Showing 20 articles starting at article 1081
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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Ecology: Extinction
Published Brain circuits for locomotion evolved long before appendages and skeletons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists found parallels between the neural circuitry that guides locomotion in sea slugs and in more complex animals like mammals.
Published Robot fish makes splash with motion breakthrough
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A coil-powered robot fish could make underwater exploration more accessible.
Published Woodpecker guides post-fire forest management
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What's good for the Black-backed Woodpecker is good for restoration of burned California forests. The birds' unique relationship with fire underpins the latest research into improved post-fire management. A study describes a new tool that factors in how fires burn into forest management decisions and turns science into action for wildlife conservation.
Published Antimicrobial use in agriculture can breed bacteria resistant to first-line human defenses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has shown that overuse of antimicrobials in livestock production can drive the evolution of bacteria more resistant to the first line of the human immune response. Bacteria that had evolved resistance to colistin, an antimicrobial widely used in farming, also showed resistance to compounds that are key components of human and animal immune systems. The results indicate that farmed pigs and chickens could harbour large reservoirs of cross-resistant bacteria, capable of fuelling future epidemics.
Published Pet rabbits need freedom to exercise, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pet rabbits have higher levels of the stress hormone -- corticosterone -- and show activity rebound when kept in small hutches with restricted exercise, new research has found.
Published For birds, blending in may result in more diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The adage 'birds of a feather flock together' is being given new meaning in a recent study. When multiple species join a single flock, they appear to mimic each other, with spectacular results. Researchers think this counterintuitively promotes diversity.
Published Neuroptera: Greater insect diversity in the Cretaceous period
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An LMU team has studied the biodiversity of larvae from the insect order neuroptera over the past 100 million years.
Published Newly sequenced hornet genomes could help explain invasion success
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The genomes of two hornet species, the European hornet and the Asian hornet (or yellow-legged hornet) have been sequenced.
Published Cheetahs need more space: Reintroduction in India must consider their spatial ecology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In autumn 2022 and winter 2023, a total of 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were introduced to Kuno National Park in India to establish a free-ranging population -- for the first time since their extinction in India 70 years ago. Although the idea may be commendable, getting it right is not so easy. Scientists see shortcomings in the reintroduction plan: In southern Africa, cheetahs live in a stable socio-spatial system with widely spread territories and densities of less than one individual per 100 km².
Published Elephant seals drift off to sleep while diving far below the ocean surface
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For the first time, scientists have recorded brain activity in a free-ranging, wild marine mammal, revealing the sleep habits of elephant seals during the months they spend at sea. The new findings show that while elephant seals may spend 10 hours a day sleeping on the beach during the breeding season, they average just 2 hours of sleep per day when they are at sea on months-long foraging trips. They sleep for about 10 minutes at a time during deep, 30-minute dives, often spiraling downward while fast asleep, and sometimes lying motionless on the seafloor.
Published The climate crisis and biodiversity crisis can't be approached as two separate things
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anthropogenic climate change has, together with the intensive use and destruction of natural ecosystems through agriculture, fishing and industry, sparked an unprecedented loss of biodiversity that continues to worsen. In this regard, the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are often viewed as two separate catastrophes. An international team of researchers calls for adopting a new perspective.
Published Biologists discover bees to be brew masters of the insect world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have made a remarkable discovery about cellophane bees -- their microbiomes are some of the most fermentative known from the insect world. These bees, which are named for their use of cellophane-like materials to line their subterranean nests, are known for their fascinating behaviors and their important ecological roles as pollinators. Now, researchers have uncovered another aspect of their biology that makes them even more intriguing.
Published Chitin from consuming insects can help both gut microbiota and global health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Increased insect consumption by humans may be better for both gut health and planetary health. Chitin (kai'tin) and healthy fats from insects appear to contribute to healthy gut microbiota and are strong sources of protein and nutrients, according to a recent paper.
Published Chicken breeding in Japan dates back to fourth century BCE
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Conclusive evidence of chicken breeding in the Yayoi period of Japan has been discovered from the Karako-Kagi site.
Published African penguins: Climate refugees from a distant past?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine the view from the western coastline of southern Africa during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) over twenty thousand years ago: in the distance you would see at least fifteen large islands -- the largest 300 square kilometers in area -- swarming with hundreds of millions of marine birds and penguin colonies.
Published Scientists identify 2022 sea urchin killer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has identified a single-celled organism called a ciliate as the cause of a massive die-off event to a marine animal vital to coral reef health.
Published Nature's chefs: Scientists propose food-making as means of understanding species interactions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An interdisciplinary group of researchers is proposing a new way to think of some interactions between species, classifying a variety of plants, animals and fungi as 'nature's chefs.' Specifically, nature's chefs are organisms that provide food -- or the illusion of food -- to other organisms. The concept offers a new perspective on species interactions, which can inform how people think about food across the tree of life as well as disparate research disciplines.
Published Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study tracks arrival and spread of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) decimating wild birds, impacting poultry and pushing up egg prices. The team found that the deadly impact on wild birds and a shift from seasonal to year-round infections signal dangerous changes in avian influenza in the U.S.
Published X-ray analysis sheds new light on prehistoric predator's last meal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source We now know more about the diet of a prehistoric creature that grew up to two and a half meters long and lived in Australian waters during the time of the dinosaurs, thanks to the power of x-rays. Researchers used micro-CT scans to peer inside the fossilized stomach remains of a small marine reptile -- a plesiosaur nicknamed 'Eric' after a song from the comedy group Monty Python -- to determine what the creature ate in the lead up to its death.
Published How does a millipede get its legs?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millipede legs grow in an unexpected way, according to new research. Previously, it was thought that when a millipede molts (sheds its exoskeleton), it grows new segments on the end of its body without legs. Then after the next molt, the previously new segments re-emerge with fully formed legs attached. However, a team has found that new segments actually contain tiny bundles of legs, which appear as transparent protrusions before molting and then become fully formed afterwards. This discovery could help us understand how not only millipedes, but also other arthropods (invertebrates with jointed legs) grow.