ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Extinctions of large animals sever the Earth's 'nutrient arteries'
• Anthropologists study testosterone spikes in non-competitive activities
• Shortening tails gave early birds a leg up
• Ancient mammal relatives cast light on recovery after mass extinction
• Ecosystems change long before species are lost
• High-angle helix helps bacteria swim
• Dating oldest known petroglyphs in North America
• Crowdsourcing weather using smartphone batteries
• Baby corals pass the acid test
• Canine distemper virus: An emerging disease in rare Amur tigers
• MRSA strain in humans originally came from cattle
• Seafood: 'Ray' wings sold to consumers include vulnerable species and can be mislabeled
• Bright birds make good mothers
• Highest winter losses in recent years for honey bees in Scotland

Extinctions of large animals sever the Earth's 'nutrient arteries' Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:27 PM PDT A new study has demonstrated that large animals have acted as carriers of key nutrients to plants and animals over thousands of years and on continental scales.

Anthropologists study testosterone spikes in non-competitive activities Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT The everyday physical activities of an isolated group of forager-farmers in central Bolivia are providing valuable information about how industrialization and its associated modern amenities may impact health and wellness.

Shortening tails gave early birds a leg up Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT A radical shortening of their bony tails over 100 million years ago enabled the earliest birds to develop versatile legs that gave them an evolutionary edge, a new study shows.

Ancient mammal relatives cast light on recovery after mass extinction Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:13 PM PDT Much work so far suggests that the survivors of mass extinctions often are presented with new ecological opportunities because the loss of many species in their communities allows them to evolve new lifestyles and new anatomical features as they fill the roles vacated by the victims. However, it turns out that not all survivors respond in the same way, and some may not be able to exploit fully the new opportunities arising after a mass extinction.

Ecosystems change long before species are lost Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:45 AM PDT Researchers take a detailed look at how species affect an ecosystem as they progress through their lifecycles.

High-angle helix helps bacteria swim Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:45 AM PDT It's counterintuitive but true: Some microorganisms that use flagella for locomotion are able to swim faster in gel-like fluids such as mucus. Research engineers have now figured out why. It's the angle of the coil that matters.

Dating oldest known petroglyphs in North America Posted: 13 Aug 2013 09:16 AM PDT A new high-tech analysis shows the oldest known petroglyphs in North America, which are cut into several boulders in western Nevada, date to at least 10,500 years ago and perhaps even as far back as 14,800 years ago.

Crowdsourcing weather using smartphone batteries Posted: 13 Aug 2013 09:16 AM PDT A group of smartphone app developers and weather experts have developed a way to use the temperature sensors built into smartphone batteries to crowdsource weather information. These tiny thermometers usually prevent smartphones from dangerously overheating, but the researchers discovered the battery temperatures tell a story about the environment around them.

Baby corals pass the acid test Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT Corals can survive the early stages of their development even under the tough conditions that rising carbon emissions will impose on them says a new study. Globally, ocean acidification remains a major concern and scientists say it could have severe consequences for the health of adult corals, however, the evidence for negative effects on the early life stages of corals is less clear cut.

Canine distemper virus: An emerging disease in rare Amur tigers Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT Rare Amur tigers in Russia are succumbing to infection with canine distemper virus, a pathogen most commonly found in domestic dogs, according to new research.

MRSA strain in humans originally came from cattle Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT A strain of bacteria that causes skin and soft tissue infections in humans originally came from cattle, according to a new study. The researchers who conducted the genetic analysis of strains of Staphylococcus aureus known as CC97 say these strains developed resistance to methicillin after they crossed over into humans around forty years ago.

Seafood: 'Ray' wings sold to consumers include vulnerable species and can be mislabeled Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT Genetic testing by DNA Barcoding, has revealed which species are sold under the commercial term "ray wings" in Ireland and the UK. The blonde ray, given the lowest rating for sustainability in the marine conservation society's good fish guide, was the most widely sold. Samples from the only retailer to label products as originating from more sustainable sources demonstrated high levels of mislabeling, substituted by more vulnerable species. Therefore, consumers cannot make informed purchasing decisions.

Bright birds make good mothers Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:15 AM PDT Female blue tits with brightly coloured crowns are better mothers than duller birds, according to a new study.

Highest winter losses in recent years for honey bees in Scotland Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:15 AM PDT Soaring numbers of honey bees died last winter new Scottish research has revealed.

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