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Categories: Anthropology: General, Ecology: Endangered Species
Published A new brew: Evaluating the flavor of roasted, lab-grown coffee cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It may soon be time to wake up and smell the lab-grown coffee made from cultured plant cells. But it's not clear whether drinks from this product replicate coffee beans' complex flavors. Now, a study found that some of the comforting aromas and tastes of a conventional cup of coffee could be reproduced by roasting and brewing coffee cell cultures.
Published Molecular fossils shed light on ancient life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. New research combines geology and genetics, showing how changes in the early Earth prompted a shift in how animals eat.
Published Urbanization increases seasonal differences in plant-pollinator networks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Increasing urbanization worldwide is a growing threat to biodiversity. At the same time, flowering plants are often more diverse in cities than in the countryside. This is due to flowering plants and agricultural crops, which are increasingly being grown in cities. A recent study shows that the interactions between plants and pollinators, which are important for agricultural production, are surprisingly dynamic. For example, the plant and bee species involved in pollination vary greatly between the seasons.
Published Ancient DNA analysis reveals how the rise and fall of the Roman Empire shifted populations in the Balkans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Despite the Roman Empire's extensive military and cultural influence on the nearby Balkan peninsula, a DNA analysis of individuals who lived in the region between 1 and 1000 CE found no genetic evidence of Iron Age Italian ancestry. Instead, a new study has revealed successive waves of migrations from Western Anatolia, central and northern Europe, and the Pontic-Kazakh Steppe during the Empire's reign.
Published It turns out, this fossil 'plant' is really a fossil baby turtle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers re-examined a plant fossil found decades ago in Colombia and realized that it wasn't a plant at all: it's a fossilized baby turtle. It's a rare find, because juvenile turtles' shells are soft and often don't fossilize well.
Published Baboons in captivity in Ancient Egypt: insights from collection of mummies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Baboons were raised in captivity before being mummified in Ancient Egyptian sites, according to a new study.
Published Plant nurseries are exacerbating the climate-driven spread of 80% of invasive species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have provided detailed maps of how 144 common invasive plants species will react to 2° Celsius of climate change in the eastern U.S., as well as the role that garden centers currently play in seeding future invasions.
Published Sugar permeation discovered in plant aquaporins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Aquaporins, which move water through membranes of plant cells, were not thought to be able to permeate sugar molecules, but researchers have observed sucrose transport in plant aquaporins for the first time, challenging this theory.
Published In hotter regions, mammals seek forests, avoid human habitats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation, finds a study of North American mammals.
Published New study identifies the greatest threat to wildlife across North America and Canada: people
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A biology student studied more than 600,000 wildlife rehabilitation center records to look at the human impact on wild animals, from lead poisonings to window strikes to vehicle collisions.
Published Crocodile family tree mapped: New light shed on croc evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Around 250 million years ago, 700 species of reptiles closely related to the modern-day crocodile roamed the earth, now new research reveals how a complex interplay between climate change, species competition and habitat can help explain why just 23 species of crocodile survive today.
Published Decoding flavonoid metabolism: A closer look at plant-based diets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of researchers has elucidated the process by which the major flavonoids naringenin, apigenin, and genistein are metabolized in the body. These findings are fundamental in elucidating the correlation between the metabolism of flavonoids in the body and their potential health benefits.
Published Aging societies more vulnerable to collapse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Societies and political structures, like the humans they serve, appear to become more fragile as they age, according to an analysis of hundreds of pre-modern societies. A new study, which holds implications for the modern world, provides the first quantitative support for the theory that the resilience of political states decreases over time.
Published Botany must feature more prominently on the school curriculum to promote awareness of climate change, study warns
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned.
Published 'Bone biographies' reveal lives of medieval England's common people -- and illuminate early benefits system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers give medieval Cambridge residents the 'Richard III treatment' to reveal hard-knock lives of those in the city during its famous university's early years. Study of over 400 remains from a hospital cemetery shows spectrum of medieval poverty, and suggests that some of Cambridge University's earliest scholars ended up in penury.
Published Paleolithic humans may have understood the properties of rocks for making stone tools
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research suggests that Paleolithic humans in the Middle East selected flint for their cutting tools based on differences in the mechanical properties of the rock. They seem to have purposefully selected the most suitable rocks for fashioning into tools, even being able to distinguish rocks that were unsuitable.
Published Genomic study sheds light on how carnivorous Asian pitcher plants acquired signature insect trap
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists sequenced the genome of the East Asian pitcher plant, Nepenthes gracilis, a species of carnivorous plant related to Venus flytraps, as well as sundews, beets and spinach.
Published A mixed origin made maize successful
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been hotly debated for more than a century. Now new research shows that all modern maize descends from a hybrid created just over 5000 years ago in central Mexico, thousands of years after the plant was first domesticated.
Published Vertically farmed greens taste as good as organic ones
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Consumer skepticism about the taste of vertically farmed greens is widespread. But a scientific taste test shows that respondents rate greens grown vertically and without soil as just as good as organic ones.
Published Decoding past climates through dripstones
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent study demonstrates how dripstones can be crucial for reconstructing past climates. The new approach can provide a detailed picture of the climate around early human occupations in South Africa.