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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Geoscience: Oceanography
Published Coastal species persist on high seas on floating plastic debris
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The high seas have been colonized by a surprising number of coastal marine invertebrate species, which can now survive and reproduce in the open ocean, contributing strongly to the floating community composition. Researchers found coastal species, representing diverse taxonomic groups and life history traits, in the eastern North Pacific Subtropical Gyre on over 70 percent of the plastic debris they examined. Further, the debris carried more coastal species than open ocean species.
Published New details of Tully monster revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For more than half a century, the Tully monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium), an enigmatic animal that lived about 300 million years ago, has confounded paleontologists, with its strange anatomy making it difficult to classify. Recently, a group of researchers proposed a hypothesis that Tullimonstrum was a vertebrate similar to cyclostomes (jawless fish like lamprey and hagfish). If it was, then the Tully monster would potentially fill a gap in the evolutionary history of early vertebrates. Studies so far have both supported and rejected this hypothesis. Now, using 3D imaging technology, a team in Japan believes it has found the answer after uncovering detailed characteristics of the Tully monster which strongly suggest that it was not a vertebrate. However, its exact classification and what type of invertebrate it was is still to be decided.
Published Environmental toxin PCB found in deep sea trench
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers on a deep-sea expedition have found PCB in sediment samples from the more than 8,000-meter-deep Atacama Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
Published Less ice, fewer calling seals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For several years, a team of researchers used underwater microphones to listen for seals at the edge of the Antarctic. Their initial findings indicate that sea-ice retreat has had significant effects on the animals' behavior: when the ice disappears, areas normally full of vocalizations become very quiet.
Published New approach estimates long-term coastal cliff loss
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new method for estimating cliff loss over thousands of years in Del Mar, California, may help reveal some of the long-term drivers of coastal cliff loss in the state.
Published How can a pollinating insect be recognized in the fossil record?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Insect pollination is a decisive process for the survival and evolution of angiosperm (flowering) plants and, to a lesser extent, gymnosperms (without visible flower or fruit). There is a growing interest in studies on the origins of the relationship between insects and plants, especially in the current context of the progressive decline of pollinating insects on a global scale and its impact on food production. Pollinating insects can be recognized in the fossil record, although to date, there has been no protocol for their differentiation. Fossil pollinators have been found in both rock and amber deposits, and it is in rock deposits that the first evidence of plant pollination by insects is being studied across the globe. But how can we determine which was a true insect pollinator in the past?
Published Temperature, drought influencing movement of Plains bison
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Temperature and severe drought can drive movement among herds of Plains bison, says a recent study. The team's GPS-backed data suggests that conserving the once-endangered species could depend on accounting for the climate extremes that Plains bison will likely encounter moving forward.
Published Tracking a new path to octopus and squid sensing capabilities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research has traced the evolutionary adaptations of octopus and squid sensing capabilities. The researchers describe for the first time the structure of an octopus chemotactile receptor, which octopus arms use for taste-by-touch exploration of the seafloor.
Published Software to untangle genetic factors linked to shared characteristics among different species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a software package to help answer key questions about genetic factors associated with shared characteristics among different species.
Published Study reveals how pollinators cope with plant toxins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pollinators such as honeybees produce special enzymes that detoxify defence chemicals produced by plants, new research shows.
Published Hairs that help fish feel -- and humans hear
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are reporting a discovery about unexpected asymmetry on the hair cells of zebrafish that allow them to detect movement with greater sensitivity from the back than the front.
Published Wildfires and animal biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wildfires. Many see them as purely destructive forces, disasters that blaze through a landscape, charring everything in their paths. But a new study reminds us that wildfires are also generative forces, spurring biodiversity in their wakes.
Published Predictive power of climate models may be masked by volcanoes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Simulated volcanic eruptions may be blowing up our ability to predict near-term climate, according to a new study.
Published Oldest bat skeletons ever found described from Wyoming fossils
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have described a new species of bat based on the oldest bat skeletons ever recovered. The study on the extinct bat, which lived in Wyoming about 52 million years ago, supports the idea that bats diversified rapidly on multiple continents during this time.
Published Timing of snowshoe hare winter color swap may leave them exposed in changing climate, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study, which used 44 years of data, shows that as the globe has warmed, altering the timing and amount of snow cover, snowshoe hares' winter transformation may be out of sync with the color of the background environment; this may actually put them at a greater disadvantage.
Published Starting small and simple -- key to success for evolution of mammals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ancestors of modern mammals managed to evolve into one of the most successful animal lineages -- the key was to start out small and simple, a new study reveals.
Published How an African bird might inspire a better water bottle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An extreme closeup of feathers from a bird with an uncanny ability to hold water while it flies could inspire the next generation of absorbent materials.
Published Study re-evaluates hazards and climate impacts of massive underwater volcanic eruptions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Material left on the seafloor by bronze-age underwater volcanic eruptions is helping researchers better understand the size, hazards and climate impact of their parent eruptions, according to new research.
Published Perfume component helps lure male moth pests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A small amount of a perfume component -- nonanal -- added to a traditional blend of sex pheromones captures the attention of male fall armyworm moths looking for a good time.
Published Light pollution may extend mosquitoes' biting season
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study's finding that urban light pollution may disrupt the winter dormancy period for mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus could be considered both good news and bad news. The good news is that the disease-carrying pests may not survive the winter if their plans to fatten up are foiled. The bad news is their dormancy period, known as diapause, may simply be delayed -- meaning they're biting humans and animals longer into the fall.