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UrduThe largest aggregation of fishes ever recorded in the abyssal deep sea was discovered by a team of oceanographers from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH, USA), Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI, USA) and the National Oceanography Centre…
Tag: POPULATION BIOLOGY
Plant evolves to become less visible to humans
A plant used in traditional Chinese medicine has evolved to become less visible to humans, new research shows. Scientists found that Fritillaria delavayi plants, which live on rocky slopes of China’s Hengduan mountains, match their backgrounds most closely in areas…
The secret social lives of giant poisonous rats
A new study confirmed that the rabbit-sized rodent sequesters poison from the bark of Acokanthera schimperi, known as the poison arrow tree, into specialized fur for defense. The researchers also discovered an unexpected social life—the rats appear to be monogamous and may even form small family units with their offspring.
Researchers create first map of bee species around the globe
There are over 20,000 species of bee, but accurate data about how these species are spread across the globe are sparse. However, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on November 19 have created a map of bee diversity by…
Elephant genetics guide conservation
New study recommends preserving wildlife corridors between protected areas to maintain genetic connections between African elephant populations
Vertebrate biodiversity- a glimmer of hope
Extreme losses in a few populations drive apparent global vertebrate decline
Saving your data together helps birds and bird research
Prize-winning community effort SPI-birds
Study improves ability to predict how whales travel through their ocean habitat
BOSTON, MASS. (November 2020) – Scientists at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life recently published a study that could help researchers learn where protections are needed the most for bowhead whales. Dr. Dan Pendleton and Dr.…
Migrating animals ‘live fast and die young’
Animals that migrate “live fast and die young”, new research shows. University of Exeter scientists studied almost 1,300 mammal and bird species and found migrants generally develop faster, produce offspring earlier and die younger than similar, non-migratory species. The researchers…
Large predatory fish thrive on WWII shipwrecks off North Carolina coast
High-tech analyses of a U-boat and Nicaraguan freighter offer detailed glimpse into unexpected ‘islands of habitat’
Abundance of prey species is key to bird diversity in cities
Urbanisation represents a drastic change to natural habitats and poses multiple challenges to many wildlife species, thereby affecting the occurrence and the abundance of many bird species. A team of scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research…
Study finds some sport fish are caught repeatedly – which may throw off population count
A new study reports that, for several species of oceanic sport fish, individual fish that are caught, released and recaught are more likely to be caught again than scientists anticipated. The findings raise some interesting questions for policy makers tasked…
The first detection of marine fish DNA in sediment sequences going back 300 years
Can sedimentary DNA technology track the long-term dynamics of macro-organism species?
Scientists map and forecast apex predator populations at unprecedented scale
Where the wild things are: Scientists map and forecast apex predator populations at unprecedented scale. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), together with national and international collaborators, have developed statistical methods that allows mapping and forecasting of…
Tiny cave snail with muffin-top waistline rolls out of the dark in Laos
A new species of tiny cave snail that glistens in the light and has a muffin-top-like bulge, was discovered by Marina Ferrand of the French Club Etude et Exploration des Gouffres et Carrie?res (EEGC) , during the Phouhin Namno caving…
Songbird parents evict young for their own benefit
EMBARGOED UNTIL NOVEMBER 16, 2020 AT 3 PM US EASTERN TIME URBANA, Ill. – Parents, you might know the feeling. When kids get pushy and demanding, it’s a tempting fantasy to shove them out of the house and let them…
Who is the world’s best super-recogniser? This test could help us find them
While in Paris in the 1990s, Georgie briefly watched a professional photographer taking pictures of kids playing in a small park near Les Halles and thought nothing of it. Ten years later she was having breakfast in Australia’s Byron Bay…
National supplies of protein, carbs and fats can predict your lifespan
Global macronutrient study predicts age-specific mortality
New maps document big-game migrations across the western United States
For the first time, state and federal wildlife biologists have come together to map the migrations of ungulates – hooved mammals such as mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose and bison – across America’s West.
San Diego zoo global biobanking advances wildlife conservation and human medicine worldwide
In a study that has unprecedented implications to advance both medicine and biodiversity conservation, researchers have sequenced 131 new placental mammal genomes, bringing the worldwide total to more than 250
New maps document big-game migrations across the western United States
LARAMIE, Wyo. – For the first time, state and federal wildlife biologists have come together to map the migrations of ungulates – hooved mammals such as mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose and bison – across America’s West. The maps will…
Trump administration delists gray wolves: Response from the experts
On 29 October 2020, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the “successful recovery” of the US gray wolf population, with US Secretary of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt stating that the species had “exceeded all conservation goals for…
Studies detail impact of mammal species decline in Neotropics
Group led by Brazilian ecologist shows defaunation wiped out 40% of the ecosystem services provided or supported by mammals, such as ecotourism, disease control and soil formation. Large-bodied mammals are disappearing fastest.
Dietary overlap of birds, bats and dragonflies disadvantageous in insect decline
According to a new Finnish study, different groups of insectivores compete for the same type of food. Researchers of the University of Turku, Finland, and the Finnish Museum of Natural History made a discovery by comparing birds, bats and dragonflies…
Swedish, Finnish and Russian wolves closely related
The Scandinavian wolf originally came from Finland and Russia, and unlike many other European wolf populations its genetic constitution is virtually free from dog admixture. In addition, individuals have migrated into and out of Scandinavia. These findings have emerged from…
Environmental factors affect the distribution of Iberian spiders
Climate, geography and endemism of Iberian spiders
Female mongooses start battles for chance to mate
Female banded mongooses lead their groups into fights then try to mate with enemy males in the chaos of battle, new research shows. Mongooses rarely leave the group into which they are born, meaning members are usually genetically related –…
Slow-living animal species could be disease ‘reservoirs’
Animals that live slowly – breeding less rapidly and living longer – could be “reservoirs” of diseases that could jump to new species including humans, new research suggests. Some species “live fast and die young”, devoting effort to reproduction, while…
Climate change and food demand could shrink species’ habitats by almost a quarter by 2100
Mammals, birds and amphibians worldwide have lost on average 18% of their natural habitat range as a result of changes in land use and climate change, a new study has found. In a worst-case scenario this loss could increase to…
Changes in birth rates after elimination of cost sharing for contraception
What The Study Did: Researchers assessed changes in birth rates by income level among commercially insured women before and after the elimination of cost sharing for contraception under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Authors: Vanessa K. Dalton, M.D.,…
The biggest trees capture the most carbon: Large trees dominate carbon storage in forests
Large-diameter trees make up 3% of total stems, but account for 42% of total carbon storage in Pacific Northwest forest ecosystems
Eco-engineered tiles enhance marine biodiversity on seawalls in Hong Kong and beyond
A joint-study led by a team of marine ecologists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has found that the eco-engineered tiles can increase habitat complexity on seawalls in Hong Kong, thereby effectively enhancing the marine biodiversity. The Hong Kong…
Changes in health services use among commercially insured US populations during COVID-19 pandemic
What The Study Did: Researchers examined whether the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with changes in non-COVID health care use among a large population of individuals with employer-sponsored insurance, specifically preventive services (e.g., pediatric vaccinations), elective services…
Population dynamics and the rise of empires in Inner Asia
Genome-wide analysis spanning 6,000 years in the eastern Eurasian Steppe gives insights to the formation of Mongolia’s empires
Global-scale animal ecology reveals behavioral changes in response to climate change
International collaboration including the University of Maryland uses Arctic-wide data archive of animal movement to ask big-picture questions about effects of a changing world.
Host genetic factors shape composition of virus communities
Plants can be infected by multiple viruses at once. However, the composition of the pathogen community varies, even if individuals belong to the same species and the same population. Ecologists at the University of Zurich have now shown that these…
“Helper” ambrosia beetles share reproduction with their mother
Fungus-growing Xyleborus affinis beetles have independently evolved a similar social structure to many casteless wasps and bees
Violent encounters between gorillas slow population growth rate
November 4, 2020 (ATLANTA) – As wildlife populations decline around the globe, understanding the natural and human-induced factors that influence their growth is critical for determining the risk of population declines and developing effective conservation strategies. In a new study…
Combining population health management and online program may help patients lose weight
In a study of Brigham primary care patients, nearly one-third of participants receiving the combined intervention lost 5 percent or more of their weight
Texas A&M lion genetics study uncovers major consequences of habitat fragmentation
Research shows how lions have developed genetically and how different populations were separated
Europe took centre-stage in global spread of the coronavirus, says new research
A collaboration between genome researchers at the University of Huddersfield and Portugal’s University of Minho, has led to one of the largest analyses of its kind focussing on thousands of virus genomes sampled from all around the world
Genomic data ‘catches corals in the act’ of speciation and adaptation
A new study led by the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) revealed that diversity in Hawaiian corals is likely driven by co-evolution between the coral host, the algal symbiont, and the microbial community. As…
Genetic determinants of fertility and ongoing natural selection in humans
ROCKVILLE, MD — An international team of researchers who identified genetic variants associated with reproductive success say their findings could highlight mechanisms underlying fertility and infertility. In addition, their analyses detected genetic alleles under present-day selection, providing an insight into…
Mountain gorillas are good neighbours – up to a point
Mountain gorilla groups are friendly to familiar neighbours – provided they stay out of “core” parts of their territory – new research shows. Gorillas live in tight-knit groups, foraging, resting and sleeping together around a “core home range” and a…
Habitat loss is bad news for species – especially for top predators
Scientists at Linköping University, Sweden, have simulated what happens in ecosystems when the habitats of different species disappear. When plants and animals lose their habitats, predator species at the top of the food chain die out first. The results have…
Secrets of ‘smasher shrimp’ property ladder revealed
Mantis shrimps carefully survey burrows before trying to evict rivals, new research shows. Burrows in coral rubble are vital for the shrimps – providing a place to shelter, feed, moult, mate and lay eggs – and competition is fierce among…
Understanding long-term trends of stressors on koala populations
29 years’ worth of data highlight the impact of increased human activities and bushfires
Vampire bats social distance when they get sick
A new paper in Behavioral Ecology , published by Oxford University Press, finds that wild vampire bats that are sick spend less time near others from their community, which slows how quickly a disease will spread. The research team had…
Cucurbit downy mildew pathogen has two genetically distinct host-adapted clades
Cucurbit downy mildew is a devastating disease for the United States cucurbit industry, which includes cucumbers, watermelon, squash, and pumpkin. The disease has caused major losses in North Carolina, which has significant cucumber and watermelon acreage. To help growers better…
Biodiversity monitoring programmes need a culture of collaboration
Integration of contributors promotes the quantity and quality of data