A new study by University of Utah biologists taps data from 22,000 birds captured at Bonderman Field Station near Moab to reveal changes in how they replace their feathers. Climate change is not just disrupting songbirds’ breeding and migration schedules. The timing of their fall molt is occurring earlier every year.

Proteins are among the most studied molecules in biology, yet new research from the University of Göttingen shows they can still hold surprising secrets. Researchers have discovered previously undetected chemical bonds within archived protein structures, revealing an unexpected complexity in protein chemistry. These newly identified nitrogen-oxygen-sulphur (NOS) linkages broaden our understanding of how proteins respond to oxidative stress, a condition where harmful oxygen-based molecules build up and can damage proteins, DNA, and other essential parts of the cell. The new findings were published in Communications Chemistry.

As global warming alters ecosystems, the need to predict the reorganization of Earth’s biodiversity has become urgent. New research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America May 20, suggests that neglecting the ecological differences between male and female plants can lead to inaccurate biodiversity forecasts. The study led by Jacob Moutouama, a postdoctoral research associate at Rice University and lead author, highlights the need to refine biodiversity forecasts to account for the sex-specific responses to Earth’s rapidly changing climate.

A new species of copepod crustacean has been discovered in the Roadside Cave in Bermuda, marking the first find of its genus in the country. The species is the only member of the Tetragoniceps genus to be found living in caves, and the team believes it could represent an ancient, early-diverging member of its evolutionary lineage. The researchers recommend formal protection of the cave to help preserve the unique fauna found within.

A team of researchers led by Thomas Richards at the University of Oxford, UK, studied the properties of membranes to understand how these cellular structures influenced the chemistry of life on earth as it began. The researchers published their findings on May 20^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.