Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Endangered turtle population under threat as pollution may lead to excess of females being born      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers find exposure to heavy metals cadmium and antimony and certain organic contaminants, accumulated by the mother and transferred to her eggs, may cause embryos to be feminized in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), a species already at risk of extinction from a current lack of male hatchlings.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

New study indicates C4 crops less sensitive to ozone pollution than C3 crops      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have studied the effects of elevated O3 on five C3 crops (chickpea, rice, snap bean, soybean, wheat) and four C4 crops (sorghum, maize, Miscanthus × giganteus, switchgrass). Their findings indicate that C4 crops are much more tolerant of high O3 concentrations than C3 crops.

Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: General
Published

Palaeo-CSI: Mosasaurs were picky eaters      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Mosasaurs, those large marine reptiles from the long-gone Cretaceous world, were quite picky in their choice of diet. Researchers came to this conclusion after studying the wear marks on mosasaur teeth.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Identifying a silicon transporter to improve the yield of rice      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers identify a membrane transporter in rice that regulates the accumulation and localization of silicon in the leaves.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: General
Published

Why a surprising discovery, warming seas and the demise of the 'Meg' may spell trouble for more and more sharks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Some unexpected shark strandings and subsequent surprises following autopsies have, ironically, taken marine biologists millions of years back in time as they look to the future with concern. Adding chapters to an evolutionary tale involving the infamous megalodon shark (the 'Meg'), they think their work suggests there are more warm-blooded sharks out there than previously believed, and -- based on the Meg's demise -- these species may be at great risk from warming seas.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

French love letters confiscated by Britain finally read after 265 years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Over 100 letters sent to French sailors by their fianc es, wives, parents and siblings -- but never delivered -- have been opened and studied for the first time since they were written in 1757-8.

Anthropology: Cultures Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Long-distance weaponry identified at the 31,000-year-old archaeological site of Maisières-Canal      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The hunter-gatherers who settled on the banks of the Haine, a river in southern Belgium, 31,000 years ago were already using spearthrowers to hunt their game. The material found at the archaeological site of Maisières-Canal permits establishing the use of this hunting technique 10,000 years earlier than the oldest currently known preserved spearthrowers. This discovery is prompting archaeologists to reconsider the age of this important technological innovation.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Plants' ingenious defense against mutational damage      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

How do plants deal with mutations in their 'power stations'? By exploiting randomness to create diversity, say researchers.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Threatened sharks and rays caught off Cyprus      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sharks and rays from threatened species are being caught off northern Cyprus, according to a new study by scientists who are working with local authorities and fishers to protect the animals.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

To restore ecosystems, think about thwarting hungry herbivores      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Re-establishing plantings of trees, grasses and other vegetation is essential for restoring degraded ecosystems, but a new survey of almost 2,600 restoration projects from nearly every type of ecosystem on Earth finds that most projects fail to recognize and control one of the new plants' chief threats: hungry critters that eat plants.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Hebrew prayer book fills gap in Italian earthquake history      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The chance discovery of a note written in a 15th century Hebrew prayer book fills an important gap in the historical Italian earthquake record, offering a brief glimpse of a previously unknown earthquake affecting the Marche region in the central Apennines.  

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Where is a sea star's head? Maybe just about everywhere      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study that combines genetic and molecular techniques helps solve the riddle of sea star (commonly called starfish) body plans, and how sea stars start life with bilateral body symmetry -- just like humans -- but grow up to be adults with fivefold 'pentaradial' symmetry.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Shifting nesting timing not enough to prevent fewer sea turtle hatchlings      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows that potential adaptive responses by sea turtles, such as shifting the timing of when they nest, may not be enough to counteract the projected impacts from climate change on hatchling production.