ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems
• Fukushima-derived radioactivity in seafood poses minimal poses minimal health risk, experts say
• Enzyme from wood-eating gribble could help turn waste into biofuel
• New biomolecular archaeological evidence points to the beginnings of viniculture in France
• A grassy trend in human ancestors' diets
• New way fish camouflage themselves in the ocean: Manipulating how light reflects off skin
• New explanation for slow earthquakes on San Andreas
• Tiger moths: Mother Nature's fortune tellers
• No early birds getting the worms: Songbirds risk missing peak food supply
• Chimpanzees have five universal personality dimensions
• The jewels of the ocean: Two new species and a new genus of octocorals from the Pacific
• Salt gets under your skin
• Fossil remains reveal new species of marine fish from 408 million years ago in Teruel, Spain
• Acceleration of ocean denitrification during deglaciation documented
• New study predicts rising irrigation costs, reduced yields for U.S. corn
• Threatened frogs palmed off as forests disappear
• Female moths use olfactory signals to choose the best egg-laying sites
• 'Tracking in caves': On the trail of pre-historic humans
• Method for recycling plastic with printed ink developed
• Songbirds may give insight to nature vs. nurture
• Molecular switch for cheaper biofuel
• Prevent MRSA in horse hospitals
• Genome hints at markers for higher-producing, better-tasting chocolate

Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT Scientists have discovered mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to dangerous viruses and thus more likely to transmit diseases to people. The finding may have a bearing on urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Fukushima-derived radioactivity in seafood poses minimal poses minimal health risk, experts say Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:31 PM PDT In 2012, biologists reported that they had detected radioactivity in Pacific bluefin tuna swimming off the California coast. The source of the radioactivity was Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi powerplants, which were damaged by the strong earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March 2011 and released large quantities of radioactivity into the Pacific Ocean. The news prompted widespread media interest and speculation as to the possible risks to seafood consumers posed by the levels of radioactivity found in the tuna. New research shows the likely doses of radioactivity ingested by humans consuming the contaminated fish, even in large quantities, is comparable to, or less than, the radiological dosages associated with other commonly consumed foods, many medical treatments, air travel and other background sources.

Enzyme from wood-eating gribble could help turn waste into biofuel Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a new enzyme that could prove an important step in the quest to turn waste (such as paper, scrap wood and straw) into liquid fuel. To do this they turned to the destructive power of tiny marine wood-borers called 'gribble', which have been known to destroy seaside piers.

New biomolecular archaeological evidence points to the beginnings of viniculture in France Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:38 PM PDT France is renowned the world over as a leader in the crafts of viticulture and winemaking -- but the beginnings of French viniculture have been largely unknown, until now. Imported ancient Etruscan amphoras and a limestone press platform, discovered at the ancient port site of Lattara in southern France, have provided the earliest known biomolecular archaeological evidence of winemaking -- and point to the beginnings of a Celtic or Gallic vinicultural industry in France circa 500-400 BCE.

A grassy trend in human ancestors' diets Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT Most apes eat leaves and fruits from trees and shrubs. New studies show that human ancestors expanded their menu 3.5 million years ago, adding tropical grasses and sedges to an ape-like diet and setting the stage for our modern diet of grains, grasses, and meat and dairy from grazing animals.

New way fish camouflage themselves in the ocean: Manipulating how light reflects off skin Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT Researchers found that lookdown fish camouflage themselves through a complex manipulation of polarized light after it strikes the fish skin. In laboratory studies, they showed that this kind of camouflage outperforms by up to 80 percent the "mirror" strategy that was previously thought to be state-of-the-art in fish camouflage.

New explanation for slow earthquakes on San Andreas Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT New Zealand's geologic hazards agency reported this week an ongoing, "silent" earthquake that began in January is still going strong. Though it is releasing the energy equivalent of a 7.0 earthquake, New Zealanders can't feel it because its energy is being released over a long period of time, therefore slow, rather than a few short seconds.

Tiger moths: Mother Nature's fortune tellers Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT A new study shows Bertholdia trigona, a species of tiger moth found in the Arizona desert, can tell if an echo-locating bat is going to attack it well before the predator swoops in for the kill – making the intuitive, tiny-winged insect a master of self-preservation.

No early birds getting the worms: Songbirds risk missing peak food supply Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT A mismatch between the departure schedules of songbirds and higher spring temperatures at their breeding sites means they are arriving 'late' for the advanced spring and likely missing out on peak food they need to be productive breeders.

Chimpanzees have five universal personality dimensions Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT While psychologists have long debated the core personality dimensions that define humanity, primate researchers have been working to uncover the defining personality traits for humankind's closest living relative, the chimpanzee. New research provides strong support for the universal existence of five personality dimensions in chimpanzees: reactivity/undependability, dominance, openness, extraversion and agreeableness with a possible sixth factor, methodical, needing further investigation.

The jewels of the ocean: Two new species and a new genus of octocorals from the Pacific Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Two new beautiful species of octocorals and a new genus have been described from the well explored west coast of North America. Despite the 3,400 known species nowadays, these colorful marine jewels continue to surprise with new discoveries which calls for a detailed exploration of the remarkable biodiversity of octocorals.

Salt gets under your skin Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT It's time to expand the models for blood pressure regulation, according to clinical pharmacologist. Scientists have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.

Fossil remains reveal new species of marine fish from 408 million years ago in Teruel, Spain Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:34 AM PDT Researchers have studied the fossilized remains of scales and bones found in Teruel, Spain, and the south of Zaragoza, ascertaining that they belong to a new fish species called Machaeracanthus goujeti that lived in that area of the peninsula during the Devonian period. The fossils are part of the collection housed in the Palaeontology Museum of Zaragoza.

Acceleration of ocean denitrification during deglaciation documented Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:39 AM PDT As ice sheets melted during the deglaciation of the last ice age and global oceans warmed, oceanic oxygen levels decreased and "denitrification" accelerated by 30 to 120 percent, a new international study shows, creating oxygen-poor marine regions and throwing the oceanic nitrogen cycle off balance.

New study predicts rising irrigation costs, reduced yields for U.S. corn Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:39 AM PDT Simulations predict that in 40 years, yields for corn grown for ethanol will shrink even as climate change increases the need for irrigation, according to a new study.

Threatened frogs palmed off as forests disappear Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:39 AM PDT The study describes how forests converted to palm oil plantations are causing threatened forest dwelling frogs to vanish, resulting in an overall loss of habitat that is important for the conservation of threatened frog species in the region.

Female moths use olfactory signals to choose the best egg-laying sites Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that the ability of Manduca sexta moths to recognize changes in the profile of volatile compounds released by plants being attacked by Manduca caterpillars allows them to lay their eggs on plants that are less likely to be attacked by insects and other predators, and to avoid competing against other caterpillars of the same species for resources.

'Tracking in caves': On the trail of pre-historic humans Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT In remote caves of the Pyrenees, lie precious remnants of the Ice Age undisturbed: foot and hand prints of prehistoric hunters. The tracks have remained untouched for millennia and are in excellent condition.

Method for recycling plastic with printed ink developed Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT Researchers have developed a procedure that removes printed ink on plastic films used in flexible packaging getting a product free from ink and suitable for recycling.

Songbirds may give insight to nature vs. nurture Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:31 AM PDT A new research technique allows neural imaging of auditory stimuli in songbirds via MRI.

Molecular switch for cheaper biofuel Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:23 AM PDT Lignocellulosic waste such as sawdust or straw can be used to produce biofuel -- but only if the long cellulose and xylan chains can be successfully broken down into smaller sugar molecules. To do this, fungi are used which, by means of a specific chemical signal, can be made to produce the necessary enzymes. Scientist have now genetically modified fungi in order to make biofuel production significantly cheaper.

Prevent MRSA in horse hospitals Posted: 03 Jun 2013 06:23 AM PDT Bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics have become a serious threat to humans and animals. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an example of such a bacterium. MRSA infections in horses are difficult to treat, as there are so few effective antibiotics. By improving hygiene in hospital care for animals, the spread of resistant bacteria can be reduced.

Genome hints at markers for higher-producing, better-tasting chocolate Posted: 02 Jun 2013 05:27 PM PDT The freshly sequenced genome of the most commonly cultivated cacao plant in the world is revealed in a new study. Researchers have utilized high quality DNA sequences to demonstrate the usefulness and quality of the sequence to identify genetic markers that can lead to higher yielding cocoa plants that still produce better tasting cocoa.

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