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Categories: Archaeology: General, Ecology: Animals

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Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

4,000-year-old plague DNA found -- the oldest cases to date in Britain      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have identified three 4,000-year-old British cases of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria causing the plague -- the oldest evidence of the plague in Britain to date.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Early toilets reveal dysentery in Old Testament Jerusalem      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Study of 2,500-year-old latrines from the biblical Kingdom of Judah shows the ancient faeces within contain Giardia -- a parasite that can cause dysentery.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geology
Published

River erosion can shape fish evolution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study of the freshwater greenfin darter fish suggests river erosion can be a driver of biodiversity in tectonically inactive regions.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Animals
Published

Most effective ways of foraging can attract predators      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Animals using the most of efficient methods of searching for resources may well pay with their lives, scientists have discovered.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geography
Published

Global macrogenetic map of marine habitat-forming species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Species known as marine habitat-forming species -- gorgonians, corals, algae, seaweeds, marine phanerogams, etc.-- are organisms that help generate and structure the underwater landscapes. These are natural refuges for other species, and provide biomass and complexity to the seabeds. But these key species in marine ecosystems are currently threatened by climate change and other perturbations derived from human activity. Now, a study warns that even in the marine protected areas (MPAs) the genetic diversity of structural species is not protected, although it is essential for the response and adaptation of populations to changes that alter the natural environment.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Move over, armadillos: There's a new bone-plated mammal in town      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Armadillos have long been considered to be the only living mammals that produce protective bony plates. But a new study unexpectedly shows that African spiny mice produce the same structures beneath the skin of their tails, which until now had gone largely undetected.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
Published

Identifying the bee's knees of bumble bee diets      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has identified the bee's knees of bumble bee dietary options in Ohio and the Upper Midwest. By viewing almost 23,000 bumble bee-flower interactions over two years, researchers found that these bees don't always settle for the most abundant flowers in their foraging area -- suggesting they have more discerning dietary preferences than one might expect.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Fossils of a saber-toothed top predator reveal a scramble for dominance leading up to 'the Great Dying'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A tiger-sized saber-toothed creature called Inostrancevia has previously only been found in Russia. But scientists have discovered its fossils in South Africa, suggesting that it migrated 7,000 miles across the supercontinent Pangaea during the world's worst mass extinction 252 million years ago. Heading to South Africa allowed it to fill a gap in a faraway ecosystem that had lost its top predators.

Anthropology: Cultures Archaeology: General Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Ancient climate change solves mystery of vanished South African lakes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New evidence for the presence of ancient lakes in some of the most arid regions of South Africa suggests that Stone Age humans may have been more widespread across the continent than previously thought.

Anthropology: Cultures Archaeology: General Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Oldest architectural plans detail mysterious desert mega structures      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have identified engravings in Jordan and Saudi Arabia as the oldest known scaled building plans in human history.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: General
Published

Out of the frying pan: Coyotes, bobcats move into human-inhabited areas to avoid apex predators -- only to be killed by people      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Conservationists have argued that the presence of wolves and other apex predators, so named because they have no known predators aside from people, can help keep smaller predator species in check. New research shows that in Washington state, the presence of two apex predators -- wolves and cougars -- does indeed help keep populations of two smaller predators in check. But by and large the apex predators were not killing and eating the smaller predators, known as mesopredators. Instead, they drove the two mesopredator species -- bobcats and coyotes -- into areas with higher levels of human activity. And people were finishing the job.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Humanity's earliest recorded kiss occurred in Mesopotamia 4,500 years ago      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Written sources from Mesopotamia suggest that kissing in relation to sex was practiced by the peoples of the ancient Middle East 4,500 years ago.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Invasive Species Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Is it an ant? Is it a plant? No, it's a spider!      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A species of tiny, colorful jumping spider employs two lines of defense to avoid being eaten: camouflaging with plants and walking like an ant. Researchers report that this combination of camouflage and movement mimicry helps the spiders evade spider-eating spiders but does not deter hungry praying mantises.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Jaw shapes of 90 shark species show: Evolution driven by habitat      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers investigated how the jaw shape of sharks has changed over the course of evolution. Their conclusion: in the most widespread shark species, the jaws show relatively little variation in shape over millions of years; most variable jaws were found for deep-sea sharks.

Anthropology: Cultures Archaeology: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

South Africa's desert-like interior may have been more inviting to our human ancestors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Lining the Cape of South Africa and its southern coast are long chains of caves that nearly 200,000 years ago were surrounded by a lush landscape and plentiful food.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Crushed clams, roaming rays: Acoustic tags reveal predator interactions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Inspired by clam fishermen reports, researchers used passive acoustic telemetry to gauge the interactions between two highly mobile rays. They monitored the tagged rays in the wild over two years to see how often and when they visited clam leases, designated underwater locations used to produce hard clams of all sizes from littlenecks to chowders. Results provide both good news and bad news for clammers. Rays spent even more time in these clam lease sites than clammers reported or suspected, but it's not necessarily where they prefer hanging out.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Animals
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Most species, including humans, who experience early life adversity suffer as adults. How are gorillas different?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There's something most species -- from baboons to humans to horses -- have in common: When they suffer serious adversity early in life, they're more likely to experience hardship later on in life.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Animals
Published

New research could help breed for less 'spooky' horses      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are working to identify genes that influence horses' tendency to react to perceived danger.