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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
Eastern forests shaped more by Native Americans' burning than climate change Posted: 21 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT Native Americans' use of fire to manage vegetation in what is now the Eastern United States was more profound than previously believed, according to a researcher who determined that forest composition change in the region was caused more by land use than climate change. |
Developing biosecurity tool to detect genetically engineered organisms in the wild Posted: 21 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT If a genetically or synthetically engineered organism gets into the environment, how will we tell it apart from the millions of naturally occurring microorganisms? Recently, the US government and research scientists have identified a need for new tools that can detect engineered organisms that have been accidentally or intentionally released beyond the lab. Chemical engineers are developing a detection tool based on DNA signatures. |
Flamingoes, elephants and sharks: How do blind adults learn about animal appearance? Posted: 21 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT They've never seen animals like hippos and sharks but adults born blind have rich insight into what they look like, a new study found. |
Ammonium fertilized early life on Earth Posted: 21 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT New research demonstrates that ammonium was a vital source of nitrogen for early life on Earth. |
Extreme draining of reservoir aids young salmon and eliminates invasive fish Posted: 21 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT A new study finds that the low-cost, extreme draining of a reservoir in Oregon aided downstream migration of juvenile chinook salmon -- and led to the gradual disappearance of two species of predatory invasive fish in the artificial lake. |
Ecological factors influences the distribution of lionfish on deep reefs Posted: 21 May 2019 01:24 PM PDT Diver-led visual surveys at 11 mesophotic reef sites around Bermuda found that high densities of lionfish were associated with both higher abundances of prey fish and higher prey fish biomass. However, the influence of seawater temperature was found to have the strongest effect on lionfish distribution, with higher lionfish densities recorded at sites with lower bottom temperatures. These results suggest that cold-water upwelling may result in higher abundances of prey fish and lionfish. |
No yield benefit to higher plant populations Posted: 21 May 2019 10:56 AM PDT Scientists have reviewed plant population studies published in 2000 or later. They found that yield is optimized at about 15,000 plants per acre (1.1 seed per foot in 40-inch rows), and contrary to popular belief, there is no yield benefit to high populations. |
Distinct microbes found living next to corals Posted: 21 May 2019 09:45 AM PDT Symbiotic algae living inside corals provide those animals with their vibrant color, as well as many of the nutrients they need to survive. That algae, and other microbes within the bodies of corals, have been extensively studied -- yet until now, researchers have largely ignored the microbial communities just outside of the coral colonies. A new study describes microbes that live just a few centimeters from the surface of corals, laying the groundwork for future studies. |
Baby tiger sharks eat songbirds Posted: 21 May 2019 09:45 AM PDT Tiger sharks have a reputation for being the 'garbage cans of the sea' -- they'll eat just about anything, from dolphins and sea turtles to rubber tires. And in a new study, scientists just discovered that baby tiger sharks eat birds. And not seabirds like gulls or pelicans -- familiar backyard birds like sparrows, woodpeckers, and doves. In short: Baby sharks, doo doo doo doo doo doo They eat birds, doo doo doo doo doo doo |
After GWAS studies, how to narrow the search for genes? Posted: 21 May 2019 09:40 AM PDT Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) often turn up a long list of genes that MIGHT help cause the trait of interest. Many algorithms can help scientists prioritize which genes to pursue further, but which one to choose? Borrowing from machine learning, and singling out one chromosome at a time, a new tool called Benchmarker helps scientists evaluate existing algorithms to guide their search for relevant genes. |
A better understanding of the von Willebrand Factor's A2 domain Posted: 21 May 2019 05:49 AM PDT A team of researchers is working to characterize the mysterious protein known as the Von Willebrand Factor (vWF). In a recent article, they advance experimental data for the shear-induced extensional response of vWF, using a microfluidic device and fluorescence microscopy. |
Scientists use molecular tethers, chemical 'light sabers' for tissue engineering Posted: 21 May 2019 05:49 AM PDT Researchers have unveiled a new strategy to keep proteins intact and functional in synthetic biomaterials for tissue engineering. Their approach modifies proteins at a specific point so that they can be chemically tethered to the scaffold using light. Since the tether can also be cut by laser light, this method can create evolving patterns of signal proteins throughout a biomaterial scaffold to grow tissues made up of different types of cells. |
In a first, researchers identify reddish coloring in an ancient fossil Posted: 21 May 2019 04:51 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time detected chemical traces of red pigment in an ancient fossil -- an exceptionally well-preserved mouse, not unlike today's field mice, that roamed the fields of what is now the German village of Willershausen around 3 million years ago. |
Penguins and their chicks' responses to local fish numbers informs marine conservation Posted: 21 May 2019 04:51 AM PDT Endangered penguins respond rapidly to changes in local fish numbers, and monitoring them could inform fisheries management and marine conservation. |
Dead cells disrupt how immune cells respond to wounds and patrol for infection Posted: 21 May 2019 04:51 AM PDT Immune cells prioritize the clearance of dead cells overriding their normal migration to sites of injury. A research paves the way for new therapies to manipulate how white blood cells get to and are kept at sites of injuries during healing. |
Soy foods linked to fewer fractures in younger breast cancer survivors Posted: 21 May 2019 04:50 AM PDT A new study has found that diets high in soy foods are associated with a decreased risk of osteoporotic bone fractures in pre-menopausal breast cancer survivors. |
Head injury effects halted by xenon gas, finds first ever life-long study in mice Posted: 21 May 2019 04:50 AM PDT Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), xenon prevented early death, improved long-term cognition, and protected brain tissue in mice in a new study. |
Anxiety might be alleviated by regulating gut bacteria Posted: 20 May 2019 04:01 PM PDT People who experience anxiety symptoms might be helped by taking steps to regulate the microorganisms in their gut using probiotic and non-probiotic food and supplements, suggests a review of studies. |
Rocky mountain spotted fever risks examined Posted: 20 May 2019 02:16 PM PDT In Mexicali, Mexico, an uncontrolled epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, one of the deadliest tickborne diseases in the Americas, has affected more than 1,000 people since 2008. |
Farmers have less leisure time than hunter-gatherers Posted: 20 May 2019 08:56 AM PDT Hunter-gatherers in the Philippines who adopt farming work around ten hours a week longer than their forager neighbors, a new study suggests, complicating the idea that agriculture represents progress. The research also shows that a shift to agriculture impacts most on the lives of women. |
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