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Categories: Ecology: Endangered Species, Space: Astronomy
Published Soil carried on sea freight loaded with dangerous pests and diseases, research finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While sea freight is recognised as a pathway for the movement of exotic organisms, there is little research that has quantified the risk. Soil collected from the external surfaces of sea freight was found to support live microorganisms, worms, seeds and insects, including various regulated biosecurity organisms. The research confirms that shipping containers provide a pathway for the movement of exotic species.
Published Astronomers detect most distant fast radio burst to date
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team has spotted a remote blast of cosmic radio waves lasting less than a millisecond. This 'fast radio burst' (FRB) is the most distant ever detected. Its source was pinned down by the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in a galaxy so far away that its light took eight billion years to reach us. The FRB is also one of the most energetic ever observed; in a tiny fraction of a second it released the equivalent of our Sun's total emission over 30 years.
Published Waves of change: How sea-levels and climate altered the marine ecosystems at the South Pole 390-385 million years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research reveals a chain of environmental disasters. These took place in what is today's South Africa, during an ancient time period called the Early-Middle Devonian. The crises led to the extinction of a unique group of marine animals called the Malvinoxhosan biota.
Published Black holes could come in 'perfect pairs' in an ever expanding Universe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shown it's theoretically possible for black holes to exist in perfectly balanced pairs -- held in equilibrium by a cosmological force -- mimicking a single black hole.
Published Whaling wiped out far more fin whales than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Whaling in the 20th century destroyed 99% of the Eastern North Pacific fin whale breeding population. Because there is enough genetic diversity, current conservation measures should help the population rebound without becoming inbred. The future of fin whales in the Gulf of California depends on the recovery of the Eastern North Pacific population.
Published Orchid without bumblebee on island finds wasp, loses self
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Because the bumblebee that an orchid relies on for pollination does not exist on a remote island, the plant gets pollinated by an island wasp. Researchers found that this came at the cost of being hybridized with another orchid species adapted to being pollinated by the wasp. The finding showcases how plants in ecological relationships adapt to changing circumstances.
Published How to help save plants from extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Now is the time to identify the conditions that cause plants to die. Doing so will allow us to better protect plants by choosing conservation targets more strategically, botanists argue.
Published Source of largest ever Mars quake revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have announced the results of an unprecedented collaboration to search for the source of the largest ever seismic event recorded on Mars. The study rules out a meteorite impact, suggesting instead that the quake was the result of enormous tectonic forces within Mars' crust.
Published Genomic analysis in snakes shows link between neutral, functional genetic diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequenced? But then again, how can scientists justify the time and expense of genome sequencing when age-old measures of neutral genetic diversity are much cheaper and easier to obtain? A new study suggests making a transition from 'old school' genetics to 'new school' genomics for species conservation purposes probably isn't necessary in all cases.
Published Signatures of the Space Age: Spacecraft metals left in the wake of humanity's path to the stars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using tools hitched to the nose cone of their research planes and sampling more than 11 miles above the planet's surface, researchers have discovered significant amounts of metals in aerosols in the atmosphere, likely from increasingly frequent launches and returns of spacecraft and satellites. That mass of metal is changing atmospheric chemistry in ways that may impact Earth's atmosphere and ozone layer.
Published New threat to Antarctic fur seals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Populations of charismatic animals have recovered since hunting ban but now struggle to find enough food.
Published Gray whales experience major population swings as a result of Arctic conditions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dynamic and changing Arctic Ocean conditions have likely caused three major mortality events in the eastern North Pacific gray whale population since the 1980s.
Published Flagship individual animals can boost conservation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 'Flagship' individual animals like Cecil the lion or Freya the walrus can boost conservation, new research suggests.
Published Bouldering in south-central Madagascar: A new 'rock-climbing' gecko species of the genus Paroedura
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new Paroedura gecko species was reported at two small forest sites, Anja Reserve and Tsaranoro Valley forest, in the south-central plateau of Madagascar. Thanks to the recently collected samples, it was described and named after its preferred habitat, the boulders surrounded by the last remaining forests at these sites. Its conservation status was evaluated as Critically Endangered given its tiny distributional range.
Published NASA's Webb captures an ethereal view of NGC 346
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source One of the greatest strengths of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is its ability to give astronomers detailed views of areas where new stars are being born. The latest example, showcased here in a new image from Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), is NGC 346 -- the brightest and largest star-forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Published Removal of magnetic spacecraft contamination within extraterrestrial samples easily carried out, researchers say
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By demonstrating that spaceflight doesn’t adversely affect the magnetism of moon rocks, researchers underscore the exciting potential of studying the magnetic histories stored in these samples.
Published Tens of thousands of endangered sharks and rays caught off Congo
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tens of thousands of endangered sharks and rays are caught by small-scale fisheries off the Republic of the Congo each year, new research shows.
Published Researchers capture first-ever afterglow of huge planetary collision in outer space
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A chance social media post by an eagle-eyed amateur astronomer sparked the discovery of an explosive collision between two giant planets, which crashed into each other in a distant space system 1,800 light years away from planet Earth.
Published Mummified feces reveals pre-Columbian cultures of the Caribbean consumed a diversity of plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source DNA analysis of mummified feces reveals two pre-Columbian Caribbean cultures ate a wide variety of plants, like maize, sweet potato, and peanuts -- and tobacco and cotton traces were detected too, according to a new study.
Published 'Starquakes' could explain mystery signals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are an astronomical mystery, with their exact cause and origins still unconfirmed. These intense bursts of radio energy are invisible to the human eye, but show up brightly on radio telescopes. Previous studies have noted broad similarities between the energy distribution of repeat FRBs, and that of earthquakes and solar flares. However, new research has looked at the time and energy of FRBs and found distinct differences between FRBs and solar flares, but several notable similarities between FRBs and earthquakes. This supports the theory that FRBs are caused by 'starquakes' on the surface of neutron stars. This discovery could help us better understand earthquakes, the behavior of high-density matter and aspects of nuclear physics.