ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
| New study overturns popular theory on evolution of termite size Posted: 14 Jan 2022 08:56 AM PST Researchers have completed a comprehensive analysis of the head width of over 1500 modern and fossilized species of termites and determined that their size isn't shrinking at a geological timescale. |
| Meet a colorful but colorblind spider Posted: 14 Jan 2022 07:30 AM PST An international team of researchers found that the brightly colored jumping spider Saitis barbipes could not see its own vivid reds. |
| Hostile takeover in the cell: Pathogens hijack host mitochondria Posted: 14 Jan 2022 06:28 AM PST A research team reports that a parasite tricks mitochondria into shedding large structures from their 'skin', thus turning off their defenses. |
| Risky food-finding strategy could be the key to human success Posted: 13 Jan 2022 04:41 PM PST When it comes to feeding behavior, humans are the inefficient gas-guzzlers of the primate family, according to a new study of hunter-gatherer energy budgets. Unlike our herbivorous cousins who spend much of the day lounging while chewing their fibrous diets, early humans made high-risk, high-energy investments in finding big calories they could share with the group. And that in turn, likely led to free time and culture. |
| Unlocking the mysteries of the pecking order Posted: 13 Jan 2022 12:14 PM PST Dominance hierarchies were first described in chickens a century ago by a Norwegian zoologist who coined the term 'pecking order.' Since then researchers have examined the intricacies of conflict and competition in species as diverse as primates, whales, birds and insects. |
| Two new species of freshwater goby fish discovered in Palawan, Philippines Posted: 13 Jan 2022 12:14 PM PST Biologists have found two new species of goby fish in Palawan, a Philippine archipelago. The goby fish both belonged to the genus, Rhinogobius. |
| Dried goji berries may provide protection against age-related vision loss Posted: 13 Jan 2022 12:13 PM PST Regularly eating a small serving of dried goji berries may provide protection against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in seniors. |
| Lost birds and mammals spell doom for some plants Posted: 13 Jan 2022 12:13 PM PST In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers have gauged how biodiversity loss of birds and mammals will impact plants' chances of adapting to human-induced climate warming. |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2022 12:13 PM PST Plants need an internal communication system to coordinate their development and growth. Within a plant, cells message each other with pieces of RNA. A professor discovered a protein that carries these RNA messages between cells. Tinkering with this communication system may help crops grow better and adapt faster to their environment. |
| Human immune system uses ancient family of cell death proteins also found in bacteria Posted: 13 Jan 2022 12:13 PM PST The human immune system, that marvel of complexity, subtlety, and sophistication, includes a billion-year-old family of proteins used by bacteria to defend themselves against viruses, scientists have discovered. |
| Powerful sensors on planes detect crop nitrogen with high accuracy Posted: 13 Jan 2022 09:07 AM PST Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers transformed agriculture as we know it during the Green Revolution, catapulting crop yields and food security to new heights. Yet, despite improvements in crop nitrogen use efficiency, fears of underperformance spur fertilizer overapplication to this day. Excess nitrogen then ends up in waterways, including groundwater, and in the atmosphere in the form of potent greenhouse gases. |
| What will it take to save the regent honeyeater from extinction? Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:15 AM PST New research shows unless conservation actions are urgently stepped up, one of our most beautiful songbirds, the regent honeyeater, will be extinct within 20 years. |
| Green-med diet seems to slow age-related neurodegeneration, study finds Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:15 AM PST A green Mediterranean diet, high in polyphenols and low in red and processed meat, seems to slow age-related brain atrophy, according to a new study. The DIRECT PLUS 18-month long randomized control trial among approximately 300 participants is one of the longest and largest brain MRI trials in the world. |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:15 AM PST Urbanization is a notable threat to bat populations all over the world, especially through artificial light and the reduction of habitat and food supply. If certain conditions are met, some spaces within metropolitan areas can be suitable for bats, so managing these spaces appropriately could contribute to bat conservation. With the help of more than 200 citizen scientists in Berlin, a team of scientists examined these conditions and investigated how they affect the abundance and distribution of bat species. They conclude that maintaining a low level of artificial light at night is important for all bats in cities. In addition, access to vegetation and water bodies is essential for many of them. |
| Deadly combination: New direct trigger for cell death discovered Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:14 AM PST Understanding the basic mechanisms that lead to cell death (apoptosis) is essential for the development of therapies for cancer and other diseases. Scientists have now discovered a protein interaction that directly triggers cell death. |
| Your gut senses the difference between real sugar and artificial sweetener Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:14 AM PST Why do mice without taste buds still prefer real sugar to the fake stuff? 'We've identified the cells that make us eat sugar, and they are in the gut,' said one of the researchers. Specialized cells in the upper gut send different signals to the brain for sugar and sugar substitute. |
| World's largest fish breeding area discovered in Antarctica Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:14 AM PST Near the Filchner Ice Shelf in the south of the Antarctic Weddell Sea, a research team has found the world's largest fish breeding area known to date. A towed camera system photographed and filmed thousands of nests of icefish of the species Neopagetopsis ionah on the seabed. |
| Unprecedented cellular maps of tissues enabled by new tool Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:14 AM PST The study of the human body at single-cell level has received a boost with the creation of a new tool, which will allow researchers to see not only the function of cells, but also where they are situated within tissues. The tool, called cell2location, has been developed by researchers. |
| Infants with low-risk deliveries should not need antibiotics at birth, study suggests Posted: 13 Jan 2022 06:21 AM PST Infants born via uncomplicated cesarean delivery, without labor or membrane rupture before delivery and no concern for infection, should not need antibiotics at birth, according to a new study. The findings could help clinicians tailor the use of early antibiotics in newborns. Only those deemed at risk for infection should receive antibiotics, thereby reducing unnecessary use. |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2022 06:21 AM PST Deciding when to stop learning and take action is a common, but difficult decision in conservation. Using a new method, this trade-off can be managed by determining the amount of time to spend on research at the outset. |
| Tiger shark migrations altered by climate change Posted: 13 Jan 2022 06:21 AM PST A new study has revealed that the locations and timing of tiger shark movement in the western North Atlantic Ocean have changed from rising ocean temperatures. These climate-driven changes have subsequently shifted tiger shark movements outside of protected areas, rendering the sharks more vulnerable to commercial fishing. |
| Swapping just one food item per day can make diets substantially more planet-friendly Posted: 13 Jan 2022 06:19 AM PST If your New Year's resolution is to eat better for the planet, a new study finds it may be easier than you think. Researchers calculated how people can lower their diets' carbon impact by swapping one high-impact food item for similar, more sustainable options. |
| Removing brain cells linked to wakefulness and addiction may lessen symptoms of opioid withdrawal Posted: 12 Jan 2022 12:49 PM PST A study in mice shows that removing chemical messengers in the brain that are involved in both wakefulness and addiction may make withdrawal from opioids easier and help prevent relapse. |
| New study shows the toll industrial farming takes on bird diversity Posted: 12 Jan 2022 12:49 PM PST A new study looking into the impacts that large industrial farming has on biodiversity found that increased farm size causes a decline in bird diversity. Researchers studied how different farming indicators impact the diversity of local birds in the farmland bordering the former Iron Curtain in Germany. They found that increased farm sizes resulted in a 15 per cent decline in bird diversity. |
| The ‘Platypus’ of the crab world was an active predator that lurked the Cretaceous seas Posted: 12 Jan 2022 11:51 AM PST Researchers describe the unusually large optical features of Callichimaera perplexa, a 95-million-year-old crab fossil discovered in Colombia. The findings suggest Callichimaera perplexa was a highly visual, swimming predator. |
| Dairy calves are social animals Posted: 12 Jan 2022 11:51 AM PST Most dairy calves are housed individually in the first weeks and sometimes months of their lives, a practice that has come under scrutiny for its effects on animal behavior, welfare, and health. Despite growing scientific and public support for social housing, approximately 75% and 60% of preweaning dairy calves in the United States and Europe, respectively, are still housed individually. A new study examines young dairy calves' motivation to seek companionship from other calves. |
| Regrowing knee cartilage with an electric kick Posted: 12 Jan 2022 11:50 AM PST Bioengineers successfully regrew cartilage in a rabbit's knee, a promising hop toward healing joints in humans. |
| Mosquitoes’ mating game discovery provides new clues to combat malaria Posted: 12 Jan 2022 11:50 AM PST Male mosquitoes beat their wings faster when swarming at sunset to better detect females and increase their chance of reproducing, finds a novel study. |
| Predator species help to buffer climate change impacts on biodiversity Posted: 12 Jan 2022 09:15 AM PST Predator species may buffer the negative impacts of climate change by mitigating against the loss of biodiversity, according to new research. The team of scientists behind the discovery say their findings underline the importance of conserving biodiversity, and top predators in particular, and highlight the potential for species extinctions to worsen the effects of climate change on ecosystems. |
| 'Kick and kill’ strategy aimed at eliminating HIV-infected cells Posted: 12 Jan 2022 09:15 AM PST In a study using mice, a team of researchers has improved upon a method they developed in 2017 that was designed to kill HIV-infected cells. The advance could move scientists a step closer to being able to reduce the amount of virus, or even eliminate it, from infected people who are dependent on lifesaving medications to keep the virus from multiplying and illness at bay. |
| Epigenetic mechanisms for parent-specific genetic activation decoded Posted: 12 Jan 2022 09:15 AM PST Hereditary diseases as well as cancers and cardiovascular diseases may be associated with a phenomenon known as genomic imprinting, in which only the maternally or paternally inherited gene is active. An international research team has now investigated the mechanisms responsible for the deactivation of the genes. |
| New discovery on regulation of organelle contacts Posted: 12 Jan 2022 07:57 AM PST A pioneering study has revealed how cellular compartments (organelles) are able to control how much they interact and cooperate. |
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