It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Evolutionary history shapes plant carbon storage strategies worldwide
Two types of carbohydrates are important to plants—structural carbohydrates (which form cell walls) and nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs). The latter group represents the plant's stored energy reserves, which can be used to survive cold or drought; regrow after damage; recover from insects and disease; produce new leaves; and flower and reproduce.
Many scientists have assumed that NSC storage strategies reflect current environmental conditions. However, a new global study led by YAN Zhengbing from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences emphasizes that evolutionary history plays a stronger role than contemporary environmental conditions in shaping NSC storage.
The researchers compiled a global NSC database containing 29,386 field measurements during the growing season from 2,041 species across 1,016 sites. They then made the first global assessment of organ-specific NSC distribution, using current environmental data such as water availability, temperature, and solar radiation, as well as phylogenetic information. They found pronounced organ-specific NSC variability associated with latitudinal changes in environmental conditions: Specifically, leaf NSCs increased toward higher latitudes, whereas stem and root NSCs declined.
On the other hand, analysis of phylogenetic data demonstrated that closely related species shared similar NSC storage strategies. For example, along long-term evolutionary trajectories, more recently diverged taxa exhibited lower NSC concentrations in leaves, but stored higher NSC concentrations in stems and roots.
The researchers concluded that plant evolutionary history, including both phylogenetic relatedness and species identity, accounted for 55.9–77.1% of global NSC variability, substantially exceeding the effect of contemporary environmental conditions, which explained only 2.4–9.2% of the variance. This suggests that plant NSC storage is not merely a passive response to environmental change but is deeply rooted in evolutionary history, providing a benefit through diverse carbon storage strategies.
This study has important implications for understanding vegetation responses under climate change. While prevailing vegetation models view plant NSCs as a passive storage pool in response to climate, the researchers argued that evolutionary history must be incorporated into models of plant NSC storage and allocation.
An international team of researchers has announced the discovery of a new species of harvester ant, officially named Messor odrysarum. The discovery was made by researchers Albena Lapeva-Gjonova of Sofia University in Bulgaria and Lech Borowiec of the University of Wrocław in Poland.
The findings were recently published in the scientific journal ZooKeys and bring the total number of recognized Messor ant species in Bulgaria to nine.
A Nod to Ancient History
The newly identified ant is part of the Messor genus, a group well-known for their ecological role as grain and seed collectors in arid and semi-arid environments. The researchers chose the specific name "odrysarum" to honor the ancient Thracian state of Odrysia (roughly founded in early 5th century BC), whose historical geographical borders included the region where this new species was found.
Habitat and Behavior
Messor odrysarum is a lowland species that has been documented at elevations up to 647 meters in the Eastern Rhodopes region of Bulgaria. Researchers discovered their nests situated along dirt roads within oak forests and open grasslands. The nest entrances are built at ground level and “in late summer, seed remains were observed near the nest entrances”.
“Messor odrysarum is currently only known from the Eastern Rhodopes in Bulgaria, possibly also occurring in the Thracian region of Greece and Türkiye,” explain the researchers in their article.
Distinct Physical Characteristics
Confirmed through both rigorous morphological analysis and modern COI DNA barcoding, Messor odrysarum belongs to the Messor structor species group. While it is closely related to the known Balkan-Anatolian species Messor oertzeni, there are several distinctive physical traits that make the newly discovered ant stand out. It has a smaller overall body size compared to its close relatives and it is accented only by reddish hues on the lower genae (the cheek region of the head). It also has a narrowed head behind the eyes, longer and denser hairs (setae) on its head and midsection, and a longer antennal scape.
Scientific Significance
The formal description of Messor odrysarum helps to resolve ongoing taxonomic complexities within the Messor genus, which is known for cryptic diversity and remarkable reproductive strategies like hybridization or even xenoparity, where female gives birth to, or clones, offspring of a completely different species as part of its lifecycle. In addition to introducing the new species, the researchers' publication also provides a rare, updated redescription of the queen (gyne) caste of the related M. oertzeni based on newly collected specimens.
Original source
Lapeva-Gjonova A, Borowiec L (2026) A new species of Messor from Bulgaria and redescription of the gyne of M. oertzeni Forel, 1910 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 1275: 145-168. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1275.181745
Messor odrysarum sp. nov., major worker: A. head and antennae; B. head sculpture (photographed by L. Borowiec). Scale bar: 2 mm.
Messor odrysarum sp. nov., minor worker: A. dorsal view; B. lateral view (photographed by L. Borowiec). Scale bar: 1 mm.
Credit
L. Borowiec
A study proposes a sustainable management model for the Duernas Saltworks
A study suggests a new governance model for the Duernas Saltworks to harness the environmental, cultural, and territorial value of this "white heritage" site in Córdoba and prevent its neglect
University of Córdoba
Nestled between the towns of Santa Cruz and Espejo in Córdoba, and surrounded by olive groves and fields of cereals, lies a treasure covering over 11 hectares, its origins dating back 350 million years: the Duernas Saltworks (Las Salinas de Duernas). One of the largest saltworks in Córdoba, and exploited since Roman times, it was among the most productive in Andalusia during the 19th century. Although activity there has declined, and some of its buildings and structures are in a state of disrepair, Las Salinas de Duernas remain an ecosystem of great ecological, cultural, and territorial value. This is what inspired Rafael Vega Pozuelo, a researcher at the University of Córdoba, to identify the "pinch of salt" that could breathe new life into the Duernas Saltworks. The idea is for a sustainable management model combining conservation, artisanal production, and rural development.
The Duernas Saltworks provide salt year-round, independent of rainfall, and with high salinity levels —roughly four times that of seawater. The area's vegetation, adapted to the salty soil, provides a habitat for invertebrates and birds, and is complemented by an organizational structure that includes homes, warehouses, administrative facilities, and religious buildings. The Duernas Saltworks boast "important geological, ecological, and cultural assets that justify their designation as a high-priority landscape for integrated conservation and rural revitalization strategies," stated researcher Vega Pozuelo in a study published in the journal Wetlands Ecology and Management. Therefore, the challenge is to shift perspectives from viewing the site as an abandoned or disused industrial infrastructure to recognizing it as a socio-ecological landscape with heritage value, with their sustainability hinging on maintaining both environmental processes and traditional management practices.
To achieve this, after analyzing the Duernas Saltworks' advantages and disadvantages, and using the saltworks of the Valle Salado de Añana (Álava) as a yardstick, the UCO researcher has emphasized the importance of having a coordinated governance structure integrating heritage conservation, environmental management, and local development policies. Specifically, the author suggests that governance be coordinated through a "Duernas Saltworks Foundation," or a similar entity, with representation of landowners, the local municipalities (Santa Cruz and Espejo), the provincial council, the regional departments of environment and culture, universities, and civil society organizations. This entity would be responsible for preparing and implementing a long-term management plan, securing external funding (including from EU rural development and cultural heritage programs), forging partnerships with tour operators, and ensuring transparency and accountability.
Vega Pozuelo believes that a sustainable management model for Duernas should focus on preserving and showcasing the Saltworks' geological heritage and cultural landscape, as well as reviving artisanal salt production and complementary activities to drive sustainable rural development. It would also be necessary to restore and manage the saline habitats and establish a robust, participatory governance system.
Vega Pozuelo, therefore, proposes dividing the 11 hectares of the saltworks into five zones, each dedicated to different activities: producing high-quality artisanal salt for specialized markets, offering guided tours and educational programs, providing health and wellness activities, and even collaborating with artists and cultural stakeholders to carry out creative projects that reinterpret the salt landscape and uphold its symbolic value.
In short, as the researcher from the UCO's GEOEST group explains, "by adopting a management framework that integrates geological heritage, habitats, the cultural landscape, and rural livelihoods, Duernas can become a pilot site for the sustainable management of continental saline socio-ecosystems in arid agricultural basins. The proposed model isn't rigid. Rather, it's a flexible framework that can be adapted to other inland saltworks in Spain, Latin America, and elsewhere, thereby furthering the broader agenda of conserving saline wetlands and fostering sustainable rural territories."
Reference:
Vega-Pozuelo, R. Inland saltworks and sustainable rural territories: the Duernas socio ecosystem in the light of the Añana model. Wetlands Ecol Manage 34, 55 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-026-10136-w
Inland saltworks and sustainable rural territories: the Duernas socio‑ecosystem in the light of the Añana model
Body repairs itself in a way we never knew: aged cells revert to stem cells
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Discovery implies the possibility of tissue regeneration without transplants, by activating natural mechanisms
Researchers at the Technion have uncovered a surprising natural mechanism through which the body repairs itself: contrary to what was previously believed, mature, aged cells retain an extraordinary ability to “turn back time” and revert into active stem cells that regenerate damaged tissue.
The discovery, published in Nature Communications, challenges the prevailing view that the loss of stem cells in a tissue is an irreversible process that inevitably leads to tissue collapse and disease. According to this notion, significant regeneration of damaged tissue requires transplantation of external cells. The Technion researchers show that this is not entirely accurate and that the body itself can activate an internal “reprogramming” mechanism for repair.
In the study conducted by Prof. Ruby Shalom-Feuerstein and Dr. Shalini Dimri-Wagh from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, the researchers used an innovative system that enabled them to label stem cells in the transparent cornea with a range of fluorescent colors and track their activity in living mice (Figure 1). The system also allowed them to eliminate the stem cells and examine the tissue’s ability to regenerate.
“We were surprised to discover that the cornea can regenerate itself even after the destruction of all its stem cells,” said Prof. Shalom-Feuerstein. “What is even more surprising is the repair process itself. Following injury, even mature, aged cells undergo reprogramming and become stem cells that function throughout life and prevent disease development (Figure 2). In other words, the body has a remarkable ability to replenish its own stem cell reservoir, a capacity usually attributed only to simple organisms that can, for example, regrow amputated limbs. While the ability to regenerate entire organs was indeed lost in complex organisms such as humans, our study shows that part of this capacity remains. This means that instead of relying solely on transplants or external interventions, we may one day be able to activate natural mechanisms that already exist within the body and harness them for healing.”
The researchers found that the reprogramming process is not merely temporary: the newly formed cells function as stem cells over very long periods and enable lasting tissue repair. They also identified a key component driving the process: immune system cells, particularly macrophages, which typically arrive at injury sites to fight bacteria, play an additional and central role in activating regeneration. By secreting signaling molecules, they trigger the rejuvenation of aged cells and their transformation into stem cells.
The potential implications are far-reaching. Understanding this mechanism represents a breakthrough that could lead to therapies promoting the body’s natural ability to heal tissues after injury or disease, potentially eliminating the need for transplants. In tissues such as the cornea, where stem cell damage can lead to severe visual impairment and even blindness, this could have major clinical significance.
The researchers emphasize that the study was conducted primarily in mice, although the results in human corneal cells are encouraging. They are now investigating whether the mechanism also exists and can be applied in humans. “This is a first step toward understanding a natural process that until now was unknown to us,” added Prof. Shalom-Feuerstein. “The next challenge is learning how to control it and how to use it for regenerative medicine.”
Aged differentiated cells reverse into native stemness-like state by niche cytokines to sustain lifelong homeostasis and tissue repair
Climate change is forcing amphibians to change their diet – but they can only adapt so far
New research involving Queen Mary University of London reveals that amphibians can change what they eat to cope with rising temperatures, but that this natural survival strategy has limits.
Published in Scientific Reports, the international study found that tadpoles actively alter their diet as temperatures increase, consuming more plant material and eating more overall in an attempt to offset the effects of warming. However, researchers discovered that these dietary adjustments become progressively less effective as temperatures continue to rise.
The findings provide the first experimental evidence in a vertebrate species that the ability to compensate for climate change through diet is constrained by physiological limits.
Researchers from the University of Lisbon worked with colleagues at Queen Mary University of London, NOVA University and Uppsala University to investigate how warming affects the development of the Iberian spined toad (Bufo spinosus), a common amphibian species found across Portugal.
Like fish, reptiles and other cold-blooded animals, amphibians rely on environmental temperatures to regulate their body functions. Rising temperatures can therefore have profound effects on their growth, development and survival.
To explore whether diet could help offset these impacts, the team reared tadpoles collected from the Sintra Mountains under different temperatures and feeding conditions.
The results revealed that tadpoles actively respond to warming by changing their feeding behaviour.
Lead author Dr Sara Bento from the University of Lisbon said:
"This is the first study of its kind conducted in vertebrates and it shows that tadpoles can adjust their diet in response to temperature. At lower temperatures, tadpoles incorporate a higher proportion of animal-derived food into their diet, whereas at higher temperatures they increase their consumption of plant material as well as their overall feeding rate. However, we found that this strategy becomes progressively less effective as temperatures rise."
Warmer temperatures dramatically accelerated development. Tadpoles raised at 20°C completed their larval stage in around 30 days, compared with approximately 177 days at 12°C.
However, the faster growth came at a cost.
Animals that developed under warmer conditions emerged smaller and in poorer physical condition than those raised at cooler temperatures, suggesting that accelerated development may reduce fitness later in life.
The study also uncovered evidence that warming alters the elemental composition of amphibian tissues, indicating that climate change may affect not only how animals grow but also how they process and store nutrients.
Dr Pavel Kratina, Reader in Aquatic Ecology at Queen Mary University of London and corresponding author of the study, said:
“The implications of these findings extend beyond amphibians. Our findings help explain how global warming may alter feeding preferences, interactions among cold-bloodied organisms, and systematically alter entire food webs. By modifying tissue composition, increasing temperatures may also affect the energetic value of these animals as prey, potentially altering the function of aquatic ecosystems. ”."
The researchers say the findings have important implications for biodiversity conservation, particularly in Mediterranean regions, where temperatures are projected to rise significantly in coming decades.
Protecting cooler areas within wetlands and freshwater habitats could help provide vital thermal refuges for amphibians and other aquatic species facing increasing climate pressures.
New study by Prof. Eshbal Ratzon of Tel Aviv University
Hasmonean history is combined with the enigma of the Qumran calendar – to solve an ancient mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
• According to the study, the 364-day calendar, a crux of the dispute between the Qumran sect and Jerusalem, was actually used for a time by the Qumran community, but was abandoned when it began to drift away from the seasons, and relations with Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus improved.
A new study from Tel Aviv University proposes a solution to a historical mystery that has puzzled researchers for decades: Was the unique calendar of the Qumran sect, based on a 364-day year, ever used in practice, or was it merely a theoretical model?
The study hypothesizes that the calendar was indeed used by the sect in its early years, and even stood at the crux of the controversy that drove the sect to isolation in the desert. However, the calendar was later abandoned due to an inherent problem that made it impracticable over time, as well as warming relations with Hasmonean leadership under Alexander Jannaeus.
The study was conducted by Prof. Eshbal Ratzon of the Department of Jewish Philosophy and the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at the Entin Faculty of Humanities. The paper was published in the Tarbiz Quarterly for Jewish Studies.
The Qumran calendar differed from the lunisolar calendar that served as a basis for Jewish life during the Second Temple period. It consisted of exactly 364 days - a number that is perfectly divisible by seven, and thus every year included 52 full weeks, and every holiday always fell on the same day of the week. For the Qumran sect, this reflected a perfect divine order. In the political sense, the calendar represented a rebellion against the political and religious leadership at the Temple in Jerusalem, which determined all significant dates. The sect believed that these dates had already been set by God during the Creation of the world, and humans must not interfere.
Yet the Qumran calendar's mathematical perfection created a serious difficulty: it diverged by one day and a quarter from the 365-day astronomical year. This difference may appear negligible, but it accumulates rapidly. For instance, if the Qumran calendar was used for twenty years, the festivals would shift by almost four weeks relative to the seasons. After several decades, a spring festival would end up being celebrated in winter, or even in the fall. For a community that regarded festivals as agricultural events connected to the harvest, first fruits, and seasons of the year, this posed a fundamental problem.
To understand the significance of the gap, one can compare the calendar to a clock that deviates by one minute every day. At first, no one notices the problem, but after months and years, such a clock no longer represents reality. The study explains that this is exactly what happened to the Qumran calendar: while ideal from a conceptual and mathematical perspective, over time it drifted further and further away from the natural cycles it sought to govern.
Over the past decades, researchers have proposed various solutions to this enigma. Some maintained that the Qumran sect periodically added days or weeks to its calendar, while others claimed that the calendar had never actually been used in the real world, serving only as a theoretical framework. Prof. Ratzon argues that neither option is supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls. According to her study, the evidence indicates that the calendar was regarded by the sect as a key component of their religious identity and a major point of contention with the Jerusalem establishment.
The study notes that almost twenty of the scrolls found in Qumran deal with calendars and astronomy - an exceptional number that attests to the topic's immense importance for the community. The Book of Jubilees, a central work in the Qumran library, fiercely attacks the prevailing lunar calendar, presenting the 364-day calendar as the original calendar received by Moses on Mount Sinai.
Based on this body of evidence, Prof. Ratzon proposes a new historical reconstruction: she contends that the Qumran calendar was actively used during the sect's formative days in the second century BCE, exacerbating its conflict with the religious leadership in Jerusalem. However, as the years went by, the calendar's accumulating digression from the seasons could no longer be ignored. In addition, the sect's relations with the ruling Hasmonean dynasty warmed during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, who supported a halacha similar to their own and opposed the Pharisaic leadership. This enabled the Qumran sect to relinquish their previously adamant position and adopt the more practical calendar used at the Temple. They retained their own calendar as a theoretical concept that had been valid at the time of Creation and might be used again in the End of Days.
Prof. Ratzon concludes: "The Qumran calendar has long been regarded as one of the Qumran sect's defining features, but also as one of the most baffling mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This study proposes an alternative for the seeming contradiction between a functional calendar and a theoretical one. It is quite possible that the calendar was in fact used for a certain period of time, but then, losing its practical role due to both inherent problems and political changes, became a religious ideal and a symbol of identity. This would explain both its centrality in the Qumran scrolls and its gradual disappearance from historical reality."
Dr. Mónika Fekete, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of Semmelweis University and senior author of the study.
Credit: Photo: Bálint Barta - Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Natural plant compounds known as polyphenols, found in berries, tea, cocoa, coffee, and extra virgin olive oil, may positively influence biological processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders characterized by the gradual loss of nerve cells, according to a review by researchers at Semmelweis University. The analysis, published in Nutrients, suggests that these bioactive compounds may contribute to healthy brain aging.
Researchers at Semmelweis University reviewed the findings of hundreds of previous laboratory, animal, population-based, and clinical studies. The studies reviewed suggest that polyphenols may support nerve cell function through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties while helping counteract harmful processes associated with brain aging.
Particular attention has been paid to the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and olive oil, as well as the MIND diet, which is based on Mediterranean dietary principles. The MIND diet was specifically developed to support brain health by emphasizing leafy green vegetables and berries while limiting the consumption of red meat, butter, cheese, sweets, and fried and fast foods.
Among the compounds frequently examined in the reviewed studies were EGCG, one of the main antioxidants found in green tea; the pigments responsible for the color of berries; flavanols found in cocoa; and curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its characteristic yellow color. These compounds are commonly found in plant-based diets, including the Mediterranean diet.
“Polyphenols are not miracle cures, but research suggests they may be promising tools for supporting healthy brain aging. The focus, however, should not be on dietary supplements but on a varied diet rich in plant-based foods,” said Dr. Mónika Fekete, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of Semmelweis University and senior author of the study.
A substantial proportion of polyphenols is not absorbed directly. Instead, they are transformed by bacteria living in the gut into compounds that may influence inflammatory processes, cellular energy metabolism, and, through these mechanisms, nervous system function. Because the composition of the gut microbiome varies considerably from person to person, the same foods may not produce identical biological effects in everyone.
“This may help explain why the same diet does not affect everyone in the same way. In the future, personalized nutrition could help us better understand who is most likely to benefit from a polyphenol-rich diet,” said Dr. Noémi Mózes, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of Semmelweis University and first author of the study.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, and that number is expected to rise in the coming decades. Dementia is one of the most significant health challenges associated with aging, which is why growing attention is being paid to lifestyle factors – including diet – that may help maintain brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
The researchers emphasize that despite encouraging findings from human studies, there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend any single food or nutrient as a stand-alone strategy for preventing dementia. According to the authors, healthy brain aging depends not on any one “superfood” but on long-term eating habits. In other words, there is currently no miracle diet that can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. However, existing evidence suggests that regularly eating more vegetables, fruits, berries, fiber-rich foods, fish, and nuts while limiting highly processed foods may help support healthy brain aging and preserve cognitive function over time.
Nature’s Hidden Bioactive Compounds Bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, are naturally occurring substances found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. Although they are not considered essential nutrients like vitamins or minerals, their biological activity may help support normal bodily functions and overall health.
