Showing 20 articles starting at article 701
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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Paleontology: General
Published Palaeo-CSI: Mosasaurs were picky eaters
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mosasaurs, those large marine reptiles from the long-gone Cretaceous world, were quite picky in their choice of diet. Researchers came to this conclusion after studying the wear marks on mosasaur teeth.
Published Poison dart frogs: Personality determines reproductive strategies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Unlike their relatives, individuals of the poison frog Allobates femoralis are not poisonous but are captivating due to their different behavioral profiles: They successfully reproduce with different strategies depending on whether they are bold, aggressive or explorative. In addition, certain character traits are already present in this species at the tadpole stage.
Published A fifth of European Red List flora and fauna species may be at risk of extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis of 14,669 threatened species of plants and animals found in Europe reveals that about one fifth face the risk of extinction, and that agricultural land-use change poses a significant threat to these species.
Published 'Alien' wasps thriving in tropical forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say they have discovered high diversity of Darwin wasps in a tropical rainforest in Brazil, wasps which were previously thought to thrive more in cooler habitats.
Published The metabolism of bacteria under the microscope: New method reveals host-microbe interactions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The fascinating world of bacteria that live as symbionts or parasites in animal hosts often remains a mystery to researchers. A research team has made a breakthrough that provides insights into this mysterious micro-world.
Published Why a surprising discovery, warming seas and the demise of the 'Meg' may spell trouble for more and more sharks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some unexpected shark strandings and subsequent surprises following autopsies have, ironically, taken marine biologists millions of years back in time as they look to the future with concern. Adding chapters to an evolutionary tale involving the infamous megalodon shark (the 'Meg'), they think their work suggests there are more warm-blooded sharks out there than previously believed, and -- based on the Meg's demise -- these species may be at great risk from warming seas.
Published Window to the past: New microfossils suggest earlier rise in complex life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Microfossils may capture a jump in the complexity of life that coincided with the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and oceans, according to an international team of scientists.
Published 450-million-year-old organism finds new life in Softbotics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used fossil evidence to engineer a soft robotic replica of pleurocystitids, a marine organism that existed nearly 450 million years ago and is believed to be one of the first echinoderms capable of movement using a muscular stem.
Published Video technology could transform how scientists monitor changes in species evolution and development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research combines microscope and video technology to analyze how different species develop, and how changes in the timings of any developments can be tracked. A detailed analysis of the Energy Proxy Traits (EPTs) that result from these processes has provided researchers with the first evidence that traditionally measured timings of developmental events are associated with far broader changes to the full set of an embryo's observable characteristics.
Published Two fins are better than one: Fish synchronize tail fins to save energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source They say two heads are better than one. But in the world of fish, it appears two fins are better than one. Researchers have produced a theoretical model that demonstrates the underlying mechanisms behind how fish will synchronize their fin movements to ride each other's vortices, thereby saving energy.
Published Threatened sharks and rays caught off Cyprus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sharks and rays from threatened species are being caught off northern Cyprus, according to a new study by scientists who are working with local authorities and fishers to protect the animals.
Published Fossils tell tale of last primate to inhabit North America before humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Paleontologists have shed light on the long-standing saga of Ekgmowechashala, based on fossil teeth and jaws found in both Nebraska and China. Ekgmowechashala is the last primate found in the fossil record before humans.
Published Frogs were Florida's first-known vertebrates from the Caribbean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new fossil study shows that frogs from the genus Eleutherodactylus are geologically the oldest Caribbean vertebrates to be found in Florida. They made the journey 20 million years ago, when much of Florida was still underwater.
Published New secrets about cat evolution revealed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By comparing genomes of several cat species, the project has helped researchers understand why cat genomes tend to have fewer complex genetic variations (such as rearrangements of DNA segments) than other mammal groups, like primates. It also revealed new insights into which parts of cat DNA are most likely to evolve rapidly and how they play a role in species differentiation.
Published Rats have an imagination, new research suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a novel system to probe a rat's thoughts, finding that animals can control their brain activity to imagine remote locations.
Published 'Jurassic worlds' might be easier to spot than modern Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An analysis finds telescopes could better detect potential chemical signatures of life in an Earth-like exoplanet that more closely resembles the age the dinosaurs inhabited than the one we know today.
Published Study links changes in global water cycle to higher temperatures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study takes an important step toward reconstructing a global history of water over the past 2,000 years. Using geologic and biologic evidence preserved in natural archives -- including 759 different paleoclimate records from globally distributed corals, trees, ice, cave formations and sediments -- the researchers showed that the global water cycle has changed during periods of higher and lower temperatures in the recent past.
Published Giant dinosaur carcasses might have been important food sources for Jurassic predators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carnivorous dinosaurs might have evolved to take advantage of giant carcasses, according to a new study.
Published Where is a sea star's head? Maybe just about everywhere
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study that combines genetic and molecular techniques helps solve the riddle of sea star (commonly called starfish) body plans, and how sea stars start life with bilateral body symmetry -- just like humans -- but grow up to be adults with fivefold 'pentaradial' symmetry.
Published How the fish got its shoulder
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis of the bones and muscles in ancient fish gives new clues about how the shoulder evolved in animals -- including us.