ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

Proposed cuts to US Malaria Initiative could mean millions more malaria cases

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 11:19 AM PST

Cutting the budget of the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) by 44 percent, as the US Congress has proposed, would lead to an estimated 67 million additional cases of malaria over the next four years, according to a mathematical model.

Correctly used neonics do not adversely affect honeybee colonies, new research finds

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 10:54 AM PST

Amid mounting controversy over use of neonicotinoids and declining bee population, a new analysis of previously unpublished studies and reports commissioned by agri-chemical companies Bayer and Syngenta -- as well as published papers from the scientific literature -- shows no significant ill effects on honeybee colonies from three common insecticides made by the companies.

Turtles and technology advance understanding of lung abnormality

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 10:25 AM PST

A study of an unusual snapping turtle with one lung found shared characteristics with humans born with one lung who survive beyond infancy. New digital 3-D anatomical models made the detailed research possible.

How bacteria survive in oxygen-poor environments

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 10:25 AM PST

Biologists have revealed a mechanism by which bacterial cells in crowded, oxygen-deprived environments access oxygen for energy production, ensuring survival of the cell. The finding could explain how some bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), are able to thrive in oxygen-poor environments like biofilms and resist antibiotics. P. aeruginosa biofilm infections are a leading cause of death for people suffering from cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that affects the lungs and the digestive system.

Twisted sex allows mirror-image snails to mate face-to-face, research finds

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:35 AM PST

A new study has found that differently-coiled types of Japanese land snails should in fact be considered a single species, because -- against all odds -- they are sometimes able to mate, a result which has implications for the classification of other snails.

Underwater acoustic localization of marine mammals, vehicles

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:31 AM PST

An underwater acoustic system for the localization of marine mammals, underwater vehicles and other sound sources in the ocean, using no more than a single hydrophone (basically an underwater microphone) as a receiver.

Effects of feeding populations of the green turtle in the Canary Islands: High consumption of fat, pollutants and behaviour changes

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:24 AM PST

Feeding the animals is altering the behavior and eating habits of the green turtle in the Canary Islands (Spain), concludes new research.

Model by which plants adapt their photosynthetic metabolism to light intensity

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:14 AM PST

A new model explains the molecular mechanism used by plants to adapt their photosynthetic mechanism to light intensity.

New database catalogues plants that soak up contamination

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:14 AM PST

Hyperaccumulators are unusual plants that can absorb much larger amounts of metal compounds in their leaves and stems than normal plants, and they are very useful for cleaning up contaminated land.

Refining pesticides to kill pests, not bees

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:14 AM PST

Scientists have unlocked a key to maintain the insecticide's effectiveness in eliminating pests without killing beneficial bugs, such as bees. The study shows that molecular tweaks can make the difference.

Corn genetics research exposes mechanism behind traits becoming silent

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 09:14 AM PST

For more than a century, plant geneticists have been studying maize as a model system to understand the rules governing the inheritance of traits, and a team of researchers recently unveiled a previously unknown mechanism that triggers gene silencing in corn.

Ancient barley took high road to China

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 06:52 AM PST

First domesticated 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East, wheat and barley took vastly different routes to China, with barley switching from a winter to both a winter and summer crop during a thousand-year detour along the southern Tibetan Plateau, suggests new research.

A chicken-flavored electrolyte drink could help sniffer dogs stay hydrated

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 06:52 AM PST

The first comparison of plain water, electrolyte injections and a chicken-flavored electrolyte drink as techniques for keeping sniffer dogs hydrated when working in hot weather finds that while all are safe and effective, dogs drink more and are more hydrated when given a chicken-flavored electrolyte drink.

New malaria parasites identified in wild bonobos

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 06:51 AM PST

Malaria parasites, although widespread among wild chimpanzees and gorillas, have not been detected in bonobos, a chimp cousin. Although the researchers saw evidence of a new malaria species in bonobos, it was limited to one small area of their range. This work helps the hunt for biological loopholes to potentially exploit the life history of ape pathogens to better understand how they cross over to humans.

Cinnamon turns up the heat on fat cells

Posted: 21 Nov 2017 06:51 AM PST

New research has determined how a common holiday spice -- cinnamon -- might be enlisted in the fight against obesity.

Arctic shorebird decline noted by study

Posted: 20 Nov 2017 02:44 PM PST

A new study addresses concerns over the many Arctic shorebird populations in precipitous decline. Evident from the study is that monitoring and protection of habitat where the birds breed, winter, and stopover is critical to their survival and to that of a global migration spectacle.

The latest poop from the turkey coop

Posted: 20 Nov 2017 05:54 AM PST

Treated excrement from turkeys, chickens and other poultry, when converted to combustible solid biomass fuel, could replace approximately 10 percent of coal used in electricity generation, reducing greenhouse gases and providing an alternative energy source, according to a new study.

Tiger bones? Lion bones? An almost extinct cycad? On-the-spot DNA checks at ports of entry

Posted: 20 Nov 2017 05:54 AM PST

Wildlife species are going extinct faster than humankind can reliably keep track of. Meanwhile, wildlife crime evolves quickly, with new tricks fueling a lucrative illegal global trade. As a result, customs and other port-of-entry officials confronted with unidentifiable bits of animals and plants need to make rapid decisions based on reliable information. LifeScanner LAB-IN-A-BOX, a portable DNA barcoding lab can serve as a new tool for rapid on-site species identification, adding to law enforcement's arsenal.

Biological timing: Biologists investigate the mechanism of an auxiliary clock

Posted: 17 Nov 2017 11:17 AM PST

This year's Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology recognizes the identification of genes that control the biological clock. In newly published research, scientists have found that not only the biological clock, but also a protein acting as an "auxiliary clock" ensures that recurring routines take place in the cells.

Warmer water signals change for Scotland's shags

Posted: 17 Nov 2017 07:38 AM PST

An increasingly diverse diet among European shags at one of Scotland's best-studied breeding colonies has been linked to long-term climate change and may have important implications for Scotland's seabirds.