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Categories: Archaeology: General, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Pioneering study shows climate played crucial role in changing location of ancient coral reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) Prehistoric coral reefs dating back up to 250 million years extended much further away from the Earth's equator than today, new research has revealed.
Published Ningaloo corals are ill-equipped to handle future climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) The relatively pristine coral populations of WA's inshore Kimberley region are better equipped to survive ocean warming than the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park, according to a new study.
Published Wreck of historic royal ship discovered off the English coast
(via sciencedaily.com) A royal shipwreck has been discovered off the English coast. The wreck is of one of the most famous ships of the 17th century -- The Gloucester -- which sank 340 years ago while carrying the future King of England, James Stuart. Since running aground on a sandbank on May 6, 1682, the wreck has lain half-buried on the seabed, its exact whereabouts unknown. It has now been found.
Published Bioarchaeological evidence of very early Islamic burials in the Levant
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study combining archaeological, historical and bioarchaeological data provides new insights into the early Islamic period in modern-day Syria. The research team was planning to focus on a much older time period but came across what they believe to be remains of early Muslims in the Syrian countryside.
Published Studying grassland from space
(via sciencedaily.com) Extensively used grassland is host to a high degree of biodiversity, and performs an important climate protection function as a carbon sink and also serves for fodder and food production. However, these ecosystem services are jeopardized if productivity on these lands is maximized and their use therefore intensified. Researchers have now described how satellite data and machine learning methods enable to assess land-use intensity.
Published One-third of Greenlanders are at genetic risk for high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease
(via sciencedaily.com) A genetic variant that is present in nearly 30% of Greenlanders is linked to high cholesterol and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
Published Pre-historic Wallacea: A melting pot of human genetic ancestries
(via sciencedaily.com) The Wallacean islands of present-day Eastern Indonesia have a long history of occupation by modern humans. Notably, the maritime expansion of Austronesian speakers into Wallacea left archaeological traces of a Neolithic lifestyle and a genetic imprint still detectable in Eastern Indonesians today. To gain further insights into Wallacea's settlement history, scientists sequenced and analyzed sixteen ancient genomes from different islands of Wallacea, finding evidence for repeated genetic admixtures starting at least 3,000 years ago.
Published 'Ugly' reef fishes are most in need of conservation support
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What's the relationship between people's perception of beauty and animals' conservation needs? According to a machine-learning study, the reef fishes that people find most beautiful tend to be the lowest priority for conservation support.
Published Scientists find new indicators of Alaska permafrost thawing
(via sciencedaily.com) More areas of year-round unfrozen ground have begun dotting Interior and Northwest Alaska and will continue to increase in extent due to climate change, according to new research.
Published Lessons from the past: How cold-water corals respond to global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Corals react to changes in their environment. This is true for tropical as well as cold-water corals and includes, among others, changes in temperature, salinity and pH values. Researchers have now investigated how warmer temperatures occurring as a result of climate change are affecting cold-water corals. For this purpose, they examined in detail how these corals have reacted to environmental changes over the past 20,000 years.
Published Beyond 'plant trees!': Research finds tree plantations encroaching on essential ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Trees planted in the tropics as part of nations' reforestation commitments can have unintended consequences, sometimes degrading biodiversity hotspots, damaging ecosystems like grasslands, or encroaching on protected areas.
Published A 3400-year-old city emerges from the Tigris River
(via sciencedaily.com) Archaeologists have uncovered a 3400-year-old Mittani Empire-era city once located on the Tigris River. The settlement emerged from the waters of the Mosul reservoir early this year as water levels fell rapidly due to extreme drought in Iraq. The extensive city with a palace and several large buildings could be ancient Zakhiku -- believed to have been an important center in the Mittani Empire (ca. 1550-1350 BC).
Published Famous rock art cave in Spain was used by ancient humans for over 50,000 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A cave in southern Spain was used by ancient humans as a canvas for artwork and as a burial place for over 50,000 years, according to a new study.
Published At least 2,000 species of reptiles are threatened, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has found that 21 percent of the reptile species on Earth (one in five species), amounting to a total of about 2,000 species, are threatened with extinction. Experts estimate that there are over 12,000 species of reptiles in the world.
Published Siberian tundra could virtually disappear by mid-millennium
(via sciencedaily.com) Due to global warming, temperatures in the Arctic are climbing rapidly. As a result, the treeline for Siberian larch forests is steadily advancing to the north, gradually supplanting the broad expanses of tundra which are home to a unique mix of flora and fauna. Experts have now prepared a computer simulation of how these woods could spread in the future, at the tundra's expense.
Published Archaeologists reveal pre-Hispanic cities in Bolivia with laser technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Several hundred settlements from the time between 500 and 1400 AD lie in the Bolivian Llanos de Mojos savannah and have fascinated archaeologists for years. Researchers have now visualized the dimensions of the largest known settlement of the so-called Casarabe culture. Mapping with the laser technology LIDAR indicates that it is an early urbanism with a low population density -- the only known case so far from the Amazon lowlands. The results shed new light on how globally widespread and diverse early urban life was and how earlier societies lived in the Amazon.
Published Low-cost gel film can pluck drinking water from desert air
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers developed a low-cost gel film made of abundant materials that can pull drinkable water from the air in even the driest climates.
Published New measurements from Northern Sweden show less methane emissions than feared
(via sciencedaily.com) It is widely understood that thawing permafrost can lead to significant amounts of methane being released. However, new research shows that in some areas, this release of methane could be a tenth of the amount predicted from a thaw. A crucial, yet an open question is how much precipitation the future will bring.
Published Unlocking the secrets of killer whale diets and their role in climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have discovered new clues to understand how killer whales impact their environment.
Published Satellite monitoring of biodiversity moves within reach
(via sciencedaily.com) Global biodiversity assessments require the collection of data on changes in plant biodiversity on an ongoing basis. Researchers have now shown that plant communities can be reliably monitored using imaging spectroscopy, which in the future will be possible via satellite. This paves the way for near real-time global biodiversity monitoring.