Kyoto, Japan -- Amphibian larvae -- often known as tadpoles -- exhibit a behavior known as social aggregation, where they gather together as a way to avoid predators. These interactions are evidence of their association preferences, or their tendency to recognize members of their own species. Some varieties of tadpoles have even shown a preference for their siblings.

These association preferences and kin recognition in tadpoles have become a key topic in understanding the evolution of social behavior. Recent studies have suggested that microorganisms may be influencing communication through animal body odors, indicating the possibility that pond water rich in microbes may also affect social behavior. Yet whether this sociality is innate, shaped by early life experiences, or the aquatic environment, has remained unclear.

This uncertainty motivated Kazuko Hase at Kyoto University to investigate how early-life social experiences and the aquatic environment influence the development of sociality.

Nighttime social media posts can reveal the state of sleeplessness across the country, with new "social sensing approach" demonstrated by researchers in analyzing US sleep trends during the COVID-19 pandemic

Viewing “thinspiration” content on TikTok increases self-objectification and worsens mood, while viewing body-positive content also increases self-objectification but is linked to more positive mood, according to a new study published September 9, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Samantha Jones of Western University, Canada, and colleagues.

Over three-thousand scientific article titles across disciplines have made use of Beatles song titles and lyrics, according to a study published September 9, 2026, in the open access journal PLOS One by Gabriel Budel of Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, and colleagues. This analysis is an unprecedentedly large-scale, cross-disciplinary account of how the Beatles have left their mark on scientific writing.

Analysis of fossilized remains from dinosaurs known as troodontids reveals how one species’ hip and leg bones may have developed over its lifespan, from embryo to adult—with potential implications for resolving longstanding taxonomic challenges. David Varricchio of Montana State University, US, and Heath Caldwell of North Carolina State University, US, present their findings in the open access journal PLOS One on September 9, 2026.