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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


Today's environment influences behavior generations later: Chemical exposure raises descendants' sensitivity to stress

Posted: 21 May 2012 01:38 PM PDT

Researchers have seen an increased reaction to stress in animals whose ancestors were exposed to an environmental compound generations earlier. The findings put a new twist on the notions of nature and nurture, with broad implications for how certain behavioral tendencies might be inherited.

What baboons can teach us about social status

Posted: 21 May 2012 01:38 PM PDT

High-ranking male baboons recover more quickly from injuries and are less likely to become ill than other males, biologists have found.

Squid ink from Jurassic period identical to modern cuttlefish ink

Posted: 21 May 2012 01:37 PM PDT

Scientists have found that two ink sacs from 160-million-year-old giant squid fossils discovered 2 years ago in England contain the pigment melanin, and that it is essentially identical to the melanin found in the ink sacs of modern-day squid.

Understanding Arctic Ocean's carbon cycle

Posted: 21 May 2012 10:28 AM PDT

Scientists have conducted a new study to measure levels of carbon at various depths in the Arctic Ocean. The study provides data that will help researchers better understand the Arctic Ocean's carbon cycle -- the pathway through which carbon enters and is used by the marine ecosystem.

How plants chill out: Plants elongate their stems to cool their leaves

Posted: 21 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT

Plants elongate their stems when grown at high temperature to facilitate the cooling of their leaves, according to new research. Understanding why plants alter their architecture in response to heat is important as increasing global temperatures pose a threat to future food production.

Unique gold earring found in intriguing collection of ancient jewelry in Israel

Posted: 21 May 2012 08:57 AM PDT

When archaeologists opened an ancient vessel found at Israel's Tel Megiddo dig, they found a surprising treasure trove of ancient jewelry -- and an earring which may have had a unique Egyptian origin.

For bats: What sounds good doesn't always taste good

Posted: 21 May 2012 08:56 AM PDT

Bats use a combination of cues in their hunting sequence - capture, handling and consumption - to decide which prey to attack, catch and consume and which ones they are better off leaving alone or dropping mid-way through the hunt. Eavesdropping bats first listen to their prey, then they assess its size, and finally they taste it.

Rare neurons linked to empathy and self-awareness discovered in monkey brains

Posted: 21 May 2012 08:53 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered brain cells in monkeys that may be linked to self-awareness and empathy in humans.

Mercury in dolphins higher downwind of power plants

Posted: 21 May 2012 08:51 AM PDT

A small pilot study found higher levels of toxic mercury in dolphins downwind of power plants than in captive dolphins.

Latest Southern Ocean research shows continuing deep ocean change

Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT

There has been a massive reduction in the amount of Antarctic bottom water found off the coast of Antarctica, new research shows.

New approach to 'spell checking' gene sequences

Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT

Scientists have found a better way to 'spell check' gene sequences.

Dry lands getting drier, wet getting wetter: Earth's water cycle intensifying with atmospheric warming

Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT

A clear change in salinity has been detected in the world's oceans, signaling shifts and an acceleration in the global rainfall and evaporation cycle. The patterns are not uniform, with regional variations agreeing with the 'rich get richer' mechanism, where wet regions get wetter and dry regions drier.

Toxic mercury, accumulating in the Arctic, springs from a hidden source

Posted: 21 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT

Environmental scientists have discovered that the Arctic accumulation of mercury, a toxic element, is caused by both atmospheric forces and the flow of circumpolar rivers that carry the element north into the Arctic Ocean. While the atmospheric source was previously recognized, it now appears that twice as much mercury actually comes from the rivers. The revelation implies that concentrations of the toxin may further increase as climate change continues to modify the region's hydrological cycle and release mercury from warming Arctic soils.

Zooming in on bacterial weapons in 3-D: Structure of bacterial injection needles deciphered at atomic resolution

Posted: 21 May 2012 07:38 AM PDT

The plague, bacterial dysentery, and cholera have one thing in common: These dangerous diseases are caused by bacteria which infect their host using a sophisticated injection apparatus. Through needle-like structures, they release molecular agents into their host cell, thereby evading the immune response. Researchers have now elucidated the structure of such a needle at atomic resolution. Their findings might contribute to drug tailoring and the development of strategies which specifically prevent the infection process.

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