Showing 20 articles starting at article 101
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Biology: Zoology
Published Researchers find that frogs can quickly increase their tolerance to pesticides
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Although there is a large body of research on pests evolving tolerances for the pesticides meant to destroy them, there have been considerably fewer studies on how non-target animals in these ecosystems may do the same.
Published Unlocking the mystery of preexisting drug resistance: New study sheds light on cancer evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The evolution of resistance to diseases, from infectious illnesses to cancers, poses a formidable challenge. Despite the expectation that resistance-conferring mutations would dwindle in the absence of treatment due to a reduced growth rate, preexisting resistance is pervasive across diseases that evolve -- like cancer and pathogens -- defying conventional wisdom.
Published Building a roadmap to bioengineer plants that produce their own nitrogen fertilizer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nitrogen fertilizers make it possible to feed the world's growing population, but they are also costly adn harm ecosystems. However, a few plants have evolved the ability to acquire their own nitrogen with the help of bacteria, and a new study helps explain how they did it, not once, but multiple times.
Published Receptors make dairy cows a prime target for influenza
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study helps explain why dairy cows infected by highly pathogenic avian influenza are shedding the virus in their milk. Their findings could help develop biosecurity measures aimed at slowing the spread of the illness.
Published How domestic rabbits become feral in the wild
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source After sequencing the genomes of nearly 300 rabbits from Europe, South America, and Oceania, researchers found that all of them had a mix of feral and domestic DNA. They say this was not what they had expected to find.
Published Insight into one of life's earliest ancestors revealed in new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shed light on Earth's earliest ecosystem, showing that within a few hundred million years of planetary formation, life on Earth was already flourishing.
Published How plant cold specialists can adapt to the environment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Evolutionary biologists studied spoonworts to determine what influence genome duplication has on the adaptive potential of plants. The results show that polyploids -- species with more than two sets of chromosomes -- can have an accumulation of structural mutations with signals for a possible local adaptation, enabling them to occupy ecological niches time and time again.
Published A stealth fungus has decimated North American bats but scientists may be a step closer to treating white-nose syndrome
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An invasive fungus that colonizes the skin of hibernating bats with deadly consequences is a stealthy invader that uses multiple strategies to slip into the small mammals' skin cells and quietly manipulate them to aid its own survival. The fungus, which causes the disease white-nose syndrome, has devastated several North American species over the last 18 years.
Published Muscle machine: How water controls the speed of muscle contraction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The flow of water within a muscle fiber may dictate how quickly muscle can contract, according to a new study.
Published Hatcheries can boost wild salmon numbers but reduce diversity, studies find
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ability of salmon hatcheries to increase wild salmon abundance may come at the cost of reduced diversity among wild salmon, according to a new study.
Published Introducing co-cultures: When co-habiting animal species share culture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cooperative hunting, resource sharing, and using the same signals to communicate the same information -- these are all examples of cultural sharing that have been observed between distinct animal species. In a new article, researchers introduce the term 'co-culture' to describe cultural sharing between animal species. These relationships are mutual and go beyond one species watching and mimicking another species' behavior -- in co-cultures, both species influence each other in substantial ways.
Published Mapping the world's fungi from air samples
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found that the key to a quick and cost-effective mapping of biodiversity has been right in front of our eyes all along, but at the same time invisible -- i.e., in the air that surrounds us.
Published Blood fat profiles confirm health benefits of replacing butter with high-quality plant oils
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Switching from a diet high in saturated animal fats to one rich in plant-based unsaturated fats affects the fat composition in the blood, which in turn influences long-term disease risk. A study shows that it is possible to accurately measure diet-related fat changes in the blood and directly link them to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Published Air pollution harms pollinators more than pests, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pollinators experienced a 39-percent decline in foraging efficiency after being exposed to elevated air pollution levels. In contrast, plant-eating aphids and other pests were not significantly impacted.
Published Urban seagulls still prefer seafood
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Seagull chicks raised on an 'urban' diet still prefer seafood.
Published A new species of extinct crocodile relative rewrites life on the Triassic coastline
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The surprising discovery of a new species of extinct crocodile relative from the Triassic Favret Formation of Nevada, USA, rewrites the story of life along the coasts during the first act of the Age of Dinosaurs. The new species Benggwigwishingasuchus eremicarminis reveals that while giant ichthyosaurs ruled the oceans, the ancient crocodile kin known as pseudosuchian archosaurs ruled the shores across the Middle Triassic globe between 247.2 and 237 million years ago.
Published Pumpkin disease not evolving, could make a difference for management
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The pathogen that causes bacterial spot is very good at what it does. Forming small lesions on the rinds of pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, and other cucurbits, it mars the fruits' appearance and ushers in secondary pathogens that lead to rot and severe yield loss. The bacterium, Xanthomonas cucurbitae, is so successful that it has had no reason to evolve through time or space.
Published Not so simple: Mosses and ferns offer new hope for crop protection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mosses, liverworts, ferns and algae may offer an exciting new research frontier in the global challenge of protecting crops from the threat of disease.
Published Tackling the challenge of coca plant ID: Wild vs cultivated for cocaine
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper reveals that it's not as straightforward as it might seem. Despite decades of data collection by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has been valuable to monitor changes in areas occupied by illegal coca plantations in South America, there is no reliable scientific method to distinguish between different types of coca plants.
Published Researchers listen to the hearts of bats in flight
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Unique recordings show that bats can ramp up heart rate from 6 to 900 b.p.m within minutes.