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UrduUpdate to the check-list of North American birds publishes today in Ornithology
Tag: ZOOLOGY/VETERINARY SCIENCE
Tuckered out: Early Antarctic explorers underfed their dogs
It’s one of the iconic images of early Antarctic exploration: the heroic explorer sledging across the icy wastes towed by his trusty team of canine companions. But new research analysing a century-old dog biscuit suggests the animals in this picture…
The mysterious Chinese mountain cat probably was not involved in feline domestication
Genomic evidence for the Chinese mountain cat as a wildcat conspecific (Felis silvestris bieti) and its introgression to domestic cats
Poaching Affects Behavior Of Endangered Capuchin Monkeys In Brazilian Biological Reserve
A study conducted in the Una Biological Reserve in the state of Bahia, Brazil, shows that in a habitat with high hunting pressure the risk of predation has such a significant impact on the behavior of the Yellow-breasted capuchin monkey Sapajus xanthosternos that it even avoids areas offering an abundant supply of plant biomass and invertebrates, its main sources of food.
Are zoos inadvertently complicit in wildlife trade? The case of a rare Borneo lizard
Should zoos display legally protected species that have been smuggled out of their range countries? A new study suggests that a pause and rethink may be needed, as it reports that accredited zoos have acquired a rare and legally protected…
First Report of Dorsal Navigation in a Flying Insect
People–who get lost easily in the extraordinary darkness of a tropical forest–have much to learn from a bee that can find its way home in conditions 10 times dimmer than starlight. Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s (STRI) research…
Algorithm reveals the mysterious foraging habits of narwhals
An algorithm can predict when narwhals hunt – a task once nearly impossible to gain insight into. Mathematicians and computer scientists at the University of Copenhagen, together with marine biologists in Greenland, have made progress in gathering knowledge about this…
The long view
Ecosphere journal highlights UCSB’s Long-Term Ecological Research sites in the effort to understand and predict the effects of climate change
Small streams in agricultural ecosystems are heavily polluted with pesticides
The environmental risks of pesticides need to be revised
Study effects paradigm shift in the understanding of how red rot attacks sugarcane
Researchers at the University of São Paulo discover that the fungus Fusarium verticillioides uses volatile compounds to manipulate insects and plants, promoting its own dissemination
Experiments simulate possible impact of climate change on crabs
Fewer Atlantic mangrove fiddler crab embryos survived in a warmer, more acid environment mimicking conditions forecast for the end of this century; the researchers warn of a potential cascade effect
Breeding foxes for opposite behaviors produces similar brain changes
Tame and aggressive foxes display increased size in similar brain regions, contrary to theory
URI researchers: New survey method proves Rhode Island’s rarest frog may not be so rare
KINGSTON, R.I. – June 14, 2021 – The rarest frog in Rhode Island may not be as rare as scientists once thought after a study by University of Rhode Island researchers using a seldom-used methodology turned up many more of…
Lodgers on manganese nodules: Sponges promote a high diversity
Sponges, which like to settle on the metallic nodules, also provide a home for many other animals
The survivability of animal species depends on the number of offspring
New study proposes an amendment to the theory on the extinction of species
A better understanding of ‘wet markets’ is key to safeguarding human health, biodiversity
PRINCETON, N.J.–Great uncertainty surrounds the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Early on, some suggested a link between COVID-19 and a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Other theories are now circulating, though the origins of the virus are still unknown. In response, governments…
Florida Python Hunters May Have a New Tool Thanks to Optics Research at UCF
Special small, mobile cameras help detect more snakes and could lead to an automated python tracker.
Study of hyperhomocysteinemia in rats elucidates tracks to treating migraine
A paper saw light in Behavioural Brain Research.
Solving mystery of the four-headed echidna penis
Scientists explain why echidna penis is ‘weird’
Study: Hope for critically endangered gorillas in eastern DRC
New field data from population strongholds updates the global population estimate for Grauer’s gorillas to 6,800 individuals
Experiments show natural selection opposes sexual selection
Natural selection can reverse evolution that occurs through sexual selection and this can lead to better females, new research shows. The study – led by the University of Exeter and Okayama University – examined broad-horned flour beetles, whose males have…
Porpoises seem to cooperate in surprisingly sophisticated group hunting
Drone footage shows that porpoises may be more social and cooperative than previously thought
Turning off lights can save migrating birds from crashing into buildings
Decades-long case study of Chicago’s McCormick Place shows how lights, weather, and migration conditions combine to affect how many birds die flying through a city
African great apes to suffer massive range loss in next 30 years
A new study published in the journal Diversity and Distributions predicts massive range declines of Africa’s great apes – gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos – due to the impacts of climate change, land-use changes and human population growth. For their analysis,…
Chip mimicking bovine endometrium used in study of factors that can jeopardize pregnancy
The device was used for the first time to culture two maternal endometrial cell types, revealing the effects of alterations in glucose and insulin levels in the uterine environment
New marine scale worm species first to provide evidence of male dwarfism
In the Kumano Sea, off the southeast coast of Japan, an evolutionary mystery lay in wait. Researchers collected samples from the muddy sea floor, including hermit crabs, mollusks and discarded shells. Here, in and on these shells, they found scale…
Puppies are born ready to communicate with people, study shows
Anyone that’s ever interacted with a dog knows that they often have an amazing capacity to interact with people. Now researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on June 3 have found that this ability is present in dogs from…
The DNA of three aurochs found next to the Elba shepherdess opens up a new enigma for palaeontology
Research involving scientists from the University of A Coruña has succeeded in sequencing the oldest mitochondrial genome of the immediate ancestor of modern cows that has been analysed to date. The remains, some 9,000 years old, were found next to…
Puppies are wired to communicate with people, study shows
Dogs may have earned the title “man’s best friend” because of how good they are at interacting with people. Those social skills may be present shortly after birth rather than learned, a new study by University of Arizona researchers suggests.…
Polar vortex, winter heat may change bird populations
MADISON, Wis. — For birds and other wildlife, winter is a time of resource scarcity. Extreme winter weather events such as a polar vortex can push some species to the edge of survival. Yet winter tends to get short shrift…
Luring bacteria into a trap
Developing vaccines against bacteria is in many cases much more difficult than vaccines against viruses. Like virtually all pathogens, bacteria are able to sidestep a vaccine’s effectiveness by modifying their genes. For many pathogens, such genetic adaptations under selective pressure…
Researchers learn how swimming ducks balance water pressure in their feathers while diving
A team of students working with Jonathan Boreyko, associate professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, has discovered the method ducks use to suspend water in their feathers while diving, allowing them to shake it out when surfacing. The discovery…
Spiders can sniff out and avoid killer ants, SFU study finds
Spiders avoid building webs near European fire ants, their natural predators, by sensing the chemicals they give off in the environment, Simon Fraser University researchers have found. The findings, published recently in Royal Society Open Science , give us a…
Male piglets less resilient to stress when moms get sick during pregnancy
URBANA, Ill. -When pigs get hit with significant illnesses during key stages of pregnancy, their immune response may negatively affect developing piglets, making them less productive on the farm. New research from the University of Illinois shows that when those…
How An Elephant’s Trunk Manipulates Air to Eat and Drink
New research from Georgia Tech finds that elephants dilate their nostrils in order to create more space in their trunks, allowing them to store up to nine liters of water. They can also suck up three liters per second — a speed 50 times faster than a human sneeze. The findings could inspire different ways to building robots that manipulate air to move or hold things.
Taking a bite out of tooth evolution: Frogs have lost teeth more than 20 times
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Scientists have long known that frogs are oddballs when it comes to teeth. Some have tiny teeth on their upper jaws and the roof of their mouths while others sport fanglike structures. Some species are completely toothless.…
How best to focus efforts on classifying new species to prevent their extinction?
The return-on-investment approach found 24 Australian lizard and snake species needing protection
Sick bats also employ ‘social distancing’ which prevents the outbreak of epidemics
New study from Tel Aviv University reveals that bats also resort to isolation which can assist in preventing mass contagion
Plastic in Galapagos seawater, beaches and animals
Plastic pollution has been found in seawater, on beaches and inside marine animals at the Galapagos Islands. A new study – by the University of Exeter, Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) and the Galapagos Science Center – found plastic in all…
UM research suggests social factors important for human-wildlife coexistence
MISSOULA – In bear country, it’s normal to find bruins munching down on temptations left out by humans – from a backyard apple tree to leftovers in the trash bin – but these encounters can cause trouble for humans and…
New study confirms noble false widow spiders bites can result in hospitalization
NUI Galway study confirms that the Noble False Widow spider does have public health implications
Development anomalies recorded for the first time in a rare tiger moth
The Menetries’ tiger moth (Arctia menetriesii) is one of the rarest and most poorly studied Palaearctic moth species. Even though its adult individuals are large and brightly coloured, they are difficult to spot, because they aren’t attracted to light, they’re…
Seabirds face dire threats from climate change, human activity — especially in Northern Hemisphere
Many seabirds in the Northern Hemisphere are struggling to breed — and in the Southern Hemisphere, they may not be far behind. These are the conclusions of a study, published May 28 in Science , analyzing more than 50 years…
Study finds ongoing evolution in Tasmanian Devils’ response to transmissible cancer
University of Idaho researchers partnered with other scientists from the United States and Australia to study the evolution of Tasmanian devils in response to a unique transmissible cancer.
Raised buildings may help reduce malaria transmission in Africa
There is growing evidence that house design can decrease the force of malaria infection. The world’s most deadly assassin is Africa’s malaria mosquito: Anopheles gambiae. In 2019, the World Health Organisation estimated that malaria killed 386,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa,…
Dive bombing killer flies are so fast they lose steering control
Killer flies can reach accelerations of over 3g when aerial diving to catch their prey – but at such high speeds they often miss because they can’t correct their course. These are the findings of a study by researchers at…
Scent trails could boost elephant conservation
Travelling elephants pay close attention to scent trails of dung and urine left by other elephants, new research shows. Scientists monitored well-used pathways and found that wild African savannah elephants – especially those travelling alone – were “highly attentive”, sniffing…
Scientists use weather forecasts to direct conservation of elephants
Climate and weather data will be used to predict threats facing African elephants
Embryos of many species use sound to prepare for the outside world
It’s well known that reptiles depend on temperature cues while in the egg to determine a hatchling’s sex. Now, researchers writing in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution on May 26 say that embryos of many different animal species…
Salmon virus originally from the Atlantic, spread to wild Pacific salmon from farms: Study
Study finds Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) is now almost ubiquitous in salmon farms in British Columbia, Canada.