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Ecological niche

In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in an ecosystem.

Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Ecological niche", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.

For more information, see the following related content on ScienceDaily:

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Discovering the Unknown Processes of the Evolutionary History of Green Lizards in the Mediterranean

Oct. 28, 2022 — The evolutionary clade and biodiversity of green lizards of the genera Lacerta and Timon -- reptiles common in the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas of the European continent, North Africa ...

A Detailed Map of the Microverse: Microbial Niches

Apr. 4, 2023 — What defines the habitat -- the ecological niche -- of a microorganism? It is a combination of environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient content. But the exact contribution of ...

Biodiversity Is Its Own Catalyst -- To a Point

Feb. 3, 2021 — For decades, scientists have wrestled with rival theories to explain how interactions between species, like competition, influence biodiversity. Tracking microbial life across the planet, researchers ...

First Animals Developed Complex Ecosystems Before the Cambrian Explosion

May 17, 2022 — Early animals formed complex ecological communities more than 550 million years ago, setting the evolutionary stage for the Cambrian explosion, according to a new ...

How the Gut Creates a Cozy Home for Beneficial Microbiome Species

Mar. 30, 2023 — The digestive tract of fruit flies remodels itself to accommodate beneficial microbiome species and maintain long-term stability of the gut environment, according to new ...

Sierra Squirrels Find Their Niche Amid a Changing Climate

Apr. 6, 2023 — A new study of squirrels in California's Sierra Nevada mountains finds that climate is just one factor impacting where species make their homes in a changing ...

An 'Evolutionary Rescue Route' Towards Coexistence of Competitive Plant Species

Sep. 21, 2021 — In nature, plant species having the same pollinators experience 'reproductive interference' owing to competition, and their coexistence is thought to be possible only through resource ...

Learning About What Happens to Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity in Times of Mass Extinction

Apr. 17, 2023 — Studying mass extinction events from the past can build our understanding of how ecosystems and the communities of organisms within them respond. Researchers are looking to the Late Devonian mass ...

Impacts of Climate Warming on Microbial Network Interactions

Feb. 22, 2021 — A new study explores the impacts of climate warming on microbial network complexity and stability, providing critical insights to ecosystem management and for projecting ecological consequences of ...

Researchers Find Nonnative Species in Oahu Play Greater Role in Seed Dispersal

Jan. 11, 2021 — Oahu's ecosystems have been so affected by species extinctions and invasions that most of the seeds dispersed on the island belong to nonnative plants, and most of them are dispersed by ...

Plants & Animals News

December 7, 2023

'Shocking' Discovery: Electricity from Electric Eels May Transfer Genetic Material to Nearby Animals

Dec. 5, 2023 — Researchers have discovered that electric eels can alter the genes of tiny fish larvae with their electric shock. Their findings help to better understand electroporation, a method by which genes can ...

Mice Pass the Mirror Test, a Classic Indicator of Self-Recognition

Dec. 5, 2023 — Researchers report that mice display behavior that resembles self-recognition when they see themselves in the mirror. When the researchers marked the foreheads of black-furred mice with a spot of white ink, the mice spent more time grooming their ...

More Than a Meteorite: New Clues About the Demise of Dinosaurs

Dec. 4, 2023 — What wiped out the dinosaurs? A meteorite plummeting to Earth is only part of the story, a new study suggests. Climate change triggered by massive volcanic eruptions may have ultimately set the stage for the dinosaur extinction, challenging the ...

Twin Research Indicates That a Vegan Diet Improves Cardiovascular Health

Nov. 30, 2023 — A recent trial of identical twins comparing vegan and omnivore diets found that a vegan diet improves overall cardiovascular ...

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Baboons in Captivity in Ancient Egypt: Insights from Collection of Mummies

Dec. 6, 2023 — Baboons were raised in captivity before being mummified in Ancient Egyptian sites, according to a new ...

Jays Jump in While Crows Hold out for the Treat

Dec. 6, 2023 — New research has found that two similar species of birds behave very differently around their favorite food when they have company. Biologists compared the behavior of two species of corvids, ...

Influx of Water and Salts Propel Immune Cells Through the Body

Dec. 6, 2023 — Researchers have shown that an influx of water and ions into immune cells allows them to migrate to where they're needed in the body. ...

The Ocean May Be Storing More Carbon Than Estimated in Earlier Studies

Dec. 6, 2023 — The ocean's capacity to store atmospheric carbon dioxide is some 20% greater than the estimates contained in the latest IPCC report. Scientists looked at the role played by plankton in the natural ...

'Friendly' Hyenas Are More Likely to Form Mobs

Dec. 5, 2023 — Research reveals strong social relationships make hyenas more likely to team up against lions, even when there's no obvious ...

Molecular Fossils Shed Light on Ancient Life

Dec. 7, 2023 — Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. New research combines geology and ...

Study Reshapes Understanding of Mass Extinction in Late Devonian Era

Dec. 7, 2023 — A recently published study puts forth a new theory that volcanic eruptions combined with widespread ocean detoxification pushed Earth's biology to a tipping point in the Late Devonian era, triggering ...

Wasps That Recognize Faces Cooperate More, May Be Smarter

Dec. 7, 2023 — A new study of paper wasps suggests social interactions may make animals smarter. The research offers behavioral evidence of an evolutionary link between the ability to recognize individuals and ...

It Turns Out, This Fossil 'Plant' Is Really a Fossil Baby Turtle

Dec. 7, 2023 — Researchers re-examined a plant fossil found decades ago in Colombia and realized that it wasn't a plant at all: it's a fossilized baby turtle. It's a rare find, because juvenile turtles' shells ...

Wild Birds Lead People to Honey -- And Learn from Them

Dec. 7, 2023 — A study finds the greater honeyguide can learn distinct vocal signals to help people in Africa locate bee colonies. In parts of Africa, people communicate with a wild bird -- the greater honeyguide ...