ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• An inside look at carnivorous plants
• How a neurotransmitter acts to coordinate a compound movement through two different receptors in C. elegans
• Can synthetic biology save wildlife? From re-creating extinct species to the risk of genetically modified super-species
• Rising temperature difference between hemispheres could dramatically shift rainfall patterns in tropics
• Research examines ancient Puebloans and the myth of maize
• Total buzz kill: Metals in flowers may play role in bumblebee decline
• Sensitive sites: Research examines preservation of Southwest archaeology in time of tight budgets
• Tiny grazers play key role in marine ecosystem health
• Ozone masks plants volatiles, plant eating insects confused
• Survey shows many Republicans feel America should take steps to address climate change
• Switching to a power stroke enables a tiny but important marine crustacean to survive
• Putting larval cobia to the acid test: Potential resistance to increasingly acidic oceans by certain species of fish
• Surprising findings in mitochondrial biology change long-standing ideas on the protein MTERF1
• Second source of potentially disruptive Icelandic volcanoes found
• NASA sends unmanned aircraft to study volcanic plume
• Symbiotic bacteria program circadian-like rhythms in squid using light and chemicals
• Diversification in ancient tadpole shrimps challenges the term 'living fossil'
• Evolutionary consequences of infidelity in birds: Can extra-pair relationships give rise to sexual dimorphism?
• Scientists provide a more accurate age for the El Sidrón cave Neanderthals
• Monkey study reveals why middle managers suffer the most stress
• Geckos keep firm grip in wet natural habitat

An inside look at carnivorous plants Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:26 PM PDT A pitcher plant's work seems simple: Their tube-shaped leaves catch and hold rainwater, which drowns the ants, beetles, and flies that stumble in. But the rainwater inside a pitcher plant is not just a malevolent dunking pool. It also hosts a complex system of aquatic life, including wriggling mosquito, flesh fly, and midge larvae; mites; rotifers; copepods; nematodes; and multicellular algae.

How a neurotransmitter acts to coordinate a compound movement through two different receptors in C. elegans Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:26 PM PDT New research show at the single cell level how an external stimulus sets off a molecular chain reaction in the transparent roundworm C. elegans, a process in which a single neurotransmitter coordinates and times two separate actions.

Can synthetic biology save wildlife? From re-creating extinct species to the risk of genetically modified super-species Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:25 PM PDT What effects will the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology have on the conservation of nature? The ecological and ethical challenges stemming from this question will require a new and continuing dialogue between members of the synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation communities, according to authors of a new paper.

Rising temperature difference between hemispheres could dramatically shift rainfall patterns in tropics Posted: 02 Apr 2013 01:25 PM PDT One often ignored consequence of global climate change is that the Northern Hemisphere is becoming warmer than the Southern Hemisphere, which could significantly alter tropical precipitation patterns, according to a new study by climatologists.

Research examines ancient Puebloans and the myth of maize Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:24 PM PDT New research shows that perhaps the ancient Puebloans weren't as into the maize craze as once thought. Nikki Berkebile has been studying the subsistence habits of Puebloans, or Anasazi, who lived on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon in the late 11th century. Traditional ethnographic literature indicates these ancient American Indians were heavily dependent on maize as a food source, but Berkebile isn't so sure about that.

Total buzz kill: Metals in flowers may play role in bumblebee decline Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:24 PM PDT Beekeepers and researchers nationally are reporting growing evidence that a powerful new class of pesticides may be killing off bumblebees. Now, research points toward another potential cause: metal pollution from aluminum and nickel. A new study finds that bumblebees are at risk of ingesting toxic amounts of metals like aluminum and nickel found in flowers growing in soil that has been contaminated by exhaust from vehicles, industrial machinery, and farming equipment.

Sensitive sites: Research examines preservation of Southwest archaeology in time of tight budgets Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:01 PM PDT New research finds mixed results when it comes to protection and preservation efforts in portions of the Grand Canyon National Park and in the Kaibab National Forest just outside the park.

Tiny grazers play key role in marine ecosystem health Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:01 PM PDT Tiny sea creatures no bigger than a thumbtack are being credited for playing a key role in helping provide healthy habitats for many kinds of seafood, according to a new study. The little crustacean "grazers," some resembling tiny shrimp, are critical in protecting seagrasses from overgrowth by algae, helping keep these aquatic havens healthy for native and economically important species. Crustaceans are tiny to very large shelled animals that include crab, shrimp, and lobster.

Ozone masks plants volatiles, plant eating insects confused Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:01 PM PDT Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to new research.

Survey shows many Republicans feel America should take steps to address climate change Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:50 AM PDT In a recent survey of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents, a majority of respondents (62 percent) said they feel America should take steps to address climate change. More than three out of four survey respondents (77 percent) said the United States should use more renewable energy sources, and of those, most believe that this change should begin immediately.

Switching to a power stroke enables a tiny but important marine crustacean to survive Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:48 AM PDT To escape from the jaws and claws of predators in cold, viscous water, marine copepods switch from a wave-like swimming stroke to big power strokes, a behavior that has now been revealed thanks to 3-D high-speed digital holography.

Putting larval cobia to the acid test: Potential resistance to increasingly acidic oceans by certain species of fish Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:48 AM PDT Marine biologists have studied the potential effects of ocean acidification on the larvae of cobia (Rachycentron canandum).

Surprising findings in mitochondrial biology change long-standing ideas on the protein MTERF1 Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:46 AM PDT New findings in mitochondrial biology thoroughly change the idea scientists had for 20 years on the role and importance of the protein MTERF1. For the first time, scientists now have investigated in vivo what was up to now only explored in cell culture.

Second source of potentially disruptive Icelandic volcanoes found Posted: 02 Apr 2013 09:45 AM PDT New research has discovered another type of Icelandic volcanic eruption that could cause disruption. The team found magma that is twice as 'fizzy' as previously believed, which increases the likelihood of disruptive ash clouds from future eruptions.

NASA sends unmanned aircraft to study volcanic plume Posted: 02 Apr 2013 07:14 AM PDT Studying volcanos can be hazardous work, both for researchers and aircraft. To penetrate such dangerous airspace, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), especially those with electric engines that ingest little contaminated air, are an emerging and effective way to gather crucial data about volcanic ash and gases.

Symbiotic bacteria program circadian-like rhythms in squid using light and chemicals Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Glowing bacteria inside squid use light and chemical signals to control circadian-like rhythms in the animals, according to a new study. The results of the study show that, in addition to acting as a built-in lamp, the bacteria also control when the squid expresses a gene that entrains, or synchronizes, circadian rhythms in animals.

Diversification in ancient tadpole shrimps challenges the term 'living fossil' Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT The term 'living fossil' has a controversial history. For decades, scientists have argued about its usefulness as it appears to suggest that some organisms have stopped evolving. New research has now investigated the origin of tadpole shrimps, a group commonly regarded as 'living fossils' which includes the familiar Triops. The research reveals that living species of tadpole shrimp are much younger than the fossils they so much resemble, calling into question the term 'living fossil'.

Evolutionary consequences of infidelity in birds: Can extra-pair relationships give rise to sexual dimorphism? Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:13 AM PDT Male and female blue tits are hard to distinguish for the human observer. However, in the UV-range, visible to birds, the male is much more colourful. A closer look at the monogamous mating system of these birds again reveals that all is not what it seems: in every second nest there are chicks that are not related to the care-giving father. An already mated male can increase the number of his offspring by siring extra-pair offspring in other nests than the one he cares for with his mate. Researchers investigated whether this could be the driving force behind the evolution of sexual dimorphism. However, effects of extra-pair paternity are limited, cuckoldry can even reduce the intensity of sexual selection.

Scientists provide a more accurate age for the El Sidrón cave Neanderthals Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:11 AM PDT A study has been able to accurately determine the age of the Neanderthal remains found in the El Sidrón cave (Asturias, Spain) for which previous studies had provided inexact measurements. The application of a pre-treatment to reduce contamination by modern carbon has managed to lower the margin of error from 40,000 to just 3,200 years.

Monkey study reveals why middle managers suffer the most stress Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:11 AM PDT A study observing monkeys has found that those in the middle hierarchy suffer the most social stress. Their work suggests that the source of this stress is social conflict and may help explain studies in humans that have found that middle managers suffer the most stress at work.

Geckos keep firm grip in wet natural habitat Posted: 01 Apr 2013 03:15 PM PDT Geckos' ability to stick to trees and leaves during rainforest downpours has fascinated scientists for decades, leading a group of researchers to solve the mystery.

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