|
Wild Biology News - January 2008 Archives
 | Aggression, testosterone and nepotism don't necessarily help one climb the social ladder, but the support of a good female can, according to new research on the social habits of an unusual African species of fish. ...> Full Article |
 | A sharp eyed marine scientist who spotted six strange fish during a deep sea research expedition has been rewarded for trusting her instincts. ...> Full Article |
 | Pity the tiny naked mole-rat. The buck-toothed, sausage-like rodent lives by the hundreds in packed, oxygen-starved burrows some six feet under ground. It is even cold-blooded -- which, as far as we know, is unique among mammals. ...> Full Article |
 | A tough early life turns out to be a good thing for a fish, according to scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara. ...> Full Article |
 | Marine bacteria come almost a billion to a cup. Until recently, however, little has been known about how these minute creatures live or what they need to flourish. ...> Full Article |
 | Ever since a forward-thinking trio of physicists identified the phenomenon known as self-organized criticality-a mechanism by which complexity arises in nature-scientists have been applying its concepts to everything from economics to avalanches. ...> Full Article |
 | A study of how female lark buntings choose their mates adds a surprising new twist to the evolutionary theory of sexual selection. ...> Full Article |
 | The opening of gorillas and chimpanzees reserves for tourism is often portrayed as the key to conserving these endangered great apes. There are also however serious concerns that tourism may expose wild apes to infection by virulent human diseases. ...> Full Article |
 | A gigantic, ancient relative of the newt, a drawing-pin sized frog, a limbless, tentacled amphibian and a blind see-through salamander have all made it onto a list of the world's weirdest and most endangered creatures. ...> Full Article |
 | Understanding survival of a species can be a lot more complicated than meets the eye because ecosystems are so interrelated. ...> Full Article |
 | In the race of evolution, scientists until now have only looked at winners and losers. Now, they've come up with a way to look at the contenders who never made it out of the gate. ...> Full Article |
 | Scientists have made the first step in defining the structure of communication channels between plant cells ...> Full Article |
 | By 2100, warmer oceans with more carbon dioxide may no longer sustain one of the world's most productive fisheries ...> Full Article |
 | A study by the University of Exeter has highlighted the problems of reintroducing animals to the wild for conservation projects. Published online in the journal Biological Conservation, the research highlights the low survival rates of captive carnivores that are released into their natural habitats. On average only one in three captive-born carnivores survives in the wild, with most deaths related to human activities. ...> Full Article |
 | researchers in Africa have a riveting tale of natural balance gone bad, with an unhappy moral for other ecosystems: This could happen to you. ...> Full Article |
 | study shows significant evolutionary changes follow predators' indirect effects on ecosystems ...> Full Article |
 | According to Darwin's theory of evolution, individuals in a species pass successful traits onto their offspring through a process called "deterministic inheritance." Over multiple generations, advantageous developmental trends - such as the lengthening of the giraffe's neck - occur. ...> Full Article |
 | Low-temperature stress is a chief environment factor that hinders plant growth, development as well as its geographic distribution and yield. Cell membrane is the major part of a plant where the harm takes place and the molecular changes in the membrane and membrane lipid are one of the initial signals in plant adaptation to and survival after freezing. ...> Full Article |
 | Monkeys living on an island without big cat predators do not show any particular alarm when recorded tiger growls are played to them, according to research by a UC Davis graduate student. The pig-tailed langurs do, however, flee in a hurry from the sound of human voices. ...> Full Article |
 | One of the most significant questions facing marine ecologists today, is just how much of an impact global variations in the environment are having on the dispersal of larval and juvenile marine species from open oceans to coral reefs. Previously, tracking how fish larvae migrate was done through direct observation by divers on older larvae found near the reefs, after they'd spent weeks to months in the plankton. This method did not permit divers to follow small larvae, diving larvae or larvae as they returned to the reefs at night. How tiny coral reef fish larvae locate the reef habitat across vast expanses of water has remained an enduring mystery. ...> Full Article |
 | Outbreaks of the notorious crown of thorns starfish now threaten the "coral triangle," the richest center of coral reef biodiversity on Earth, according to recent surveys by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. ...> Full Article |
 | At first, the fishing industry may be happy to hear the results of a climate change study by Bangor University that will be published by the scientific journal 'Global Change Biology': rising water temperatures at the bottom of the seas can lead to an increase in the diversity of fish that is found in UK waters. ...> Full Article |
 | A gigantic palm that flowers itself to death has been discovered in Madagascar. This previously unknown genus is entirely new to science and has been named Tahina spectabilis in the latest issue of the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, which is Malagasy for "blessed" or "to be protected", and is also one of the given names of Anne-Tahina Metz, the daughter of the discoverer of the palm. ...> Full Article |
 | A newly discovered parasite so dramatically transforms its host, an ant, that the ant comes to resemble a juicy red berry, ripe for picking, according to a report accepted for publication in The American Naturalist. This is the first example of fruit mimicry caused by a parasite, the co-authors say. ...> Full Article |
 | Wildebeest Whether you are dealing with the number of wildebeest on the Serengeti or the number of malaria parasites in the human body, new research shows the same ecological framework determines breeding numbers and population size. New research published today (15 January) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Fellow shows that the same community ecology principles that determine how different animal species on the savannah affect each other's population sizes through competition for food and hunting by predators also affect parasite species interacting within the microcosm of a single host. ...> Full Article |
 | Researchers found that chimpanzees are heavily dependent on fellow chimps as role models ...> Full Article |
 | Swedish researchers report that birds captured in the hyperboreal tundra, in connection with the tundra expedition "Beringia 2005," were carriers of antibiotics-resistant bacteria. These findings indicate that resistance to antibiotics has spread into nature, which is an alarming prospect for future health care. ...> Full Article |
 | Claims that tropical forests are declining cannot be backed up by hard evidence, according to new research from the University of Leeds. ...> Full Article |
 | Since its discovery, the annual migration of eastern North American monarch butterflies has captivated the human imagination and spirit. That millions of butterflies annually fly a few thousand miles to reach a cluster of pine groves in central Mexico comprising just 70 square miles is, for many, an awesome and mysterious occurrence. However, over the past two decades, scientists have begun to unveil the journey for what it is: a spectacular result of biology, driven by an intricate molecular mechanism in a tiny cluster of cells in the butterfly brain. ...> Full Article |
 | With the aid of various alarm calls the Siberian jay bird species tells other members of its group what their main predators-hawks-are doing. The alarm calls are sufficient for Siberian jays to evince situation-specific fleeing behaviors, which enhances their chances of survival. This discovery, being published by Uppsala University researcher Michael Griesser in the journal Current Biology, shows for the first time that animals can assess and communicate about the behavior of predators. ...> Full Article |
 | Throughout the tropics, ants and Acacia trees live together in intricate interdependent relationships that have long fascinated scientists. ...> Full Article |
 | The co-evolution of choosiness and cooperation ...> Full Article |
|
|
Subscribe
Ancient DNA from rare fossil reveals that polar bears evolved recently and adapted quickly
'Anaconda' meets 'Jurassic Park': Study shows ancient snakes ate dinosaur babies
Scientists locate apparent hydrothermal vents off Antarctica
Mars Express heading for closest flyby of Phobos
Artificial bee silk a big step closer to reality
Predicting the fate of stem cells
Artificial foot recycles energy for easier walking
New fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing
What drives our genes? Researchers map the first complete human epigenome
Juggling enhances connections in the brain
Tracking down the human 'odorprint'
Fill 'er up - with algae
Scientists discover quantum fingerprints of chaos
Researchers help identify cows that gain more while eating less
Decoding the long calls of the orangutan
Barnacles prefer upwelling currents, enriching food chains in the Galapagos
Bringing bison back to North American landscapes
If bonobo Kanzi can point as humans do, what other similarities can rearing reveal?
Pesticide atrazine can turn male frogs into females
How can accidental captures of loggerhead turtles be reduced?
A convincing mimic: Scientists report octopus imitating flounder in the Atlantic
Study shows natural antioxidants give top barn swallows a leg on competitors
Fish can recognize a face based on UV pattern alone
New clues found linking larger animals to colder climates
The bigger the animal, the stiffer the 'shoes'
A magnetometer in the upper beak of birds?
Grizzly bears move into polar bear habitat in Manitoba, Canada