Showing 20 articles starting at article 741
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Zoology, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Number of shark bites consistent with recent trends, with small spike in fatalities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There was an increase in the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and an uptick in fatalities in 2023 compared to the previous year. A scientific database of global shark attacks, confirmed 69 unprovoked bites in 2023. Although this is higher than the most recent five-year average of 63 attacks, the data remain consistent with long-term trends.
Published A rare recent case of retrovirus integration: An infectious gibbon ape leukaemia virus is colonizing a rodent's genome in New Guinea
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Retroviruses are viruses that multiply by incorporating their genes into the genome of a host cell. If the infected cell is a germ cell, the retrovirus can then be passed on to the next generation as an 'endogenous' retrovirus (ERV) and spread as part of the host genome in that host species. In vertebrates, ERVs are ubiquitous and sometimes make up 10 per cent of the host genome. However, most retrovirus integrations are very old, already degraded and therefore inactive -- their initial impact on host health has been minimized by millions of years of evolution. A research team has now discovered a recent case of retrovirus colonization in a rodent from New Guinea, the white-bellied mosaic-tailed rat.
Published Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New study reveals how gene expression shapes the diverse smelling and tasting abilities of different fly species. Most genes are surprisingly stable, but thousands have evolved to create unique olfactory landscapes. Sex differences in sensing are widespread and involve specific cell types in key tissues. The study provides insights into the evolution of sensory systems in general, with potential implications for understanding human olfaction.
Published Microbial division of labor produces higher biofuel yields
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have found a way to boost ethanol production via yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach relies on careful timing and a tight division of labor among synthetic yeast strains to yield more ethanol per unit of plant sugars than previous approaches have achieved.
Published Small but mighty -- study highlights the abundance and importance of the ocean's tiniest inhabitants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research sheds light on tiny plankton, which measure less than 0.02mm in diameter but can make up more than 70% of the plankton biomass found in the ocean.
Published Study challenges the classical view of the origin of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and warns of its vulnerability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Circumpolar Current works as a regulator of the planet's climate. Its origins were thought to have caused the formation of the permanent ice in Antarctica about 34 million years ago. Now, a study has cast doubt on this theory, and has changed the understanding of how the ice sheet in Antarctic developed in the past, and what this could mean in the future as the planet's climate changes.
Published How food availability could catalyze cultural transmission in wild orangutans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The proverb "necessity is the mother of invention" has been used to describe the source from which our cultural evolution springs. After all, need in times of scarcity has forced humans to continually invent new technologies that have driven the remarkable cumulative culture of our species. But an invention only becomes cultural if it is learned and spread by many individuals. In other words, the invention must be socially transmitted. But what are the forces that drive social transmission?
Published New technology unscrambles the chatter of microbes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new search tool to that can match microbes to the metabolites they produce with no prior knowledge, an innovation that could transform our understanding of both human health and the environment.
Published Scammed! Animals 'led by the nose' to leave plants alone
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fake news works for wallabies and elephants. Herbivores can cause substantial damage to crops or endangered or protected plants, with traditional methods to deter foraging lethal, expensive or ineffective. Biologists are now using aromas from plants naturally repellent with remarkable success to deter the animals.
Published How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants and provide insights into future biofuels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists developed a new method to map exactly how a fungus works with leafcutter ants in a complex microbial community to degrade plant material at the molecular level. The team's insights are important for biofuels development.
Published Zebrafish navigate to find their comfortable temperature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Zebrafish are smaller than your little finger, with a brain no more than half the size of a pinhead. Yet these animals possess an efficient navigation system that enables them to find their way back to spots in the water where the temperature suits them.
Published Permafrost alone holds back Arctic rivers -- and a lot of carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides the first evidence that the Arctic's frozen soil is the dominant force shaping Earth's northernmost rivers, confining them to smaller areas and shallower valleys than rivers to the south. But as climate change weakens Arctic permafrost, the researchers calculate that every 1 degree Celsius of global warming could release as much carbon as 35 million cars emit in a year as polar waterways expand and churn up the thawing soil.
Published Clown anemonefish seem to be counting bars and laying down the law
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source We often think of fish as carefree swimmers in the ocean, reacting to the world around them without much forethought. However, new research suggests that our marine cousins may be more cognizant than we credit them for. Fish may be counting vertical bars on intruders to determine their threat level, and to inform the social hierarchy governing their sea anemone colonies.
Published Relocated songbirds can successfully learn the diversity of song they need to survive
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research focused on a population of cirl bunting reintroduced into Cornwall from 2006 as part of a major conservation program. It suggests that if the translocation of nestlings is deemed necessary for conservation purposes, it may not lead to long-term problems for communication and population persistence.
Published Tidal landscapes a greater carbon sink than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mangroves and saltmarshes sequester large amounts of carbon, mitigating the greenhouse effect. New research shows that these environments are perhaps twice as effective as previously thought.
Published Microbial research unravels a global nitrogen mystery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research findings show that different AOM lineages employ different regulatory strategies for ammonia or urea utilization, thereby minimizing direct competition with one another and allowing for coexistence.
Published Engineers unmask nanoplastics in oceans for the first time, revealing their true shapes and chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun's ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems. In a new study, engineers have presented clear images of nanoplastics in ocean water off the coasts of China, South Korea and the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico. These tiny plastic particles, which originated from such consumer products as water bottles, food packaging and clothing, were found to have surprising diversity in shape and chemical composition.
Published Climate change threatens older elephants most, jeopardizing African elephants' future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaborative team of researchers has conducted first-of-its kind research into how global climate change affects African elephants. The work shows that older elephants will have markedly decreased chances of survival, which will not only drastically reduce the species' overall ability to weather the changing climate but will send ripple effects throughout the surrounding landscape. The team has also modeled possible mitigation scenarios.
Published Discovery of a third RNA virus linage in extreme environments Jan 17, 2024
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research group has discovered a novel RNA viral genome from microbes inhabiting a high-temperature acidic hot spring. Their study shows that RNA viruses can live in high-temperature environments (70-80 degrees Celsius), where no RNA viruses have been observed before. In addition to the two known RNA virus kingdoms, a third kingdom may exist.
Published Floating algae a raft for juvenile pelagic fish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Floating macroalgal acts as a raft that provides habitat for a diverse array of juvenile oceanic fish a new study has found. The study conducted in the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, Western Australia, revealed that fish were more abundant around macroalgal rafts than in open water, with eleven species of juvenile fishes associated with Sargassum rafts, and one species of both juveniles and adults.