Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

New research found that white-footed mice, rather than deer, are closely linked to increases in young blacklegged ticks, challenging assumptions about Lyme disease drivers. Researchers also determined that large acorn crops can set off a chain reaction, potentially leading to more ticks two years later. The study notes that mouse populations help predict the number of ticks, though not necessarily how many will carry Lyme bacteria.

New research found that white-footed mice, not white-tailed deer, are closely linked to increases in young blacklegged ticks, challenging long-held assumptions about Lyme disease risk. Additionally, large acorn crops can predict higher tick numbers two years later by supporting increased mouse populations. The study was conducted at a 2,000-acre research site in Dutchess County, New York.

New research suggests that white-footed mice, not white-tailed deer, are closely linked to increases in young blacklegged ticks, challenging long-held assumptions about Lyme disease drivers. Researchers also found that large acorn crops can predict higher tick numbers two years later. The study draws on data collected since 1991 and emphasizes that the mix of hosts can affect how many ticks become infected.

New research suggests that white-footed mice, rather than deer, are closely linked to increases in young blacklegged ticks. The findings indicate that large acorn crops can trigger a chain reaction, leading to more mice and consequently higher tick numbers two years later. These observations challenge assumptions about the primary drivers of Lyme disease risk.

Wildfire prevention in the West faces challenges due to hotter, drier weather. The Cottonwood Fire in Utah burned over 97,000 acres and is 95% contained. Officials blame poor forestry management, while researchers warn climate change may render traditional methods ineffective.

Footprints in northern Kenya, dated to 1.43 million years ago, reveal insights into Paranthropus boisei's size, gait, and social behavior, including group travel by adult males. The study, led by Kevin Hatala, challenges prior assumptions about the species' body size, suggesting it rivaled Homo erectus.

Fossil footprints in Kenya's Lake Turkana suggest Paranthropus boisei, an extinct human relative, was larger than previously believed and may have traveled in groups of adult males 1.43 million years ago. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed 21 footprints indicating these hominins could have reached 6 feet tall and 165 pounds, challenging earlier size estimates.

A study found that heavy groundwater pumping during California's 2020-2022 drought caused irreversible ground sinking in the Sacramento Valley, reducing aquifer storage capacity. The subsidence accelerated beyond normal rates, threatening future water availability and infrastructure.

Caltech researchers found that individuals making risky decisions with a partner tend to compromise, but those who attribute more credit to themselves for successes and less blame for failures compromise less. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A UCLA study found that high-severity wildfires in California now burn 30 times more area than in 1985, with overall forest acreage burned annually increasing tenfold between 1985 and 2024.

A study found that managed honeybee hives have reduced pollination-related crop yield shortfalls from 73% before the 1980s to 26% by the 2010s, masking a decline in wild pollinators. Researchers warn reliance on managed honeybees alone may not sustain pollination services long-term.