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Thursday, February 9, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


Tiny primate is ultrasonic communicator

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 07:02 PM PST

Tarsiers' ultrasonic calls -- among the most extreme in the animal kingdom -- give them a "private channel" of communication, says an anthropologist.

January 2012 fourth warmest for contiguous United States, but Alaska extremely cold

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:34 PM PST

During January, warmer-than-average conditions enveloped most of the contiguous United States, with widespread below-average precipitation. The overall weather pattern for the month was reflected in the lack of snow for much of the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. This scenario was in stark contrast to Alaska where several towns had their coldest January on record.

Transformational fruit fly genome catalog completed

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 12:23 PM PST

Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail – more insight into predicting how an animal's genes affect physical or behavioral traits – now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries in everything from pest control to personalized medicine.

Report on Texas fire urges firefighters to consider wind effects

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:28 AM PST

Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new report.

Octagonal window of opportunity for carbon capture

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:28 AM PST

Scientists have gathered new insight into the performance of a material called a zeolite that may filter carbon dioxide far more efficiently than current industrial "scrubbers" do.

Arsenic criticality poses concern for modern technology

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:27 AM PST

Risks related to the critical nature of arsenic -- used to make high-speed computer chips that contain gallium arsenide -- outstrip those of other substances in a group of critical materials needed to sustain modern technology, a new study has found. Scientists evaluated the relative criticality of arsenic and five related metals.

Lull in ship noise after Sept. 11 attacks eased stress on right whales

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:27 AM PST

Exposure to low-frequency ship noise may be associated with chronic stress in whales, according to a new study. The study, conducted in Canada's Bay of Fundy, has implications for all baleen whales in areas with heavy ship traffic, and for the recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale population.

Obstacles no barrier to higher speeds for worms

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:25 AM PST

Obstacles in an organism's path can help it to move faster, not slower, researchers have found through a series of experiments and computer simulations. Their findings have implications for a better understanding of basic locomotion strategies found in biology, and the survival and propagation of the parasite that causes malaria.

Growing up on a farm directly affects regulation of the immune system, study finds

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 10:25 AM PST

A new study has shown, for the first time, that growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins.

Tuna and mackerel populations have reduced by 60% in the last century

Posted: 08 Feb 2012 07:32 AM PST

A new study shows that the impact of fishing for tuna and similar species during the last 50 years has lessened the abundance of all these populations by an average of 60%. Experts add that the majority of tuna fish have been exploited to the limits of sustainability.

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