Wild Biology News - November 2008 Archives

Researcher reveals humpback whales' dining habits -- and costs (11/30/2008)

As most American families sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, a University of British Columbia researcher is revealing how one of the largest animals on earth feasts on the smallest of prey -- and at what cost. ...> Full Article

Panamanian termite goes ballistic: Fastest mandible strike in the world (11/29/2008)

A single hit on the head by the termite Termes panamensis (Snyder), which possesses the fastest mandible strike ever recorded, is sufficient to kill a would-be nest invader ...> Full Article

'Gray's Paradox' solved: Researchers discover secret of speedy dolphins (11/28/2008)

New technology helps disprove 72-year-old scientific mystery ...> Full Article

Escherichia coli bacteria transferring between humans and mountain gorillas (11/27/2008)

Mismanagement of antibiotics in shared habitat to blame ...> Full Article

Study shows bird population estimates are flawed (11/26/2008)

Most of what we know about bird populations stems from surveys conducted by professional biologists and amateur birdwatchers, but new research from North Carolina State University shows that the data from those surveys may be seriously flawed -- and proposes possible means to resolve the problem. ...> Full Article

Alpine rivers hold important clues for preserving biodiversity and coping with climate change (11/26/2008)

Marginal plants, particularly trees, play a crucial role in sustaining the biodiversity of Europe's big river systems, according to a recently held workshop organized by the European Science Foundation. This finding provides important clues for protecting Europe's rivers against a combined onslaught from human development and climate change, which are tampering with existing ecosystems and changing both the physical and biological forces acting upon them. ...> Full Article

When it comes to what's for dinner, baboon society is no democracy (11/25/2008)

In decisions about where to eat, baboons don't all have an equal say, according to a report in the Nov. 20 issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Rather, most baboons in a group will follow their leader to a dining spot of his choosing, even if it means a considerably more meager meal for themselves than they could have had otherwise. ...> Full Article

Uncovering secrets of life in the ocean (11/24/2008)

Researchers unravel how the very first eyes in evolution might have worked and how they guide the swimming of marine plankton towards light ...> Full Article

Discovery of giant roaming deep sea protist provides new perspective on animal evolution (11/23/2008)

Groove-like tracks on the ocean floor made by giant deep-sea single-celled organisms could lead to new insights into the evolutionary origin of animals, says a biologist from the University of Texas at Austin. ...> Full Article

Anthropologist discovers long-lost primate in Indonesia (11/21/2008)

A team led by a Texas A&M University anthropologist has discovered a group of primates not seen alive in 85 years. The pygmy tarsiers, furry Furby/gremlin-looking creatures about the size of a small mouse and weighing less than 2 ozs., have not been observed since they were last collected for a museum in 1921. ...> Full Article

Can an ant be employee of the month? (11/20/2008)

Ants specializing on one job such as snatching food from a picnic are no more efficient than "Jane-of-all-trade" ants, according to new research from the University of Arizona in Tucson. The finding casts doubt on the idea that the worldwide success of ants stems from job specialization within the colony. ...> Full Article

New life beneath sea and ice (11/19/2008)

Scientists have long known that life can exist in some very extreme environments. But Earth continues to surprise us. ...> Full Article

Fish choose their leaders by consensus (11/18/2008)

Just after Americans have headed to the polls to elect their next president, a new report in the Nov. 13 issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, reveals how one species of fish picks its leaders: Most of the time they reach a consensus to go for the more attractive of two candidates. ...> Full Article

Mysterious microbe may play important role in ocean ecology (11/14/2008)

An unusual microorganism discovered in the open ocean may force scientists to rethink their understanding of how carbon and nitrogen cycle through ocean ecosystems. Researchers characterized the new microbe by analyzing its genetic material and said it appears to be an atypical member of the cyanobacteria that fixes nitrogen but lacks the genes for photosynthesis. ...> Full Article

Fiddler crabs reveal honesty is not always the best policy (11/13/2008)

Dishonesty may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously thought. A team of Australian ecologists has discovered that some male fiddler crabs "lie" about their fighting ability by growing claws that look strong and powerful but are in fact weak and puny. Published this week in the British Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology, the study is the first direct evidence that crabs "bluff" about their fighting ability. ...> Full Article

Study doubles species diversity of enigmatic 'flying lemurs' (11/12/2008)

Colugos, the closest living relatives of primates most notable for their ability to glide from tree to tree over considerable distances, are more diverse than had previously been believed ...> Full Article

Limb loss in lizards - evidence for rapid evolution (11/11/2008)

Small skink lizards, Lerista, demonstrate extensive changes in body shape over geologically brief periods. ...> Full Article

Scientists announce major progress towards historic Census of Marine Life in 2010 (11/11/2008)

Among report's revelations: Antarctic ancestry of many octopus species, behemoth bacteria, colossal sea stars, mammoth mollusks, more ...> Full Article

Zoologists: Sea snakes seek out freshwater to slake thirst (11/10/2008)

Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. ...> Full Article

Turtles alter nesting dates due to temperature change says ISU researcher (11/9/2008)

Researcher says turtles nesting along the Mississippi River and other areas are altering their nesting dates in response to rising temperatures. ...> Full Article

Coral reefs found growing in cold, deep ocean (11/8/2008)

Extreme weather events have a greater effect on flora than previously presumed. A one-month drought postpones the time of flowering of grassland and heathland plants in Central Europe by an average of 4 days. With this a so-called 100-year drought event equates to approximately a decade of global warming. In a study conducted by the University of Bayreuth and the Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research researchers came to this conclusion. ...> Full Article

Extreme weather postpones the flowering time of plants (11/7/2008)

A severe drought period changes nature as much as a decade of global warming ...> Full Article

Red-eyed treefrog embryos actively avoid asphyxiation inside their eggs (11/6/2008)

Red-eyed treefrog embryos react to environmental oxygen concentration before they have blood or muscular movement ...> Full Article

Being unique has advantages: 'Rareness' key to some insects being favored by evolution (11/5/2008)

A new study has discovered that genetic variation in an asexual insect -- insects that reproduce by cloning themselves -- is maintained by rare clones being chosen for the next generation, a phenomenon known as frequency-dependent selection. ...> Full Article

Newly identified fungus implicated in white-nose syndrome in bats (11/4/2008)

Mysterious bat disease decimates colonies in the northeast ...> Full Article

Clicking knees are antelopes' way of saying 'back off' (11/4/2008)

Knee clicking can establish mating rights among antelopes. ...> Full Article

Studies of small water fleas help ecologists understand population dynamics (11/3/2008)

A study of populations of tiny water fleas is helping ecologists to understand population dynamics, which may lead to predictions about the ecological consequences of environmental change. ...> Full Article

Tiny fungi may have sex while infecting humans (11/2/2008)

A fungus called microsporidia that causes chronic diarrhea in AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients and travelers has been identified as a member of the family of fungi that have been discovered to reproduce sexually. A team at Duke University Medical Center has proven that microsporidia are true fungi and that this species most likely undergoes a form of sexual reproduction during infection of humans and other host animals. ...> Full Article

University professor stresses links between US Navy sonar and whale strandings (11/2/2008)

Paper highlights policy issues important to this week's Supreme Court case ...> Full Article

World's rarest big cat gets a check-up (11/1/2008)

A Far Eastern leopard is caught in Russia ...> Full Article