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Categories: Ecology: Nature, Offbeat: Space
Published How the gut creates a cozy home for beneficial microbiome species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The digestive tract of fruit flies remodels itself to accommodate beneficial microbiome species and maintain long-term stability of the gut environment, according to new research.
Published Earth prefers to serve life in XXS and XXL sizes
(via sciencedaily.com) Life comes in all shapes in sizes, but some sizes are more popular than others, new research has found. A survey of body sizes of all Earth's living organisms has uncovered an unexpected pattern. Contrary to what current theories can explain, our planet's biomass -- the material that makes up all living organisms -- is concentrated in organisms at either end of the size spectrum.
Published Moths are more efficient pollinators than bees, shows new research
(via sciencedaily.com) Moths are more efficient pollinators at night than day-flying pollinators such as bees, finds new research.
Published Brightest gamma-ray burst ever observed reveals new mysteries of cosmic explosions
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists believe the gamma-ray emission, which lasted over 300 seconds, is the birth cry of a black hole, formed as the core of a massive and rapidly spinning star collapses under its own weight.
Published Conserving wildlife can help mitigate climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Solving the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are not separate issues. Animals remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. Restoring species will help limit global warming, new science reveals.
Published Even Sonoran Desert plants aren't immune to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) In North America's hottest, driest desert, climate change is causing the decline of plants once thought nearly immortal and replacing them with shorter shrubs that can take advantage of sporadic rainfall and warmer temperatures.
Published Turtles and crocodiles with unique characteristics are more likely to go extinct
(via sciencedaily.com) New study demonstrates that the most endangered turtles and crocodile species are those that have evolved unique life strategies. Many of the most threatened species carry out important ecosystem functions that other species depend on. Habitat loss was identified as the key overall threat to turtles and crocodiles, followed by climate change and global trade. Unique species faced additional pressure from local consumption, diseases, and pollution.
Published Climate change threatens lemurs on Madagascar
(via sciencedaily.com) Even supposedly adaptable mammal species face increased risk of extinction.
Published Redness of Neptunian asteroids sheds light on early Solar System
(via sciencedaily.com) Asteroids sharing their orbits with the planet Neptune have been observed to exist in a broad spectrum of red color, implying the existence of two populations of asteroids in the region, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.
Published What should we call evolution driven by genetic engineering? Genetic welding, says researcher
(via sciencedaily.com) With CRISPR-Cas9 technology, humans can now rapidly change the evolutionary course of animals or plants by inserting genes that can easily spread through entire populations. An evolutionary geneticist proposes that we call this evolutionary meddling 'genetic welding.' He argues that we must scientifically and ethically scrutinize the potential consequences of genetic welding before we put it into practice.
Published Extinction of steam locomotives derails assumptions about biological evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) When the Kinks' Ray Davies penned the tune 'Last of the Steam-Powered Trains,' the vanishing locomotives stood as nostalgic symbols of a simpler English life. But for a paleontologist, the replacement of steam-powered trains with diesel and electric engines, as well as cars and trucks, might be a model of how some species in the fossil record died out.
Published Temperature of a rocky exoplanet measured
(via sciencedaily.com) An international team of researchers has used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. The measurement is based on the planet's thermal emission: heat energy given off in the form of infrared light detected by Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The result indicates that the planet's dayside has a temperature of about 500 kelvins (roughly 450 degrees Fahrenheit) and suggests that it has no significant atmosphere.
Published Earth's first plants likely to have been branched
(via sciencedaily.com) A new discovery changes ideas about the origin of branching in plants.
Published Habitat will dictate whether ground beetles win or lose against climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) The success of North American crops from corn to Christmas trees partly depends on a relatively invisible component of the food web -- ground beetles. Nearly 2,000 species of ground beetle live in North America. New research shows that some of these insects could thrive while others could decline as the climate changes. The team found that the response will largely depend on the species' traits and habitats and could have significant implications for conservation efforts.
Published Global natural history initiative builds groundbreaking database to address 21st century challenges
(via sciencedaily.com) A group of natural history museums has mapped the total collections from 73 of the world's largest natural history museums in 28 countries. This is the first step of an ambitious effort to inventory global holdings that can help scientists and decision makers find solutions to urgent, wide-ranging issues such as climate change, food insecurity, human health, pandemic preparedness, and wildlife conservation.
Published At least 80% of the world's most important sites for biodiversity on land currently contain human developments
(via sciencedaily.com) At least 80% of sites identified as being internationally important for biodiversity on land currently contain infrastructure -- of which more than 75% contain roads. In the future, more sites that are important for biodiversity could contain powerplants, mines and oil and gas infrastructure.
Published Artificial intelligence discovers secret equation for 'weighing' galaxy clusters
(via sciencedaily.com) Astrophysicists have leveraged artificial intelligence to uncover a better way to estimate the mass of colossal clusters of galaxies. The AI discovered that by just adding a simple term to an existing equation, scientists can produce far better mass estimates than they previously had. The improved estimates will enable scientists to calculate the fundamental properties of the universe more accurately, the astrophysicists have reported.
Published Without this, plants cannot respond to temperature
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have significantly advanced the race to control plant responses to temperature on a rapidly warming planet. Key to this breakthrough is miRNA, a molecule nearly 200,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Published Towards reducing biodiversity loss in fragmented habitats
(via sciencedaily.com) By combining lab experiments and mathematical modelling, researchers have found a way to predict the movement of species that could guide conservation efforts to reconnect fragmented habitats.
Published Surprisingly simple explanation for the alien comet 'Oumuamua's weird orbit
(via sciencedaily.com) When the first interstellar comet ever seen in our solar system was discovered in 2017, one characteristic -- an unexplained acceleration away from the sun -- sparked wild speculation, including that it was an alien spacecraft. An astrochemist found a simpler explanation and tested it with an astronomer: in interstellar space, cosmic rays converted water to hydrogen in the comet's outer layers. Nearing the sun, outgassed hydrogen gave the tiny comet a kick.