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Categories: Anthropology: General, Ecology: Animals
Published The snail or the egg?



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.
Published Male southern elephant seals are picky eaters



New research suggests these large marine mammals are extremely fussy and only eat their favorite foods.
Published Scientists solve mystery of how predatory bacteria recognizes prey



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.
Published Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines



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.
Published 'Giant' predator worms more than half a billion years old discovered in North Greenland



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.
Published Early primates likely lived in pairs



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.
Published Western Cascades landscapes in Oregon historically burned more often than previously thought



Forests on the west slope of Oregon's Cascade Range experienced fire much more often between 1500 and 1895 than had been previously thought.
Published How technology and economics can help save endangered species



A lot has changed in the world since the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted 50 years ago in December 1973. Experts are now discuss how the ESA has evolved and what its future might hold.
Published Insects already had a variety of defense strategies in the Cretaceous



Analyses of amber show that insect larvae were already using a wide variety of tactics to protect themselves from predators 100 million years ago.
Published First high mountain settlers at the start of the Neolithic already engaged in other livestock activities apart from transhumance



An archaeological find in the Huescan Pyrenees allowed researchers to identify for the first time livestock management strategies and feeding practices which demonstrate how the first high mountain societies, at the start of the Neolithic period, were already carrying out complex livestock and farming activities, instead of being limited to the transhumance of sheep and goats.
Published Rise of archery in Andes Mountains dated to 5,000 years ago -- earlier than previous research



Focusing on the Lake Titicaca Basin in the Andes mountains, anthropologists found through analysis of 1,179 projectile points that the rise of archery technology dates to around 5,000 years ago. Previous research held that archery in the Andes emerged around 3,000 years ago. The new research from UC Davis indicates that the adoption of bow-and-arrow technology coincided with both the expansion of exchange networks and the growing tendency for people to reside in villages.
Published Genetic diversity of wild north American grapes mapped



Wild North American grapes are now less of a mystery after researchers decoded and catalogued the genetic diversity of nine species of this valuable wine crop.
Published Genetics of host plants determine what microorganisms they attract



Plants often develop communities with microorganisms in their roots, which influences plant health and development. Although the recruitment of these microbes is dictated by several factors, it is unclear whether the genetic variation in the host plants plays a role.
Published Study uncovers major hidden human-driven bird extinctions



Humans have wiped out around 1,400 bird species -- twice as many as previously thought -- with major implications for the ongoing biodiversity crisis, a new study has found. The estimated extinctions would mean almost 12 per cent of bird species have died out over modern human history, since the Late Pleistocene around 130,000 years ago, with the vast majority of them becoming extinct directly or indirectly due to human activity.
Published Global inventory of sound production brings us one step closer to understanding aquatic ecosystems



Our understanding of which aquatic species produce sounds just took a big step forward. Scientists have created an inventory of species confirmed or expected to produce sound underwater.
Published Hotter weather caused by climate change could mean more mosquitoesv



Research along James River in Richmond suggests that climate change could shorten window for predators to prey on larvae.
Published Scientists collect aardvark poop to understand how the species is impacted by climate in Africa



In a new study of aardvarks, researchers spent months in sub-Saharan Africa collecting poop from the animal and concluded that aridification of the landscape is isolating them, which they say could have implications for their long-term survival.
Published New method could help estimate wildlife disease spread



A new method could be used to estimate the prevalence of disease in free-ranging wildlife and help determine how many samples are needed to detect a disease.
Published Researchers, Coast Salish people analyze 160-year-old indigenous dog pelt in the Smithsonian's collection



A new analysis sheds light on the ancestry and genetics of woolly dogs, a now extinct breed of dog that was a fixture of Indigenous Coast Salish communities in the Pacific Northwest for millennia. Anthropologists and biologists analyzed genetic clues preserved in the pelt of 'Mutton,' the only known woolly dog fleece in the world, to pinpoint the genes responsible for their highly sought-after woolly fur. The study's findings include interviews contributed by several Coast Salish co-authors, including Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Master Weavers, who provided crucial context about the role woolly dogs played in Coast Salish society.
Published AI provides more accurate analysis of prehistoric and modern animals, painting picture of ancient world



A new study of the remains of prehistoric and modern African antelopes found that AI technology accurately identified animals more than 90% of the time compared to humans, who had much lower accuracy rates depending on the expert.