ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
- 18.5 million year old vine fossil identified as new species
- Some meat eaters disgusted by meat
- Migratory songbirds climb to extreme altitudes during daytime
- Bacterial DNA can be read either forwards or backwards
- New evidence links gut bacteria and neurodegenerative conditions
- Engineers and biologists join forces to reveal how seals evolved to swim
- Researchers speed identification of DNA regions that regulate gene expression
- Independent evolutionary origins of vertebrate dentitions
- The origin of reproductive organs
- More than one way for animals to survive climate change
- Microalgae biofuels: Changing carbohydrates into lipids
- Alcohol in moderation may help the heart by calming stress signals in the brain
- Cell cytoskeleton as target for new active agents
- Research confirms trawl ban substantially increases the abundance of marine organisms
- From yeast to hypha: How Candida albicans makes the switch
- Novel switch found in proteins with wide-ranging implications for medical treatments
- Methane nibbling bacteria are more active during summer
- Urgent action needed to protect dolphins and porpoises from bycatch in European waters
- New guidelines for schools recommend against food bans
| 18.5 million year old vine fossil identified as new species Posted: 07 May 2021 08:20 AM PDT An 18.5 million-year-old fossil found in Panama provides evidence of a new species and is the oldest reliable example of a climbing woody vine known as a liana from the soapberry family. The discovery sheds light on the evolution of climbing plants.  |
| Some meat eaters disgusted by meat Posted: 07 May 2021 08:20 AM PDT Some meat eaters feel disgusted by meat, according to a new study. |
| Migratory songbirds climb to extreme altitudes during daytime Posted: 07 May 2021 08:20 AM PDT Great reed warblers normally migrate by night during its month-long migration from northern Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa. However, researchers have now discovered that during the few occasions when it continues to fly during daytime, it flies at extremely high altitudes (up to 6300 meters). One possible explanation for this unexpected and consistent behaviour could be that the birds want to avoid overheating. |
| Bacterial DNA can be read either forwards or backwards Posted: 06 May 2021 11:21 AM PDT Bacteria contain symmetry in their DNA signals that enable them to be read either forwards or backwards, according to new findings which challenge existing knowledge about gene transcription. |
| New evidence links gut bacteria and neurodegenerative conditions Posted: 06 May 2021 11:21 AM PDT A new study establishes a link between specific bacteria species and physical manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Engineers and biologists join forces to reveal how seals evolved to swim Posted: 06 May 2021 11:20 AM PDT Seals and sea lions are fast swimming ocean predators that use their flippers to literally fly through the water. But not all seals are the same: some swim with their front flippers while others propel themselves with their back feet. |
| Researchers speed identification of DNA regions that regulate gene expression Posted: 06 May 2021 09:58 AM PDT Scientists have developed a highly efficient method to address a major challenge in biology -- identifying the genetic 'switches' that regulate gene expression. |
| Independent evolutionary origins of vertebrate dentitions Posted: 06 May 2021 09:58 AM PDT The origins of a pretty smile have long been sought in the fearsome jaws of living sharks which have been considered living fossils reflecting the ancestral condition for vertebrate tooth development and inference of its evolution. However, this view ignores real fossils which more accurately reflect the nature of ancient ancestors. |
| The origin of reproductive organs Posted: 06 May 2021 09:57 AM PDT Early in fetal development, a mass of cells known as the bipotential gonad has the possibility of giving rise either to ovaries or testes, reproductive organs that contribute to many of the characteristics that define a person's sex. In a new study, researchers pinpoint the origins of that precursor gland. |
| More than one way for animals to survive climate change Posted: 06 May 2021 07:54 AM PDT Researchers found that to live in hotter more desert-like surroundings, and exist without water, there is more than one genetic mechanism allowing animals to adapt. This is important not only for their survival but may also provide important biomedical groundwork to develop gene therapies to treat human dehydration related illnesses, like kidney disease. |
| Microalgae biofuels: Changing carbohydrates into lipids Posted: 06 May 2021 07:54 AM PDT Engineers have developed a technique to repartition carbon resources from carbohydrates to lipids in microalgae. It is hoped that this method can be applied to biofuel production. |
| Alcohol in moderation may help the heart by calming stress signals in the brain Posted: 06 May 2021 07:54 AM PDT Moderate alcohol intake -- defined as no more than one alcoholic drink for women and two for men per day -- has been associated with a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease when compared with individuals who abstain from drinking or partake in excessive drinking, according to a new study. |
| Cell cytoskeleton as target for new active agents Posted: 06 May 2021 07:53 AM PDT Through a unique combination of computer simulations and laboratory experiments, researchers have discovered new binding sites for active agents - against cancer, for example - on a vital protein of the cell cytoskeleton. Eleven of the sites hadn't been known before. |
| Research confirms trawl ban substantially increases the abundance of marine organisms Posted: 05 May 2021 10:05 AM PDT Biodiversity is of crucial importance to the marine ecosystem. The prohibition of trawling activities in the Hong Kong marine environment for two and a half years has significantly improved biodiversity, a new study has found. Research results showed that the trawl ban could restore and conserve biodiversity in tropical coastal waters. |
| From yeast to hypha: How Candida albicans makes the switch Posted: 05 May 2021 10:05 AM PDT A protein called Sir2 may facilitate C. albicans' transition from ovoid yeast to thread-like hypha. C. albicans cells that were missing the Sir2 gene were less likely to form true hyphae in lab experiments than cells of the same species that had that gene. |
| Novel switch found in proteins with wide-ranging implications for medical treatments Posted: 05 May 2021 10:05 AM PDT Proteins perform a vast array of functions in the cell of every living organism with critical roles in biological processes. There are numerous chemical switches that control the structure and the function of proteins, which were thought to be well understood: so a team of researchers were surprised to discover a completely new on/off switch that seems to be a ubiquitous regulatory element in proteins in all domains of life. |
| Methane nibbling bacteria are more active during summer Posted: 05 May 2021 08:14 AM PDT Bacteria that thrive on methane released from the ocean floor are an important barrier preventing the greenhouse gas from reaching the atmosphere. A new study finds that these microbial communities flourish in seabed depressions and are more effective during the summer. |
| Urgent action needed to protect dolphins and porpoises from bycatch in European waters Posted: 05 May 2021 08:13 AM PDT Marine scientists are calling on the EU to adopt a comprehensive plan to protect dolphins and porpoises from fisheries bycatch in European waters. To help address the bycatch issue, which is the primary global threat to dolphins and porpoises, the researchers put forward a framework to reduce bycatch levels. |
| New guidelines for schools recommend against food bans Posted: 05 May 2021 04:50 AM PDT Schools and child care centres should train staff on food allergies and have epinephrine available to treat anaphylaxis, but new guidelines do not recommend food bans. |
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