ScienceDaily: Extreme Survival News

The mammoth's lament: How cosmic impact sparked devastating climate change

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:55:55 EDT

Researchers have found evidence of a major cosmic event near the end of the Ice Age. The ensuing climate change forced many species to adapt or die.

Genome sequence of Tibetan antelope sheds new light on high-altitude adaptation

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:27:27 EDT

How can the Tibetan antelope live at elevations of 4,000-5,000m on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau? Investigators now provide evidence of genetic factors that may be associated with the species' adaption to harsh highland environments.

Receptor proteins could hold clues to antibiotic resistance in MRSA

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:27:27 EDT

Scientists have identified four new proteins that act as receptors for an essential signalling molecule in bacteria such as MRSA.

Do bats know voices of friends they hang out with? Bats may recognize voices of other bats

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

Is it possible that mammals have the ability to recognize individuals of the same species, whom they know well, by their voice? A new study has found that even in nocturnal, fast-moving animals such as bats, there is an ability to recognize certain vocal aspects of other bats from their social groups.

And the beat goes on...: The reliable heartbeat of hibernators

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:08:08 EDT

At the current temperatures, all hibernators have probably emerged from their winter hibernation and are enjoying the warm weather. However, this is quite different during the cold season. Many small mammals such as marmots, hedgehogs, bats and some hamsters, and even some birds have a particular skill: they can induce a state of inactivity and reduced metabolic rate to significantly lower their energy consumption when food becomes limited and ambient temperatures drop.

'Dark oxidants' form away from sunlight in lake and ocean depths, underground soils

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:29:29 EDT

All forms of life that breathe oxygen -- even ones that can't be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria -- must fight oxidants to live. But neutralizing environmental oxidants such as superoxide was a worry only for organisms that dwell in sunlight -- in habitats that cover a mere 5 percent of the planet. That was the only place where such environmental oxidants were thought to exist. Now researchers have discovered the first light-independent source of superoxide. The key is bacteria common in the depths of the oceans and other dark places.

Killer entrance suspected in mystery of unusually large group of carnivores in ancient cave

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:31:31 EDT

An assortment of saber-toothed cats, hyenas, an extinct 'bear-dog', ancestors of the red panda and several other carnivores died under unusual circumstances in a Spanish cave near Madrid approximately 9-10 million years ago. It now appears that the animals may have entered the cave intentionally and been trapped there, according to new research.

Bizarre bone worms emit acid to feast on whale skeletons: Bone-melting substance drills opening for worms to access nutrients

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:19:19 EDT

Only within the past 12 years have marine biologists come to learn about the eye-opening characteristics of mystifying sea worms that live and thrive on the skeletons of whale carcasses. Now, scientists at describe how Osedax, mouthless and gutless "bone worms," excrete a bone-melting acid to gain entry to the nutrients within whale bones.

Sea surface temperatures reach highest level in 150 years on Northeast continental shelf

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:56:56 EDT

Sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem during 2012 were the highest recorded in 150 years, according to new research. Temperature is also affecting distributions of fish and shellfish on the Northeast Shelf.

Big ecosystem changes viewed through the lens of tiny carnivorous plants

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:39:39 EDT

The water-filled pool within a pitcher plant, it turns out, is a tiny ecosystem whose inner workings are similar to those of a full-scale water body. Whether small carnivorous plant or huge lake, both are subject to the same ecological "tipping points," of concern on Earth Day -- and every day, say scientists.

Contact killing of Salmonella by human fecal bacteria

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:08:08 EDT

Researchers have recently found a novel mode of interaction between Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen, and the bacteria that live in our guts. Fecal bacteria collected from healthy donors effectively inactivated Salmonella, when they were allowed close contact. Mathematical modelling of this interaction is now being used to find new ways of controlling Salmonella.

Sea-ice ecosystem possibly triggered evolution of baleen whales and penguins

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:23:23 EDT

The origin of the unique plankton ecosystem of the circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean can be traced back to the emergence of the Antarctic ice sheets approximately 33.6 million years ago. This discovery shows that the development of the sea-ice ecosystem possibly triggered further adaptation and evolution of larger organisms such as baleen whales and penguins.

Rats' and bats' brains work differently on the move

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:22:22 EDT

A new study of brain rhythms in bats and rats challenges a widely-used model -- based on rodent studies -- of how animals navigate their environment. To get a clearer picture of processes in the mammal brain during spatial navigation, neuroscientists must study more species, say scientists involved in the study.

Age matters to Antarctic clams: Age matters when it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:43:43 EDT

A new study of Antarctic clams reveals that age matters when it comes to adapting to the effects of climate change. The research provides new insight and understanding of the likely impact of predicted environmental change on future ocean biodiversity.

Shifts in physiological mechanisms let male bats balance the need to feed and the urge to breed

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:24:24 EDT

New research reveals shifts in the mechanisms bats use to regulate metabolism throughout their seasonal activity period.

Biofilm helps Salmonella survive hostile conditions

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:49:49 EDT

Scientists have provided new evidence that biofilms — bacteria that adhere to surfaces and build protective coatings — are at work in the survival of the human pathogen Salmonella.

Natural soil bacteria pump new life into exhausted oil wells

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:22:22 EDT

Technology that enlists natural soil bacteria as 21st century roughnecks now is commercially available and poised to recover precious oil remaining in thousands of exhausted oil wells. The process has been termed microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR).

How life may have first emerged on Earth: Foldable proteins in a high-salt environment

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:40:40 EDT

Scientists may be a step closer to understanding how life first emerged on Earth billions of years ago. Researchers have produced data supporting the idea that 10 amino acids believed to exist on Earth around 4 billion years ago were capable of forming foldable proteins in a high-salt (halophile) environment. Such proteins would have been capable of providing metabolic activity for the first living organisms to emerge on the planet between 3.5 and 3.9 billion years ago.

New light shed on common sexually transmitted infection

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:46:46 EDT

Medical researchers have found that a common sexually transmitted infection-causing parasite "cultivates" bacteria beneficial to it, changing thinking about which comes first -- infection or bacteria. The researchers also discovered a previously unknown species of these bacteria.

Poultry probiotic cuts its coat to beat bad bacteria

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:05:05 EDT

A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat, according to new findings. The probiotic is currently being taken forward through farm-scale trials to evaluate how well it combats Clostridium perfringens.

How microbes survive at bare minimum: Archaea eat protein

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:32:32 EDT

Beneath the ocean floor is a desolate place with no oxygen and sunlight. Yet microbes have thrived in this environment for millions of years. Scientists have puzzled over how these microbes survive, but today there are more answers.

Clean electricity from bacteria? Researchers make breakthrough in race to create 'bio-batteries'

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:39:39 EDT

Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the quest to generate clean electricity from bacteria. New findings show that proteins on the surface of bacteria can produce an electric current by simply touching a mineral surface. The research shows that it is possible for bacteria to lie directly on the surface of a metal or mineral and transfer electrical charge through their cell membranes. This means that it is possible to ‘tether’ bacteria directly to electrodes – bringing scientists a step closer to creating efficient microbial fuel cells or ‘bio-batteries.’

For polar bears, it's survival of the fattest

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:20:20 EDT

One of the most southerly populations of polar bears in the world – and the best studied – is struggling to cope with climate-induced changes to sea ice, new research reveals. Based on over 10 years' data the study sheds new light on how sea ice conditions drive polar bears' annual migration on and off the ice.

Human microbe study provides insight into health, disease

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:16:16 EDT

Microbes from the human mouth are telling scientists something about periodontitis and more after they cracked the genetic code of bacteria linked to the condition.

Antarctica's first whale skeleton found with nine new deep-sea species

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:49:49 EDT

Marine biologists have, for the first time, found a whale skeleton on the ocean floor near Antarctica, giving new insights into life in the sea depths. The discovery was made almost a mile below the surface in an undersea crater and includes the find of at least nine new species of deep-sea organisms thriving on the bones.

Highly effective communities of bacteria in the world's deepest oceanic trench

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:47:47 EDT

Deep sea trenches act as hot spots for microbial activity, according to new research.

'Dirty blizzard' in Gulf of Mexico may account for missing Deepwater Horizon oil

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:09:09 EDT

Oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill acted as a catalyst for plankton and other surface materials to clump together and fall to the sea floor in a massive sedimentation event that researchers are calling a "dirty blizzard."

Strategies for possible survival on Mars: Scientists found differences in core proteins from a microorganism that lives in a salty lake in Antarctica

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:39:39 EDT

Research has revealed key features in proteins needed for life to function on Mars and other extreme environments. Scientists studied organisms that survive in the extreme conditions of Antarctica. They found differences between the core proteins in ordinary organisms and Haloarchaea, organisms that tolerate severe conditions such as high salinity, desiccation, and extreme temperatures. The research provides a window into how life could adapt to exist on Mars.

How to thrive in battery acid and among toxic metals

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:06:06 EST

In the movie Alien, the title character is an extraterrestrial creature that can survive brutal heat and resist the effects of toxins. In real life, organisms with similar traits exist, such as the "extremophile" red alga Galdieria sulphuraria. In hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, Galdieria uses energy from the sun to produce sugars through photosynthesis. In the darkness of old mineshafts in drainage as caustic as battery acid, it feeds on bacteria and survives high concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals. How has a one-celled alga acquired such flexibility and resilience?

Toxic oceans may have delayed spread of complex life

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 EST

A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen.

Good bacteria may expunge vancomycin-resistant bacteria from your gut

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 EST

Too much antibiotic can decimate the normal intestinal microbiota, which may never recover its former diversity. That, in turn, renders the GI tract vulnerable to being colonized by pathogens. Now researchers show that reintroducing normal microbial diversity largely eliminated vancomycin-resistant enterococci from the intestinal tracts of mice. The investigators showed further that the findings may apply to humans.

Vibrant mix of marine life found at extreme ocean depths

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:30:30 EST

The first scientific examinations of data recorded during a record-setting expedition have yielded new insights about the diversity of creatures that live and thrive in the cold, dark, and highly pressurized habitats of the world's deepest points and their vastly unexplored ecosystems.

‘Stressed’ bacteria become resistant to antibiotics

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:40:40 EST

Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics when stressed, finds new research. In particular E. coli grown at high temperatures become resistant to rifampicin. It is generally thought that antibiotic resistance is costly to maintain, for example mutations which reduce antibiotic uptake also restrict the amount of nutrients entering the cell. Consequently in the absence of antibiotics non-resistant bacteria will out-compete the resistant ones. However researchers have discovered that by putting bacteria under stress, by growing them at a high temperature, the bacteria could spontaneously develop resistance to the antibiotic rifampicin.

Mutant champions save imperiled species from almost-certain extinction

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:13:13 EST

Species facing widespread and rapid environmental changes can sometimes evolve quickly enough to dodge the extinction bullet. Scientists consider the genetic underpinnings of such an "evolutionary rescue."

Jurassic records warn of risk to marine life from global warming

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:05:05 EST

The risk posed by global warming and rising ocean temperatures to the future health of the world's marine ecosystem has been highlighted by scientists studying fossil records.

Cushion plants help other plants survive

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:25:25 EST

Alpine cushion plants help other plants in harsh mountain environments to survive.

Rapid changes in the Arctic ecosystem during ice minimum in summer 2012

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:17:17 EST

Huge quantities of algae are growing on the underside of sea ice in the Central Arctic: In 2012 the ice algae Melosira arctica was responsible for almost half the primary production in this area. When the ice melts, as was the case during the ice minimum in 2012, these algae sink rapidly to the bottom of the sea at a depth of several thousands of meters.

Eco-safe antibacterial fiber discovered

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:54:54 EST

Researchers have discovered an antibacterial polymer that can be used in everyday products such as sportswear, diapers and bandages, without causing resistant bacteria.

Lack of energy an enemy to antibiotic-resistant microbes

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:07:07 EST

Researchers "cured" a strain of bacteria of its ability to resist an antibiotic in an experiment that has implications for a long-standing public health crisis.

Scientists find key to growth of 'bad' bacteria in inflammatory bowel disease

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:21:21 EST

Scientists have long puzzled over why "bad" bacteria such as E. coli can thrive in the guts of those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), causing serious diarrhea. Now researchers have discovered the answer -- one that may be the first step toward finding new and better treatments for IBD.

Shimmering water reveals cold volcanic vent in Antarctic waters

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:39:39 EST

The location of an underwater volcanic vent, marked by a low-lying plume of shimmering water, has been revealed.

How do corals survive in the hottest reefs on the planet?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:04:04 EST

Coral reefs are predicted to decline under the pressure of global warming. However, a number of coral species can survive at seawater temperatures even higher than predicted for the tropics during the next century. How they survive, while most species cannot, is being investigated.

Scientists trick iron-eating bacteria into breathing electrons instead

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:06:06 EST

Scientists have developed a way to grow iron-oxidizing bacteria using electricity instead of iron, an advance that will allow them to better study the organisms and could one day be used to turn electricity into fuel.

Bugs in the atmosphere: Significant microorganism populations found in middle and upper troposphere

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:19:19 EST

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms -- principally bacteria -- in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above Earth's surface.

Bats split on family living

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:36:36 EST

For the tiny Daubenton's bat, the attractions of family life seem to vary more with altitude than with the allure of the opposite sex.

New way to battle bacteria

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:34:34 EST

Scientists are developing a way to disrupt the process by which bacteria become virulent. The work could have widespread implications for human health.

Bacterial supplement could help young pigs at weaning age fight disease

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:23:23 EST

Weaning is a time of stress and a lack of energy for pigs. Energy produced by a special type of gut bacteria could help pigs fight pathogens and stay healthy. This new research may have implications for human health.

Plant water demands shift with water availability

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:32:32 EST

Plants can adapt to extreme shifts in water availability, such as drought and flooding, but their ability to withstand these extreme patterns will be tested by future climate change, according to a new study.

Tiny fossils hold answers to big questions on climate change: Research explores 12,000 year fossil record

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:24:24 EST

A new study reveals a unique 12,000 year record of marine algae fossils that may hold clues about past climate change.

Synchrotron infrared unveils a mysterious microbial community

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:19:19 EST

A cold sulfur spring in Germany is the only place where archaea are known to dominate bacteria in a microbial community. How this unique community thrives and the lessons it may hold for understanding global carbon and sulfur cycles are beginning to emerge from research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, using the Advanced Light Source's Berkeley Synchrotron Infrared Structural Biology facility.

Wood on the seafloor: An oasis for deep-sea life

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:14:14 EST

Sunken woods promote the dispersal of rare deep-sea animals, forming hotspots of biodiversity at the deep seafloor.

Climate events drive High-Arctic vertebrate community into synchrony: Extreme weather potent force for Arctic overwintering populations

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:24:24 EST

Climate change is known to affect the population dynamics of single species, such as reindeer or caribou, but the effect of climate at the community level has been much more difficult to document. Now, a group of Norwegian scientists has found that extreme climate events cause synchronized population fluctuations among all vertebrate species in a relatively simple high arctic community.

Saline hiding places for bacteria in Río Tinto could be like those on Mars

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:24:24 EST

Researchers have identified microorganisms that live inside salt deposits in the acidic and ferrous environment of the Tinto River in Huelva, Spain. The extreme conditions of these microniches appear to be similar to those of the salt deposits on Mars and Jupiter's moon, Europa. This possibility should be borne in mind on missions operating in these places.

Cave dwelling nettle discovered in China

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:37:37 EST

British and Chinese botanists have discovered several new species of nettles growing in the entrance caverns of caves in 0.04 to 3 percent daylight. There has been little exploration of these caves for plants but recent studies are discovering many species new to science.

Origin of life: Hypothesis traces first protocells back to emergence of cell membrane bioenergetics

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:35:35 EST

A coherent pathway -- which starts from no more than rocks, water and carbon dioxide and leads to the emergence of the strange bio-energetic properties of living cells -- has been traced for the first time in a major hypothesis article.

Bad news for bats: Deadly fungus persists in caves

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:42:42 EST

Researchers have found that the organism that causes deadly white-nose syndrome persists in caves long after it has killed the bats in those caves.

New peatland bacteria feed on greenhouse gas and excess fertilizer

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:40:40 EST

Researchers have discovered new methane-consuming bacteria in the soil beneath the Brunssummerheide peatland reserve in Limburg, the Netherlands. Although the bacteria may be the result of environmental pollution, they are now consuming the harmful greenhouse gas.

New findings on killer bacteria’s defence

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:26:26 EST

Research from Sweden casts new light on the interaction between the immune system and streptococcus bacteria, which cause both mild tonsillitis and serious infections such as sepsis and necrotising fasciitis. The way in which antibodies attach to the bacteria is linked to how serious the disease is.

Antibody orientation matters

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:42:42 EST

The orientation of antibody binding to bacteria can mean life or death to the bug, according to a new study. These findings may help explain why these bacteria cause millions of localized infections, but more serious, systemic blood infections are rare.

Disgust circuit: Flies sniff out and avoid spoiled food

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:19:19 EST

The ability to detect rotten food is so crucial for survival that even flies have a dedicated neural circuit to do just that, according to a new study. The brain circuit allows flies to avoid feeding and laying eggs on fruit covered in toxic molds and bacteria and represents a unique, specialized system for detecting a repulsive odor.