In a new study, scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, and Purdue University, USA, have studied the process of the formation of the egg in female bonnet monkeys using ultrasound. They have also analysed the dynamics involved in the ovaries when an egg is released by injecting the female monkeys with human ovarian hormones.

Figs and wasps have a give and take relationship where figs need wasps to pollinate while wasps lay their eggs inside the fig fruits. However, not all fig-wasp relationships are this cordial. There are a set of parasitic wasps that cause more harm to the fig plant than good! A new study has uncovered some of the fascinating abilities of such wasps, especially their ability to sense smell. Ovipositors, specialized organs developed to lay eggs in wasps, have been found to act as a ‘nose’ in sniffing out the best position to lay their eggs, say the researchers. These organs can also detect many chemicals, potentially inspiring new kind of sensors, they claim.