Showing 20 articles starting at article 541
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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Geoscience: Geography
Published New step in tectonic squeeze that turns seafloor into mountains
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers describe zircons from the Andes mountains of Patagonia. Although the zircons formed when tectonic plates were colliding, they have a chemical signature associated with when the plates were moving apart. The researchers think that the unexpected signature could be explained by the mechanics of underlying tectonic plates that hasn't yet been described in other models.
Published A new estimate of U.S. soil organic carbon to improve Earth system models
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Emory environmentals scientist combined field-level data with machine-learning techniques to estimate soil organic carbon at the U.S. scale, another step toward providing more accurate baseline data to improve Earth system models for climate change.
Published Scientists' urgent call: End destruction and forge a just, sustainable future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists published a study emphasizing the urgent need to align political will, economic resources, and societal values to ensure a more sustainable and equitable world. The review summarizes the grave threats facing the planet but rejects a 'doom and gloom' philosophy. They advocate a global cultural shift that elevates kinship with nature and communal well-being, underpinned by the recognition of Earth's finite resources and the interconnectedness of its inhabitants.
Published How and why animals can live alongside humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests animals can thrive in human-dominated environments by being expert judges of risk. Researchers examined the behavior of great-tailed grackles, a bird species successfully invading much of urban North America, showing that the dispersing males shy away from risk, which is a characteristic the researchers show is well-suited to chaotic environments like cities. These findings provide unique insight into how and why animals and humans can coexist.
Published When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scholars present the earliest clear archaeological and biomolecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 archaeological sites spanning one and a half millennia. The research indicates that the domestic chicken, now a staple in diets around the world, is not as ancient as previously thought.
Published We've had bird evolution all wrong
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genomic anamolies dating back to the time of the dinosaurs misled scientists about the evolutionary history of birds.
Published Computational tools fuel reconstruction of new and improved bird family tree
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using cutting-edge computational methods and supercomputing infrastructure, researchers have built the largest and most detailed bird family tree to date -- an intricate chart delineating 93 million years of evolutionary relationships between 363 bird species, representing 92% of all bird families. The updated tree reveals sharp increases in effective population size, substitution rates and relative brain size in early birds in the aftermath of the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. And by closely examining one of the branches of this tree, researchers found that flamingos and doves are more distantly related than previous genome-wide analyses had shown.
Published Melting glaciers in a warmer climate provide new ground for invasive species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In 2022 and 2023, biologists from research institutes in the UK and the Falkland Islands led two expeditions to South Georgia to study the impacts of invasive species on this cold and rugged sub-Antarctic island. They report that several invasive plants and invertebrates rapidly colonized the new ground exposed by melting glaciers, leaving few pristine areas for native species. With ongoing climate change, more research is needed across the world to understand how invasive species impact the fragile ecosystems that develop after glacier melting.
Published Machine learning provides a new picture of the great gray owl
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers upend the notion that the iconic great gray owl -- known as the phantom of the North -- lives far from cities, towns and other markers of human density.
Published Genomic research may help explain cancer resistance in Tasmanian devils
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Through DNA sequencing of Tasmanian devils and their tumors, researchers have tracked the genomic interactions between the animals and the cancer.
Published New approach to monitoring freshwater quality can identify sources of pollution, and predict their effects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Analysing the diversity of organic compounds dissolved in freshwater provides a reliable measure of ecosystem health, say scientists.
Published Small birds spice up the already diverse diet of spotted hyenas in Namibia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hyenas are generalist predators (and scavengers) with a broad range of prey species. They are known for hunting (or scavenging) larger mammals such as antelopes and occasionally feed on smaller mammals and reptiles. Being flexible in the choice of prey is a strategy of generalists -- and this even extends to small passerine birds, as scientists observed in Namibia: Spotted hyenas pursued red-billed queleas, picked them from the ground or the surface of a waterhole and swallowed them whole, at a success rate of approximately one bird every three minutes.
Published Lyrebird synchronizes elements of its mating dance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To woo a mate, the Albert's Lyrebird of Australia becomes a real song-and-dance bird. Each male first chooses a stage of entangled vines, then in performance he shakes the vines as part of his courtship footwork, synchronizing each shake with the beat of his striking song.
Published Open waste burning linked to air pollution in Northwestern Greenland
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A case study on the effects of open waste burning on air quality in Northwestern Greenland calls attention to the importance of no-one-left-behind sustainable air quality monitoring in the Arctic region.
Published How extratropical ocean-atmosphere interactions can contribute to the variability of jet streams in the Northern Hemisphere
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ocean-atmosphere coupling, the exchange in energy between the ocean and atmosphere, influences teleconnection patterns, the climate effects across vast geographical areas. However, its impact outside the tropics is unclear. A group of researchers examined the effect of ocean coupling on atmospheric circulation patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. They found that extratropical ocean-atmosphere coupling enhances teleconnection patterns and causes more meandering westerly jet streams, which are linked to extreme weather events.
Published Understanding cattle grazing personalities may foster sustainable rangelands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research finds that not all cattle are the same when it comes to grazing, and knowing that could lead to better animal health and range conditions.
Published North American cities may see a major species turnover by the end of the century
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change may dramatically affect the animal species observed in North American cities, according to a new study.
Published Land under water: What causes extreme flooding?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If rivers overflow their banks, the consequences can be devastating -- just like the catastrophic floods in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate of 2021 showed. In order to limit flood damage and optimize flood risk assessment, we need to better understand what factors can lead to extreme forms of flooding and to what extent. Using methods of explainable machine learning, researchers have shown that floods are more extreme when several factors are involved in their development.
Published Scientists warn: The grey seal hunt is too large
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers warn that today's hunting quotas of about 3,000 animals pose a risk to the long-term survival of the grey seal in the Baltic Sea. The conclusions of this new study are based on statistics from 20th century seal hunting and predictions of future climate change.
Published Looking to the past to prevent future extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anthropologists created a computational model to predict the likelihood of animal extinctions based on the complex interaction of hunting and environmental change.