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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Offbeat: Plants and Animals

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Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Ecology: Animals
Published

Female lab mice behave very differently when placed outdoors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has examined social behavior of lab mice in large outdoor enclosures.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Biology: Zoology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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By growing animal cells in rice grains, scientists dish up hybrid food      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

From lab-grown chicken to cricket-derived protein, these innovative alternatives offer hope for a planet struggling with the environmental and ethical impacts of industrial agriculture. Now, scientists add a new recipe to the list -- cultured beef rice -- by growing animal muscle and fat cells inside rice grains. The method results in a nutritious and flavorful hybrid food that, once commercialized, could offer a more affordable protein alternative with a smaller carbon footprint.

Anthropology: Early Humans Anthropology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Great apes playfully tease each other      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Babies playfully tease others as young as eight months of age. Since language is not required for this behavior, similar kinds of playful teasing might be present in non-human animals. Now cognitive biologists and primatologists have documented playful teasing in four species of great apes. Like joking behavior in humans, ape teasing is provocative, persistent, and includes elements of surprise and play. Because all four great ape species used playful teasing, it is likely that the prerequisites for humor evolved in the human lineage at least 13 million years ago.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
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Australia's most at-risk bird species share some common traits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Australian birds that live on islands are among the species most at risk of extinction, a first-of-its-kind study has shown. Australia has over 750 native bird species. But many of them are facing an uncertain future.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Desert ants: The magnetic field calibrates the navigation system      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Desert ants find their way during an early learning phase with the help of the Earth's magnetic field. The associated learning process leaves clear traces in their nervous system.

Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Research
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Joro spiders well-poised to populate cities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The Joro spider was first spotted stateside around 2013 and has since been spotted across Georgia and the Southeast. New research has found more clues as to why the spider has been so successful in its spread. The study found the invasive orb-weaving spider is surprisingly tolerant of the vibrations and noise common in urban landscapes. In this new study, researchers examined how Joro spiders can live next to busy roads, which are notably stressful environments for many animals.

Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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The hidden rule for flight feathers -- and how it could reveal which dinosaurs could fly      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists examined hundreds of birds in museum collections and discovered a suite of feather characteristics that all flying birds have in common. These 'rules' provide clues as to how the dinosaur ancestors of modern birds first evolved the ability to fly, and which dinosaurs were capable of flight.

Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers discovered in Colombia and Ecuador      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Animals
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Understanding chronic wasting disease in deer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new collaborative study analyzed fecal samples to shed light on how the fatal disease impacts the gut microbiome in deer, providing a promising tool for disease surveillance.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Surprisingly vibrant color of 12-million-year-old snail shells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Snail shells are often colorful and strikingly patterned. This is due to pigments that are produced in special cells of the snail and stored in the shell in varying concentrations. Fossil shells, on the other hand, are usually pale and inconspicuous because the pigments are very sensitive and have already decomposed. Residues of ancient color patterns are therefore very rare. This makes a new discovery all the more astonishing: researchers found pigments in twelve-million-year-old fossilized snail shells.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Surprising behavior in one of the least studied mammals in the world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Beaked whales are among the least studied mammals in the world. Now, a new study reveals surprising information about the Baird's beaked whale species.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Alien invasion: Non-native earthworms threaten ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Analysis reveals imported earthworm species have colonized large swaths of North America, and represent a largely overlooked threat to native ecosystems. The researchers warn of the need to better understand and manage the invaders in our midst.

Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
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Spent hemp biomass: A feed use that supports milk production in dairy cows      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study explores whether the plentiful, fibrous byproduct of CBD production holds potential promise as a nutritious, efficiency-boosting feed ingredient for the dairy sector

Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Ancient Australian air-breathing fish from 380 million years ago      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The rivers of Australia, which once flowed across its now dry interior, used to host a range of bizarre animals -- including a sleek predatory lobe-finned fish with large fangs and bony scales. The newly described fossil fish discovered in remote fossil fields west of Alice Springs has been named Harajicadectes zhumini by palaeontologists.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems
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Apex predators not a quick fix for restoring ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An experiment spanning more than two decades has found that removal of apex predators from an ecosystem can create lasting changes that are not reversed after they return -- at least, not for a very long time. The study challenges the commonly held belief that the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park restored an ecosystem degraded by their absence.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geography
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Number of shark bites consistent with recent trends, with small spike in fatalities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There was an increase in the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and an uptick in fatalities in 2023 compared to the previous year. A scientific database of global shark attacks, confirmed 69 unprovoked bites in 2023. Although this is higher than the most recent five-year average of 63 attacks, the data remain consistent with long-term trends.