ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

Hidden in genetics: The evolutionary relationships of two groups of ancient invertebrates revealed

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 01:33 PM PDT

Using high quality molecular data, researchers have re-investigated a long-standing question about the position of two phyla of small aquatic invertebrates -- Kamptozoa and Bryozoa -- on the evolutionary tree.

Montana bio station researchers discuss mine risks to salmon rivers

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 01:33 PM PDT

Recently, a group of 23 science and policy experts from the U.S. and Canada published a review of mining risks to watersheds ranging from Montana to British Columbia and Alaska. The paper brought together experts in salmon ecology, watershed science, mining impacts and mining policy to integrate knowledge across research fields that often work independently from one another.

How placentas evolved in mammals

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 01:32 PM PDT

The fossil record tells us about ancient life through the preserved remains of body parts like bones, teeth and turtle shells. But how to study the history of soft tissues and organs, which can decay quickly, leaving little evidence behind? In a new study, scientists use gene expression patterns, called transcriptomics, to investigate the ancient origins of one organ: the placenta, which is vital to pregnancy.

Dinosaurs took over amid ice, not warmth, says a new study of ancient mass extinction

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 11:31 AM PDT

There is new evidence that ancient high latitudes, to which early dinosaurs were largely relegated, regularly froze over, and that the creatures adapted -- an apparent key to their later dominance.

Mining's effect on fish warrants better science-based policies

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 11:31 AM PDT

A new article synthesizes the impact of metal and coal mines on salmon and trout in northwestern North America, and highlights the need for more complete and transparent science to inform mining policy.

Rare wild ancestors of feral pigeons found living on British and Irish islands

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 08:31 AM PDT

DNA testing reveals that the wild ancestors of the common domestic and feral pigeons, now extinct in many parts of the world, are still living on islands in Scotland and Ireland.

Crushed, zapped, boiled, baked and more: Nature used 57 recipes to create Earth's 10,500-plus 'mineral kinds'

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:28 AM PDT

A 15-year study details the origins and diversity of every known mineral on Earth, a landmark body of work that will help reconstruct the history of life on Earth, guide the search for new minerals and ore deposits, predict possible characteristics of future life, and aid the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life.

Scientists warn of links between soil pollution and heart disease

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:27 AM PDT

Pesticides and heavy metals in soil may have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system, according to a review paper.

Whales learn songs from each other in a cultural 'deep dive'

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:27 AM PDT

A new study has found humpback whales can learn incredibly complex songs from whales from other regions.

New study reveals impact of plastic on small mammals, as four out of seven species identified as 'plastic positive'

Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:27 AM PDT

Researchers investigating the exposure of small mammals to plastics in England and Wales have found traces in the feces of more than half of the species examined. The densities of plastic excreted were comparable with those reported in human studies.

Study reveals an unprecedented change in Europe's fire regime

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

A study reveals an unprecedented change in the fire regime in Europe which is related to climate change. The affected areas are in Southern, Central and Northern Europe but this historical change in Europe's fire regime is more intense in the Mediterranean area.

Tonga volcano eruption among the most powerful ever observed, triggering atmospheric gravity waves that reached the edge of space

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano in January 2022 was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era, a new study has confirmed.

The art of getting DNA out of decades-old pickled snakes

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT

Using pickled snakes collected decades ago and stored in an underground bunker of collections, scientists have found ways to get DNA samples from specimens previously considered near-impossible to get genetic data from. They used that DNA to solve a long-standing mystery about which family an elusive snake from the island of Borneo belongs to.

Shrimps and worms among first animals to recover after largest mass extinction

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT

Researchers studying ancient sea bed burrows and trails have discovered that bottom burrowing animals were among the first to bounce back after the end-Permian mass extinction.

Life in Earth's interior as productive as in some ocean waters

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT

Microorganisms in aquifers deep below the earth's surface produce similar amounts of biomass as those in some marine waters. Applying a unique, ultra-sensitive measurement method using radioactive carbon, they were able to demonstrate for the first time that these biotic communities in absolute darkness do not depend on sunlight. Instead, they can obtain energy autonomously from rock oxidation or from compounds transported into the deep.

Exercise-induced central fatigue -- low oxygen supply clouds judgment

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:10 AM PDT

Research on the effects of exercise in low-oxygen environments on the brain demonstrated that cognitive performance worsens when lower-than-usual amounts of oxygen are carried by the blood. Consequently, tissue in brain regions with less critical functions may receive inadequate oxygen supply to maintain normal activity levels.

Study paves the way towards a more precise use of CRISPR

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:10 AM PDT

The results of a Danish research study may be the key to a more effective use of the revolutionary gene technology CRISPR.

Shedding light on reptilian health: Researchers investigate origins of snake fungal disease in U.S.

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 05:40 AM PDT

To better understand snake fungal disease (SFD), a team of researchers has conducted a genetic study of the pathogen. The goal was to determine whether SFD originated in the U.S. or was introduced from outside the country, which could provide a historical basis for how it emerged -- and ultimately inform management of the disease.