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Categories: Ecology: Extinction, Offbeat: Space
Published Astronomers detect 'nearby' black hole devouring a star
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have discovered a new 'tidal disruption event,' in which the center of a galaxy lights up as its supermassive black hole rips apart a passing star. The outburst is the closest tidal disruption event observed to date, and one of the first to be identified at infrared wavelengths.
Published The reasons why insect numbers are decreasing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are investigating the causes and consequences of the worldwide insect decline as well as considering potential countermeasures.
Published One famous dog and a powerful new approach for understanding biology and evolutionary history
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ever since scientists first read the complete genetic codes of creatures like fruit flies and humans more than two decades ago, the field of genomics has promised major leaps forward in understanding basic questions in biology. Two recent articles break new ground by showing how much valuable information can be found in genomes of a single species, such as endangered orcas, or even in the DNA of an individual. That individual is a sled dog named Balto, who has been immortalized in movies and a statue for helping to bring lifesaving diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska in an epic journey across the Alaskan wilderness in the winter of 1925. With just a snippet of the dog's preserved skin researchers have made great discoveries.
Published Ant mounds are more important for biodiversity than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ant mounds on the heath, in the forest and in your garden are oases for life. The heat and nutrients from ant mounds make them the perfect home for unique plant and animal species, according to new research.
Published Researchers explore techniques to successfully reintroduce captive birds into the wild
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Studies show that some species may require breeding in captivity within the next 200 years to avoid extinction. This reality places heavy importance on the reintroduction practices used to successfully transfer species from captivity to the wild. A new study looks at some of the most popular conservation techniques and identifies which have the highest likelihood of success for the reintroduction of bird species back into the wild.
Published Most massive touching stars ever found will eventually collide as black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study looked at a known binary star (two stars orbiting around a mutual center of gravity), analyzing starlight obtained from a range of ground- and space-based telescopes. The researchers found that the stars, located in a neighboring dwarf galaxy called the Small Magellanic Cloud, are in partial contact and swapping material with each other, with one star currently 'feeding' off the other. They orbit each other every three days and are the most massive touching stars (known as contact binaries) yet observed.
Published Twilight zone at risk from climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Life in the ocean's 'twilight zone' could decline dramatically due to climate change, new research suggests.
Published Direct image of a black hole expelling a powerful jet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have observed, in one image, the shadow of the black hole at the center of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87) and the powerful jet expelled from it. Thanks to this new image, astronomers can better understand how black holes can launch such energetic jets.
Published Prehistoric scat reveals 'Waves' of extinction in Colombia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fungal spores found in dung have revealed that large animals went extinct in two 'waves' in the Colombian Andes.
Published Astronomers solve the 60-year mystery of quasars -- the most powerful objects in the Universe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have unlocked one of the biggest mysteries of quasars -- the brightest, most powerful objects in the Universe -- by discovering that they are ignited by galaxies colliding.
Published Medium-sized black holes eat stars like messy toddlers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In new 3D computer simulations, astrophysicists modeled black holes of varying masses and then hurled stars (about the size of our sun) past them to see what might happen. If they exist, intermediate-mass black holes likely devour wayward stars like a messy toddler -- taking a few bites and then flinging the remains across the galaxy.
Published Astrophysicists reveal the nature of dark matter through the study of crinkles in spacetime
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astrophysicists have provided the most direct evidence yet that Dark Matter does not constitute ultramassive particles as is commonly thought but instead comprises particles so light that they travel through space like waves. Their work resolves an outstanding problem in astrophysics first raised two decades ago: why do models that adopt ultramassive Dark Matter particles fail to correctly predict the observed positions and the brightness of multiple images of the same galaxy created by gravitational lensing?
Published Scientists detect seismic waves traveling through Martian core
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New NASA InSight research reveals that Mars has a liquid core rich in sulfur and oxygen, leading to new clues about how terrestrial planets form, evolve and potentially sustain life.
Published Pioneering research sheds new light on the origins and composition of planet Mars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the liquid core at the centre of Mars, furthering understanding of the planet's formation and evolution.
Published Making better measurements of the composition of galaxies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study using data from telescopes on Earth and in the sky resolves a problem plaguing astronomers working in the infrared and could help make better observations of the composition of the universe with the James Webb Space Telescope and other instruments.
Published Neuroptera: Greater insect diversity in the Cretaceous period
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An LMU team has studied the biodiversity of larvae from the insect order neuroptera over the past 100 million years.
Published Cheetahs need more space: Reintroduction in India must consider their spatial ecology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In autumn 2022 and winter 2023, a total of 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were introduced to Kuno National Park in India to establish a free-ranging population -- for the first time since their extinction in India 70 years ago. Although the idea may be commendable, getting it right is not so easy. Scientists see shortcomings in the reintroduction plan: In southern Africa, cheetahs live in a stable socio-spatial system with widely spread territories and densities of less than one individual per 100 km².
Published The climate crisis and biodiversity crisis can't be approached as two separate things
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anthropogenic climate change has, together with the intensive use and destruction of natural ecosystems through agriculture, fishing and industry, sparked an unprecedented loss of biodiversity that continues to worsen. In this regard, the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are often viewed as two separate catastrophes. An international team of researchers calls for adopting a new perspective.
Published African penguins: Climate refugees from a distant past?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine the view from the western coastline of southern Africa during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) over twenty thousand years ago: in the distance you would see at least fifteen large islands -- the largest 300 square kilometers in area -- swarming with hundreds of millions of marine birds and penguin colonies.
Published Could this copycat black hole be a new type of star?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It looks like a black hole and bends light like a black hole, but it could actually be a new type of star. Though the mysterious object is a hypothetical mathematical construction, new simulations by Johns Hopkins researchers suggest there could be other celestial bodies in space hiding from even the best telescopes on Earth.