Researchers at the University of Exeter have uncovered a 'missing link' in the fungal tree of life after analysing samples taken from the university's pond.

The ban on a veterinary drug which caused an unprecedented decline in Asian vulture populations has shown the first signs of progress, according to scientists. However, the recovery of the wild vulture populations requires efforts to see the drug completely removed from the birds' food supply.

Breathing heavily at the edge of an ice hole, an Antarctic emperor penguin prepares to dive. Taking a last gulp of air, the bird descends and may not emerge again for another 20 minutes. The penguin initially carries sufficient oxygen in three stores – the blood, lungs and myoglobin in muscle – to sustain aerobic metabolism. However, around 5.6 minutes after leaving the surface, lactate begins appearing in the penguin's blood and the bird crosses the so-called 'aerobic dive limit', switching to anaerobic metabolism in some tissues. So what triggers this transition?