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Categories: Anthropology: General, Biology: Zoology
Published Cuddled cows who work as therapy animals showed a strong preference for women compared to men, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals that cows who are cuddled as therapy animals showed a strong preference for interactions with women when compared to men. In turn, the research, which opens a new era on whether some therapies may be initially stronger based upon gender and not procedure, highlighted that the women also reported greater attachment behaviors towards the steers.
Published Legacy of Indigenous stewardship of camas dates back more than 3,500 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study found evidence that Indigenous groups in the Pacific Northwest were intentionally harvesting edible camas bulbs at optimal stages of the plant's maturation as far back as 3,500 years ago.
Published Regional differences in bird diversity in agroforestry systems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The diversity and ecological functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforestry systems are shaped by the surrounding landscape, in particular the extent and composition of the forest.
Published What pottery reveals about prehistoric Central European culinary traditions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The analysis of fat traces in over one hundred pottery vessels reveals deep changes in food consumption and preparation by communities living in central Germany between the Early Neolithic and the Late Bronze Age, as well as in their relation with innovations in pottery styles and decorations. In a groundbreaking study, researchers identified a generalized inclusion of dairy products in prehistoric diets, a preference in consuming pork with the arrival of communities from the Eurasian Steppe, and the importance of dairy products in funeral rites. Central Germany was a key region for the emergence of great prehistoric cultures, such as the Linear Pottery Culture, the Corded Ware Culture, the Bell Beaker populations and the Unetice Culture, one of the first state societies in Europe.
Published Rabies outbreaks in Costa Rica cattle linked to deforestation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Deforestation in Costa Rica raises the risk of cattle becoming infected with rabies by vampire bats, finds a new study.
Published Researchers discover hidden step in dinosaur feather evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists discover 'zoned development' in dinosaur skin, with zones of reptile-style scales and zones of bird-like skin with feathers. A new dinosaur skin fossil has been found to be composed of silica -- the same as glass.
Published A rise in sea urchins and related damage to kelp forests impacts Oregon's gray whales and their food
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.
Published Meerkat chit-chat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers unravel the vocal interactions of meerkat groups and show they use two different types of interactions to stay in touch.
Published Evolutionary history of extinct duck revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The study's findings show mergansers arrived in the New Zealand region at least seven million years ago from the Northern Hemisphere, in a separate colonisation event to that which led to the Brazilian merganser.
Published Diverse headgear in hoofed mammals evolved from common ancestor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source From the small ossicones on a giraffe to the gigantic antlers of a male moose -- which can grow as wide as a car -- the headgear of ruminant hooved mammals is extremely diverse, and new research suggests that despite the physical differences, fundamental aspects of these bony adaptations likely evolved from a common ancestor.
Published Cloudy waters causes African fish to develop bigger eyes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Variations in water quality can impact the development of the visual system of one species of African fish, suggests a new study.
Published After hundreds of years, study confirms Bermuda now home to cownose rays
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using citizen science, photographs, on-water observations and the combination of morphological and genetic data, researchers have provided evidence that the Atlantic cownose ray has recently made a new home in Bermuda. Results show that after hundreds of years of natural history records, this is a novel migration of Atlantic cownose rays to Bermuda.
Published Ukraine war caused migrating eagles to deviate from their usual flight plan, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When migrating through Ukraine in 2022, Greater Spotted Eagles were exposed to multiple conflict events that altered their migratory course, according to a new study.
Published Scale matters in determining vulnerability of freshwater fish to climate changes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team explored the influence the spatial extent of research -- the geographical coverage of data collected -- has on evaluating the sensitivity of different fish species to climate change.
Published Pagan-Christian trade networks supplied horses from overseas for the last horse sacrifices in Europe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Horses crossed the Baltic Sea in ships during the Late Viking Age and were sacrificed for funeral rituals. Studies on the remains of horses found at ancient burial sites in Russia and Lithuania show that they were brought overseas from Scandinavia utilizing expansive trade networks connecting the Viking world with the Byzantine and Arab Empires. Up to now, researchers had believed sacrificial horses were always locally-sourced stallions. But these results reveal horses from modern Sweden or Finland traveled up to 1,500 km across the Baltic Sea. The findings also show that the sex of the horse was not necessarily a factor in them being chosen for sacrifice, with genetic analysis showing one in three were mares.
Published Early arrival and expansion of palaeolithic people on Cyprus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The patterns of dispersal of early humans across continents and islands are hotly debated, but researchers have found that Pleistocene hunter-gatherers settled in Cyprus thousands of years earlier than previously thought. In examining the timing of the first human occupation of Cyprus, research found that large islands in the Mediterranean Sea were attractive and favorable destinations for palaeolithic peoples. These findings refute previous studies that suggested Mediterranean islands would have been unreachable and inhospitable for Pleistocene hunter-gatherer societies.
Published Study reveals consumers value animal welfare more than environmental sustainability when buying meat and dairy products
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The treatment of animals rates higher than green issues when consumers choose meat and dairy products. That's according to a new study, which suggests that while consumers consider sustainability important, other factors such as taste, quality, and animal welfare take precedence in their purchasing decisions.
Published Eurasian jays can use 'mental time travel' like humans, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Eurasian jays can remember incidental details of past events, which is characteristic of episodic memory in humans, according to a new study.
Published Two decades of studies suggest health benefits associated with plant-based diets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Vegetarian and vegan diets are generally associated with better status on various medical factors linked to cardiovascular health and cancer risk, as well as lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and death, according to a new review of 49 previously published papers.
Published Analyzing androgynous characteristics in an emperor penguin courtship call
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the emperor penguin courtship call, male vocalizations are composed of long, slow bursts with lower frequency tones than the female version. But calls of SeaWorld San Diego male penguin E-79 defied this binary. Also unusual was this penguin's male companion, E-81. The pair 'kept company' and sometimes exhibited ritual courtship displays. Researchers studied the courtship calls of E-79 and E-81, recording the birds in their below-freezing enclosure and refining the usual technique for analyzing the bursts.