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ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News |
| Identifying bird species by sound, the BirdNET app opens new avenues for citizen science Posted: 28 Jun 2022 11:05 AM PDT The BirdNET app, a free machine-learning powered tool that can identify over 3,000 birds by sound alone, generates reliable scientific data and makes it easier for people to contribute citizen-science data on birds by simply recording sounds. |
| Scientists identify new brain mechanism involved in impulsive cocaine-seeking in rats Posted: 28 Jun 2022 10:39 AM PDT Researchers have found that blocking certain acetylcholine receptors in the lateral habenula (LHb), an area of the brain that balances reward and aversion, made it harder to resist seeking cocaine in a rat model of impulsive behavior. These findings identify a new role for these receptors that may represent a future target for the development of treatments for cocaine use disorder. There are currently no approved medications to treat cocaine use disorder. |
| How to MRI your dragon: Researchers develop first bearded dragon brain atlas Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:34 AM PDT Researchers have performed MRI scans on bearded dragons to generate a high-resolution map of regions in the creatures' brains. |
| New biobatteries use bacterial interactions to generate power for weeks Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Researchers have developed a 'plug-and-play' biobattery that lasts for weeks at a time and can be stacked to improve output voltage and current. |
| Tadpoles undergo surprising number of vision changes when becoming frogs Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Tadpoles see well underwater, but what happens when they become frogs and live primarily on land? Researchers, curious about the answer, found the eyes of tadpoles undergo a surprising number of changes. It's already known that tadpoles go through a physical metamorphosis on their way to becoming a frog, but what wasn't known is how their vision adapts at a molecular level across the life stages to a strikingly different environment. |
| Update noise regulations to protect seals, porpoises Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:33 AM PDT Scientists review recent experiments and find noise regulations may need to be changed to protect porpoises, seals, and other sea-dwelling mammals. Current guidance for seals and porpoises is based on few measurements in a limited frequency range; the guidance is still valid for these frequencies, but investigators found substantial deviations in recent studies of the impact of low frequency noise on seals and high frequency noise on porpoises. |
| How did vertebrates first evolve jaws? Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT Scientists reveal clues about the evolutionary origin of jaws by studying the embryonic development of zebrafish -- an approach known as 'evo-devo.' Using imaging and cell tracing techniques in zebrafish, researchers who conducted the study conclusively showed that the pseudobranch originates from the same mandibular arch that gives rise to the jaw. |
| Bacteria's shapeshifting behavior clue to new treatments for urinary tract infections Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:32 AM PDT Urinary tract infections are both very common and potentially very dangerous. Around 80 per cent of UTIs are caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), which is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. E. coli-related death due to antimicrobial resistance is the leading cause of bacterial fatalities worldwide. New research examining bacterial behavior over the infection cycle is an important step towards enabling new treatments or prevention in the future. |
| Highly antibiotic-resistant strain of MRSA that arose in pigs can jump to humans Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:32 AM PDT A new study has found that a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of the superbug MRSA -- methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- has emerged in livestock in the last 50 years, probably due to widespread antibiotic use in pig farming. |
| Microbe protects honey bees from poor nutrition, a significant cause of colony loss Posted: 27 Jun 2022 03:55 PM PDT Researchers have identified a specific bacterial microbe that, when fed to honey bee larvae, can reduce the effects of nutritional stress on developing bees. |
| New way in which T cells learn to tell friend from foe Posted: 27 Jun 2022 03:55 PM PDT Researchers identify new mechanism that teaches immune cells-in-training to spare the body's own tissues while attacking pathogens. As part of this early education, specialized thymus cells 'pose' as different tissues, teaching the immune system how to recognize both friend and foe. Immune cells that mistakenly react to the body's own proteins are eliminated or reassigned to other jobs. The findings shed light on the origins of autoimmune diseases and on the maturation of the adaptive immune system. |
| Urban density strongly correlates with house sparrow health Posted: 27 Jun 2022 02:00 PM PDT A new study shows that house sparrows' health closely correlates with urban density, and that sparrows are carrying surprisingly high loads of lead in their bodies. |
| Top predators could 'trap' themselves trying to adapt to climate change Posted: 27 Jun 2022 02:00 PM PDT Over a 30-year period, African wild dogs shifted their average birthing dates later by 22 days, an adaptation that allowed them to match the birth of new litters with the coolest temperatures in early winter. But as a result of this significant shift, fewer pups survived their most vulnerable period because temperatures during their critical post-birth 'denning period' increased over the same time period, threatening the population of this already endangered species. It is the first study to show that large mammalian carnivores are making major changes to their life history in response to a changing climate. |
| Southern resident killer whales not getting enough to eat since 2018 Posted: 27 Jun 2022 01:59 PM PDT The endangered southern resident killer whale population isn't getting enough to eat, and hasn't been since 2018, a new study has determined. The animals have been in an energy deficit, averaged across spring, summer and fall, for six of the last 40 years -- meaning the energy they get from food is less than what they expend. Three of those six years came in the most recent years of the study, 2018 to 2020. The average difference in energy is 28,716 calories, or about 17 per cent of the daily required energy for an average adult killer whale, the authors say. |
| Amazon landscape change study highlights ecological harms and opportunities for action Posted: 27 Jun 2022 01:58 PM PDT A major study into landscape changes in the Brazilian Amazon sheds new light on the many environmental threats the biome faces -- but also offers encouraging opportunities for ecological sustainability in the world's most biodiverse tropical forest. The study's findings are critical because as the Amazon moves closer towards a 'tipping point', they provide a robust evidence base to inform urgently needed conservation and regeneration priorities in the forest. They show that gains can be achieved through a range of actions -- including, but not limited to, halting deforestation. |
| Global food supply-chain issues call for solutions Posted: 27 Jun 2022 11:14 AM PDT A new study sheds light on how trade, and centrality in the global wheat trade network, affect food security. The study shows that many countries depend on trade to fulfill their food needs. Further, the global wheat trade is concentrated in a handful of countries whereby disruption in only a few countries would have global impacts, researchers suggest. |
| COVID-19 Omicron variant leads to less severe disease in mice, study finds Posted: 27 Jun 2022 11:14 AM PDT Researchers found mice were more likely to get infected by Omicron than other variants but with significantly lower mortality rates. |
| Higher protein intake while dieting leads to healthier eating Posted: 27 Jun 2022 11:14 AM PDT Eating a larger proportion of protein while dieting leads to better food choices and helps avoid the loss of lean body mass, according to a new study. |
| Antibiotic use and sepsis make recent improvements Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:50 AM PDT Between 2013 and 2018, rates of antibiotic use and sepsis decreased in 152 hospitals, diminishing fears that sepsis improvement efforts will lead to antibiotic overuse. |
| Deadly fungus can multiply by having sex, which could produce more drug-resistant, virulent strains Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:50 AM PDT Researchers have unlocked an evolutionary mystery of a deadly pathogen responsible for fueling the superbug crisis: it can reproduce by having sex. And while such fraternizing is infrequent, scientists report it could be producing more drug-resistant and more virulent strains of Candida auris, capable of spreading faster. |
| Virus discovery offers clues about origins of complex life Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the first viruses infecting a group of microbes that may include the ancestors of all complex life. The discovery offers tantalizing clues about the origins of complex life and suggests new directions for exploring the hypothesis that viruses were essential to the evolution of humans and other complex life forms. |
| Study finds chaos is more common in ecological systems than previously thought Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT Chaos in natural populations appears to be much more common than previously recognized, according to a new analysis. Populations of organisms in natural ecosystems fluctuate a lot, and a key question for ecologists is whether those fluctuations are regular (varying around some theoretically 'stable' equilibrium), random (completely unpredictable), or chaotic. Chaotic systems, like the weather, can be predictable in the short term but not in the long term, and they are highly sensitive to small differences in the initial conditions. |
| What sea cucumbers can teach us about self-defense Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT Sea cucumbers' self defense trick could boost multi-million dollar industry. |
| Microbial link between Western-style diet and incidence of colorectal cancer uncovered Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:49 AM PDT New research builds the case that a Western-style diet -- rich in red and processed meat, sugar and refined grains/carbohydrates -- is tied to higher risk of colorectal cancer through the intestinal microbiota. |
| Heat waves could lead to avian population decline Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:47 AM PDT Researchers examined how heat impacts the behavior and physiology of Zebra finches. They discovered that heat altered the activity of hundreds of genes in the testis, but fewer in the brain, suggesting that the brain may be less responsive to extreme temperatures. The study also provided some hopeful insights for birds and their ability to handle the threat of climate change. |
| Colonizing sea urchins in the Mediterranean can withstand hot, acidic seas Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT A species of sea urchin in the Mediterranean will be able to live in our future climate-changed seas -- while other animals will die as waters become hotter and more acidic. Added to this, urchins generally are known to destroy ecosystems as their numbers swell (largely due to rising sea temperatures) and are currently doing so worldwide. |
| Protected areas in Africa are too small to safeguard rapidly declining vulture populations Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT Vultures perform important ecosystem functions as they clean the landscape by eating carcasses and thus limit the spread of wildlife diseases. Yet, vulture populations are rapidly declining, mainly owing to intentional and unintentional poisoning. Against this background, an international team of scientists performed the first comprehensive comparative analysis of movement data of three species of threatened Gyps vultures across Africa. They found that individual home ranges can be as large as 75,000 km² and thus significantly exceed existing protected areas. |
| Chemically modified plant compounds work against hepatitis E virus Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is widespread, and so far there is no effective drug. In the search for one, the so-called rocaglates have come into focus: plant compounds that can inhibit the replication of viruses. Researchers have examined a library of chemically modified rocaglates for their antiviral effect. One group of active ingredients in particular stood out, a so-called amidino group. It was particularly effective in inhibiting viral replication. |
| Researchers uncover brain waves related to social behavior Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT Researchers have discovered electrical brain-wave patterns given off during social interactions in mice. They also observed that mice showing signs of stress, depression, or autism lacked these brain waves. The results reveal more about the mechanics underlying brain activity when socializing. |
| Vegetation declining on elephants' migration routes in Namibia Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT A study based on extensive remote sensing data indicates that vegetation near the migration routes of elephants in Namibia has decreased. Human habitation and fences as well as artificial obstacles of other kinds affect the movements of wild animals, helping to accelerate the decline in vegetation. |
| Novel, sensitive, and robust single-cell RNA sequencing technique outperforms competition Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is one of the most important methods to study biological function in cells, but it is limited by potential inaccuracies in the data it generates. Now, a research team has developed a new method called terminator-assisted solid-phase complementary DNA amplification and sequencing (TAS-Seq), which overcomes these limitations and provides higher-precision data than existing scRNA-seq platforms. |
| Genome of voracious desert locust sequenced Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT The first high-quality genome of the desert locust -- those voracious feeders of plague and devastation infamy and the most destructive migratory insect in the world -- has been produced. The genome of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is enormous at just under 9 billion base pairs, nearly three times the size of the human genome. The size of the desert locust's chromosomes is remarkable; compare them to those of the model fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the first insect genome ever assembled. Many of the desert locust's individual chromosomes are larger than the entire fruit fly genome. Next to the fruit fly, it's like an 18-wheeler next to a compact car. |
| Volunteer 'community scientists' do a pretty darn good job generating usable data Posted: 27 Jun 2022 07:02 AM PDT Volunteer community scientists, aka citizen scientists, help researchers with data collection that would otherwise be a time-consuming slog. But while community science can be a valuable learning experience, the question remains how useful the volunteer-generated data actually are in research. In this new study, researchers analyzed measurements of microscopic plant leaves done by community scientists and found that the volunteers generated high quality data -- a vote of confidence for community science. |
| Insight into past--and future--of Western US wildfires Posted: 26 Jun 2022 05:02 PM PDT A new study examines the context surrounding the fires and offers insight into the historical role of large, high-severity fires -- and the future of wildfires -- west of the Cascades. |
| Biodiversity risks to persist well beyond future global temperature peak Posted: 26 Jun 2022 05:02 PM PDT Even if global temperatures begin to decline after peaking this century because of climate change, the risks to biodiversity could persist for decades after. |
| From outside to inside: A rapid and precise total assessment method for cells Posted: 24 Jun 2022 07:51 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated an improved version of impedance cytometry that uses four frequencies of applied AC voltage to measure the size and shape of individual microorganisms. By ensuring that the voltages penetrated the cell membrane, this approach can more accurately monitor biological processes. |
| Offshore wind farms expected to reduce clam fishery revenue, study finds Posted: 23 Jun 2022 12:36 PM PDT An important East Coast shellfish industry is projected to suffer revenue losses as offshore wind energy develops along the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts, according to two recent studies. |
| New PET-like plastic made directly from waste biomass Posted: 23 Jun 2022 08:09 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new, PET-like plastic that is easily made from the non-edible parts of plants. The plastic is tough, heat-resistant, and a good barrier to gases like oxygen, making it a promising candidate for food packaging. Due to its structure, the new plastic can also be chemically recycled and degrade back to harmless sugars in the environment. |
| Posted: 23 Jun 2022 06:12 AM PDT The 'missing link' between bacterial cells and human and plant cells offers key to the process of eukaryogenesis, the point at which animal and plant cells diverge from bacteria. |
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