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Wild Biology News - May 2009 Archives
 | Canaries that hear poor songs as juveniles nevertheless sing rather normal songs as adults ...> Full Article |
 | Sulfolobus islandicus, a microbe that can live in boiling acid, is offering up its secrets to researchers hardy enough to capture it from the volcanic hot springs where it thrives. In a new study, researchers report that populations ofS. islandicus are more diverse than previously thought, and that their diversity is driven largely by geographic isolation. ...> Full Article |
 | Comprehensive analysis questions link between sociality and brain increase in carnivores ...> Full Article |
Minor differences in the timing of cell proliferation can explain the large differences found in the eyes of two species -- owl monkeys and capuchin monkeys -- that evolved from a common ancestor.
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 | A marine mammal videotaped stealing fish provides information about animal's physical features ...> Full Article |
Using a system of underwater hydrophones that can record sounds from hundreds of miles away, a team of scientists from Oregon State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an area they were thought to be extinct.
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 | Fallow deer become hoarse when trying to attract a mate, according to scientists from Queen Mary, University of London. ...> Full Article |
 | Research in the journal Behavioral Ecology shows spider monkeys and humans have similar ways of controlling their protein intake, suggesting that human susceptibility to obesity might have far earlier evolutionary origins than previously thought. ...> Full Article |
 | What is it like to sleep in an igloo? And have you ever wondered how ancient ice can be used as a time machine? Then take the journey into Polar Eyes, an interactive new children's book about Antarctica from CSIRO. ...> Full Article |
 | Scripps scientists find unexpected role for proteins: antioxidants ...> Full Article |
A study of venomous snails on remote Pacific islands reveals genetic underpinnings of an ecological phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Darwin.
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Just as a changing radio landscape has made it tough for Foghat to get much airplay these days, so it is for bird songs according to new research published in the American Naturalist.
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 | The birds are watching. They know who you are. And they will attack. ...> Full Article |
 | An international team of scientists has identified a nesting population of leatherback sea turtles in Gabon, West Africa as the world's largest. The research involved country-wide land and aerial surveys that estimated a population of between 15,730 and 41,373 female turtles using the nesting beaches. The study highlights the importance of conservation work to manage key sites and protected areas in Gabon. ...> Full Article |
Monkeys playing a game similar to "Let's Make A Deal" have revealed that their brains register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes.
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 | Researchers have discovered why most insect-pollinated flowers have special cone-shaped cells on the surfaces of their petals. They literally help bees get a grip, according to a report published online on May 14 in Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press. ...> Full Article |
 | A new study has revealed that mother birds can provide an early advantage to the chicks that they have sired with their non-social partner (known as extra-pair offspring). ...> Full Article |
 | The planet's largest animal may be returning to pre-whaling feeding grounds ...> Full Article |
 | After a new type of phorid fly infests a red imported fire ant, it takes over control of what corresponds to the ant's brain and makes it wander about 50 m away from the mound. Away from the mount, the ant's head drops off and the parasite safely emerges. ...> Full Article |
 | Rare traits persist in a population because predators detect common forms of prey more easily. Researchers writing in the open-access journal BMC Ecology found that birds will target salamanders that look like the majority -- even reversing their behavior in response to alterations in the ratio of a distinguishing trait. ...> Full Article |
 | UCLA scientists report on the first frog species that can communicate using purely ultrasonic calls, whose frequencies are too high to be heard by humans. The frog lives only on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. While most of the more than 5,000 frog species worldwide have eardrums that are flat on the side of their heads, these frogs have eardrums recessed in the side of the skull, similar to mammals. ...> Full Article |
 | Researchers have discovered where basking sharks -- the world's second largest fish -- hide out for half of every year, according to a report published online on May 7 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The discovery revises scientists' understanding of the iconic species and highlights just how little we still know about even the largest of marine animals, the researchers said. ...> Full Article |
 | The second edition of this reference will continue the tradition by providing the most comprehensive, useful and up-to-date resource for professionals. ...> Full Article |
 | UC Riverside entomologists offer evidence for a mechanism: decrease in chemical signals produced by living ants ...> Full Article |
 | Weizmann Institute researchers have revealed a unique strategy evolved by sea urchins to keep their digging teeth sharp enough to carve out hiding holes in limestone. ...> Full Article |
 | In an experiment that points to a role for genetics in the development of culture, biologists at the City College of New York (CCNY) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that zebra finches raised in isolation will, over several generations, produce a song similar to that sung by the species in the wild. ...> Full Article |
The threat of snakes gave primates superior vision and large brains -- and fueled a critical aspect of human evolution, UC Davis anthropology professor Lynne Isbell argues in a new book.
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 | Even when a dolphin sleeps, half of its brain remains conscious. Knowing this, Sam Ridgway and colleagues from San Diego and Tel Aviv wondered whether dolphins tire of keeping an eye on things. Monitoring for physical signs of sleep deprivation, Ridgway and his colleagues tested dolphins' reactions to visual and sound stimuli over a five-day period, and found that the animals were as sharp after five days as they had been at the beginning. ...> Full Article |
People aren't the only ones who've got rhythm. Two reports published online on April 30 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, reveal that birds -- and parrots in particular -- can also bob their heads, tap their feet, and sway their bodies along to a musical beat. The findings show that a very basic aspect of the human response to music is shared with other species, according to the researchers.
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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
American pika are thriving in the Sierra Nevada and southwestern Great Basin
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?