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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Geoscience: Earth Science
Published Incubator or barrier? Exploring the links between agriculture, biodiversity and the spread of pathogens


Many pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19, are thought to have originated in wild animals before spilling into human populations.
Published Study finds significant chemical exposures in women with cancer



Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like PFAS and phenols are implicated in hormone-mediated cancers of the breast, ovaries, skin and uterus. To learn more about the environmental exposures experienced by women who developed these cancers, researchers analyzed data from NHANES and found that women who reported having cancer had significantly higher levels of these chemicals in their bodies.
Published Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070


The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.
Published Cars, chlamydia and canines are biggest koala killers



A database tracking hospital admissions and deaths reveals the devastating impact cars, disease and dogs are having on the South East Queensland koala population.
Published Clever lapwings use cover to hide in plain sight



Ground-nesting birds called lapwings use the shape of their nests and surroundings to hide from predators, new research shows.
Published Vocal learning linked to problem solving skills and brain size



The better a songbird is at working its way around obstacles to retrieve a snack, the more complex its vocal learning ability will be.
Published Pollination by more than one bee species improves cherry harvest



To obtain the biggest cherry harvest, trees should be pollinated by both honey bees and mason bees. This new study shows yet another benefit of biodiversity.
Published Lack of maternal care affects development, microbiome and health of wild bees



Most wild bees are solitary, but one tiny species of carpenter bees fastidiously cares for and raises their offspring, an act that translates into huge benefits to the developing bee's microbiome, development and health, found researchers. Without maternal care the pathogen load of these developing bees ballooned -- 85 per cent of were fungi, while eight per cent were bacteria -- which can impact their microbiome, a critical component of bee health, as well as their development, immune system and gene expression.
Published Earth's stability and ability to support civilization at risk: Six of nine planetary boundaries exceeded



A new study updates the planetary boundary framework and shows human activities are increasingly impacting the planet and, thereby, increasing the risk of triggering dramatic changes in overall Earth conditions.
Published Electrifying vehicles in Chicago would save lives, reduce pollution inequities


If the Chicago region replaced 30% of all on-road combustion-engine vehicles -- including motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, buses, refuse trucks and short- and long-haul trucks -- with electric versions, it would annually save more than 1,000 lives and over $10 billion, according to a new study.
Published Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals


Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the spiders that feed on them. Now, researchers have demonstrated how some shoreline spiders can move mercury contamination from riverbeds up the food chain to land animals.
Published More Texas owls are testing positive for rat poisons


New research suggests that owls in Texas have high rates of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) -- blood thinning rat poisons -- in their systems.
Published New research reveals why and when the Sahara Desert was green



A pioneering study has shed new light on North African humid periods that have occurred over the past 800,000 years and explains why the Sahara Desert was periodically green.
Published Roadside hedges can reduce harmful ultrafine particle pollution around schools



A new study confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children's exposure to traffic-related particle pollution.
Published New rivers in the North? Scientists identify how the dissection of Arctic landscapes is changing with accelerating climate change



New research shows that amplified global warming in the Canadian High Arctic drove a profound shift in the structure of a river network carved into a permafrost landscape in only 60 years.
Published Movement sensors can detect disease in wild boar



Accelerometers reading the behavior of wild boars can pick up when animals are infected with a fatal virus.
Published Climate change is reducing global river water quality



A review of almost 1000 studies on the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on rivers around the world has found an overall negative effect on water quality in rivers globally. An international team of experts sourced from every continent, conducted between 2000-2022.
Published Unlocking the genetic code of peppers: New study reveals insights into domestication and diversity



Peppers are a versatile, flavorful, and widely popular crop, used not only as a healthy food source but also for their medicinal properties. Scientists have now sequenced the genomes of key cultivated and wild pepper species, offering unprecedented insights into pepper evolution, domestication, and genetic diversity.
Published Fewer but more intense tropical storms predicted over the Ganges and Mekong



Climate experts project a decline in the frequency of future tropical storms but an increase in their strength across the Ganges and Mekong basins allowing for better future planning.
Published You say tomato, these scientists say evolutionary mystery



Biologists have found evidence for evolutionary 'syndromes'-- sets of traits that occur together -- that help to explain how tomatoes first evolved their distinctive blend of color, sweetness, acidity and aroma. The research not only shines a light on how fruits evolve in the wild, but will also be valuable to crop-improvement efforts aimed at breeding more nutritious and appealing varieties of fruits.