Pollution from urban and farm runoff in Hawaii is causing tumors in endangered sea turtles, a new study found. (Photo : Chris Stankis)
Pollution from urban and farm runoff in Hawaii is causing tumors in endangered sea turtles, a new study found.
The study, published Tuesday in the journalPeerJ, shows that nitrogen in the runoff ends up in algae that the turtles eat, causing the animals to sprout tumors on their eyes, flippers and internal organs.
"We're drawing direct lines from human nutrient inputs to the reef ecosystem, and how it affects wildlife," Kyle Van Houtan of Duke University said in a statement.
The disease behind the turtle tumors is called Fibropapillomatosis, and is thought to be prevalent in areas with high levels of nitrogen runoff. Now, researchers want to test the theory that algae can store excess nitrogen that finds its way into Hawaiian waters, and thereby turtles' stomachs.
"In this paper we drill down on whether excess nitrogen inputs are causing a nutrient cascade in the system that's ending up in these tumors in green turtles," explained Van Houtan.
Researchers found during their study that algae can store nitrogen in the form of the amino acid arginine, which was found in unusually high levels both in the algae in highly polluted waters and in the tumors of diseased turtles. One non-native red algae species in particular, Hypnea musciformis, had especially high levels of arginine compared to other species sampled. And since this invasive species grows more successfully than native algae, it can make up as much as 90 percent of the turtles' diet.
Do to these combined factors, the turtles have approximately 14 times more arginine in their systems than they would if they were eating native algae species in less-polluted waters. What's more, these algae-eating herbivores have to eat twice as much of the invasive algae to get the same amount of calories that they would if they were consuming native species of algae, acting as a sort of "one-two punch for promoting this disease," the study noted.
How the virus causes the disease is still unclear, but researchers nonetheless hope their findings help scientists better understand how to protect not only sea turtles, but also other marine plants and animals that face similar threats from pollution.
Add dolphins to the list of magnetosensitive animals. According to a new study, dolphins are sensitive to magnetic stimuli, as they behave differently when swimming near magnetized objects. (Photo : sanilda / Fotolia)
Add dolphins to the list of magnetosensitive animals. According to a new study, dolphins are sensitive to magnetic stimuli, as they behave differently when swimming near magnetized objects.
Supposedly some land and aquatic species use magnetoreception - the ability to perceive a magnetic field - to orientate and navigate themselves. Observations of the migration routes of free-ranging cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins and porpoises, along with their stranding sites, suggest that they may also be sensitive to geomagnetic fields.
Lead author Dorothee Kremers and her colleagues at Ethos unit of the Université de Rennes in France set out to study the behavior of six bottlenose dolphins in the delphinarium of Planète Sauvage in Port-Saint-Père. The research team placed in this outdoor facility, equipped with four pools, two identical barrels.
The only difference between the two was that one contained a strongly magnetized block and the other a demagnetized one. The barrels were therefore indistinguishable as far as echolocation was concerned, the method by which dolphins locate objects by bouncing sound waves off them.
During the study, the dolphins were free to swim in and out of the pool where the barrel was installed. As a control, the person who placed the barrels in the pool, as well as the person who watched back videos of the dolphins' reactions to the barrels, did not know whether it was magnetized or not.
The analyses of Ethos team revealed that the dolphins approached the barrel much faster when it contained a strongly magnetized block than when it contained a demagnetized one. However, the animals did not interact with both types of barrels differently.
They may therefore have been more intrigued than physically drawn to the barrel with the magnetized block.
"Dolphins are able to discriminate between objects based on their magnetic properties, which is a prerequisite for magnetoreception-based navigation," Kremers said in a statement. "Our results provide new, experimentally obtained evidence that cetaceans have a magenetic sense, and should therefore be added to the list of magnetosensitive species."
The findings were published in the journal Naturwissenschaften.
A new species of poison dart frog, so tiny it can fit on a fingernail, has been discovered in a rainforest in Panama, a new study says. (Photo : Cesar Jaramillo, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)
A new species of poison dart frog, so tiny it can fit on a fingernail, has been discovered in a rainforest in Panama, a new study says.
Scientists found the mini-amphibian, distinguished by its unique call and smooth, orange-colored skin, in Rio Caño in the district of Donoso, Colón Province, Panama, according to a study published in the journal Zootaxa.
Measuring just 12.7 millimeters in length, the newly described Andinobates geminisae remains something of a mystery, researchers say.
For one, its electric-orange color makes the frog look nothing like its closest genetic relatives in the region.
"The new species superficially looks much more like the strawberry poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio)," study co-author Andrew Crawford, a professor of evolutionary genetics and biostatistics at the University of the Andes in Colombia, told National Geographic. "Perhaps A. geminisae had been observed previously but was confused with Oophaga."
But once Crawford, along with researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí in Panama, sequenced the frog's DNA, it was confirmed that this was a new species of Andinobates.
"They've known it was there for several years. However, they were not sure if it was only a variety of another poison dart frog species, Oophaga pumilio, which exhibits tremendous color variation," Cesar Jaramillo, a Smithsonian herpetologist, said in a statement. "Based on morphological characteristics of the adult and the tadpole, I thought it might be a new species of Andinobates."
Because this new frog species appears to be only found in a tiny part of Panama, habitat loss is a major threat to its existence. The researchers, therefore, recommend the formulation of special conservation plans to guarantee the survival of the species, which is also sought after by those in the pet trade.
"It is important we save some of this frog's tiny habitat to be able to study this unusual species more," Crawford told National Geographic.
Ocean acidification hits young sea stars the hardest compared to their adult counterparts, according to a new study. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons)
Ocean acidification hits young sea stars the hardest compared to their adult counterparts, according to a new study.
Young members of a species are sensitive as it is to environmental stresses compared to their parents, so with juvenile marine life now combating ocean acidification as well, it's taking its toll. That goes for the sea star Asterias rubens from the Baltic Sea, scientists from GEOMAR (Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel) have shown.
Described in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, researchers simulated three different levels of acidification that could be reached in the Baltic Sea by the uptake of additional carbon dioxide (CO2) within the coming decades. The findings showed that even at slightly increased acidification, the small sea stars grew more slowly and ate less.
"In adult sea stars, we only observed this effect at significantly higher carbon dioxide concentrations in the water," researcher Dr. Jörn Thomsen said in a statement.
And if these young sea stars can't survive amidst ocean acidification, it could have damaging repercussions on the local ecosystem. The sea star Asterias rubens is an important predator, keeping the mussel population in the Western Baltic under control.
"If the sea stars suffer from the effects of ocean acidification, it could affect the entire ecosystem in the long run," explained first author Dr. Yasmin Appelhans. "For example, only a few sea stars live in the Bay of Lübeck, because of the low salinity there. The mussels in this region can spread unhindered and outcompete other species."
One possible explanation for why ocean acidification is most detrimental to young sea stars in particular, researchers say, is that CO2 hinders their ability to store calcium carbonate, which is vital in forming their protective skeletons, as is true of all calcifiers.
All marine life, from the smallest sea star to the biggest predatory shark, is struggling to adapt to climate change. For instance, recent research has shown that ocean acidification is robbing sharks of their predatory senses.
An astonishing video from the Florida Keys shows a curious domestic cat almost becoming a late-night snack after narrowly escaping an attack from a hungry alligator. (Photo : Pixabay)
An astonishing video from the Florida Keys shows a curious domestic cat almost becoming a late-night snack after narrowly escaping an attack from a hungry alligator.
Infrared footage, shot from a camera trap in the National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge, caught the cat's seemingly harmless walk through an area frequented by alligators.
[Credit: AmazingParadeMilitary]
The video shows the feline cautiously tiptoeing towards the outskirts of the camera's frame, when suddenly leaves rustle and a 6-foot-long (1.8 meters) alligator lunges for its next meal. Don't worry, the cat escaped thanks to its fast-acting reflexes.
"I love the cameras, because we get to see what the animals are doing when we're not around," Alyssa Johnson, who interns at the refuge and installed the remotely operated camera, told Live Science.
If the cat had been just a fraction of a second slower it would not have had a happy ending, as alligators on average run 10 to 15 feet long and weigh up to a whopping 1,000 pounds, National Geographic reports. These predators typically feed on fish, turtles, snakes, and small mammals like raccoons, but given that they are opportunists, a cat would do too.
The National Key Deer Refuge is located on Big Pine Key, a small island southwest of the Florida peninsula that is connected to the mainland. Johnson suspects that the elusive feline could be a house cat from a neighborhood in the area.
"It's very possible that this was someone's cat who was out for a midnight stroll and doesn't respect boundaries on maps," she told Live Science.
You might not think so, but these pampered pets are actually threatening to certain species, some of them endangered. House cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals in the United States each year, most of them native North American species, according to a 2013 study from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
This includes the Key Largo wood rat and Key Largo cotton mouse, both of which are endangered.
Researchers investigating robotic locomotion recently took a tiny mechanical swimmer to the sea for the first time, testing how well it can swim in real churning waters. The robot, inspired by the "sculling" motion of octopus, boasts eight legs and can even slowly crawl along the ocean floor. (Photo : FORTH Institute of Computer Science)
Researchers investigating robotic locomotion recently took a tiny mechanical swimmer to the sea for the first time, testing how well it can swim in real churning waters. The robot, inspired by the "sculling" motion of octopus, boasts eight legs and can even slowly crawl along the ocean floor.
That's at least according to a paper recently presented at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Chicago.
According to the robot's creators, most traditional aquatic robotics take inspiration from the ocean's swiftest swimmers, such as dolphins, fish, and even eels. But what about the nimble and clever octopus? The researchers, from the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) in Greece, have apparently been studying locomotion and other aspects of the octopus for some time, and the ultimate result is a soft-armed robot that can gracefully coast through the water.
"The final robotic octopus will be capable of locomotion on different substrates, of dexterous manipulation by coordinating the flexible eight arms, or of anchoring in order to exert forces on external environment varying arms stiffness," the team behind the OCTOPUS program reports.
In other words, the robot will eventually be able to measure how hard it presses against the ocean current or floor, and navigate through the water by feeling for ideal resistances - kind of like how professional swimmer Michael Phelps feels around with his fingertips as he races.
Even now, the robot looks to be a proficient swimmer, using flexible silicone "tentacles" attached with stretching webbing.
According to the researchers, since upgrading their robot with these flexible components, the robot's movements have doubled in speed.
You can watch a video of the robot in action below, as provided by FORTH via IEEE Spectrum.
Native American tribes from the United States and Canada have come together to sign a historic treaty that promises to bring the iconic bison back to its original stomping grounds in Rocky Mountain and Great Planes regions. (Photo : Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society)
Native American tribes from the United States and Canada have come together to sign a historic treaty that promises to bring the iconic bison back to its original stomping grounds in Rocky Mountain and Great Planes regions.
The treaty, aptly named the "Northern Tribes Buffalo treaty," is the first Native American treaty signed in more than 150 years. It establishes an intertribal alliance between US Tribes and Canadian First Nations so that they can pool their efforts towards the goal of seeing the American buffalo (bison) populations restored on reserves and co-managed lands.
Garrit Voggesser, National Wildlife Federation National Director of Tribal Partnerships said he was encouraged by this action. Collectively, the groups will be best prepared to aid bison, with about 6.3 million acres of grassland - about three times the size of Yellowstone National Park - at their disposal to establish restoration habitats.
"Tribes have managed bison herds for years and worked collaboratively to restore wild bison to the Plains," he said in a statement.
"Tribal leadership can not only bring bison back to tribal lands, but can also foster bison restoration to large public landscapes across the West,' he added. "This treaty will foster and expand the process of restoring a vital part of the prairie ecosystem and crucial part of tribal culture and history."
Eleven tribes in all signed the treaty, pledging to "strengthen and renew ancient cultural and spiritual relationships with buffalo and grasslands in the Northern Great Plains."
Thanks to an immense restoration effort that began in the early 1900s, there are hundreds-of-thousands of bison in North America today. However, most of these animals live as semi-domesticated herds on private land or in zoos. This new initiative aims to brings bison back into the wild.
This is largely "an endeavor on the part of a large group of traditional elders to steer the younger generation back to a path of ecological balance," Leroy Little Bear of the Blood Tribe in Alberta explained. "Sustainability, leaving the land as pristine as possible, and having humans fit themselves into the ecological balance are fundamental to the life-ways of Indian peoples. But the buffalo is a major player in this ecological scenario. The near extinction of the buffalo left a major gap. The treaty on buffalo restoration aims to begin to fill that gap and once again partner with the buffalo to bring about cultural and ecological balance."
A newly discovered armored fossil from New Mexico has just been confirmed as a new species in the ankylosaurid dinosaur family. Researchers from Alberta now suspect that the armored giant is not only related to its cousins up north, but perhaps even made Alberta its stomping grounds as well. (Photo : Sydney Mohr)
A newly discovered armored fossil from New Mexico has just been confirmed as a new species in the ankylosaurid dinosaur family. Researchers from Alberta now suspect that the armored giant is not only related to its cousins up north, but perhaps even made Alberta its stomping grounds as well.
From 76 to 66 million years ago, Alberta was home to at least five species of ankylosaurid dinosaurs including the iconic club-tailed armored giant, the Ankylosaurus.
When University of Alberta researchers Victoria Arbour and Michael Burns were introduced to the new armored dinosaur, discovered three years ago in the Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness area of New Mexico, they knew they were looking at a new addition to the textbooks.
"Bob Sullivan, who discovered the specimen, showed us pictures, and we were really excited by both its familiarity and its distinctiveness - we were pretty sure right away we were dealing with a new species that was closely related to the ankylosaurs we find in Alberta," Arbour said in a statement.
"The horns on the back of the skull are thick and curve downwards, and the snout has a mixture of flat and bumpy scales - an unusual feature for an ankylosaurid," she added. "There's also a distinctive large triangular scale on the snout, where many other ankylosaurids have a hexagonal scale."
These distinct differences, plus the location of the fossils, told researchers that they had a new species on their hands. After an in-depth study of the fossil, as desribed in a recent publication of the journal PLOS ONE, it was determined that the species, Ziapelta sanjuanensis, hails from the Late Cretaceous. During this period a vast inland sea divided North America in two, and Alberta and New Mexico both boasted sandy beach-like territory.
Ankylosaurusfossils are reportedly common in southern Alberta, but none have been found further south than in an area called the Horseshoe Canyon Formation.
Arbour and Burns now suspect that they will find Ziapelta fossils there, and will be "on the lookout" for such fossils in the future.
Four whooping crane chicks who were raised in captivity were brought into the wild over this weekend in continued efforts to bolster the endangered species' numbers. (Photo : USFWS/Kara Zwickey )
Four whooping crane chicks who were raised in captivity were brought into the wild over this weekend in continued efforts to bolster the endangered species' numbers.
The six-month-old cranes will reportedly be joining a flock of about 95 cranes that inhabit wetlands in the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and other parts of central Wisconsin during the Summer.
And this release is just in time. Come autumn, the cranes will be gone from Wisconsin, winging their way towards wetlands in the Southeast United States.
The release also marks the first success for a new experimental program where captive adult whooping cranes are used to raise hatched chicks.
"Over the past 13 years, USGS biologists - dressed in costumes to avoid having the birds 'imprint' on people - have raised between five and 20 whooping crane chicks annually that have been released into the Eastern Migratory Flock," John French, leader of the raise and release project, explained in a recent release. (Scroll to read on...) [Credit: Hannah Hamilton , US Geological Survey]
Now, for the first time at the US Geological Survey's (USGS) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, live cranes were used to raise the chicks instead.
"This new method ... is intended to evaluate the effects of rearing by humans in costume, which is obviously an odd condition," French added. "Parent rearing may result in the chicks learning behavior important to their survival and reproduction."
The chicks reportedly arrived at Necedah NWR on Saturday where they will be housed in predator resistant cages until they become acclimated to the region. When the Eastern Migratory Flock makes its way near the center, the chicks will be released to rejoin the wild.
Not too long ago, it was believed there were fewer than 24 whooping cranes left in the word. Thanks to efforts like these, today's population is estimated to be more than 400, with an additional 125 in captivity.
Skin color displayed amongst a specific species of monkey is a good indicator of how successfully they will breed, a new study shows. (Photo : nyiragongo / Fotolia)
Skin color displayed amongst a specific species of monkey is a good indicator of how successfully they will breed, a new study shows.
According to the research, skin coloration in male and female rhesus macaques is an inherited quality - the first example of heritability for a sexually-selected trait to be described in any mammal.
A team of scientists from the University of Exeter collected more than 250 facial images of wild rhesus macaques, which are native to South, Central and Southeast Asia. They display red skin coloring around the face, as well as the genital and hind-quarter areas.
Using these images, coupled with 20 years of genetic data, the researchers assessed whether the variation in red coloring influenced fecundity, or the ability to produce lots of offspring. They also determined whether their reddish tinge was heritable in male and female rhesus macaques - two necessary conditions for the trait to be considered under sexual selection.
The study showed that males that were darkly colored, as well as of high social status within the community, produced more offspring. Skin redness amongst females was also positively linked to fecundity.
Monkeys with darker skin were also more likely to produce offspring displaying the same trait.
"Some primates exhibit very noticeable skin colorings, in this case red, that we believe are linked to sexual success. It is not dissimilar to plumage shown by birds - the more striking it is, the more they will be noticed by potential mates," Dr. Lauren Brent, who was involved in the study, said in a statement.
While previous studies have shown that rhesus macaque skin coloration is involved in mate selection, this is the first to indicate that skin color has a genetic basis and is linked to breeding success.
"What is fascinating is that we can see that the deeper red coloring that seems to be favored in this species seems to be passed down from generation to generation, which is exciting."
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Researchers have found that damsels in distress are far more likely to impact insect populations than climate change alone. Observations of damselflies and other insects have led to the conclusion that fear of predation is the main driver of how fast or slow insects grow, despite claims that temperature could be a major influence. (Photo : Philip Cohen)
Researchers have found that damsels in distress are far more likely to impact insect populations than climate change alone. Observations of damselflies and other insects have led to the conclusion that fear of predation is the main driver of how fast or slow insects grow, despite claims that temperature could be a major influence.
A study detailing these findings was recently published in the journal Oecologia.
Lauren Culler, the lead author of that study and a Dartmouth researcher is particularly excited about these findings, explain that a better understanding of insect growth factors can help future conservation and control efforts.
"It's less about temperature and more about the overall environmental conditions that shape the growth, survival and distribution of insects," she explained in a statement.
Nature World News recently reported how climate change is leading to changing predation success, where insects like the Asian lady beetle are suddenly having much more success hunting aphids in declining winds, and where sharks are being robbed of their predatory senses thanks to ocean acidification.
Culler's latest work enforced these claims, showing how some insects are not growing as fast simply because environmental factors - the results of climate change - are favoring their predators. Fear of being eaten in particular, known as the "flight-or-fight" response, can prompt physiological responses that stunt growth and reproductive capability, usually because less time is spent foraging and more energy is expended on defensive action. (Scroll to read on...)
(Photo : Flickr: Jean-Jacques Boujot)
According to the study, Culler and her colleagues brought several populations of damselflies into a lab and set them up in various environments. Some environments were simply ideal, but others boasted heighted temperatures or a nearby fish predator.
Predictably, the researchers found that in the absence of predator fear, the insects ate more food and grew quickly, even in heightened temperatures. Fish living near a predator however, regardless of the temperature, grew much slower.
Culler says that this work highlights a glaring problem with some studies looking for a correlations between rising temperatures and population decline.
"Studies that aim to predict the consequences of climate change on insect populations should consider additional factors that may ultimately limit growth and survival, such as the risk of being eaten by a predator."
A record number of crocodile hatchlings have been discovered in the Everglades National Park this summer, showing that efforts to restore crocodile habitats in the region are working well. (Photo : National Park Service)
A record number of crocodile hatchlings have been discovered in the Everglades National Park this summer, showing that efforts to restore crocodile habitats in the region are working well.
Despite what urban legend says of the Everglade areas, the region has been only sparsely populated with crocodiles over the last few decades. In fact, back in the early 1970s, wild American crocodiles were listed as federally endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) - a status that persisted for most crocs until about 2007, when it was determined that the hearty animals had bred enough to simply be considered "threatened" in Florida state.
So what was to blame for the crocodile decline? According to The Associated Press, prior to the 1970s, a number of drains had been dug in the Everglades, designed to drain marsh water for agriculture. Not only did this shrink natural marshland coverage - where the crocs like to breed - but it also increased the salinity of local waters.
Studies since that time have found that salty waters have a dangerous impact on the growing rate of these freshwater reptiles. Regular surveys and assessment of Everglade populations conducted by "The Croc Docs" through the University of Florida in partnership with the FWS and US Geological Survey found that growth rate and prevalence of the animals was directly influenced by the salinity of local waters.
The surveys also found that ongoing efforts to improve freshwater conditions, which mainly involve the prevention of salt water intrusion and freshwater loss to tide along costal canals, may be working.
Now, according to the University of Florida (UF), the most young crocodiles ever recorded, 962 hatchlings, were captured, marked, and released in the Everglades, showing a stunning surge in populations from last summer, when only 554 hatchlings were found.
Frank Mazzotti, a UF Agricultural Sciences expert and crocodile monitor, is quick to caution that this isn't exactly proof that restoration efforts are working, though he says he's encouraged by the data.
"What we hope is the lesson is that ecosystem restoration efforts can work," he said. "If the signal is correct here, we can monitor that improvement by looking at ecological responses - and crocodiles make good indicators."
There's a new cat on the block, and it looks like a werewolf. The Lykoi cat is a designer breed that is purposely bred to express a unique natural mutation that makes it have thinner hair or no fur at all around the nose, eyes, underbelly, and paws. Some may question why exactly you would want a balding feline, but for many cat lovers, the Lykoi cat is becoming a hot topic. (Photo : Facebook/Fiammetta Moscheni)
There's a new cat on the block, and it looks like a werewolf. The Lykoi cat is a designer breed that is purposely bred to express a unique natural mutation that makes it have thinner hair or no fur at all around the nose, eyes, underbelly, and paws. Some may question why exactly you would want a balding feline, but for many cat lovers, the Lykoi cat is becoming a hot topic.
Lykoi cats have been naturally seen on occasion, and at first glance, can look like a cat with moderate mange. However, this is reportedly the first time the trait has ever been purposely bred into a population for a specific designer effect.
Johnny Gobble, a veterinarian and practiced breeder and his wife Brittney Gobble, a Sphinx cat breeder and animal photography lover, are likely the first breeders to purposely select for this exotic trait in felines, and are hoping that the breed's fledgling popularity can lead to something bigger.
Johnny told Nautilus magazine that these wolf-man-like traits have been reported in felines for years, "but no one has tried to breed them because there were concerns about their health."
That is, until the Gobbles stumbled upon two unrelated litters expressing the Lykoi gene.
"Upon starting the program Johnny decided that testing would need to be done to ensure that we are not dealing with disease or disorders causing the hair coat appearance. Infectious disease tests were performed first in his clinic. DNA testing was then done by UC Davis to confirm that these cats do not carry the Sphynx/Devon gene," Brittney announced on the Lykoi Cats website. "We also performed DNA panels for genetic disease, color and blood type. At the University of Tennessee (UT), dermatologists examined them for any skin abnormalities - and they too fell in love with these cats!" (Scroll to read on...)
(Photo : Brittney Gobble via Lykoi Cats Facebook) Kittens "Texan Lupus Monstrabilis" and "Rodolfo the Texas Cowboy"
According to the breeders, dermatologists and experts at UT could not find a genetic cause for the mangy look of these cats, despite the fact that they all were clearly experiencing the same trait - some hair follicles around the eyes, nose, and underbelly lacked all the necessary components required to create hair. Interestingly, this is not consistent throughout the animals' entire coat.
Still, they appear to be breeding fine and in 2012 became an officially recognized breed by The International Cat Association.
The Thing About Cats...
So why all the hubbub about a balding cat? Designer felines are actually relatively rare, with significantly fewer unusual looking breeds compared the extensively modified canine gene pool.
According to John Bradshaw, a biologist at the University of Bristol in England who has studied cat behavior in particular for more than three decades, that may be because unlike dogs, cats as a species are not so intimately tied into human lifestyle to the point that they need to genetically adapt to human whim to survive.
While canines were becoming domesticated and even bred for specific uses - resulting in a wide variety of breeds (and just as many consequential genetic defects) - cats were functioning more as accepted novelties. (Scroll to read on...)
(Photo : Facebook/Fiammetta Moscheni)
Used for their natural abilities, such as mousing, or simply kept around for comfort, Bradshaw suggests in his latest book "Cat Sense" that most felines are actually semi-feral and simply think humans are massive, dumb, and harmless fellow cats. They appeal to humans as cats would appeal to friendly-but-superior felines, and for that reason alone we accept them as they are.
A dog may be a man's best friend, but it's a friend that we use as a tool as well. With cats, it's more of a partnership born of ignorance on both sides - no selective breeding required.
At least until people realize they want a cat that looks like a sphinx or a werewolf, that is...
However, according to the Gobbles, no Lykoi kittens will be going home with any feline fanatics just yet. Right now, the breeding pool is just too small, and unlike with many dog breeds from a by-gone age, these breeders want to ensure that the Lykoi gene doesn't come with any unexpected genetic defects that could affect the cats' quality of life.
"The few Lykoi kittens we produce usually go back into breeding programs," the Gobbles said. Still, "we expect to have babies available regularly in 2016."
Moose season kicked off this Monday with a bit of a pest problem, as winter ticks have caused moose populations in New England and across parts of the northern United States to drop, according to reports. (Photo : Pixabay)
Moose season kicked off this Monday with a bit of a pest problem, as winter ticks have caused moose populations in New England and across parts of the northern United States to drop, according to reports.
Unfortunately for sportsmen expecting to bag a big moose, the added competition from this tiny parasite is prompting some states to offer hunters fewer permits or halt hunting altogether.
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are all issuing fewer moose hunting permits this year while Minnesota, where ticks are among several factors that have cut the population by more than half in less than a decade, has completely halted the hunting season.
These troublesome ticks occur in all North American moose populations except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Alaska and far northern Canada, according to Alberta-based biologist Bill Samuel, who added that the ticks are the "most important external pest of moose in North America."
These parasites are devastating in that thousands can gang up on one moose at once, bleeding the animal and thereby causing anemia and death.
"It's really that they bleed them dry," Lee Kantar, Maine's moose biologist, told The Associated Press (AP). "If you have 10,000 ticks on you, that surface area makes it so you are removing more blood from that particular animal."
The largest wild animal in the northeast, moose can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and are prized for their meat as well as their enormous antlers, according to National Geographic. But thanks to bloodthirsty ticks, fewer of them can be found in the Northeast. In Maine, for example, winter ticks have helped reduce the moose herd from 76,000 in 2012 to between 65,000 and 70,000, state officials said. And in Vermont, the moose population is estimated around 2,500, below the state's ideal range of 3,000 to 5,000, the AP reports.
Many biologists suspect that warmer temperatures have caused the surge in tick-related moose deaths. Warm fall temperatures and early spring snowmelt improves conditions for winter ticks to thrive, meaning bad news for grazing moose.
The hermit thrush, the state bird of Vermont, may actually be bidding farewell to its host state if climate change projections continue to worsen. That's according to a Audubon report that details how hundreds of bird species are likely to lose their natural habitats or relocate due to warming weather and changing conditions in many parts of the United States. (Photo : Flickr: Matt MacGillivray)
The hermit thrush, the state bird of Vermont, may actually be bidding farewell to its host state if climate change projections continue to worsen. That's according to an Audubon report that details how hundreds of bird species are likely to lose their natural habitats or relocate due to warming weather and changing conditions in many parts of the United States.
The report, released by the National Audubon Society, details how 314 North American bird species are in immediate peril, with an additional 274 likely facing serious danger in the coming years.
Nature World News previously reported how this study shows that nearly half of the estimated 650 bird species living in North America are facing shrinking habitats and relocation.
However, some species are in more immediate danger than others. A great number of migratory birds that make use of California's Central Valley, for instance, would simply not able able to make their trip if it wasn't for ongoing efforts by the Nature Conservatory to create temporary "pop up wetlands" to replace nearly 90 percent of "rest stop" habitats that have utterly dried up within the last decade.
Now not just conservationists, but state officials as well, are taking notice of this mounting problem. That's because state birds like the California gull, the Baltimore oriole, and Vermont's hermit thrush are all facing increasing hardship.(Scroll to read on...)
[Credit: Garth McElroy/State Symbols USA]
Vermont in particular is in for a rude awakening when it comes to bird trouble, as nearly half of the state's 200 species made the Audubon list.
Jim Shallow, Audubon Vermont's conservation and policy director, told the Rutland Herald that the threat should be obvious, as the seasonal behavior of the state's birds is changing.
"The changes we are seeing in bird populations are telling us that global warming is underway," he stipulated, adding that "the potential is there for about 50 percent of our birds in Vermont to see big shifts in their ranges."
That mainly means that while the birds might not be facing immediate decline, they will still be moving out of the state and further north to find more suitable habitats. And unfortunately for officials, the state bird is likely to be one of the first to go.
That's because the thrush, with its unique flute-like song, breeds in coniferous or mixed northern woods. With the average temperature and a longer growing season assaulting northern parts of the United States, these types of forests are slowly changing to boast far more paddle-leaved trees, making them unfit for the bird.
According to the Herald, Audubon Vermont is now working with more than 300 landowners to improve coniferous breeding habitat over 280,000 acres of Green Mountain territory. However, whether this will be enough to keep the state's bird in its state remains to be seen.
Marine animals off the California coast are experiencing short-term slumps in growth and reproduction, and new research suggests that the phenomenon could be linked to an increasing variability in the strength of coastal upwelling currents, which work to supply nutrients to a number of crucial ecosystems in the region. (Photo : Bryan Black/Univ. of Texas at Austin)
Marine animals off the California coast are experiencing short-term slumps in growth and reproduction, and new research suggests that the phenomenon could be linked to an increasing variability in the strength of coastal upwelling currents, which work to supply nutrients to a number of crucial ecosystems in the region.
Along North America's west coast, winds generally pull nutrient-rich water from deep in the ocean and bring it to the shallow surface. This allows phytoplankton to bloom, which is a major food source for fish, seabirds and marine mammals, according to researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.
The study indicates that the California coast has seen winters with extremely low rates of upwelling for at least 60 years, resulting in slower growth in the region's fish as well as lower reproductive rates among local birds.
"Our study underscores the fact that California is a place of high coastal upwelling variability," lead study author Bryan Black said in a statement. "You have to keep that in mind if you're managing a fishery - for example, you can't plan for every year being moderate or reliable. There are a lot of ups and downs."
To reconstruct the past 600 years of upwelling along the California coast, researchers examined tree ring growth from blue oak trees within the region - a specimen that is particularly sensitive to climate shifts that are associated with upwelling.
Comparing the data from the tree rings with other local biological factors, they learned that poor upwelling is connected with a decrease in biological productivity. Luckily, because the region's birds and fish are quick to bounce back from these events, the increased variability of upwelling strength has not led to long-term declines.
Researchers are not blaming climate change for this upwelling phenomenon, but they have their suspicions.
"This is consistent with what we expect from climate change, but at this point, we can't attribute it to that. This is something we need to continue watching to see how climate variability plays out in the coming years," Black said.
The findings were published in the journal Science.
It has long been known that climate change is impacting the world's ecosystems for better or worse, but a new study details one way that the dog-eat-dog world of nature is changing that a lot of experts didn't see coming. Changing wind patterns are altering how easily predators can find prey, resulting in new situations that many species are just not prepared for. (Photo : Pixabay)
It has long been known that climate change is impacting the world's ecosystems for better or worse, but a new study details one way that the dog-eat-dog world of nature is changing that a lot of experts didn't see coming. Changing wind patterns are altering how easily predators can find prey, resulting in new situations that many species are just not prepared for.
Image you're an aphid - a tiny green creature hopping along a vast landscape of towering soybean plants that seem to go on forever. Your sole concern in life is the Asian lady beetle, a monstrous creature who descends from the sky on speckled blood-red rings, gnashing its horrible black maw in anticipation of rending through your chitinous body.
Thankfully, the winds have always favored your kind, tossing these monsters away from potential prey at their mysterious whim. Even the most unlucky of aphids can be saved by the wind, or so it is said.
But now the winds have died forever, and you can hear a foreboding buzz in the air...
Such a horrific scene is actually happening in real time, according to a study recently published in the journal Ecology.
Brandon Barton, a zoologist at the University of Wisconsin Madison, recently launched an experiment with soy plant fields to determine just how important wind can be in a predator-prey world.(Scroll to read on...)
(Photo : Flickr: Lennart Tange)
He quickly found that a major soybean pest, the aphid, is twice as prevalent in fields harried by frequent winds, compared to fields with little wind. Not surprisingly, he and his team found that ladybugs, the natural predator of the aphid, were more than 60 percent more abundant in fields shielded from the wind, as they didn't have to compete with sudden gusts while on the hunt.
"How do you do your duty as a predator if you're entire world is moving around?" Barton asked in a recent release. "If the plant is moving, it takes four times as long for the predator to start eating, and it eats less than half as many aphids in an hour."
Wind speeds in the Midwest are expected to decline as much as 15 percent during the 21st century thanks to shifting trade-winds and climate change, and while this sounds like a boon for soybean farmers, it may have some disturbing implications.
"The mechanism may be different for other predators, but it's not hard to start thinking about effects," Barton added. "Think of a wolf or coyote. Larger predators hunting by scent - and the prey trying to detect their predators - may be affected by less wind moving scents around."
Humans aren't the only creatures in the world that wage endless wars. According to a new entomological study, spiders and ants in eastern Australia have been waging a war of attrition that has been going on for countless generations. (Photo : Flickr: Teddy Fotiou)
Humans aren't the only creatures in the world that wage endless wars. According to a new entomological study, spiders and ants in eastern Australia have been waging a war of attrition that has been going on for countless generations.
Eric Yip at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel has been studying Avondale spiders, also known as flat huntsman spiders, for nearly a decade.
The spiders, which hunt the particularly dry forests of eastern Australia, are pretty stunning to see. Growing to about eight inches (20 cm) wide, the huntsman boasts long-spindly legs and a terrifying large set of fangs.
What makes them most interesting to experts, however, is the fact that they are one of the few spiders that live in social groups but hunt alone. The groups are simple matriarchal societies of 100 to 300 spiders. Amazingly, the eldest female spider, the head of the group, usually mothered the entire swarm over several years, save for a few immigrants.
In this way, they are not much different from ants, and that of course can put local ant populations on edge.
According to Yip, he witnessed two instances in which bulldog ants invaded huntsman nests, even driving the spiders out and defacing their home. This caused him to wonder, "is this a common occurrence?"
To find out, the researcher reportedly set up 132 nest boxes (120 of which were colonized by huntsman spiders) throughout Australian forests.
As described in a study recently published in the journal Insectes Sociaux, seven of the nests were invaded by local bulldog ant populations in just two months.
According to Guinness World Records, the bulldog ant is the most dangerous ant in the world, known to be capable of swarming and killing human adults within 15 minutes. They aren't small either - about 2.5 cm long - with massive mandibles and a painful toxic bite.
In his observations, Yip detailed how these ferocious ants not only invaded colonies to kill all they could while driving out the stronger mother spider, but they then dragged twigs and sticks into the spider nest until it was no longer livable.
Spiders, in the long run, are both more energy efficient and better hunters than their insect counterparts, at least capable of winning the game of survival despite routine invasions.
That's why Yip suspects these invasions are not exactly the signs of winning the "war" but instead acts of desperation.
Tropical rabbitfish are devastating algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea, and as the climate continues to warm, they can potentially threaten the region's entire ecosystem, according to new research. (Photo : Flickr: Jerry)
Tropical rabbitfish are devastating algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea, and as the climate continues to warm, they can potentially threaten the region's entire ecosystem, according to new research.
As described in the Journal of Ecology, scientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) surveyed more than 1,000 kilometers (~620 miles) of coastline in Turkey and Greece, where two species of rabbitfish have become dominant since they moved into the region via the Suez Canal.
"The study identified two clearly distinct areas - warmer regions with abundant rabbitfish and colder regions where they were rare or absent," Dr. Adriana Vergés of UNSW Australia said in a press release.
Researchers found that in those areas teeming with rabbitfish, they were more like rocky barrens than the typically lush algal forests. Large seaweeds were reduced by 65 percent, numbers of other algae and invertebrates dwindled 60 percent, and overall, there were 40 percent less species in the studied areas.
The two tropical rabbitfish species in question were first reported in the eastern Mediterranean in 1927 and 1956 and have just recently been found living as far west as Croatia and the south of France.
As the world warms in the face of global warming and climate change, it's driving these algae-eating fish to foreign waters, devastating local populations.
"Increased feeding by plant-eating tropical fish in temperate waters as a result of ocean warming is an issue of global importance that has the potential to transform marine ecosystems, as has also been seen in Japan," Vergés noted.
Algal forests, or seaweeds, are essential to marine ecosystems because they provide food and shelter to hundreds of species, and fulfill a role similar to trees in terrestrial forests.
After conducting a series of experiments in regions known to have these rabbitfish, the researchers were surprised to find that it was not necessarily a case of the tropical fish eating more algae than the native fish.
"The native temperate fish actually ate adult algae at a greater rate than the tropical rabbitfish. However the two rabbitfish consumed both young and adult algae, whereas native fish only ate adult algae. So the two rabbitfish can completely denude large areas by working together and having one species that targets adult algae and another species that removes the youngest algal recruits, preventing them from making a forest," Vergés explained.
"This research highlights the need to work out how the interactions between different species will change in a warming ocean," he added.
New research shows that when the scaly texture of shark skin is mimicked in hospital surfaces, it helps in the fight against such hospital superbugs. (Photo : Pixabay)
What does shark skin have to do with bacterial infections like MRSA and MSSA? Well, new research shows that when the scaly texture of shark skin is mimicked in hospital surfaces, it helps in the fight against such hospital superbugs.
The new pattern is called SharkletTM, designed in an arrangement of ridges formulated to resemble shark skin. This assembly of microscopic bumps can help prevent the transmission of common hospital bacteria through touching, sneezes or spillages, according to researchers.
The study, published in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, showed that Sharklet harbored 94 percent less MRSA bacteria than a smooth surface, and fared better than copper, a leading antimicrobial material.
MRSA is actually more common than you would think. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two in 100 people carry the infection, and it spreads more easily in hospital settings.
But researchers from BioMed Central have found that the key to curbing these harmful bacteria is as simple as mimicking a shark. Shark skin has the unique quality of inhibiting bacteria - like algae and barnacles - because it is covered with a natural micropattern of tooth-like structures, called denticles. By applying this feature to the Sharklet design, the material can effectively prevent bacteria from attaching to it.
"Sharklet does not introduce new materials or coatings - it simply alters the shape and texture of existing materials to create surface properties that are unfavorable for bacterial contamination," Dr. Ethan Mann, a research scientist at Sharklet Technologies, explained in a press release.
(Photo : Mann et al.)
The researchers from Sharklet Technologies compared how well two types of infection-causing bacteria, methicillin-resistant or susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA), fared at contaminating three surfaces - the Sharklet micropattern, a commonly used copper alloy, and a smooth control surface. After simulating sneezing, touching and spillage on each of the surfaces, they found that the Sharklet micropattern reduced transmission of MSSA by 97 percent compared to the control. It also harbored 94 percent less MRSA bacteria than the control surface, while the copper had 80 percent less.
"We have learned much from nature in building this material texture for the future," Mann added.
Photo showing the iridescence of peacock feathers (Photo : Alex Pronove (alexcooper1) / Wikimedia commons )
A new study shows that the vibrant plumage of peacock doesn't affect the bird's flight.
Peacock's spectacular train is one the most striking examples of sexual selection in the animal kingdom, the researchers said. The outrageous train of feathers accounts for as much as 60 percent of the bird's total body length. Male peacocks use these extravagant trains to court female peacocks. Biologists earlier believed that the pompous show of attraction hurt the bird's flying abilities.
The study was conducted by University of Leeds researcher Dr Graham Askew.
"These feathers weigh about 300g and can exceed 1.5m, so it's expected that the male birds would be making a significant sacrifice in their flight performance for being attractive-possibly giving up their lives if the train restricts escape from predators such as tigers and leopards in their natural environment," Dr Askew, from University's School of Biomedical Sciences, said in a news release.
For the study, the researchers filmed five Indian peacocks taking off using two high-speed cameras. The researchers wanted to know how the train affects the bird's flight.
Peacocks lose their feathers at the end of the breeding season. The team trimmed the plumage to test the bird's flying abilities without the train.
To their surprise, the team found that the feathers don't interfere with peacock's flying abilities. Rather, the birds would have had the same technique to take off if they didn't have the magnificent train behind them. The team looked at the position of each bird's centre of mass, their wing motions and the movement of the train during the take-off.
The train's drag was tested in a wind tunnel. The team mounted a detached train in a wind tunnel to assess if the feathers slow down the bird. The researchers found that the drag did double; however, the birds had to use just a tiny amount of power to overcome this drag.
"Intuitively you expect that the train would detrimentally affect flight performance and so not finding a detectable effect was a bit surprising," Dr Askew said in a news release. "These birds do not seem to be making quite the sacrifices to look attractive we thought they were."
The study is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
As the hit animated film "Finding Nemo" taught us, clownfish typically spend their entire lives hiding in the protective tentacles of host anemones. But as it turns out, little Nemo's curiosity about the deep blue sea is not unheard of. In fact, baby clownfish sometimes travel hundreds of kilometers across the open ocean, promoting dispersal of offspring, according to new research. (Photo : Pixabay)
As the hit animated film "Finding Nemo" taught us, clownfish typically spend their entire lives hiding in the protective tentacles of host anemones. But as it turns out, little Nemo's curiosity about the deep blue sea is not unheard of. In fact, baby clownfish sometimes travel hundreds of kilometers across the open ocean, promoting dispersal of offspring, according to new research.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that six percent of the reef fish sampled like to go the distance, traveling over 400 kilometers (~250 miles) from one population to the other. Although, this journey only occurs at the larval stage of clownfish, contrary to what "Finding Nemo" may indicate.
"This is an epic journey for these tiny week-old fish. When they arrive at the reef, they are less than a centimeter long, and only a few days old, so to travel hundreds of kilometers they must be riding ocean currents to assist their migration," lead author Dr. Steve Simpson, from the University of Exeter, said in a press release.
The research team studied clownfish from throughout southern Oman, located off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Using DNA fingerprinting, they identified local, long-distant migrant, and hybrid individuals from Omani clownfish (Amphiprion omanensis) populations in the region. The fish were not harmed during this process, and were later returned back to their rightful colonies.
Based on these genetic signatures, which the researchers equate to human accents, they can determine whether or not each fish originated in the place from which it was caught.
The results show that young migrant fish mostly traveled from north to south, in line with the region's dominant ocean currents.
Also, second generation hybrids were found in both populations, indicating that after dispersal migrants had joined and reproduced with local populations.
"This study is the furthest anyone has tracked the dispersal of coral reef fish, and it demonstrates that distant populations in the marine environment can be well connected," Simpson said.
Not only does it help researchers better understand these typical homebodies, but their movements can also lead to better management of coral reef systems, as well as protection for vulnerable populations.
NOAA researchers operating the Exploration Vessel Nautilus have recently stumbled upon and captured images of an adorable creature that looks like something out of a cartoon, dubbed the "Dumbo" octopus. (Photo : Flickr/NOAA Ocean Explorer)
NOAA researchers operating the Exploration Vessel Nautilus have recently stumbled upon and captured images of an adorable creature that looks like something out of a cartoon, dubbed the "Dumbo" octopus.
Usually deep sea creatures get bigger and more strange looking the deeper you get - the giant squid comes to mind - so naturally researchers were surprised at the cuteness of this little cephalopod.
And as you probably already guessed, the Grimpoteuthis octopus is so cute and cuddly looking that it actually shares its name with Dumbo, the Disney elephant.
The NOAA research vessel, originally on a mission to explore and map the ocean floor, was able to film the hovering octopus during a dive in the Gulf of Mexico back in April, and was clearly the highlight of the trip.
"A ridiculously adorable and ultimately fascinating 'Dumbo' octopus found in the Gulf of Mexico," the NOAA's Facebook page wrote.
[Credit: EVNautilus]
Its most distinctive features are the ear-like flaps above their eyes, clearly resembling Dumbo's famous giant ears, which are also used to propel itself upwards - just like Dumbo's magical ears allowed him to fly.
While the footage is fascinating, the Huffington Post reports, it also reveals new information about this lesser-studied creature. The Dumbo - which may or may not have been disturbed during filming - coils its tentacles in a way that has never been observed before in the species, according to the NOAA.
Dumbo octopuses are extremely rare, as they are known as the deepest dwellers of all octopus species - they live some 9,800 to 13,000 feet below the surface. They have been spotted in deep sea environments such as in New Zealand and Australia, Monterey Bay, California, Oregon, the Philippines and in Papua, New Guinea. And their cuteness comes not just from their adorable features but from their small size too - they are about eight inches tall, according to the Smithsonian Institute.
The little octopus was so charming that one of the crew members quipped in the video that he "would make a great cartoon."
