All Articles Tagged As: africa

When threatened, a few African frogs can morph toes into claws (6/25/2008)

Biologists have determined that some African frogs carry concealed weapons: When threatened, these species puncture their own skin with sharp bones in their toes, using the bones as claws capable of wounding predators. ...> Full Article

Freshwater Herring Had Salty Origin (4/28/2008)

Marine invasion which occurred in West Africa 25 to 50 million years ago, coincident with a major oceanic incursion into the region ...> Full Article

Female fish decide who floats or flounders on social scale (1/31/2008)

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

Trees, Ants and Elephants: Balance Gone Bad (1/22/2008)

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

Wildebeest or malaria parasite - same rules determine number of offspring (1/16/2008)

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