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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published 'Shocking' discovery: Electricity from electric eels may transfer genetic material to nearby animals



Researchers have discovered that electric eels can alter the genes of tiny fish larvae with their electric shock. Their findings help to better understand electroporation, a method by which genes can be transported using electricity.
Published In hotter regions, mammals seek forests, avoid human habitats



As the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation, finds a study of North American mammals.
Published New study identifies the greatest threat to wildlife across North America and Canada: people



A biology student studied more than 600,000 wildlife rehabilitation center records to look at the human impact on wild animals, from lead poisonings to window strikes to vehicle collisions.
Published Teaching physics from the din of flying discs



The sound a disc makes while soaring through the air is full of information about how fast the disc is flying and how quickly it spins. This inspired Kyle S. Dalton of Penn State University to combine disc golf and acoustics into an interactive acoustic signal processing lesson. He set three microphones in a line and connected them to equipment that converts each microphone's signal to a data point. Then he threw a disc with a small whistle mounted on top and recorded the flying disc's acoustical signal. The resulting dataset can be used to learn basic processing tools and practice data visualization.
Published Public gardens contribute to invasives problem



Some nonnative plants cultivated in public gardens or arboretums are escaping to become invasive in wild forests.
Published Botany must feature more prominently on the school curriculum to promote awareness of climate change, study warns



Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned.
Published Snake skulls show how species adapt to prey



By studying the skull shapes of dipsadine snakes, researchers have found how these species of snakes in Central and South America have evolved and adapted to meet the demands of their habitats and food sources.
Published A mixed origin made maize successful



Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been hotly debated for more than a century. Now new research shows that all modern maize descends from a hybrid created just over 5000 years ago in central Mexico, thousands of years after the plant was first domesticated.
Published Identifying Australia's most elusive birds



Scientists have analyzed more than 3.8 million volunteer hours of birdwatching data to identify Australia's most elusive species.
Published Unknown animals were leaving bird-like footprints in Late Triassic Southern Africa



Ancient animals were walking around on bird-like feet over 210 million years ago, according to a new study.
Published Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations



A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite tightened pesticide regulations, far more needs to be done.
Published The venom preceded the stinger: Genomic studies shed light on the origins of bee venom



Bees, wasps and ants belong to the Hymenoptera order and inject a whole cocktail of venomous ingredients when they sting. Despite their tremendous ecological and economic importance, little was previously known about the origins of their venom. Through extensive genomic studies, a team of researchers has now discovered that typical venomous components were already present in the earliest ancestors of Hymenoptera and must therefore have evolved before the stingers of bees and other insects. What's more, and contrary to previous assumptions, the gene for the venom melittin is found solely in bees.
Published Network of robots can successfully monitor pipes using acoustic wave sensors



An inspection design method and procedure by which mobile robots can inspect large pipe structures has been demonstrated with the successful inspection of multiple defects on a three-meter long steel pipe using guided acoustic wave sensors.
Published Fish ecologist's research indicates need to conserve iconic migratory snook in Mexico



Biologists investigated the snook’s almost 400-mile migration up into the rainforest habitat of the Usumacinta River. They have found that the snook, which connect aquatic food webs and support fisheries, spawn and start their lives in coastal nursery habitats before moving into river habitats that offer an array of food resources.
Published Vampire bats make northward flight seeking stable climates



A new article predicts that vampire bats -- currently only found in Mexico and Central and South America -- are on the move, with the United States being a viable home in 27 years.
Published How do temperature extremes influence the distribution of species?



As the planet gets hotter, animal and plant species around the world will be faced with new, potentially unpredictable living conditions, which could alter ecosystems in unprecedented ways. A new study investigates the importance of temperature in determining where animal species are currently found to better understand how a warming climate might impact where they might live in the future.
Published Skunks' warning stripes less prominent where predators are sparse, study finds



Striped skunks are less likely to evolve with their famous and white markings where the threat of predation from mammals is low, scientists have discovered.
Published First comprehensive look at effects of 2020-2021 California megafires on terrestrial wildlife habitat



In 2020 and 2021, California experienced fire activity unlike anything recorded in the modern record. When the smoke cleared, the amount of burned forest totaled ten times more than the annual average going back to the late 1800s. We know that wildlife in western forests evolved with changing habitat and disturbances like wildfire. Each species responds differently, some benefiting from openings, others losing critical habitat. What we don't know is how increasing fire severity at large scales is impacting their habitat and survival, because many species are not adapted to these types of 'megafires.'
Published New percussion method to detect pipeline elbow erosion



An engineering research team is pioneering a new method, based on percussion, to detect pipeline elbow erosion to prevent economic losses, environmental pollution and other safety issues.
Published Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood



Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood. Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world's first system of farming shipworms, which they have renamed 'Naked Clams'.