Migratory birds such as the pied flycatcher typically have wintering locations in Africa close to others from the same breeding population. A team of European researchers tracked the migration of pied flycatchers from eight different countries, but also performed a crucial intervention: what happens to the birds of Dutch eggs that are being raised by Swedish foster parents? The researchers conclude that genes as well as environment influence where in Africa a bird finds its wintering spot.

As climate change intensifies drought stress and threatens agricultural productivity, improving crop resilience has become increasingly important. Now, researchers from Chonnam National University have identified OsFeSOD3, a rice gene that coordinates chloroplast development and protection against stress-induced reactive oxygen species. Rice plants overexpressing OsFeSOD3 produced 33–42% higher grain yields under drought conditions across two growing seasons. This discovery offers a promising strategy for developing climate-resilient, high-yield crops worldwide.

As temperatures soar across the Northern Hemisphere, a free tool lets anyone, anywhere check how dangerous the heat really is for their sport and decide whether it is safe to play.