The first research articles have now been published in our new journal, PLOS Aging and Health. These papers mark an important milestone for our journal, showcasing open access research advancing understanding of aging and health across disciplines. Read the first articles: plos.io/4w3zVTq

Excited to announce that my first paper is out now in @plosone.org! A huge thanks to my co-author @dorabiro.bsky.social. Check out our work on how conventions emerge in human dyads here: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Experimental emergence of conventions in human dyads

Conventions can be defined as arbitrary and self-sustaining practices that emerge in a population and facilitate solving coordination problems. A recent study traced the formation of simple convention...

journals.plos.org

Are wasps feeling the heat this summer? Be kind to wasps at your picnic this summer: share your meal & tell us what they're after. Is it Ham (protein-rich)? or Jam (sugary) @uclnews.bsky.social @theconversation.com @femi-benny.bsky.social @cintiaoi.bsky.social theconversation.com/where-have-a...

Where have all the wasps gone this summer?

And why you should let them share your picnic ham and jam.

theconversation.com

Ships stuck in strait of Hormuz pose ‘super-spreader’ biodiversity threat, scientists warn

Ships stuck in strait of Hormuz pose ‘super-spreader’ biodiversity threat, scientists warn

Biologists say cargo ships stranded in Gulf may carry highly potent invasive species around the world as trade resumes

theguardian.com

Join us at #ESA2026 in Salt Lake City! 🌿 Our team will be available to discuss research across ecology and sustainability and share more about PLOS Ecosystems and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation. @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social

A new study by W. Gregory Hood shows beavers are widespread in Pacific Northwest tidal wetlands, where long-lasting dams reshape estuarine habitats much as they do rivers, with implications for wetland restoration and species such as salmon. plos.io/4pFZurn

Beaver in tidal habitat: Examples from the Pacific Northwest

Beaver are typically considered fluvial or lacustrine animals, often converting lotic habitats into lentic ones with their dams. This results in extensive changes in ecosystem structure and processes…

journals.plos.org

A new study by @sherbold.bsky.social and colleagues found that people rated LLM-generated, politician-impersonating responses to BBC Question Time prompts as more authentic, relevant and coherent than the originals, highlighting risks of AI-enabled political deception. plos.io/3RwJJqg

LLM-impersonated debate contributions are more authentic, relevant and coherent than their original: A representative study using BBC1’s Question Time

Generative AI has the potential to pollute the public information sphere with made-up content, posing a significant threat to the cohesion of societies at large. This paper offers the first…

journals.plos.org

#Preregistration supports #OpenScience, but is uncommon in animal research. This Meta-Research study by @hannowuerbel.bsky.social reveals that despite known benefits, perceived bureaucracy, time costs and inflexibility hinder adoption. 🧪#AcademicSky @unibe.ch @swissrn.bsky.social plos.io/4pL0tXq

Next month, @plosone.org Senior Editor Jianhong Zhou will be in China to visit institutes in Shanghai and Chengdu, and attend two conferences - APAMI 2026 and @cshasia.bsky.social Cross-Scale Biological Structure. Please reach out to Jianhong with any questions about publishing with @plos.org.

As #ESA2026 gets underway in Salt Lake City, here are some @plosone.org articles from the plenary speakers @greeningscience.bsky.social, Tanya Berger-Wolf and James Ehleringer. plos.io/4fmV1GC plos.io/4yFAEvM plos.io/4yJyTxF plos.io/4yHnmyR plos.io/4fVDLZ8 @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social

Plenaries – Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America

plos.io

A new study by Reginato and @gobyone.bsky.social introduces CryptoVision, a deep learning tool that uses taxonomic hierarchies and high-resolution images to identify cryptic coral reef fishes, supporting scalable biodiversity monitoring.

Integrating deep learning, biological hierarchies, and high-resolution imagery to create a new identification tool for cryptic coral reef fishes

Life on Earth has evolved into a staggering diversity of species, most of which still remain undiscovered, unrecognized, or unmonitored. As our ocean’s richest biodiversity hotspot, coral reefs…

plos.io

Great write-up by @pgreenfielduk.bsky.social on our paper in @natecoevo.nature.com www.theguardian.com/environment/... on the impact of generative AI on biological recording #Ornithology #UKBirding 🪶🌍 1/2

AI-altered images on birdwatching forums putting research at risk

Experts warn increase in enhanced photos on birding platforms creating fake sightings, threatening credibility of tool used by scientists

theguardian.com

Alexander Lees@alexanderlees.bsky.social · 3w ago

Our new commentary rdcu.be/ftx6h in @natecoevo.nature.com written with folks from @inaturalist.bsky.social and @cornellbirds.bsky.social shows that use of AI to manipulate existing or create new wildlife images undermines the huge value of vast citizen science databases. 🌍🪰🪶 #Ornithology 🧵 1/10

Unprecedented amounts of biological data are available, but most is underutilized. This Perspective by Ghaderi, Ruggles, Maimon & co argues that #AI -driven reanalysis will drive the next era of discovery in #biology, but validation and standards are necessary. 🧪#AcademicSky plos.io/4foCNTS

A new study by Jordan Twombly Ellis, @e-ellis1.bsky.social and colleagues found that DNA from honey, hive bees and individual foraging bees each reveals different plant–bee–microbe associations, showing these sampling methods are complementary rather than interchangeable. plos.io/4wvLmUt

Inferring plant-bee-microbe associations: Foragers, hive workers, and honey tell complementary stories

Pollinators, both wild and managed, form diverse associations with plants and microbes which affect the wellbeing of the plants and the pollinators. The method by which these associations are sampled…

journals.plos.org

A new study by Schmidt and Nickel shows Middle Stone Age toolmakers at Sibhudu Cave in South Africa selected rocks based on their properties, revealing sophisticated knowledge of fracture, flaking, and tool production requirements.

Tool-stone selection in the African Middle stone age at Sibhudu cave

The raw materials people used for making stone tools may contain information about their territory, exchange routs or the selection criteria they employed during provisioning. In this study, we…

plos.io

A new study by Escobar and colleagues shows inter situ collections can conserve exceptional Amazonian plants by preserving genetic diversity, supporting restoration, and creating new populations beyond traditional conservation approaches.

Inter situ collections as a strategy to conserve an exceptional plant species from the Amazon rainforest

Ex situ conservation is essential for achieving the goals of the United Nations Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the Sustainable Development Goals. Although seed banking is the most common…

plos.io

A new study by Capitanio and colleagues maps proteome changes during metamorphosis in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, revealing roles for autophagy, mTOR signaling, and cytoskeletal remodeling in nervous system degeneration.

Proteome analysis refines molecular processes underlying metamorphosis in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis

Tunicates, including ascidians, are recognized as the true ‘sister group’ of vertebrates and are emerging as models to study larval and post-larval development, including degeneration of central…

plos.io

A study by Monnereau and colleagues analysed ancient DNA from 111 medieval Sicilians, revealing centuries of diverse Mediterranean ancestry, including early North African links before the Islamic conquest, with gradual shifts toward modern European ancestry by the late Middle Ages. plos.io/4w8WM04

Genetic histories of individuals from multi-faith medieval Sicily

Medieval Sicily, located at the intersection of Europe, North Africa and the Near East, experienced successive political and religious transitions under Byzantine, Aghlabid, Fatimid, Norman, and…

journals.plos.org

A new study by Rand and colleagues found Bigg’s killer whales have become far more common in Washington waters since 1978, while Southern Resident killer whales have declined in summer and shifted seasonally, increasing habitat overlap and informing conservation planning.

Increasing presence of Bigg’s killer whales and changing seasonality of Southern Resident killer whales in Washington waters

Two ecotypes of killer whales (Orcinus orca) occur in the Washington waters of the Salish Sea: endangered, fish-eating Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW), made up of three family groups J-, K-,…

plos.io

If you're at #EESMetabolicEco, make sure you chat to our senior editor @roliroberts.bsky.social, representing @plosbiology.org in sunny Heidelberg! @events.embl.org

Congratulations to the Editors-in-Chief @jenschrack.bsky.social and @haggsara.bsky.social, all the authors, reviewers and editors, and my colleagues at @plos.org on achieving this important milestone.

PLOS@plos.org · 2w ago

The first research articles have now been published in our new journal, PLOS Aging and Health. These papers mark an important milestone for our journal, showcasing open access research advancing understanding of aging and health across disciplines. Read the first articles: plos.io/4w3zVTq

My #ExE2026 conference post is now live! It was great chatting with attendees about their research and learning more about the field. Thanks again to the organisers @erikpostma.bsky.social, @btschirren.bsky.social, @blongdon.bsky.social, @ali--wilson.bsky.social, and @hansonmark.bsky.social!

PLOS One@plosone.org · 2w ago

Our Associate Editor @sarahjose.bsky.social reports back from #ExE2026 at @uniexecec.bsky.social. Key themes included microbiomes, ageing, behaviour, environmental change, long-term studies such as @soaysheep.bsky.social, and @plos.org focus area of Open Science. everyone.plos.org/2026/07/21/f...

Congratulations to the Editors-in-Chief @jenschrack.bsky.social and @haggsara.bsky.social, all the authors, reviewers and editors, and my colleagues at @plos.org on achieving this important milestone.

PLOS@plos.org · 2w ago

The first research articles have now been published in our new journal, PLOS Aging and Health. These papers mark an important milestone for our journal, showcasing open access research advancing understanding of aging and health across disciplines. Read the first articles: plos.io/4w3zVTq

Our Associate Editor @sarahjose.bsky.social reports back from #ExE2026 at @uniexecec.bsky.social. Key themes included microbiomes, ageing, behaviour, environmental change, long-term studies such as @soaysheep.bsky.social, and @plos.org focus area of Open Science. everyone.plos.org/2026/07/21/f...

From long-term field studies to wild microbiomes: themes from Evolution x Ecology 2026 - EveryONE

Image: Conference photo courtesy of Erik Postma (University of Exeter) This blog was written by PLOS One Associate Editor Sarah Jose, who…

everyone.plos.org

A “remarkable” African monkey with a distinct orange patch around its mouth and a deep, croaky roar, found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is in fact a new species—and possibly already endangered www.scientificamerican.com/video/scient...

Scientists discover a ‘remarkable’ new monkey species with orange lips and a frog-like roar

The new species, Colobus congoensis, may already be endangered

scientificamerican.com

A newly recognized species of African monkey has been described in research published in @plosone.org. It is only the fifth new species of African monkey to be described in the last 75 years. Read the paper: plos.io/3Rcxu1W

PLOS One@plosone.org · 3w ago

A shy tree-dwelling monkey with pinkish-orange lips and a black face, known locally in the DRC as Likweli, has been registered scientifically as a new species, and named Colobus congoensis. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Original research article: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Deep in the lush forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo lives a rare monkey that has long evaded scientists and even most local communities. Only few have witnessed the black, orange-mouthed primate quietly perching high in the canopy. Story by @yejnlheee.bsky.social for @science.org

Mysterious orange-lipped monkey discovered deep in the Congo rainforest is a new species

“Likweli” find highlights importance of conservation work, researchers say

science.org

A monkey with a distinctive mask-like face, found in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been declared a new species – only the fifth new species of monkey documented in 75 years.

Congolese monkey with mask-like face and strong BO is new to science | New Scientist

newscientist.com

Unimaginably thrilled about the newly-scientifically described colobus monkey from Lomami National Park Inn DRC, which you may remember from the wonderful guenon newly described in 2012, Cercopithecus lomamiensis.

Likweli: A remarkable new species of Colobus monkey from the Lomami National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

We describe and name a new species of African monkey, Colobus congoensis sp. nov. (Primates, Cercopithecidae), from the interfluve region of the Lomami and Congo (Lualaba) Rivers in east-central Democ...

journals.plos.org

Punky hair. Orange lips. White butt patch. Seems to like watching scientists as much as they like watching him! Only the 5th new species of African monkey to be discovered in the last 75 years. My story for BBC #Wildlife mag. #science 🧪 www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts...

Mysterious new monkey species with orange lips discovered in the Congo rainforest | Discover Wildlife

Known locally as lik­weli, the newly described African monkey has black fur and produces loud, roar-like vocalisations.

discoverwildlife.com