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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Energy: Technology
Published Identifying the bee's knees of bumble bee diets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has identified the bee's knees of bumble bee dietary options in Ohio and the Upper Midwest. By viewing almost 23,000 bumble bee-flower interactions over two years, researchers found that these bees don't always settle for the most abundant flowers in their foraging area -- suggesting they have more discerning dietary preferences than one might expect.
Published Fossils of a saber-toothed top predator reveal a scramble for dominance leading up to 'the Great Dying'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiger-sized saber-toothed creature called Inostrancevia has previously only been found in Russia. But scientists have discovered its fossils in South Africa, suggesting that it migrated 7,000 miles across the supercontinent Pangaea during the world's worst mass extinction 252 million years ago. Heading to South Africa allowed it to fill a gap in a faraway ecosystem that had lost its top predators.
Published Communities should reconsider walking away from curbside recycling, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers took a deep dive into the economic and environmental value of community recycling efforts and compared it to the value of other climate change mitigation practices, concluding it provides a return on investment.
Published New supply chain model to empower seabound hydrogen economy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has created a new supply chain model which could empower the international hydrogen renewable energy industry.
Published Demystifying vortex rings in nuclear fusion, supernovae
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Better understanding the formation of swirling, ring-shaped disturbances -- known as vortex rings -- could help nuclear fusion researchers compress fuel more efficiently, bringing it closer to becoming a viable energy source. A mathematical model linking these vortices with more pedestrian types, like smoke rings, could help engineers control their behavior in power generation and more.
Published Out of the frying pan: Coyotes, bobcats move into human-inhabited areas to avoid apex predators -- only to be killed by people
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Conservationists have argued that the presence of wolves and other apex predators, so named because they have no known predators aside from people, can help keep smaller predator species in check. New research shows that in Washington state, the presence of two apex predators -- wolves and cougars -- does indeed help keep populations of two smaller predators in check. But by and large the apex predators were not killing and eating the smaller predators, known as mesopredators. Instead, they drove the two mesopredator species -- bobcats and coyotes -- into areas with higher levels of human activity. And people were finishing the job.
Published An electric vehicle battery for all seasons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a fluorine-containing electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries whose charging performance remains high in frigid regions and seasons. They also determined why it is so effective.
Published Driving on sunshine: Clean, usable liquid fuels made from solar power
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car's engine as drop-in fuel.
Published Watch these cells rapidly create protrusions for exploration and movement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In order to move, cells must be able to rapidly change shape. A team of researchers show that cells achieve this by storing extra 'skin' in folds and bumps on their surface. This cell surface excess can be rapidly deployed to cover temporary protrusions and then folded away for next time.
Published Assessing emotions in wild animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study examines indicators of mental wellbeing in wild animals to improve conservation efforts.
Published Is it an ant? Is it a plant? No, it's a spider!
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A species of tiny, colorful jumping spider employs two lines of defense to avoid being eaten: camouflaging with plants and walking like an ant. Researchers report that this combination of camouflage and movement mimicry helps the spiders evade spider-eating spiders but does not deter hungry praying mantises.
Published Jaw shapes of 90 shark species show: Evolution driven by habitat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers investigated how the jaw shape of sharks has changed over the course of evolution. Their conclusion: in the most widespread shark species, the jaws show relatively little variation in shape over millions of years; most variable jaws were found for deep-sea sharks.
Published Crushed clams, roaming rays: Acoustic tags reveal predator interactions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Inspired by clam fishermen reports, researchers used passive acoustic telemetry to gauge the interactions between two highly mobile rays. They monitored the tagged rays in the wild over two years to see how often and when they visited clam leases, designated underwater locations used to produce hard clams of all sizes from littlenecks to chowders. Results provide both good news and bad news for clammers. Rays spent even more time in these clam lease sites than clammers reported or suspected, but it's not necessarily where they prefer hanging out.
Published New priming method improves battery life, efficiency
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed a readily scalable method to optimize a silicon anode priming method that increases lithium-ion battery performance by 22% to 44%.
Published Most species, including humans, who experience early life adversity suffer as adults. How are gorillas different?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There's something most species -- from baboons to humans to horses -- have in common: When they suffer serious adversity early in life, they're more likely to experience hardship later on in life.
Published New research could help breed for less 'spooky' horses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are working to identify genes that influence horses' tendency to react to perceived danger.
Published Hammerhead sharks hold their breath on deep water hunts to stay warm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scalloped hammerhead sharks hold their breath to keep their bodies warm during deep dives into cold water where they hunt prey such as deep sea squids. This discovery provides important new insights into the physiology and ecology of a species that serves as an important link between the deep and shallow water habitats.
Published Unlocking the power of photosynthesis for clean energy production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are embarking on a groundbreaking project to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis using bacteria to deliver electrons to a nanocrystal semiconductor photocatalyst. By leveraging the unique properties of microorganisms and nanomaterials, the system has the potential to replace current approaches that derive hydrogen from fossil fuels, revolutionizing the way hydrogen fuel is produced and unlocking a powerful source of renewable energy.
Published Water warming study shows unexpected impact on fish size
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The theory that water-breathing animals such as fish will shrink due to global warming has been called into question by a new study.
Published The bat's ability to convert energy into muscle power is affected by flight speed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Small bats are bad at converting energy into muscle power. Surprisingly, a new study led by Lund University in Sweden reveals that this ability increases the faster they fly.