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Categories: Ecology: Extinction, Ecology: Invasive Species
Published The race to discover biodiversity: 11 new marine species and a new platform for rapid species description
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper describes a ground-breaking experiment that united 25 independent taxonomists from 10 countries. The initiative boasts the discovery of 11 new marine species from all over the globe, occurring at depths from 5.2 to 7081 meters. It also represents a significant step forward in accelerating the pace at which new marine species are described and published.
Published Catching a new (sea) star
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a new species of sea star (also known as starfish). The discovery came about thanks to collaborative work among researchers, fishers, and aquarium and museum staff. The starfish, which has been named Paragonaster hoeimaruae, belongs to the family Pseudarchasteridae. It is a distinctive red and beige color, with five arms and spans just over 10 centimeters.
Published Combined effects of plastic pollution and seawater flooding amplify threats to coastal plant species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study highlights how a combination of environmental stressors -- namely plastic pollution and seawater flooding -- can increase the threats faced by plants in some of the planet's critical ecosystems. It showed that both stressors had some effects on the species tested, but being exposed to both microplastics and flooding together -- a threat likely to increase as a result of climate change and plastic use -- had a more pronounced impact on their resource allocation.
Published Warming stops tiny organisms working together
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hotter conditions prevent two tiny organisms working together for mutual benefit, new research shows.
Published Mass extinction 66 million years ago triggered rapid evolution of bird genomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Study finds that the mass extinction caused by an asteroid about 66 million years ago led to critical changes in bird genomes that ultimately sparked the incredibly diversity living birds.
Published 3D models provide unprecedented look at corals' response to bleaching events
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine biologists are providing a glimpse into coral 'bleaching' responses to stress, using imaging technology to pinpoint coral survival rates following multiple bleaching events off the island of Maui. Using a time series of coral reef 3D models from Maui, the researchers tracked the bleaching response of 1,832 coral colonies from 2014 to 2021. The seven-year data set provided detailed imagery of the reefs year-by-year, allowing the team to identify patterns of coral growth and survivorship through sequential bleaching events that occurred in 2015 and 2019.
Published Cash and conservation: A worldwide analysis of wildlife represented on money
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers investigate the representation of native fauna on 4,541 banknotes from 207 countries between 1980 and 2017, to identify geographic hotspots and taxonomic patterns, and determine whether threatened and endemic species were more readily represented.
Published Monarch butterflies need help, and a little bit of milkweed goes a long way
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers and community scientists monitored urban milkweed plants for butterfly eggs to learn what makes these city gardens more hospitable to monarchs. They found that even tiny city gardens attracted monarchs and became a home to caterpillars.
Published Scientists discover entirely new wood type that could be highly efficient at carbon storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world's most iconic trees and shrubs have discovered an entirely new type of wood.
Published Scientists using new sound tech to save animals from extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are using new technology to help endangered animals by listening to their sounds.
Published Two shark species documented in Puget Sound for first time
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made the first scientific confirmation in Puget Sound of two distinct shark species, one of them critically endangered.
Published Climate is most important factor in where mammals choose to live, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using data from 6,645 camera traps across the United States, researchers mapped populations of 25 mammal species. They determined that climate, not human activity, was the primary factor in mammals deciding where to live.
Published Thousands of birds and fish threatened by mining for clean energy transition, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Our increasing demand for metals and minerals is putting over four thousand vertebrate species at risk, with the raw materials needed for clean energy infrastructure often located in global biodiversity hotspots, a study has found.
Published The ancestor of all modern birds probably had iridescent feathers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Birds tend to be more colorful in the tropics, and scientists wanted to find out how they got there: if colorful feathers evolved in the tropics, or if tropical birds have brightly-colored ancestors that came to the region from somwhere else. Scientists built a database of 9,409 birds to explore the spread of color across the globe. They found that iridescent, colorful feathers originated 415 times across the bird tree of life, and in most cases, arose outside of the tropics -- and that the ancestor of all modern birds likely had iridescent feathers, too.
Published New Zealand's flightless birds are retreating to moa refuges
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found New Zealand's endangered flightless birds are seeking refuge in the locations where six species of moa last lived before going extinct.
Published Ancient marine animal had inventive past despite being represented by few species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Brachiopods were evolving in new directions but this did not turn into evolutionary success in terms of the numbers of species, researchers have found.
Published Komodo dragons have iron-coated teeth to rip apart their prey
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that the serrated edges of Komodo dragons' teeth are tipped with iron. The study gives new insight into how Komodo dragons keep their teeth razor-sharp and may provide clues to how dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex killed and ate their prey.
Published Scientists assess how large dinosaurs could really get
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study looks at the maximum possible sizes of dinosaurs, using the carnivore, Tyrannosaurus rex, as an example. Using computer modelling, experts produced estimates that T. Rex might have been 70% heavier than what the fossil evidence suggests.
Published Human-infecting parasite produces sterile soldiers like ants and termites
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research finds a tiny freshwater parasite known to cause health problems in humans defends its colonies with a class of soldiers that cannot reproduce. The discovery vaults this species of parasitic flatworm into the ranks of complex animal societies such as ants, bees and termites, which also have distinct classes of workers and soldiers that have given up reproduction to serve their colony.
Published A window of opportunity for climate change and biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source World leaders must take advantage of a pivotal window of opportunity for forging a much-needed joined-up approach to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, say scientists. Without this, work on tackling either crisis could inadvertently harm progress on the other.