ScienceDaily: Nature News

Outlook is grim for mammals and birds as human population grows

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:26:26 EDT

The ongoing global growth in the human population will inevitably crowd out mammals and birds and has the potential to threaten hundreds of species with extinction within 40 years, new research shows.

City slicker or country bumpkin: City-life changes blackbird personalities

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:15:15 EDT

The origins of a young animal might have a significant impact on its behavior later on in life. Researchers have been able to demonstrate in hand-reared blackbirds that urban-born individuals are less curious and more cautious about new objects than their country counterparts. This study sheds light on an interesting debate on whether personality differences between rural and urban birds are behavioral adjustments to urban environments, or if there is an underlying evolutionary basis to the existence of different personalities in urban habitats.

Contribution of particulate matter from air pollution to forest decline

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Air pollution is related to forest decline and also appears to attack the protecting wax on tree leaves and needles. Scientists have now discovered a responsible mechanism: particulate matter salt compounds that become deliquescent because of humidity and form a wick-like structure that removes water from leaves and promotes dehydration.

Predators affect the carbon cycle, study shows

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:09:09 EDT

A new study shows that the predator-prey relationship can affect the flow of carbon through an ecosystem. This previously unmeasured influence on the environment may offer a new way of looking at biodiversity management and carbon storage for climate change.

Pesticides significantly reduce biodiversity in aquatic environments

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:07:07 EDT

The pesticides, many of which are currently used in Europe and Australia, are responsible for reducing the regional diversity of invertebrates in streams and rivers by up to 42 percent, researchers report.

Bullfrogs may help spread deadly amphibian fungus, but also die from it

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:25:25 EDT

Amphibian populations are declining worldwide and a major cause is a deadly fungus thought to be spread by bullfrogs, but a two-year study shows they can also die from this pathogen, contrary to suggestions that bullfrogs are a tolerant carrier host that just spreads the disease.

Perching on the cliffs of New Zealand, endemic Lepidium flora faces extinction threats

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:12:12 EDT

Cooks Scurvy Grass (Lepidium oleraceum) has an international claim to fame as the plant most commonly used by Captain James Cook and other 18th century explorers as an antiscorbutic. Formerly widespread on the beaches and cliffs of New Zealand, the species was by 1900 already widely acknowledged as uncommon. A detailed revision outlines a total of 16 species, describing 10 (all endemic) as new to science.

Secrets of biological soil crusts uncovered

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:56:56 EDT

Biologists have performed a molecular level analysis of desert biological soil crusts -- living ground cover formed by microbial communities -- to reveal how long-dormant cyanobacteria become activated by rainfall then resume dormancy when the precipitation stops.

Current affairs make life hard for stickleback dads

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:25:25 EDT

This Father’s Day, spare a thought for three-spined stickleback fish – who may have been having a tough time this year, according to biologists.

New fluorescent protein from eel improves key clinical assay

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:42:42 EDT

Unagi, the sea-going Japanese freshwater eel, harbors a fluorescent protein that could serve as the basis for a new clinical test for bilirubin, a critical indicator of human liver function, hemolysis, and jaundice, according to researchers. The discovery also sheds light on the mysterious and endangered Unagi that could contribute to its conservation.

Rapid adaptation is purple sea urchins' weapon against ocean acidification

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:40:40 EDT

In the race against climate change and ocean acidification, some sea urchins may still have a few tricks up their spiny sleeves, suggesting that adaptation will likely play a large role for the sea creatures as the carbon content of the ocean increases.

Fossil kangaroo teeth reveal mosaic of Pliocene ecosystems in Queensland

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:33:33 EDT

The teeth of a kangaroo and other extinct marsupials reveal that southeastern Queensland 2.5-5-million-years ago was a mosaic of tropical forests, wetlands and grasslands and much less arid than previously thought.

Taking back the yard: Dealing with invasive plants

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:23:23 EDT

There’s nothing more frustrating for gardeners than discovering that their well-planned plots or rolling lawns have been infiltrated by invasive plant species, the perennial marauders of the back yard set. While many people panic and immediately start yanking or mowing the intruders when they first make their appearance, a gardening expert advises that it’s best to investigate the plant that’s choking your columbines or blighting your lawn before complicating the problem with an errant course of action.

Researchers sequence the genome of global deep ocean

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

Biologists have started to sequence the genome of the global deep ocean. They are using more than 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans during the Malaspina Expedition. This collection of marine microbial genomic, the first in the world on a global scale, will provide new clues about a reservoir of biodiversity yet to explore.

A critically endangered beauty: The passion flower Passiflora kwangtungensis

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:19:19 EDT

The Chinese passion vine species Passiflora kwangtungensis strikes with the beauty of its clusters of white-greenish flowers and its small round fruit. Feared extinct for a long period of time, this engaging plant has been rediscovered in Hunan Province, but it remains highly endangered. A recent study discusses the conservation status of P. kwangtungensis, raising concerns about the future preservation of the species.

Wood not so green a biofuel? Logging may have greater impact on carbon emissions than previously thought

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:21:21 EDT

Using wood for energy is considered cleaner than fossil fuels, but a new study finds that logging may release large amounts of carbon stored in deep forest soils.

African starlings: Dashing darlings of the bird world in more ways than one

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:30:30 EDT

It's not going to happen while you're peering through your binoculars, but African glossy starlings change color more than 10 times faster than their ancestors and even their modern relatives, say researchers. The changes have led to new species of birds with color combinations previously unseen, according to a new study.

How does inbreeding avoidance evolve in plants?

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:20:20 EDT

Inbreeding is generally deleterious, even in flowering plants. Since inbreeding raises the risk that bad copies of a gene will be expressed, inbred progeny suffer from reduced viability. A case study of Leavenworthia suggests that loss of complex traits may be reversed.

Whitebark pine trees: Is their future at risk?

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

There's trouble ahead for the whitebark pine, a mountain tree that's integral to wildlife and water resources in the western United States and Canada. Over the last decade, some populations of whitebark pines have declined by more than 90 percent. But these declines may be just the beginning.

River dredging reduced fish numbers, diversity

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:30:30 EDT

Comparing dredged and undredged sections of the Allegheny River, reduced populations of fish and less variety of aquatic life occurred in areas where gravel extraction took place, according to researchers.

Pollinators easily enhanced by flowering agri-environment schemes

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:30:30 EDT

European agri-environment schemes enhance wild pollinators on farmland, new research shows. The effects increased with the number of flowers brought back by the schemes. Recent studies have shown that wild pollinators are instrumental in providing pollination services to crops. Agri-environment schemes can therefore help counteract pollination loss.

Self-fertilizing plants contribute to their own demise

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:51:51 EDT

Many plants are self-fertilizing, meaning they act as both mother and father to their own seeds. This strategy -- known as selfing -- guarantees reproduction but, over time, leads to reduced diversity and the accumulation of harmful mutations. A new study shows that these negative consequences are apparent across a selfing plant's genome, and can arise more rapidly than previously thought.

British butterfly desperate for warm weather this summer

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:51:51 EDT

Butterflies are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature, and new research has revealed that when summer weather turns bad the silver-spotted skipper battles for survival.

Large-scale biodiversity is vital to maintain ecosystem health

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:03:03 EDT

Over the years ecologists have shown how biological diversity benefits the health of small, natural communities. New analysis by ecologists demonstrates that even higher levels of biological diversity are necessary to maintain ecosystem health in larger landscapes over long periods of time.

New DNA test on roo poo identifies species

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:13:13 EDT

Researchers have developed a simple and cost-effective DNA test to identify kangaroo species from their droppings which will boost the ability to manage and conserve kangaroo populations.

Living fossils? Actually, sturgeon fish are evolutionary speedsters

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:13:13 EDT

Efforts to restore sturgeon in the Great Lakes region have received a lot of attention in recent years, and many of the news stories note that the prehistoric-looking fish are "living fossils" virtually unchanged for millions of years. But a new study reveals that in at least one measure of evolutionary change -- changes in body size over time -- sturgeon have been one of the fastest-evolving fish on the planet.

First evidence that the genome can adapt to temperature changes

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:40:40 EDT

Researchers have been tracking the evolution of Drosophila subobscura, a small fly that is very common all over Europe, since 1976. They are focusing on a specific type of genomic variability known as chromosomal inversion polymorphism. The study has compared how the flies' genomes change from spring to summer, summer to autumn and autumn to spring, over the years. Researchers have shown that the 2011 heatwave dramatically altered the genetic constitution of natural populations of Drosophila subobscura.

Animals and humans: A false divide?

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:37:37 EDT

We don't just share our lives with animals; we are animals -- a reality that we often choose to forget in modern Western culture. New research delves deeper into our relationship with other creatures, critically examining our own animal nature, and looking at how animals profoundly influence our culture -- perhaps more so than we had initially thought.

New scorpion species adds to the remarkable biodiversity of the Ecuadorian Andes

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:01:01 EDT

A new large-tail scorpion species has been discovered in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 5 cm long, reddish brown Tityus (Atreus) crassicauda could be only a tiny part of an avalanche of future discoveries in the region, considered by many as the "epicenter" of global diversity.

Bees and other pollinating insects are just one factor in food production

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:15:15 EDT

No food for the human race without bees? It is not quite as straightforward as that. A case study by ecologists in a coffee-growing area in India reveals that pollinating insects are just one production factor among many. Farmers have several possibilities to increase their harvest.

'Lizard King' fossil shows giant reptiles coexisted with mammals during globally warm past

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:04:04 EDT

At nearly six feet long and weighing upwards of 60 pounds, "Morrison's Bearded King" provides new clues on the evolution of plant-eating reptiles and their relationship to global climate and with mammals.

Human deforestation outweighs climate change for coral reefs

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:17:17 EDT

Better land use is the key to preventing further damage to the world's coral reefs, according to new research. The study has important implications for Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The study authors write that preventing soil erosion and sediment pollution arising from human activities such as deforestation are crucial to reef survival.

Anatomy determines how lizards attract partners and repel rivals

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:40:40 EDT

Catching the attention of females in a darkened rainforest amid a blur of windblown vegetation is no easy task. But male Anolis lizards on the island of Jamaica have evolved an ideal visual technique. A new study now solves the mystery of why their close relatives on the neighboring island of Puerto Rico do not adopt the same strategy.

The intensity of land use doubled in the 20th century

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:45:45 EDT

The growth of green plants – which can be measured in terms of “net primary production”, or NPP for short – provides the energetic foundation for all life on Earth. The share of NPP appropriated by humans (HANPP) through agriculture and forestry, bioenergy production, and vegetation fires doubled over the course of the past century. Researchers have shown that while land is used more efficiently, simultaneously, the intensity of land use has increased continuously. Researchers warn that an increased expansion of bioenergy use would drastically raise HANPP to over 40%.

Diet likely changed game for some hominids 3.5 million years ago

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:41:41 EDT

A new look at the diets of ancient African hominids shows a "game changer" occurred about 3.5 million years ago when some members added grasses or sedges to their menus, according to a new study.

No early birds getting the worms: Songbirds risk missing peak food supply

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:55:55 EDT

A mismatch between the departure schedules of songbirds and higher spring temperatures at their breeding sites means they are arriving 'late' for the advanced spring and likely missing out on peak food they need to be productive breeders.

The jewels of the ocean: Two new species and a new genus of octocorals from the Pacific

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:55:55 EDT

Two new beautiful species of octocorals and a new genus have been described from the well explored west coast of North America. Despite the 3,400 known species nowadays, these colorful marine jewels continue to surprise with new discoveries which calls for a detailed exploration of the remarkable biodiversity of octocorals.

Threatened frogs palmed off as forests disappear

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:39:39 EDT

The study describes how forests converted to palm oil plantations are causing threatened forest dwelling frogs to vanish, resulting in an overall loss of habitat that is important for the conservation of threatened frog species in the region.

Hidden effects of climate change may threaten eelgrass meadows

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:23:23 EDT

Some research has shown that the effects of changes in the climate may be weak or even non-existent. This makes it easy to conclude that climate change will ultimately have less impact than previous warnings have predicted. But it could also be explained as direct and indirect effects cancelling each other out, as scientists show.

Effects of interannual climate variability on tropical tree cover: Satellite data reveal how tropical ecosystems may respond to climate extremes

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:44:44 EDT

Tree cover in the tropics will likely change in surprising ways as climate change increases the frequency of extreme rainfall events, according to a new study.

Catastrophic climatic events leave corals facing a decade-long fight for recovery

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:39:39 EDT

Coral reefs can take more than a decade to recover from catastrophic climatic events, with some species taking up to 13 years to recolonise their original habitats, scientists have discovered.

Microbial changes regulate function of entire ecosystems

Fri, 31 May 2013 15:13:13 EDT

A major question in ecology has centered on the role of microbes in regulating ecosystem function. Now scientists show how changes in the populations of methanotrophic bacteria can have consequences for methane mitigation at ecosystem levels.

Elevated carbon dioxide making arid regions greener

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:54:54 EDT

Scientists have long suspected that a flourishing of green foliage around the globe, observed since the early 1980s in satellite data, springs at least in part from the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. Now, a study of arid regions around the globe finds that a carbon dioxide "fertilization effect" has, indeed, caused a gradual greening from 1982 to 2010.

Climate change threatens extinction for 82 percent of California native fish

Thu, 30 May 2013 17:00:00 EDT

Of 121 native fish species in California, researchers predict 82 percent are likely to be driven to extinction or very low numbers as climate change speeds the decline of already depleted populations.

Croaking chorus of Cuban frogs make noisy new neighbors

Thu, 30 May 2013 16:58:58 EDT

Scientists have shown the adverse impact of invasive frog species’ songs.

Human activity echoes through Brazilian rainforest

Thu, 30 May 2013 14:19:19 EDT

The disappearance of large, fruit-eating birds from tropical forests in Brazil has caused the region's forest palms to produce smaller, less successful seeds over the past century, researchers say. The findings provide evidence that human activity can trigger fast-paced evolutionary changes in natural populations.

Rainforests take the heat, paleontologists show

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Rainforests thrived during previous global warming events, say paleontologists.

Why female loggerhead sea turtles always return to their place of birth

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:11:11 EDT

For a better protection of marine turtles, scientists are trying to understand why they return to their birthplace in order to reproduce after rather long distance migrations. Using molecular tools applied to turtles from the Cape Verde islands, scientists found females from different islands have different immune genes, suggesting that returning home to reproduce is linked to advantages in parasite resistance.

Land-based carbon offsets: False hope? Forest and soil carbon is important, but does not offset fossil fuel emissions

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:50:50 EDT

Leading world climate change experts have thrown cold water on the idea that planting trees can offset carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Land carbon sinks cannot solve the problem of atmospheric carbon emissions but they legitimize the ongoing use of fossil fuels.

More at-risk bird species in Brazilian forest than previously thought

Wed, 29 May 2013 19:09:09 EDT

In a new study, a team of researchers has applied a novel method for linking large-scale habitat fragmentation to population sustainability.

Ancient plants reawaken: Plants exposed by retreating glaciers regrowing after centuries entombed under ice

Tue, 28 May 2013 20:25:25 EDT

When Catherine La Farge threads her way through the recently exposed terrain left behind by retreating glaciers, she looks at the ancient plant remains a lot closer than most. Now, her careful scrutiny has revealed a startling reawakening of long-dormant plants known as bryophytes.

Rare species perform unique roles, even in diverse ecosystems

Tue, 28 May 2013 18:10:10 EDT

A new study reveals the potential importance of rare species in the functioning of highly diverse ecosystems. Using data from three different ecosystems -- coral reefs, tropical forests and alpine meadows -- a team of researchers has shown that it's primarily the rare species, rather than more common ones, that have distinct traits involved in unique ecological functions. As biodiversity declines, these unique features are particularly vulnerable to extinction because rare species are likely to disappear first.

Guatemala's jaguars: Capturing phantoms in photos

Tue, 28 May 2013 16:09:09 EDT

The Wildlife Conservation Society has released a photograph of a male jaguar taken by a remote camera trap in Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve. Activated by motion or heat differentials, camera traps "capture" pictures of secretive and elusive animals in the wild. Because each jaguar's pattern of spots is unique, the photographs can be used to identify individuals and estimate abundance.

Even farm animal diversity is declining as accelerating species loss threatens humanity

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:06:06 EDT

The accelerating disappearance of Earth's species of both wild and domesticated plants and animals constitutes a fundamental threat to the well-being and even the survival of humankind, warn scientists.

Antarctic polar icecap is 33.6 million years old, researchers show

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:05:05 EDT

Seasonal primary productivity of plankton communities appeared with the first ice. This phenomenon, still active today, influences global food webs. These findings are based on fossil records in sediment cores at different depths.

Bechstein's bat is more Mediterranean than originally thought

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:04:04 EDT

Although the Bechstein’s bat is regarded as a Euro-Siberian species, a new study has revealed that the historical transformation of part of its original habitat rather than bioclimatic reasons could be responsible for this distribution.

Thinking 'big' may not be best approach to saving large-river fish

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:03 EDT

Large-river specialist fishes -- from giant species like paddlefish and blue catfish, to tiny crystal darters and silver chub -- are in danger, but researchers say there is greater hope to save them if major tributaries become a focus of conservation efforts.

Captive-bred wallabies may carry antibiotic resistant bacteria into wild populations

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:03 EDT

Endangered brush-tail rock wallabies raised in captive breeding programs carry antibiotic resistance genes in their gut bacteria and may be able to transmit these genes into wild populations, according to new research.

Ants and carnivorous plants conspire for mutualistic feeding

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:03 EDT

An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to new research.

Top 10 new species of 2012

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:39:39 EDT

An amazing glow-in-the-dark cockroach, a harp-shaped carnivorous sponge and the smallest vertebrate on Earth are just three of the newly discovered top 10 species selected by a global committee of taxonomists.