Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Nine new snail species discovered in Papua New Guinea, a biodiversity hot spot at risk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study describes nine new species of carnivorous land snails, all of which are so small they could fit together on a U.S. nickel. They present a rare opportunity to study a group that in many other places is disappearing fast. Worldwide, mollusks account for more than 50% of all recorded extinctions since the year 1500, and many of these were land snails from Pacific islands.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

How did the bushpig cross the strait? A great puzzle in African mammal biogeography solved by genomics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Africa has a huge diversity of large mammals, but their evolutionary relationships and movement across the continent over time often remain a mystery. A new scientific study sheds light on longstanding questions about the interplay between evolution and geography in one of these mammals, namely the iconic African bushpig, and helps settle a major question regarding prehistoric human activities shaping biodiversity patterns in Africa.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Some mosquitoes like it hot      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Certain populations of mosquitoes are more heat tolerant and better equipped to survive heat waves than others, according to new research.

Ecology: Animals Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Use of habitat for agricultural purposes puts primate infants at risk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Frequent visits to oil palm plantations are leading to a sharp increase in mortality rates among infant southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) in the wild, according to a new study. In addition to increased risk from predators and human encounters, exposure to harmful agricultural chemicals in this environment may negatively affect infant development.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Captive-bred birds able to improve their flight and migration performance      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Two types of experiences affect the behavioral skills of animals: the animal's environment during its early development and acquired experience. Researchers followed Egyptian vultures during migration, a critical and challenging period for them, and investigated how their flying skills developed by examining their performance using high resolution tracking.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: General Environmental: Water
Published

Feathers from deceased birds help scientists understand new threat to avian populations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Animal ecologists developed an analytical approach to better understand one of the latest threats to feathered creatures: the rise of wind and solar energy facilities.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Protected areas for elephants work best if they are connected      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The largest analysis yet of African savannah elephant populations shows that conservationists have successfully protected elephants in southern Africa for the last 25 years. However, the pattern varies regionally, with some elephant populations soaring and others still facing large declines. The key to long-term stability appears to be connecting large core areas with neighboring buffer zones, as opposed to well-protected but isolated protected areas known as 'fortress conservation.'

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Advancing the generation of in-vivo chimeric lungs in mice using rat-derived stem cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Creating a functional lung using interspecies chimeric animals is an attractive albeit challenging option for lung transplantation, requiring more research on the viable conditions needed for organ generation. A new study uses reverse-blastocyst complementation and tetraploid-based organ complementation methods to first determine these conditions in lung-deficient mice and then to generate rat-derived lungs in these mice. It provides useful insights on the intrinsic species-specific barriers and factors associated with lung development in interspecies chimeric animals.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

The snail or the egg?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Animals reproduce in one of two distinct ways: egg-laying or live birth. By studying an evolutionarily recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in a marine snail, collaborative research has shed new light on the genetic changes that allow organisms to make the switch.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Ecology: Animals Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Scientists solve mystery of how predatory bacteria recognizes prey      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill other bacteria may have been solved, according to new research.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 meters around the turbine.

Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

'Giant' predator worms more than half a billion years old discovered in North Greenland      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fossils of a new group of animal predators have been located in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland. These large worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonized the water column more than 518 million years ago, revealing a past dynasty of predators that scientists didn't know existed.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Early primates likely lived in pairs      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Primate social organization is more flexible than previously assumed. According to a new study, the first primates probably lived in pairs, while only around 15 percent of individuals were solitary.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Non-toxic quantum dots pave the way towards CMOS shortwave infrared image sensors for consumer electronics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have fabricated a new high-performance shortwave infrared (SWIR) image sensor based on non-toxic colloidal quantum dots. They report on a new method for synthesizing functional high-quality non-toxic colloidal quantum dots integrable with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Wireless tracking system could help improve the XR experience      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers developed a technology that delivers centimeter-level accuracy for real-time tracking in extended reality (XR) applications. It uses wireless signals to ensure precise asset localization and smooth tracking, promising to enhance virtual gaming experiences and workplace safety.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Insects already had a variety of defense strategies in the Cretaceous      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Analyses of amber show that insect larvae were already using a wide variety of tactics to protect themselves from predators 100 million years ago.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Physics: Optics
Published

360-degree head-up display view could warn drivers of road obstacles in real time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed an augmented reality head-up display that could improve road safety by displaying potential hazards as high-resolution three-dimensional holograms directly in a driver's field of vision in real time.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Could an electric nudge to the head help your doctor operate a surgical robot?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

People who received gentle electric currents on the back of their heads learned to maneuver a robotic surgery tool in virtual reality and then in a real setting much more easily than people who didn't receive those nudges, a new study shows.