Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Microplastics may be accumulating rapidly in endangered Galápagos penguins' food web      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Model predictions showed a rapid increase in microplastic accumulation and contamination across the penguins' prey organisms resulting in Galapagos penguin showing the highest level of microplastics per biomass, followed by barracuda, anchovy, sardine, herring, and predatory zooplankton.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Humpback whales move daytime singing offshore      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research revealed a daily pattern wherein humpback whales move their singing away from shore throughout the day and return to the nearshore in the evening.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Microbiology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils
Published

New pieces in the puzzle of first life on Earth      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Microorganisms were the first forms of life on our planet. The clues are written in 3.5 billion-year-old rocks by geochemical and morphological traces, such as chemical compounds or structures that these organisms left behind. However, it is still not clear when and where life originated on Earth and when a diversity of species developed in these early microbial communities. Evidence is scarce and often disputed. Now, researchers have uncovered key findings about the earliest forms of life. In rock samples from South Africa, they found evidence dating to around 3.42 billion years ago of an unprecedentedly diverse carbon cycle involving various microorganisms. This research shows that complex microbial communities already existed in the ecosystems during the Palaeoarchaean period.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Marine heat waves trigger shift in hatch dates and early growth of Pacific cod      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Marine heat waves appear to trigger earlier reproduction, high mortality in early life stages and fewer surviving juvenile Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska, a new study shows. These changes in the hatch cycle and early growth patterns persisted in years following the marine heat waves, which could have implications for the future of Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod, an economically and culturally significant species.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Environmental: General Environmental: Water Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Discovering the physics behind 300-year-old firefighting methods      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Inspired by a 1725 fire engine that pumped water at larger distances and higher speeds than previously possible, authors analyzed the pressure chamber's Windkessel effect to capture the physics behind this widely used, enduring technology. They compared the initial state of the chamber, the rate at which bucket brigades could pour water in (volumetric inflow), the length of time pressure builds, and the effects on output flow rate. Next, the authors plan to examine the physiological Windkessel involved in the heart-aorta system.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Don't blame the sharks: Why more hooked tarpon are being eaten      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In wave-making research, a team of biologists has quantified the rate at which great hammerhead sharks are eating Atlantic tarpon hooked by anglers at Bahia Honda, Florida -- one of the prime tarpon fishing spots in the Florida Keys.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Trees Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Student discovers 200-million-year-old flying reptile      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Gliding winged-reptiles were amongst the ancient crocodile residents of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, researchers at the have revealed.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

The megalodon was less mega than previously believed      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows the Megalodon, a gigantic shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, was more slender than earlier studies suggested. This finding changes scientists' understanding of Megalodon behavior, ancient ocean life, and why the sharks went extinct.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Sea otters helped prevent widespread California kelp forest declines over the past century      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The study reveals dramatic regional kelp canopy changes along the California coast over a 100-year period. During this time there was a significant increase in kelp forest canopy along the central coast, the only region of California where southern sea otters survived after being hunted nearly to extinction for their fur in the 1800s. Contrastingly, kelp canopy decreased in northern and southern regions. At the century scale, the species' favorable impact on kelp forests along the central coast nearly compensated for the kelp losses along both northern and southern California resulting in only a slight overall decline statewide during this period.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Despite intensive scientific analyses, this centaur head remains a mystery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For almost 200 years, archaeologists have been puzzled by a mysterious brown stain on the ancient Greek Parthenon temple in Greece. Now, researchers have conducted new scientific analyses, and their verdict is clear: The mystery remains.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Pacific kelp forests are far older that we thought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fossils of kelp along the Pacific Coast are rare. Until now, the oldest fossil dated from 14 million years ago, leading to the view that today's denizens of the kelp forest -- marine mammals, urchins, sea birds -- coevolved with kelp. A recent amateur discovery pushes back the origin of kelp to 32 million years ago, long before these creatures appeared. A new analysis suggests the first kelp grazers were extinct, hippo-like animals called desmostylians.

Biology: Evolutionary Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: General
Published

Feeding mode of ancient vertebrate tested for first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A feeding method of the extinct jawless heterostracans, among the oldest of vertebrates, has been examined and dismissed by scientists, using fresh techniques.

Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Key moment in the evolution of life on Earth captured in fossils      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has precisely dated some of the oldest fossils of complex multicellular life in the world, helping to track a pivotal moment in the history of Earth when the seas began teeming with new lifeforms -- after four billion years of containing only single-celled microbes.

Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Oldest known fossilized skin is 21 million years older than previous examples      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have identified a 3D fragment of fossilized skin that is at least 21 million years than previously described skin fossils. The skin, which belonged to an early species of Paleozoic reptile, has a pebbled surface and most closely resembles crocodile skin. It's the oldest example of preserved epidermis, the outermost layer of skin in terrestrial reptiles, birds, and mammals, which was an important evolutionary adaptation in the transition to life on land.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Prehistoric person with Turner syndrome identified from ancient DNA      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new technique to measure the number of chromosomes in ancient genomes more precisely, using it to identify the first prehistoric person with mosaic Turner syndrome (characterized by one X chromosome instead of two [XX]), who lived about 2500 years ago.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Biology: Molecular Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Toxic algae blooms: Study assesses potential health hazards to humans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Water samples from 20 sites were tested using a panel of immortalized human cell lines corresponding to the liver, kidney and brain to measure cytotoxicity. Results show that each control toxin induced a consistent pattern of cytotoxicity in the panel of human cell lines assayed. Known toxins were seen only during blooms. Because cell toxicity was seen in the absence of blooms, it suggests that there might be either emergent toxins or a combination of toxins present at those times. Findings suggest that other toxins with the potential to be harmful to human health may be present in the lagoon.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Focus on biological processes does not capture the whole picture      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The ocean plays a crucial role in the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). The so-called marine biological carbon pump is an important research topic in this context. However a key component is often overlooked. Colleagues outline why it is insufficient to focus solely on biological processes when investigating the accumulation of CO2 in the ocean by the biological carbon pump.