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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
Newly discovered virus infects bald eagles across America Posted: 18 Oct 2019 05:06 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unknown virus infecting nearly a third of America's bald eagle population. Scientists found the virus while searching for the cause of Wisconsin River Eagle Syndrome, an enigmatic disease endemic to bald eagles near the Lower Wisconsin River. The newly identified bald eagle hepacivirus, or BeHV, may contribute to the fatal disease, which causes eagles to stumble and have seizures. |
New study uncovers 'magnetic' memory of European glass eels Posted: 17 Oct 2019 01:22 PM PDT A new study has found that European glass eels use their magnetic sense to 'imprint' a memory of the direction of water currents in the estuary where they become juveniles. |
Male and female mice have different brain cells Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:28 AM PDT Scientists discover that a brain region known to control sex and violence contains rare cell types that differ in male versus female mice. |
Mapping global biodiversity change Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:11 AM PDT A new study which focuses on mapping biodiversity change in marine and land ecosystems shows that loss of biodiversity is most prevalent in the tropic, with changes in marine ecosystems outpacing those on land. |
Stranded whales detected from space Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:11 AM PDT A new technique for analysing satellite images may help scientists detect and count stranded whales from space. Researchers tested a new detection method using Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images of the biggest mass stranding of baleen whales yet recorded. It is hoped that in the future the technique will lead to real-time information as stranding events happen. |
Phylogenetic analysis forces rethink of termite evolution Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:10 AM PDT Despite their important ecological role as decomposers, termites are often overlooked in research. Evolutionary biologists have constructed a new family tree for this unassuming insect brood, shedding unexpected light on its evolutionary history. |
First scientific description of elusive bird illuminates plight of Borneo's forests Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:10 AM PDT Scientists surveying the birdlife of Borneo have discovered a startling surprise: an undescribed species of bird, which has been named the spectacled flowerpecker. While scientists and birdwatchers have previously glimpsed the small, gray bird in lowland forests around the island, the Smithsonian team is the first to capture and study it, resulting in its formal scientific description as a new species. |
Newly discovered microbes band together, 'flip out' Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:10 AM PDT Scientists have found a new species of choanoflagellate. This close relative of animals forms sheets of cells that 'flip' inside-out in response to light, alternating between a cup-shaped feeding form and a ball-like swimming form. The organism could offer clues about animals' early evolution. |
Parasite paralysis: A new way to fight schistosomiasis? Posted: 17 Oct 2019 11:02 AM PDT Scientists have isolated a natural chemical that acts as a potent kryptonite against parasitic worms that burrow through human skin and cause devastating health problems. Researchers now describe the successful characterization of this chemical, which could help in finding new ways to fight the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. |
An evolution in the understanding of evolution Posted: 17 Oct 2019 10:57 AM PDT An engineering professor and her former Ph.D. student share a new, more accurate method for modeling evolutionary change. |
Museums put ancient DNA to work for wildlife Posted: 17 Oct 2019 10:22 AM PDT Scientists who are trying to save species at the brink of extinction are finding help in an unexpected place. Researchers increasingly are embracing the power of ancient DNA from old museum specimens to answer questions about climate change, habitat loss and other stresses on surviving populations. |
Industrial melanism linked to same gene in 3 moth species Posted: 17 Oct 2019 10:14 AM PDT The rise of dark forms of many species of moth in heavily polluted areas of 19th and 20th century Britain, known as industrial melanism, was a highly visible response to environmental change. But did the different species rely on the same gene to adapt? New research by the University of Liverpool reveals that three species of moth, including the famous peppered moth, indeed did. |
Scientists unwind mystery behind DNA replication Posted: 17 Oct 2019 10:14 AM PDT The molecules of life are twisted. But how those familiar strands in DNA's double helix manage to replicate without being tangled up has been hard to decipher. A new perspective from physicists is helping unravel the mystery. |
Paleontologists discover complete Saurornitholestes langstoni specimen Posted: 17 Oct 2019 09:52 AM PDT The discovery of a nearly complete dromaeosaurid Saurornitholestes langstoni specimen is providing critical information for the evolution of theropod dinosaurs, according to new research. |
Scientists discover new species of wasp-mimicking praying mantis Posted: 17 Oct 2019 09:52 AM PDT Biologists have described a new species of praying mantis that displays the first documented example of conspicuous mimicking of a wasp among praying mantises. |
Posted: 17 Oct 2019 09:19 AM PDT The roots of plants can do a lot of things: They grow in length to reach water, they can bend to circumvent stones, and they form fine root hairs enabling them to absorb more nutrients from the soil. A team of researchers has now identified an important regulator of this process. |
Adults with undiagnosed Celiac disease have lower bone density Posted: 17 Oct 2019 09:19 AM PDT New research has found lower bone density in adults who are likely to have undiagnosed celiac disease, an autoimmune disease triggered by consuming gluten, despite this group consuming more calcium and phosphorous than the control group. |
Arthropods formed orderly lines 480 million years ago Posted: 17 Oct 2019 08:49 AM PDT Researchers studied fossilized Moroccan Ampyx trilobites, which lived 480 million years ago and showed that the trilobites had probably been buried in their positions -- all oriented in the same direction. Scientists deduced that these Ampyx processions may illustrate a kind of collective behavior adopted in response to cyclic environmental disturbances. |
A new approach to tackle superbugs Posted: 17 Oct 2019 08:17 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered a novel antibiotic-free approach that could help prevent and treat one of the most widespread bacterial pathogens, using nanocapsules made of natural ingredients. |
First widespread chytrid fungus infections in frogs of Peruvian Amazon rain forests Posted: 17 Oct 2019 08:17 AM PDT Biologists have documented, for the first time, the widespread presence of the notorious chytrid fungus in 80 species of frogs from lowland rain forest sites in the Peruvian Amazon. |
DEET gives humans an 'invisibilty cloak' to fend off mosquito bites Posted: 17 Oct 2019 08:16 AM PDT Since its invention during the Second World War for soldiers stationed in countries where malaria transmission rates were high, researchers have worked to pinpoint precisely how DEET actually affects mosquitoes. |
Sexual selection alone could spark formation of new species Posted: 17 Oct 2019 07:12 AM PDT Because of imprinted preferences, strawberry poison frog females mate more with similar colored males, and less with differently colored males. Over time, the behavior could lead to two color types becoming separate species. |
3D printed chocolate without temperature control Posted: 17 Oct 2019 07:12 AM PDT A new approach to the 3D printing of chocolate using cold extrusion instead of conventional hot-melt extrusion method eliminates the need for stringent temperature controls, offering wider potential for 3D printing temperature-sensitive food. |
Deep water sites off the US northeast coast are suitable for offshore blue mussel farms Posted: 17 Oct 2019 07:12 AM PDT Offshore mussel farm sites need to have the right temperature, food availability, and the right currents. According to a study, several suitable locations can be found off the Northeastern US. |
Photosynthesis Olympics: Can the best wheat varieties be even better? Posted: 17 Oct 2019 07:12 AM PDT Scientists have put elite wheat varieties through a sort of 'Photosynthesis Olympics' to find which varieties have the best performing photosynthesis. This could ultimately help grain growers to get more yield for less inputs in the farm. |
Efficient synthesis of ginkgo compound could lead to new drugs, 'green' insecticides Posted: 17 Oct 2019 07:12 AM PDT Chemists have invented an efficient method for making a synthetic version of the plant compound bilobalide, which is naturally produced by gingko trees. It's a significant feat because bilobalide -- and closely related compounds -- hold potential commercial value as medicines and 'green' insecticides. |
Old friends and new enemies: How evolutionary history can predict insect invader impacts Posted: 17 Oct 2019 04:56 AM PDT Scientists have developed a model that could help foresters predict which nonnative insect invasions will be most problematic. This could help managers decide where to allocate resources to avoid widespread tree death. |
How do ketogenic diets affect skin inflammation? Posted: 17 Oct 2019 04:55 AM PDT Not all fats are equal in how they affect our skin, according to a new study. The investigators found that different ketogenic diets impacted skin inflammation differently in psoriasiform-like skin inflammation in mice. Ketogenic diets heavy in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) such as coconut, especially in combination with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and plant sources like nuts and seeds, exacerbated psoriasis. |
Ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases Posted: 17 Oct 2019 04:55 AM PDT New research shows that ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases. The small insects secrete antibiotics from glands in the body. On their legs and body, they also host colonies of bacteria that secrete antibiotics. It is probably these substances that inhibit a number of different diseases and researchers now hope to find biological pesticides that may conquer resistant plant diseases. |
A secret in saliva: Food and germs helped humans evolve into unique member of great apes Posted: 16 Oct 2019 12:36 PM PDT Researchers discovered that the human diet -- a result of increased meat consumption, cooking and agriculture -- has led to stark differences in the saliva of humans compared to that of other primates. |
Study helps pinpoint what makes species vulnerable to environmental change Posted: 16 Oct 2019 12:36 PM PDT Researchers have reported that a bird species' ability to adapt to seasonal temperature changes may be one factor in whether it can better withstand environmental disruption. The researchers studied 135 bird species in the Himalayas and found that species living in the seasonal western Himalayas adapted to the conversion of forests to agricultural land better than birds native to the tropical eastern Himalayas. Results such as these could help conservationists better determine where to focus their efforts. |
Respiratory diseases linked with high blood pressure in lungs Posted: 16 Oct 2019 12:36 PM PDT Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the lungs of both animals and people. When tiny vessels in the lungs become narrowed or blocked, it becomes harder for blood to flow through and can cause the heart to weaken or fail. |
Huge dinosaurs evolved different cooling systems to combat heat stroke Posted: 16 Oct 2019 12:36 PM PDT Different dinosaur groups independently evolved gigantic body sizes, but they all faced the same problems of overheating and damaging their brains. |
Clingfish biology inspires better suction cup Posted: 16 Oct 2019 12:36 PM PDT A team of engineers and marine biologists built a better suction cup inspired by the mechanism that allows the clingfish to adhere to both smooth and rough surfaces. Researchers reverse engineered the clingfish's suction disk and developed devices that cling well to wet and dry objects both in an out of water. The devices can hold up to hundreds of times their own weight. |
How human brain development diverged from that of great apes Posted: 16 Oct 2019 10:12 AM PDT Researchers present new insights into the development of the human brain and differences in this process compared to other great apes. The study reveals features of brain development that are unique to humans, and outlines how these processes have diverged from those in other primates. |
Acaí berry extracts fight malaria in mice Posted: 16 Oct 2019 09:46 AM PDT Despite humanity's best efforts to eradicate malaria, the disease struck more than 200 million people in 2017, according to the World Health Organization. Worse yet, the parasite that causes malaria is developing resistance to many antimalarial drugs, including the mainstay, chloroquine. Researchers are actively searching for new treatments, and now, a group have found that acaí berry extracts can reduce parasites in the blood and prolong the survival of infected mice. |
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