ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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.

Hydrogen instead of electrification? Potentials and risks for climate targets

Posted: 06 May 2021 11:21 AM PDT

Hydrogen-based fuels should primarily be used in sectors such as aviation or industrial processes that cannot be electrified, finds a team of researchers. Producing these fuels is too inefficient, costly and their availability too uncertain, to broadly replace fossil fuels for instance in cars or heating houses. For most sectors, directly using electricity for instance in battery electric cars or heat pumps makes more economic sense.

What can a dinosaur's inner ear tell us? Just listen

Posted: 06 May 2021 11:21 AM PDT

If paleontologists had a wish list, it would almost certainly include insights into two particular phenomena: how dinosaurs interacted with each other and how they began to fly.

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.

Flooding might triple in the mountains of Asia due to global warming

Posted: 06 May 2021 09:58 AM PDT

A research team has revealed the dramatic increase in flood risk that could occur across Earth's icy Third Pole in response to ongoing climate change. Focusing on the threat from new lakes forming in front of rapidly retreating glaciers, a team demonstrated that the related flood risk to communities and their infrastructure could almost triple. Important new hotspots of risk will emerge, including within politically sensitive transboundary regions of the Himalaya and Pamir.

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.

Zero to hero: Overlooked material could help reduce our carbon footprint

Posted: 06 May 2021 07:54 AM PDT

Reducing the amount of CO2 in our environment is crucial for mitigating climate change and needs materials that can adsorb CO2 from air under ambient conditions. In a new study, scientists explore the CO2 adsorption properties of zeolite, which has been overlooked in this regard, and report an unprecedented selective adsorption behavior in the extremely lower pressure region and at room temperature, paving the way for its future applications in air purification.

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.

New indicator for oxygen levels in early oceans developed

Posted: 06 May 2021 07:53 AM PDT

A geoscientific research team led by scientists from the University of Cologne has come a decisive step closer to determining the oxygen levels in the early Earth's history by analyzing the composition of tungsten isotopes.

Roadmap to expand NY solar energy, meet green goals

Posted: 06 May 2021 07:53 AM PDT

Solar-power developers need to explore using lower-quality agricultural land for solar energy, incentivize dual-use (combined agriculture and solar) options, avoid concentrated solar development and engage communities early to achieve New York's green energy goals, according to recent research.

Ice core chemistry study expands insight into sea ice variability in Southern Hemisphere

Posted: 05 May 2021 02:49 PM PDT

Sea ice cover in the Southern Hemisphere is extremely variable, from summer to winter and from millennium to millennium, according to a new study. Overall, sea ice has been on the rise for about 10,000 years, but with some exceptions to this trend. Researchers uncovered these findings by examining the chemistry of a 54,000-year-old South Pole ice core.

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.

What is driving reductions in residential greenhouse gas emissions in the US?

Posted: 05 May 2021 08:14 AM PDT

A study finds smarter home construction and decarbonization of electric supply are contributing to lower emissions from individual households, but troubling trends show other factors could begin to cancel out this progress.

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.