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Categories: Biology: Zoology, Paleontology: Fossils
Published Researchers get to the 'bottom' of how beetles use their butts to stay hydrated
(via sciencedaily.com) Beetles are champions at surviving in extremely dry environments. In part, this property is due to their ability to suck water from the air with their rear ends. A new study explains just how. Beyond helping to explain how beetles thrive in environments where few other animals can survive, the knowledge could eventually be used for more targeted and delicate control of global pests such as the grain weevil and red flour beetle.
Published New animal welfare scoring system could enable better-informed food and farming choices
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have come up with a system of measuring animal welfare that enables reliable comparison across different types of pig farming.
Published Biodiversity amid climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Fewer parasites in U.S. waters might be seen by many as a good thing, but a biologist says the trend signals potential danger for fish and other wildlife.
Published Jellyfish size might influence their nutritional value
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers confirmed what was already known: jellyfish eat bigger prey as they grow, which means they also occupy a higher position in the food web as they grow. They also found that some of the concentrations of 'healthy fats,' increase as jellyfish grow. These changes might be influenced by their diet, and as they feed on bigger prey with higher levels of fatty acids, the jellyfish accumulate more of these fatty acids.
Published Coffee plantations limit birds' diets
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study explores a record of birds' diets preserved in their feathers and radio tracking of their movements to find that birds eat far fewer invertebrates in coffee plantations than in forests, suggesting that the disturbance of their ecosystem significantly impacts the birds' dietary options.
Published Inbreeding contributes to decline of endangered killer whales
(via sciencedaily.com) The small size and isolation of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have led to high levels of inbreeding. This inbreeding has contributed to their decline, which has continued as surrounding killer whale populations expand, according to new research.
Published Unraveling whale entanglement risk factors off Oregon Coast
(via sciencedaily.com) New research is beginning to unravel the times of year and locations where whales are at greatest danger of entanglement in fishing gear on the Oregon Coast.
Published Parasites alter likelihood of fish being caught by anglers
(via sciencedaily.com) Parasitic infections in salmonid fish can increase or decrease their vulnerability to angling, depending on their body condition.
Published Hummingbirds use torpor in varying ways to survive cold temps
(via sciencedaily.com) Hummingbirds use the hibernation-like state of torpor in varying ways, depending on their physical condition and what is happening in their environment, according to new research.
Published New eyes discovered in trilobites
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have detected previously overlooked eyes whose form and function could help to improve the evolutionary classification of archaic arthropods.
Published Noise harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Noise from human activities is harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems, new research shows.
Published Mountain forests are being lost at an accelerating rate, putting biodiversity at risk
(via sciencedaily.com) More than 85% of the world's bird, mammal, and amphibian species live in mountains, particularly in forest habitats, but researchers report that these forests are disappearing at an accelerating rate. Globally, we have lost 78.1 million hectares (7.1%) of mountain forest since 2000 -- an area larger than the size of Texas. Much of the loss occurred in tropical biodiversity hotspots, putting increasing pressure on threatened species.
Published Fossil site is 'Rosetta Stone' for understanding early life
(via sciencedaily.com) Leading edge technology has uncovered secrets about a world-renowned fossil hoard that could offer vital clues about early life on Earth. Researchers who analyzed the 400 million-year-old cache, found in rural north-east Scotland, say their findings reveal better preservation of the fossils at a molecular level than was previously anticipated.
Published How fishermen benefit from reversing evolution of cod
(via sciencedaily.com) Intense fishing and over-exploitation have led to evolutionary changes in fish stocks like cod, reducing both their productivity and value on the market. These changes can be reversed by more sustainable and far-sighted fisheries management. A new study shows that reversal of evolutionary change would only slightly reduce the profit of fishing, but would help regain and conserve natural genetic diversity.
Published Humans are altering the diet of Tasmanian devils, which may accelerate their decline
(via sciencedaily.com) New research shows how human-modified landscapes affect the diets of these marsupial scavengers.
Published Humans bite back by deactivating mosquito sperm
(via sciencedaily.com) New research makes it likely that proteins responsible for activating mosquito sperm can be shut down, preventing them from swimming to or fertilizing eggs.
Published Compressive stress shapes the symmetry of Arabidopsis root vascular tissue
(via sciencedaily.com) A cytokinin-mediated, proliferation-based mechanism is involved in the generation and maintenance of cell-type specific tissue boundaries during vascular development in Arabidopsis roots. Specifically, the HANABA-TARANU transcription factor forms a feed-forward loop to cytokinin signaling, which in turn regulates the position and frequency of cell proliferation of proto-vascular cells such that mechanical stress of the surrounding tissues guides growth in an apical-oriented manor, maintaining cell patterning throughout the tissue section.
Published Indigenous Ashaninka DNA helps geneticists write new chapters of pre-colonial history in South America
(via sciencedaily.com) Geneticists have written new chapters in the reconstruction of pre-colonial Americas history after using DNA from the indigenous Ashaninka people from Amazonian Peru. They have discovered previously unexpected levels of genetic variation in this group and uncovered a strong hint that these people were involved in a South-to-North migration that led to the transition from an archaic to ceramic culture in the Caribbean islands.
Published Characterizing abnormal neural networks in dogs with anxiety
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers report abnormalities in functional neural networks of dogs diagnosed with anxiety. The study shows that compared with healthy dogs, those with anxiety exhibit stronger connections between the amygdala and other regions of the anxiety network. The findings might also help reveal how functional connections between anxiety-related regions of the brain are altered in cases of human anxiety disorders.
Published Mild fever helps clear infections faster, new study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) It may be better to let a mild fever run its course instead of automatically reaching for medication, new research suggests. Researchers found that untreated moderate fever helped fish clear their bodies of infection rapidly, controlled inflammation and repaired damaged tissue. Moderate fever is self-resolving, meaning that the body can both induce it and shut it down naturally without medication. The health advantages of natural fever to humans still have to be confirmed through research, but the researchers say because the mechanisms driving and sustaining fever are shared among animals, it is reasonable to expect similar benefits are going to happen in humans.