A hypothetical reconstruction of the life of an Anatolian iguana floating on tree trunks before reaching the isolated landmass of Balkanatolia. Credit: Olha Timofieieva. Image from Georgalis et al. 2026.

Ancient iguana may have reached Europe by drifting on tree trunks after tsunami

A 44-million-year-old iguana fossil discovered in Turkey suggests the reptiles may have reached Europe by sea, possibly drifting on tree trunks after a tsunami, an international team of palaeontologists has found.

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    Scientists discover vast hidden world of RNA viruses in cities worldwide

    Scientists have identified nearly 55,000 potential RNA virus groups in cities and their surroundings around the world, with about 77% not previously reported, in the largest atlas of urban RNA viruses to date.

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    Fungi could help build habitats on the Moon and Mars

    Living organisms, including fungi, could become part of space habitats built on Mars and the Moon in the future. They could help make use of local resources while also becoming part of life-support systems, according to architect Monika Brandić Lipińska, PhD, from the University of Innsbruck.

  • Józefów, 26.05.2026. The Solska Forest after the fire. PAP/Wojtek Jargiło
    Life

    Putting out every forest fire could make future wildfires worse, Polish scientist warns

    Putting out every forest fire could paradoxically increase the risk of catastrophic wildfires by allowing combustible vegetation to build up, a Polish researcher has warned, arguing that controlled burning should be considered as part of fire protection as the climate becomes hotter and drier.

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    Life

    Researchers investigate how brains of blind people develop

    A Polish-German research team has used advanced imaging techniques to study how the brain develops in people who are born blind, finding that structural differences in the visual cortex are linked to reduced myelination rather than clear changes in the process of neural pruning.

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    Life

    Europe's primeval landscape wasn't endless forest after all, surprising study finds

    Europe's primeval landscape was not an endless expanse of dense forest as long believed, but a patchwork of woodland, meadows and grasslands maintained by large grazing animals, according to a new study.

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    Life

    Heatwaves leave bees smaller and weaker for life, Polish study finds

    Heatwaves lasting just a few days can leave wild bees permanently smaller and weaker, reducing their ability to pollinate crops and wild plants, according to new research by Polish scientists.

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    Life

    Polish researcher's team first to build synthetic cell from scratch

    A team of scientists from the University of Minnesota, led by Polish researcher Katarzyna (Kate) Adamala, has created a synthetic cell capable of taking in nutrients, growing and dividing using only non-living components. The achievement, reported by Science, marks the most advanced step so far towards building a synthetic equivalent of a living cell from scratch.

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    Life

    Polish-grown mini kiwis ‘may help slow ageing’

    Small kiwi-like fruits that grow well in Poland could help slow the body's ageing process and reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, according to new research by Polish scientists.

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    Life

    Study finds lawn mowing creates trade-offs for urban ecosystems by altering plant chemistry

    The frequency of lawn mowing significantly alters the chemical composition of urban plants, reducing levels of harmful heavy metals while also lowering concentrations of essential nutrients needed by herbivores, according to a study by researchers from Polish universities published in the Journal of Environmental Management.

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    Procrastination is best combated with positive reinforcement, Polish research shows

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  • Rivers did the digging: New study rewrites how the Tatras took shape

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Snow in the area of Morskie Oko in Zakopane (sko) PAP/Grzegorz Momot

Rivers did the digging: New study rewrites how the Tatras took shape

Scientists from Poland and the United States have found that rivers were primarily responsible for deepening the valleys on the northern side of the Tatra Mountains, while glaciers later widened and reshaped the existing terrain.