Posts Tagged ‘evolutionary biology’
Science & Technology - Dec 16, 2009 4:47 - 0 Comments
Sea cow fossil hints to Madagascar’s past
MCGILL (CANADA)—An ancient little sea cow now has a name. This primitive “dugong” is among the world’s first fully aquatic sea cows, having evolved from terrestrial herbivores that began exploiting coastal waters. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2009 14:43 - 8 Comments
Just your garden-variety poisonous catfish
U. MICHIGAN (US)—Venomous catfish are far more common than previously thought, a new study finds. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 14, 2009 11:42 - 0 Comments
Gene interrupted: Role of introns
INDIANA (US)—The sequences of nonsense DNA that interrupt genes could be far more important to the evolution of genomes than previously thought, according to a recent Science report. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Dec 11, 2009 10:05 - 4 Comments
Let kids get dirty. It’s good for them
NORTHWESTERN (US)—Are hyper-hygienic parents getting too worked up over germs? A new study suggests exposure to common germs early in life may actually protect against cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. (more…)
Earth & Environment, Science & Technology - Dec 10, 2009 16:43 - 3 Comments
Meat-eating dino alters evolutionary tree
TEXAS-AUSTIN (US)—Discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of a previously unknown meat-eating dinosaur may answer questions about early dinosaur evolution and a period of explosive diversification when dinosaurs spread across the supercontinent Pangaea. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 9, 2009 14:54 - 0 Comments
Why King Kong failed to impress
DUKE (US)—Humans have the same receptors for detecting odors related to sex as do other apes and primates. But each species uses them in different ways, stemming from the way the genes for these receptors have evolved over time. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 9, 2009 11:16 - 1 Comment
Mercury may threaten polar bears
U. MICHIGAN (US)—As concerns grow about the effect melting sea ice may have on polar bears, scientists say there may be another danger lurking—mercury pollution. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Dec 4, 2009 11:22 - 1 Comment
Birds shout out to friends and enemies
UC DAVIS (US)—Birds’ alarm calls serve both to alert other birds to danger and to warn off predators. And some birds can pull a ventriloquist’s trick, singing from the side of their mouths. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Nov 17, 2009 11:57 - 0 Comments
Bird vibrates feathers to hum love song
CORNELL (US)—Four years ago, a researcher reported a bizarre example of sexual selection in a rare South American bird: The male attracts the female by rubbing specialized wing feathers—more than 100 cycles per second—to create a high hum, similar to a sustained violin note. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 13, 2009 18:15 - 1 Comment
New twist in dinosaur debate
WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS (US)—Recent evidence suggests many dinosaurs may have been “warm-blooded” like present-day mammals and birds rather than cold-blooded like lizards. If true, their internal furnace would have enabled them to live in colder habitats, such as high mountain ranges and the polar regions, allowing them to cover the entire Mesozoic landscape. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Nov 13, 2009 12:41 - 0 Comments
Warming planet threatens desert plants
CORNELL (US)—As the climate gets warmer, arid soils lose nitrogen as gas, which may lead to deserts with even less plant life than they sustain today. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 10, 2009 14:26 - 3 Comments
Are sprinters born or made?
PENN STATE (US)—Sprinters get their burst of acceleration from longer toes and a unique ankle structure, according to biomechanists. But it remains unclear whether sprinting ability is congenital or if training can influence the shape of foot bones. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 6, 2009 17:10 - 5 Comments
Full genome of domestic horse sequenced
UC DAVIS (US)—The whole genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in collaboration with an international team of researchers. The project could have implications for horse breeding and even for human health. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 6, 2009 12:37 - 3 Comments
Humans host melting pot of ‘personal’ bacteria
U. COLORADO (US)—People carry “personalized” communities of bacteria around that vary widely from our foreheads and feet to our noses and navels, says chemistry professor Rob Knight. He’s part of a research team that has developed the first atlas of bacterial diversity across the human body. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Nov 3, 2009 14:54 - 1 Comment
As wolves age, killer instincts fade
U. MINNESOTA (US)—Young wolves are leaders of the pack as far as the ability to kill elk is concerned. However, a new study of wolves in Yellowstone National Park finds wolves are in their hunting prime at the ages of 2 and 3, but after that, their skills deteriorate steadily. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Nov 2, 2009 11:35 - 0 Comments
Beetles point to habitat’s role in biodiversity
VANDERBILT (US)—Tiny leaf beetles that flit among the maple and willow trees in a Vermont town have provided some of the clearest evidence yet that environmental factors play a major role in the formation of new species. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 30, 2009 14:31 - 8 Comments
Nature selects for shorter, stouter women
YALE (US)—Researchers have detected the effects of natural selection among two generations of contemporary women and predict their descendants will be slightly shorter and chubbier, have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and have their first children earlier in life. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Oct 29, 2009 14:54 - 4 Comments
Researchers recreate attack-ant chemical
UC BERKELEY (US)—A research team has synthesized chemical molecules that trigger normally friendly ants to turn on each other and attack, a finding that may lead to new tactics for controlling the spread of invasive ant species. (more…)
