Showing 20 articles starting at article 301

< Previous 20 articles        Next 20 articles >

Categories: Biology: Zoology, Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms

Return to the site home page

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The queens in colonies of social insects, such as ants, bees, and wasps, are considered the veritable embodiment of specialization in the animal kingdom. The common perception is that the queen's only task is to lay eggs -- and that this attribute is an inherent trait, not influenced by external factors. In contrast, recent research has demonstrated that in certain ant colonies the social environment can play a crucial role in shaping the behavioral specialization of the queens.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

While Wyoming is home to some of North America's most abundant populations of pronghorn that have largely been stable in recent years, a new analysis shows that many herds are experiencing long-term declines in fawn production.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When the skeletal remains of a giant ground sloth were first unearthed in 1796, the discovery marked one of the earliest paleontological finds in American history.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Two red-tailed coral snakes have been observed competing over a caecilian in the first documented wild case of kleptoparasitism within the family Elapidae.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered how honeybees can decipher dances by their hive mates that relay directions to food.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists are also interested in fish -- above all when they are researching the formation of structures. A research team has examined the schooling behavior of zebra danio (Danio rerio, also known as 'zebrafish') using methods from the field of multi-particle physics. They explain that groups of just three fish already move in a similar way to large schools while, by contrast, two fish display completely different behavior.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Humans pass on more viruses to domestic and wild animals than we catch from them, according to a major new analysis of viral genomes.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biologists use a novel method of simultaneous acoustic tagging to gain insights into the link between whale communication and behavior

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A small-bird species, the Japanese tit (Parus minor), uses wing movements as a gesture to convey the message 'after you,' according to new research. When a mating pair arrives at their nest box with food, they will wait outside on perches. One will then often flutter its wings toward the other, apparently indicating for the latter to enter first. The researchers say that this discovery challenges the previous belief that gestural communication is prominent only in humans and great apes, significantly advancing our understanding of visual communication in birds.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Spiders that disguise themselves as ants live in many locations around the globe but until now most had been able to avoid detection from fossil researchers as well as predators.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers examined the developmental processes and reproduction-related behavior of 8 of the 11 families of Dermaptera (earwigs) in detail and compared with those reported in previous studies. The results confirmed that Dermaptera is a polyneopteran order, and the features such as caudal forceps and elaborate maternal care for eggs and young larvae emerged in parallel within the order during evolution.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Following injury, plants release terpenoids to enhance their defenses. Researchers studying terpenoid-enriched essential oils (EOs) have found that rose EO (REO) can stimulate defense genes in tomato leaves. Furthermore, REO attracts herbivores that protect the plant from the moth species, Spodoptera litura, and Tetranychus urticae, a mite pest. This suggests that applying REO could be a sustainable approach to pest management in organic farming.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The first study of humpback whale entanglements in B.C. aquaculture facilities found eight over 13 years, with the curiosity of young whales a potential contributing factor.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

What maintains stability within an ecosystem and prevents a single best competitor from displacing other species from a community? Does ecosystem stability depend upon the presence of a wide variety of species, as early ecologists believed, or does diversity do the exact opposite, and lead to instability, as modern theory predicts? A new study suggests an answer to this question that has been a subject of debate among ecologists for half a century.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tropical Heliconius butterflies are well known for the bright colour patterns on their wings. These striking colour patterns not only scare off predators -- the butterflies are poisonous and are distasteful to birds -- but are also important signals during mate selection. Evolutionary biologists have now exploited the diversity of warning patterns of various Heliconius species to investigate the genetic foundations of these preferences. In the process, the scientists identified a gene that is directly linked to evolutionary changes in a visually guided behavior.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Forests and streams are separate but linked ecosystems, existing side by side, with energy and nutrients crossing their porous borders and flowing back and forth between them. For example, leaves fall from trees, enter streams, decay and feed aquatic insects. Those insects emerge from the waters and are eaten by birds and bats. An international team has now found that these ecosystems appear to keep the energy exchanges in balance -- a finding that the scientists called surprising.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The largest living animal, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) which averages about 27 meters in length, has slowly recovered from whaling only to face the rising challenges of global warming, pollution, disrupted food sources, shipping, and other human threats. In a major new study, biologists have taken a stock of the number, distribution and genetic characteristics of blue whale populations around the world and found the greatest differences among the eastern Pacific, Antarctic subspecies and pygmy subspecies of the eastern Indian and western Pacific.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Killer whales foraging in deep submarine canyons off the coast of California represent a distinct subpopulation that uses specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals, researchers report.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists found that farmed salmon production leads to an overall loss of essential dietary nutrients. They say that eating more wild 'feed' species directly could benefit our health while reducing aquaculture demand for finite marine resources.