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Categories: Anthropology: General, Ecology: Animals

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Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Want to fight climate change? Don't poach gorillas (or elephants, hornbills, toucans, etc.)      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article found that overhunting of gorillas, elephants, and other large fruit-eating seed-dispersers make tropical forests less able to store or sequester carbon.

Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Zoology Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Three-eyed distant relative of insects and crustaceans reveals amazing detail of early animal evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists use cutting edge scanning technology to reconstruct 'fossil monster' that lived half a billion years ago. The creature's soft anatomy was well-preserved, allowing it to be imaged almost completely: It fills a gap in our understanding of the evolution of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Wastewater pipe dig reveals 'fossil treasure trove'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article describes the 266 fossil species as one of the richest and most diverse groups of three-million-year-old fauna ever found in New Zealand. At least ten previously unknown species will be described and named in future research. Fossils of the world's oldest known flax snails, an extinct sawshark spine, and great white shark teeth have all been found in a mound of sand excavated from beneath Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2020.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Move over pythons: These snakes are the real champion eaters      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pythons have huge appetites, but which snake would win an eating contest? Surprisingly, it's a harmless little African snake that consumes eggs whole like an amuse-bouche.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science
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National parks support wildlife inside and outside their borders      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Fresh research suggests that national parks enhance bird diversity inside their borders. Large parks also support higher diversity of both birds and mammals in nearby unprotected areas.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General
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Malaysian rock art found to depict elite -- Indigenous conflict      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have dated drawings of Gua Sireh Cave in Sarawak, uncovering a sad story of conflict in the process.

Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Animals
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Natural selection can slow evolution, maintain similarities across generations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research suggests that natural selection, famous for rewarding advantageous differences in organisms, can also preserve similarities. The researchers worked with a plant called wild radish and its stamens, or pollen-producing parts, two of which are short and four are long. Roughly 55 million years ago, wild radish ancestors had stamens of equal length. The team selectively bred -- or artificially selected -- wild radish to reduce the difference in stamen length and return the plant to a more ancestral look. This shows that today's wild radish and, likely, its family members still have the requisite genetic variability to evolve, but natural selection is preserving its different stamen lengths.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
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Deforestation limits nesting habitat for cavity-nesting birds      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study of cavity-nesting birds in Ecuador shows the influence of deforestation on their habitat and reproductive success. Nest boxes could help.

Anthropology: General Ecology: Extinction Environmental: Ecosystems
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Buffalo slaughter left lasting impact on Indigenous peoples      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The near extinction of the North American bison in the late 1800s caused a devastating, lasting economic shock to Indigenous peoples whose lives depended on the animals, an economic study finds.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Biodiversity protects against invasions of non-native tree species      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers combined human and ecological factors to analyze the global scale of non-native tree species invasions. Human activity in hotspots of global trade, such as maritime ports, is linked to an increased likelihood of non-native tree species invasions. However, a high diversity of native tree species can help to curb the intensity of such invasions.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science
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Vegetarian diet of corals explains age-old mystery dating back to Darwin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has revealed why coral reefs can thrive in seemingly nutrient poor water, a phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Fire, disease threatening sanctuary plants for Australian wildlife      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has revealed Australia's iconic grasstrees -- known as 'yaccas' -- play a critical role in protecting wildlife from deadly weather extremes, thereby ensuring their survival. But the grasses themselves are under threat due to back burning, clearing and disease.

Anthropology: General
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Bronze Age family systems deciphered: Palaeogeneticists analyse a 3,800-year-old extended family      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have analyzed the genomes of skeletons from an extended family from a Bronze Age necropolis in the Russian steppe. The 3,800-year-old 'Nepluyevsky' burial mound was excavated several years ago and is located on the geographical border between Europe and Asia. Using statistical genomics, the family and marriage relationships of this society have now been deciphered.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
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Hundreds of Andean bird species at risk due to deforestation: New research shows how to protect them      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Birds native to the tropical Andes are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study combines a meta-analysis of papers on birds across the Andes with five years of fieldwork in Peru, revealing that open farmlands result in up to a 60% decline in the number of species in an area. The study documents how specific species are affected and provides tailored guidance for conservationists trying to protect them.

Ecology: Animals
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As city heat rises, bird diversity declines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study done on 336 cities in China concludes that heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces are directly related to a loss in bird diversity. It is likely that the patterns documented in this study are occurring in other large cities across the globe that have abundant asphalt, steel, and concrete with little green vegetation.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
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Detecting a vast diversity of rainforest animals by swabbing their DNA from leaves      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers demonstrate that a vast multitude of birds and mammals can be detected by simply swabbing the DNA left behind by animals from leaves. They showcased the power of this approach in an ecosystem that hosts a ton of wildlife and where detecting animals has historically proven extremely challenging -- the tropical rainforest.

Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Animals
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It all depends on the genetic diversity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows that a single mutation that has immediate effects on plant fitness is maintained over the long term in natural plant populations, despite theories predict the contrary. The researchers located and identified the gene that regulates the amount of an active defense hormone. Mutants in this gene are susceptible to herbivore attack. However, they compensate for impaired defenses through robust genetic networks. When fewer herbivores attack, they even grow faster and produce more offspring.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Molecular Paleontology: Fossils
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Ancient metal cauldrons give us clues about what people ate in the Bronze Age      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Archaeologists have long been drawing conclusions about how ancient tools were used by the people who crafted them based on written records and context clues. But with dietary practices, they have had to make assumptions about what was eaten and how it was prepared. A new study analyzed protein residues from ancient cooking cauldrons and found that the people of Caucasus ate deer, sheep, goats, and members of the cow family during the Maykop period (3700--2900 BCE).

Ecology: Animals
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Urban great tits have paler plumage than their forest-living relatives      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows that urban great tits have paler plumage than their countryside counterparts. Since the yellow pigment of the breast feathers of great tits comes from the food they eat, the paler yellow plumage of urban birds indicates that the urban environment affects the entire food chain.