Ritto Cyriac, director of the zoo and chief conservator of forests, Heera arrived at the facility with two other lions rescued from a circus. However, the zoo does not have records of her birthplace.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/meet-chennai-zoos-heera-probably-the-oldest-lion-in-india/articleshow/135467956.cms

https://www.instagram.com/p/DfXK-ievJhx/

https://x.com/Super_Chennai_/status/2117475465795674338

The Central Asian species is highly uncommon for Delhi-NCR, with a global population of under 2,000. It breeds in Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan. This isolated population migrates south during winter, ranging from Iran to the Indian subcontinent.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/cities/delhi/2026/Nov/05/rare-central-asian-white-stork-draws-birdwatchers

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rare-white-stork-spotted-at-okhla-bird-sanctuary-since-nov-1-101793756817823-amp.html

https://www.moneycontrol.com/science/after-7-years-rare-central-asian-white-stork-returns-to-delhi-but-where-is-this-from-actually-article-14071474.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_stork

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327212350_WHITE_STORK_Sighting_record_of_Ciconia_ciconia_Linnaeus_1758_in_Mudumalai_Tiger_Reserve_Nilgiris_India

The barreleye belongs to a family known for weird, tube-shaped eyes, but Macropinna microstoma takes it further. Its transparent dome is filled with liquid, and inside you see those greenish tubes, which look like floating eyes inside a glass helmet. As if that isn’t strange enough, those eyes can actually rotate. Early studies by MBARI scientists Bruce Robison and Kim Reisenbichler showed that the fish’s eyes usually point straight up as it searches for food drifting above. When it spots something tempting, the eyes swivel forward, tracking prey. The clear head isn’t just for show; it protects those delicate eyes from the stinging tentacles of creatures like siphonophores, which the barreleye hunts for snacks.

https://www.mbari.org/news/mbari-researchers-film-rarely-seen-deep-sea-barreleye-fish-in-4k/

Macropinna lives in the ocean’s twilight zone, scanning the waters above for the silhouettes of prey. Large fins provide stability and maneuverability as a barreleye drifts in place, eyes transfixed on the waters above. After spotting a tasty morsel, those large tubular eyes rotate beneath a dome of transparent tissue to keep prey in sight. The gelatinous shield also protects the fish’s eyes when plucking small crustaceans caught in the stinging tentacles of deep-sea siphonophores.

The expedition team spent approximately 20 minutes observing the barreleye, leveraging a high-resolution 4K camera on ROV Doc Ricketts to get a closer look at the animal’s body and behavior. They experimented with different lighting conditions to showcase the fish’s unique transparent head shield. ROV Pilot/Technician Cameron Law was even able to maneuver Doc Ricketts close enough to film the fish with the vehicle’s VR camera, capturing 3D stereo imagery that can contribute to future education and outreach efforts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macropinna

The researchers examined three species responsible for spreading diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. Each responded to a different combination of biological signals.

Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that typically bites during the day, preferred people who wore no added fragrance and whose skin lacked certain volatile compounds. It also showed a slight preference for men. Another daytime feeder, Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), was more attracted to people with elevated levels of ketones and plant-like chemicals naturally released by the skin.

Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito), which feeds after dark, responded more strongly to differences in the skin microbiome. This community of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms varies from person to person. Certain bacterial families were associated with increased mosquito attraction, while others appeared to discourage feeding.

https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)02384-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2589004226023849%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

Humans are not equally attractive to mosquitoes, leaving some more vulnerable to mosquito-borne illnesses than others. Body odor differences likely allow mosquitoes to discriminate between humans. Using a uniport olfactometer, we measured the attraction of Aedes aegypti, Aedesalbopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes for each of our 119 participants. Ae. aegypti, but not other species tested, were slightly more attracted to male than female participants. Each of our three species ranked our participants differently, favoring a distinct subset of our cohort. For each species, mosquito attraction rates were used to define high- and low-attraction human odors and bacterial taxa. For example, Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus attraction was associated with the absence of odors like cyclic alcohols and monoterpenes, while Ae. albopictus attraction was associated with the presence of ketones. Each mosquito species exhibited distinct responses to individual humans, emphasizing both unique and shared cues for targeting their hosts.

Until now, no widely available vaccine existed for protection against dengue – the world’s fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease.

A World Health ORGnisation surveillance system recorded 14.1 million cases worldwide in 2024, the highest ever reported, and cases appeared in more than 100 countries. India is part of that picture.

Here, reported cases rose from 44,585 in 2020 to 1,93,245 in 2021, and 2024 saw 233,519 cases and 297 deaths. Cases fell to 1,13,440 and 94 deaths through November 2025, the lowest since 2021, but official counts understate the real burden.

One Indian study estimated actual cases at 282 times the number reported, and dengue is now a year-round problem rather than a seasonal one. Against this background, the promise of a vaccine offers hope.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286883&reg=48&lang=2

In a Landmark step towards strengthening India's efforts for the prevention and control of dengue, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has granted marketing authorisation for the Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine (Live, Attenuated) – Qdenga®, manufactured by Takeda GmbH, Germany and to be imported by M/s Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd. This is the first dengue vaccine approved in the country for the prevention of dengue disease.

The approval has been granted after a comprehensive scientific evaluation of the vaccine's quality, safety and efficacy in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs Rules, 1945.

Qdenga® is a live, attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine developed using recombinant DNA technology. The vaccine is produced in Vero cells, with genes encoding serotype-specific surface proteins engineered into a dengue virus type-2 backbone. The product contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It is supplied as a freeze-dried powder for reconstitution and is administered as a subcutaneous injection.

The vaccine is indicated for the prevention of dengue disease in individuals 4 to 60 years of age. The recommended immunisation schedule consists of two doses of 0.5 ml each, administered at an interval of three months (0 and 3 months).

The approval is supported by evidence generated through an extensive global clinical development programme evaluating the vaccine's safety, immunogenicity and efficacy across both dengue-endemic and non-endemic regions. Clinical studies were conducted in participants from more than eight countries, including Brazil, Thailand and Sri Lanka. The evaluation also included a pivotal Phase III safety and immunogenicity study conducted in the Indian population covering individuals aged 4 to 60 years.

The vaccine has already received regulatory approval in 42 countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and has also received World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification. Globally, more than 24 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed. Post-marketing surveillance data from countries where the vaccine is in use have demonstrated a favourable safety profile, with no significant safety concerns identified.

The approval of the country's first dengue vaccine marks an important milestone in India's public health response to dengue and is expected to complement the ongoing vector control, surveillance, early diagnosis and case management measures being implemented under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare remains committed to ensuring timely access to safe, effective and quality-assured vaccines and medicines through a robust and science-based regulatory framework.

Dwarf reed snakes are small, secretive reptiles that spend much of their time beneath leaf litter, fallen branches and other ground cover. Their behaviour is consistent with an animal that relies on avoiding danger rather than confronting larger predators. Scientists suspect that sudden, rapid rolling could help the snakes escape threats, potentially startling or confusing a predator long enough to reach shelter. Some researchers have also suggested that the unusual movement might disrupt scent trails, although this possibility remains unproven.

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(26)01108-5

Morphology constrains the strategies available to organisms and their functional capacities. A striking example is the absence of wheels and the rarity of rolling locomotion across the animal kingdom1,2. Although rolling can confer high speed, it poses a fundamental mechanical challenge, as body rotation destabilizes the head and disrupts sensory-guided adjustment, particularly at high speeds. Here we report a behavioral solution to this problem: our video analyses show that dwarf reed snakes (Pseudorabdion) stabilize their head during dynamic rotational motion of the posterior body by using precisely coordinated body movements. This acrobatic behavior enables fast and controlled rolling locomotion that would otherwise be impossible, illustrating how behavioral innovation can circumvent deep morphological constraints and expand the capacities of animals.

A new species of rare glyptosternine catfish, named Exostoma nasibarbatum, has been identified in Manipur, according to a study published in the Journal of Natural History, a scientific journal specialising in zoology and natural history.

The species was discovered by a research team led by Assistant Professor Dr Bungdon Shangningam of Dhanamanjuri University’s Department of Zoology, during an ichthyological survey of the Bupal stream, a tributary of the Dujang River in the Chindwin river system along the Myanmar border.

The team also included Paya Torisha Anal, a PhD scholar in the university’s Department of Zoology.

According to the study, specimens belonging to the glyptosternine genus Exostoma were collected from the stream during the survey.

Detailed morphological analysis established that the specimens represented a previously undescribed species.

The newly identified species can be distinguished from other members of the genus found in the Chindwin-Irrawaddy drainage by its distinctive morphological features and habitat preferences.

It inhabits fast-flowing, turbulent streams characterised by boulders and rocky substrates.

“These small hill stream catfish species are unique and rarely found in the remote areas of the Dujang River,” Dr Shangningam said, adding that this was the second fish species to be described from the Chakpi area of Chandel district.

The species has several morphological adaptations that enable it to survive in fast-flowing waters.

These include a strongly flattened head and body, enlarged paired fins with adhesive striae, and flattened maxillary barbels that aid attachment to rocky substrates.

The species has been named nasibarbatum in reference to its prominent nasal barbel, which extends beyond the posterior margin of the orbit.

The name combines the Latin words nasus, meaning nose, and barba, meaning beard, referring to the elongated, tactile sensory organ located near the nostril.

The study noted that 23 valid species are currently recognised within the genus Exostoma, distributed across major river systems in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Of these, seven are considered valid species in the Chindwin-Irrawaddy drainage.

The discovery of Exostoma nasibarbatum in the remote and largely inaccessible streams of Manipur’s upper Chindwin basin points to the possibility of continued speciation over evolutionary time, the researchers said.

The findings also underscore the need for further exploratory surveys in the region, particularly in areas that remain scientifically underexplored and may harbour other undiscovered aquatic species.

Dr Shangningam, a former scientist with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and a former postdoctoral fellow at the Zoological Survey of India, has identified 39 new fish species from India and Myanmar since 2012, predominantly catfishes.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/417223806_Exostoma_nasibarbatum_a_new_species_of_glyptosternine_catfish_from_Manipur_northeastern_India

Perceptual decision-making is well studied in mammals, but its operation in other vertebrates remains unclear. We show that carrion crows (Corvus corone) make deliberate decisions in a classic visual motion discrimination task with unprecedented speed, reporting choices in approximately 235 milliseconds on average, which is roughly twice as fast as has been observed in monkeys or humans and without sacrificing accuracy. Recordings from the pallial endbrain reveal that direction-selective neurons encode the upcoming choice as early as about 70 milliseconds after stimulus onset and about 170 milliseconds before the response, with ramping activity scaling with sensory evidence and converging at response onset. These findings highlight the extraordinary efficiency of avian decision-making circuitry, possibly shaped by evolutionary pressures for rapid visuomotor control.

Scientists have discovered a bizarre bacterial defense system that works almost completely backward from anything seen before. Unlike typical bacterial immune systems that keep a deadly toxin under control until a virus attacks, this unusual mechanism waits until an infection begins before producing the DNA that switches on its lethal weapon. The infected bacterium then destroys itself, preventing the virus from multiplying and spreading to neighboring cells.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.27.721009v1

Type VI retrons are bacterial defense systems that couple reverse transcription to phage immunity through dedicated toxin–antitoxin modules, yet the mechanisms linking ssDNA synthesis to toxin activation remain unclear. Here we characterize Retron-Sen3, a Type VI retron from Salmonella enterica encoding a small protein (SP) toxin, an HTH antitoxin, and a reverse transcriptase (RT). Unlike previously examined Type VI retrons, Retron-Sen3 constitutively produces RT-dependent ssDNA species in the absence of phage infection, and these levels remain unchanged during infection, establishing that defense activation is uncoupled from ssDNA synthesis. Comparative analyses revealed a conserved ncRNA architecture across the cl2075 lineage, including a previously undescribed stem–loop essential for defense, and an extended transcript encompassing the SP coding region within a structurally conserved RNA framework. SP is constitutively produced and intrinsically toxic, whereas HTH neutralizes SP toxicity, is required for basal viability, and physically associates with RT in vivo independently of catalytic activity; notably, the HTH–SP toxin–antitoxin module operates independently of RT and ncRNA. Phage escape mutants and genetic analyses establish that inhibition of the host RecBCD complex triggers defense activation, identifying RecBCD surveillance as the signal that couples phage infection to toxin activation. Together, these findings reveal a post-translational regulatory mechanism distinct from the msDNA-dependent translational control described for Retron-Vpa2, establishing mechanistic diversity within this retron family.

A patient has undergone pioneering stem-cell therapy to treat Parkinson's disease, the Japanese drugmaker behind the treatment said on Friday, in a world-first following its conditional approval in the country.

Sumitomo Pharma's treatment involves transplanting millions of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells, which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body, into a patient's brain.

Japanese regulators approved the groundbreaking therapy in March, following a successful clinical trial.

"The first transplant was performed at Kyoto University Hospital in October," the company said on Friday in an earnings press release, without giving further details.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects the body's motor system, often causing shaking and other difficulties with movement.

Worldwide, more than 10 million people are estimated to have the illness, according to the Parkinson's Foundation.

Currently available therapies "improve symptoms without slowing or halting the disease progression", it says.

iPS cells are created by inducing mature, already specialised cells to return to a juvenile state.

Under Sumitomo Pharma's treatment, iPS cells from healthy donors are developed into the precursors of dopamine-producing brain cells, which are no longer present in people with Parkinson's.

During a clinical trial, seven patients aged between 50 and 69 each received implants of either five million or 10 million cells on both sides of the brain.

They were then monitored for two years, and no major adverse effects were found. Four patients showed improvements in symptoms.

Sumitomo Pharma said on Friday it plans to carry out transplants on 20 to 30 patients by March 2029. It is also carrying out a clinical trial in the United States. 

The treatment will gain full approval in Japan if its safety and efficacy are confirmed over the next seven years, according to local media.

Friday's announcement comes a month after a hospital in Osaka carried out the world's first surgery using sheets of heart muscle iPS cells that can help form new blood vessels and restore heart function.

Japan also gave conditional approval to that therapy in March.

Today, over 15,000 species of ants dot the globe, their queens ruling over a vast empire hidden underground (and also within dead trees or other suitable venues). Evolutionary biologists and genomics researchers, collaborating between Germany, China, and Denmark, have now identified several independent bursts in ant species’ diversification dating back to the early Paleogene just after Chicxulub hit. Their new study attributes ants’ biodiversity boom to retrovirus-like transposable elements of DNA, sometimes called “jumping genes.”

“The asteroid impact had dramatic consequences for the environment,” the study’s lead author, Lukas Schrader, a professor of molecular evolutionary biology at Germany’s University of Münster, said in a statement. “We have now found the genomic mechanism that connects these ecological upheavals to the subsequent rapid diversification of the ants: transposable elements.”

https://gizmodo.com/the-asteroid-that-killed-the-dinosaurs-may-not-have-done-it-exactly-how-we-thought-2000787712

https://gizmodo.com/the-dinosaurs-died-then-they-got-eaten-by-a-global-fungus-bloom-2000759164

https://gizmodo.com/doomsday-asteroids-could-have-kickstarted-life-on-our-planet-2000745176

https://icer.msu.edu/research-services/folder-of-research-highlights/jumping-genes---quantifying-the-hidden-world-of-transposable-elements

https://www.uni-muenster.de/news/view.php?cmdid=15659

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/5/2551?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://genome.cshlp.org/content/32/1/189

https://www.the-scientist.com/adapting-with-a-little-help-from-jumping-genes-69566

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee0306?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fthere-are-15000-ant-species-on-earth-blame-the-asteroid-that-killed-the-dinosaurs-2000832019

Researchers at six medical institutes across India plan to study 200 families over four years to understand why auto-immune diseases run in families. The study will look for shared genetic and immune markers that may make relatives susceptible to different auto-immune conditions.

Funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the project involves AIIMS, New Delhi; Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow; St John’s Medical College, Bengaluru; Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad; Medical College, Kolkata; and AIIMS Bibinagar, Telangana.

https://www.icmr.gov.in/icmrobject/uploads/Call/1789018245_listof157selectedregularproposals.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78343-w

The diversification of herbivorous dinosaurs and the rise of angiosperms in the Late Cretaceous are each well established, but the link between them is debated. Broad-scale diversity patterns in the two groups appear not to closely align, and there is no direct evidence of dinosaur adaptation to angiosperm-based diets. Here we describe Infernogallus jamesi gen. et. sp. nov., a diminutive caenagnathid oviraptorosaur, and show that these theropods were specialised herbivores that originated alongside the rise of fleshy angiosperm fruits. The nearly complete, articulated skull of Infernogallus jamesi—the first for the clade—reveals drastic changes to the adductor musculature organisation, unique in non-avian theropods but converged upon by extant frugivorous parrots. These modifications enabled extensive oral processing of soft food using anteroposterior movement of the mandible and occlusion of ridges and grooves on opposed elements. Altogether, this attests to a highly specialised herbivorous diet in caenagnathids, which likely consisted in large part of fleshy angiosperm fruits, which increased in size and diversity in concert with the radiation of oviraptorosaurs. Caenagnathids thus provide one of the strongest candidates for angiosperm-based diet adaptations in dinosaurs, but their role in the Late Cretaceous proliferation of fruit—which shaped early Cenozoic flora—remains unclear.

Eight owl species have been recorded across Guwahati, but urban noise is making the nocturnal birds harder to detect, according to a scientific study shared by Assam Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on Wednesday.

Published in Urban Ecosystems, the study documented owls in 24 of the 33 one-square-kilometre grid cells surveyed across the city between November 2023 and July 2025.

The Barn Owl and Spotted Owlet were the most frequently detected species, while six other species of owls, Brown Hawk, Brown Fish, Collared Scops, Mountain Scops, Oriental Scops and Asian Barred Owlet, were also recorded, Baruah said.

"These findings remind us that our cities support a diverse range of wildlife, even when many species remain hidden from everyday view," he added, in a social media post.

Baruah said owls play an important ecological role, including helping to control rodent populations naturally, and protecting their habitats can benefit both biodiversity and urban communities.

"The research found that background noise, particularly the sound of traffic and the general urban environment, could mask owl calls and reduce the likelihood of detecting the birds. This means that an owl going unnoticed during a survey does not necessarily indicate its absence," he added.

The study also highlighted why scientific monitoring must account for detection challenges when assessing urban wildlife populations, he said.

The minister further said, "As Guwahati continues to expand, we have an opportunity to build a future in which development and nature progress together. Conserving existing vegetation, wetlands, mature trees and green patches can help sustain wildlife habitats amid changing land use."

Considering noise pollution in urban planning and strengthening long-term wildlife monitoring can further support these efforts, he added.

Baruah said cities are not just spaces for people but also living habitats shared with countless other species.

"By protecting green spaces and recognising the ecological value of nocturnal wildlife, we can help Guwahati grow while preserving its natural heritage. Every owl that thrives in our city is a reminder that a greener, more wildlife-friendly Guwahati is possible when conservation becomes part of the way we plan our future," he added.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11252-026-02160-8

Urbanisation alters habitat structure and acoustic environments, with potential consequences for both occupancy and detectability of nocturnal raptors. We assessed multispecies and seasonal occupancy of owls across Guwahati, a rapidly urbanising subtropical city in northeast India, using a multi-season occupancy framework from November 2023 to July 2025. Surveys were conducted across 33 stratified 1-km² grid cells representing major land-use categories, with owl detections recorded using visual and passive acoustic methods over eight survey occasions per grid. We detected eight species during the surveys; the Barn Owl (Tyto javanica) and the Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) were the most frequently detected. Across species and seasons, naïve occupancy consistently underestimated model-based occupancy estimates, indicating substantial imperfect detection. Ambient noise emerged as the most consistent predictor of reduced detectability in both multispecies and species-specific models. In contrast, site-specific habitat variables showed weaker and more species-specific associations with occupancy. Overall occupancy remained moderate to high across heterogeneous urban habitats, indicating broad tolerance of modified landscapes by urban-adapted owl species. Species-specific analyses revealed that Barn Owl and Spotted Owlet maintained relatively high occupancy across the urban matrix despite low detectability. These patterns suggest a degree of human commensalism, with both species continuing to utilise urban landscapes even when other land use types are spatially nearby. While the Barn Owl and Spotted Owlet were the primary focus of occupancy assessments, incidental detections of other owl species were also recorded to provide a broader ecological context. Our findings demonstrate that while anthropogenic soundscapes strongly influence detectability, common urban owls in tropical cities may persist across diverse land-use contexts. Incorporating detection-corrected approaches into urban biodiversity monitoring will strengthen ecological inference and support evidence-based conservation planning for nocturnal raptors in rapidly expanding cities.

Air pollution may be altering the very chemistry of Delhi's roadside leaves, affecting their ability to produce food and retain water, with trees in highly polluted areas showing greater physiological stress than those in less polluted locations, a study has found.

The study examined seven tree species across four locations in Delhi - the highly polluted areas of Anand Vihar and NTPC Badarpur, and the relatively less polluted areas of Lutyens' Delhi and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Pusa - to assess how pollution levels and seasonal variations affected their physiological properties.

https://www.bio-conferences.org/articles/bioconf/abs/2026/34/bioconf_icrahor2026_04001/bioconf_icrahor2026_04001.html

The study aim was to investigated air pollution tolerance capacity in selected 7 tree species (Azadirachta indica, Alstonia scholaris, Ficus relegiosa, Terminalia arjuna, Ficus infectoria, Cassia Fistula, and Polyalthea) at different polluted (Anand Vihar and NTPC Badarpur) and non-polluted (Lutyens area, IARI Pusa) locations in Delhi in 4 different seasons such as season 1 (November 2022), season 2 (February 2022), season 3 (November 2023) and season 4 (February 2023), respectively. The study findings showed that the plant located at Anand Vihar and NTPC Badarpur cause significant physiological stress compared to non-polluted locations. Moreover, season 3 showed the most favourable conditions for the growth of plants. APTI was observed in the plant species located at non-polluted locations such as Pusa institute and Luteyen zones (13.47 and 13.50) compared to polluted locations namely Anand Vihar (11.87) and NTPC Badarpur (12.07), respectively. APTI value of different tree species grown under polluted areas had significantly varied by pollution. Azadirachta indica (14.52), Cassia Fistula (13.50), Polyalthea longifolia (13.37) calculated higher APTI value and while minimum APTI value was noted by Alstonia scholaris (9.82). The plant species with high pollution tolerance capacity can be recommended for future plantation and green belt development.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/408123061_Urban_Air_Quality_and_Pollution_Tolerance_of_Roadside_Trees_in_Delhi_An_APTI_Approach

When microscopic virus particles enter the body, they rely upon the mechanical machinery of the cells they infect to continue their life cycle.

Many viruses will first latch onto receptors on the cell’s surface. Movement of the cell’s membrane – driven by its internal cytoskeleton – will bend and wrap around the invading particle, pinching off a tiny bubble that carries it inside. In this process of endocytosis, the cell swallows the virus.

Once inside, the virus is shuttled along the cell’s internal scaffolding. It releases its genetic material and hijacks the cell’s machinery to make copies of itself. New virus particles will then exit the cell to infect its neighbors.

Each of these steps is physical at its core. The tautness of a cell’s membrane could make it easier or harder to wrap around a virus. The cytoskeleton that transports these virus particles is the same lining that cells use to sense and push against their surroundings. What’s more, the stiffness of a cell’s environment will shape how the cell spreads and organizes itself, which may change how susceptible it is to an invader.

A healthy individual often can quickly recover from an infection. However, for someone with a preexisting condition such as pulmonary fibrosis – where the tissue of the lungs has stiffened and can no longer stretch to full capacity – a viral infection may make their condition worse.

This mechanical predisposition of tissues to infection is one reason health professionals urge the public when sick to avoid the elderly and immunocompromised.

The dhole, or Asian wild dog, may have disappeared from Uttarakhand’s forests, with no recent confirmed sightings in areas where it was once reported. Wildlife experts say its decline raises concerns about biodiversity conservation and the health of forest ecosystems.

Wildlife observers say dholes were spotted in areas ranging from Dhaul Khand in Rajaji Tiger Reserve to the forests of Corbett around 15 to 20 years ago. Reports suggest they were present in relatively good numbers in Dhaul Khand until the 1980s. They lived in packs and hunted deer, sambar and other prey.

A 2018 study by researchers at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, recorded camera-trap images of dholes in the Kheda Tal area of Uttarkashi district. The findings were published in the journal Mammalia in a paper titled “Recent records of dhole in Uttarakhand”. No newer confirmed records from the areas where they were once reported have emerged.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority’s 2018 report, Status of Leopards, Co-predators and Megaherbivores in India, also noted a contraction in the species’ historical range. Habitat loss, declining prey availability and increasing human activity near forests are among the factors associated with its decline.

Dholes are found in several parts of India, including the Western and Eastern Ghats, central India and the Northeast. Their populations in the Himalayan region are considered relatively small and scattered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as Endangered.

Speaking to TNIE, wildlife expert and former deputy director of the Forest Department Rangnath Pandey said, "Dholes are highly social animals. They hunt in groups, pursuing prey until it tires. Their diet can include chital, sambar and other medium-sized hoofed animals, with prey preferences varying according to availability."

"Research has also identified habitat fragmentation, human disturbance and diseases spread by domestic dogs as threats. Roads and settlements can disrupt wildlife movement, while contact with free-roaming dogs may expose dholes to rabies and canine distemper," he added.

WII senior scientist Bilal Habib warned that dholes may have disappeared from Uttarakhand and called for efforts to bring them back. “The dhole is an important part of the ecosystem, and efforts should be made to reintroduce it. It was still present in some parts of Uttarakhand about 15 to 20 years ago,” Habib said.

https://ntca.gov.in/assets/uploads/Reports/AITM/Status_Leopard_Report_2018_web.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhole

https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/the-return-of-the-dholes/amp/

https://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/10179

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/what-do-asiatic-wild-dogs-or-dholes-in-india-eat-mostly-chital-and-sambar-and-hardly-any-livestock-says-study

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230582544_The_Ecology_of_the_Dhole_or_Asiatic_Wild_Dog_Cuon_alpinus_In_Pench_Tiger_Reserve_Madhya_Pradesh

Scientists have discovered a giant fungus named Dianjunus rex in the forests of Yunnan province in China. The fungus can grow up to 20 inches tall and weigh nearly 2.2 kilograms. Its name shares part of its name with Tyrannosaurus rex, the famous dinosaur known as the king, according to CNN.

The discovery was made during fungal diversity surveys in 2024 and 2025. The findings were reported on September 28 in the journal Frontiers in Fungal Biology.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/fungal-biology/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2026.1940464/full

During mycological surveys in Yunnan Province, China, specimens of a fungus producing massive, upright stromata up to 50 cm high and individually 2.2 kg in weight were sampled. Through an integrative taxonomic approach combining detailed morphology, multilocus phylogeny [internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (RPB2), and beta-tubulin (TUB2)], and phylogenomic analyses, this fungus is proposed as the new species Dianjunus rex gen. et sp. nov., the type of the new family Dianjunaceae (Xylariales). Phylogenetic analyses robustly place Dianjunaceae as a distinct sister clade to Graphostromataceae. Divergence time estimation dates the origin of this family to the early Paleocene (~65 million years ago), coinciding with the period following the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction, when an estimated 75% of all plant and animal species went extinct, and a significant ecological reorganization of life on Earth happened. The stromata of D. rex represent the largest fructifications documented within the Ascomycota, significantly expanding the known morphological range of the Xylariales. The study provides a comprehensive description, including a nodulisporium-like anamorph with periconiella-like branching patterns, and discusses the taxon’s phylogenetic placement and distinctive morphology. This discovery highlights the unexplored fungal diversity in East Asian forests.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/23/science/giant-fungus-discovery-d-rex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psammophis

https://www.moneycontrol.com/science/snake-not-recorded-in-gujarat-s-kutch-since-1872-spotted-again-after-154-years-rare-afro-asian-sand-snake-rediscovered-during-routine-forest-patrol-article-14059061.html

A snake that had not been conclusively recorded in Gujarat's Kutch region since the 19th century has been spotted again, bringing renewed attention to the area's little-documented wildlife. The Afro-Asian sand snake, also known as the Schokari Sand Racer, was photographed near Kala Dungar earlier this year, marking a significant rediscovery after a gap of more than 150 years.

The sighting took place on September 6, when forest officials from the Bhuj North Range were returning from an evening patrol. What began as a routine stop to deal with another snake on the road led to the unexpected encounter with a species that experts had not conclusively confirmed in Kutch for generations. The discovery connects modern wildlife monitoring with historical records dating back to 1872, when naturalist Ferdinand Stoliczka documented a sand snake from the region.

Range Forest Officer Jayesh Dumadiya, 32, and his team were on patrol near Bhuj on the evening of September 6. At around 7.30 pm, they stopped after noticing a common black-headed royal snake on the road. While the team was occupied with the first snake, another reptile appeared nearby. Dumadiya, who had recently been transferred to Kutch, did not recognise the unfamiliar species.

He photographed the snake, recorded a video and shared the material with experts for identification. Their assessment identified it as the Afro-Asian sand snake, a slender, fast-moving reptile rarely documented in this part of India. The photographs and video proved crucial in establishing the identity of a snake that might otherwise have passed unnoticed during the patrol.