This is a new plugin that I wrote so that I could share some of my online readings with visitors. Please consider it pre-alpha as I am still working on the code.
Inkscape 1.4.4 SVG Editor Released with a New Palette, Performance Improvements – 9to5Linux
Inkscape 1.4.4 open-source SVG editor is now available for download with a new palette, performance improvements,and bug fixes.
A comprehensive phylogenomic framework for cycads (Cycadales)
Here we present a time-calibrated phylogeny of 346 cycad accessions, covering ≈86% of the 380 accepted species, across all 10 extant genera, inferred from 1,409 single-copy nuclear loci (411,345 amino acid sites) derived from transcriptome and g...
Phylogenetic analyses reveal the shady history of C4 grasses
Grasslands cover more than 20% of the Earth's terrestrial surface, and their rise to dominance is one of the most dramatic events of biome evolution in Earth history. Grasses possess two main photosynthetic pathways: the C3 pathway that is typical of most plants and a specialized C4 pathway that minimizes photorespiration and thus increases photosynthetic performance in high-temperature and/or low-CO2 environments. C4 grasses dominate tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and C3 grasses dominate the world's cooler temperate grassland regions. This striking pattern has been attributed to C4 physiology, with the implication that the evolution of the pathway enabled C4 grasses to persist in warmer climates than their C3 relatives. ......
The Origins of C4 Grasslands: Integrating Evolutionary and Ecosystem Science
The evolution of grasses using C4 photosynthesis and their sudden rise to ecological dominance 3 to 8 million years ago is among the most dramatic examples of biome assembly in the geological record. A growing body of work suggests that the patterns and drivers of C4 grassland expansion were considerably more complex than originally assumed. Previous research has benefited substantially from dialog between geologists and ecologists, but current research must now integrate fully with phylogenetics. A synthesis of grass evolutionary biology with grassland ecosystem science will further our knowledge of the evolution of traits that promote dominance in grassland systems and will provide a new context in which to evaluate the relative importance of C4 photosynthesis in transforming ecosystems across large regions of Earth.
Enantiornithes
If you find a bird bone in deposits from the Cretaceous period (145–66 million years ago), chances are it will belong to an enantiornithine bird. This extinct group of birds was mostly arboreal and dominated terrestrial environments from 130 to 66 million years ago. With approximately 90 known genera, they account for more than half of the known diversity of Mesozoic birds. Yet, despite apparently out-competing birds more closely related to living species in most Cretaceous continental environments, enantiornithines mysteriously went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous, alongside all other non-neornithine (crown-bird) dinosaurs.
Challenging misconceptions — the positive impact of elephants on savanna dynamics – Conservation Action Trust
BIODIVERSITY Challenging misconceptions — the positive impact of elephants on savanna dynamics Elephants have a bad rap for pushing over trees, and in the background, there are debates about carrying capacity and culling. But how much of a probl...
Long-term elephant impacts in fenced reserves
A study from Nelson Mandela University, published on 11 August 2025 in Biotropica, has revealed that high densities of elephants and medium-sized browsers like impala in fenced reserves utilise several species of trees extensively.
NASA’s powerful Roman Space Telescope is about to transform astronomy
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now aiming for an earlier launch in September 2026. Designed to explore dark matter, dark energy, and distant exoplanets, the telescope will capture massive, ultra-detailed surveys of the cosmos using ...
Paleontology rocked by discovery of organic molecules in 66-million-year-old dinosaur bones
Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence that dinosaur fossils may still contain traces of their original proteins, overturning a long-standing belief that fossilization destroys all organic material. In a remarkably well-preserved Edmontosau...
The two oxpecker species reveal the role of movement rates and foraging intensity in species coexistence
The two Buphagus oxpecker species are specialized passerines that forage for ticks and other food particles on the body of ungulates in the African savannahs. One of their intriguing features is their ability to coexist despite sharing the same, specialized diet.
An updated classification of growth forms in non-geniculate coralline algae (Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta)
The current challenge of defining growth forms in the non‐geniculate coralline red algae was addressed. Since the 19th century, those who have worked on this large and globally distributed group of algae have tried to summarize and systematically describe their growth forms. ...
How the Ampelomeryx grew: Discovering the life history of a giraffe relative that lived in Catalonia
A research team from the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) has led the paleohistological study of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, a giraffomorph ruminant from the Middle Miocene recovered at the Els Casots site (Catalonia, Spain). Through microscopic analysis of bone tissues, the researchers were able to determine that this peculiar animal reached skeletal maturity at three years of age, while reproductive maturity began around the second year.