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Thursday, August 29, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


Wake up and smell the reef: Fish larvae sniff their way back home

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT

A new study conducted at One Tree Island in the Great Barrier Reef has established that reef fish larvae can smell the presence of coral reefs from as far as several kilometers offshore, and use this odor to find home.

Hidden shell middens reveal ancient human presence in Bolivian Amazon

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT

Previously unknown archeological sites in forest islands reveal human presence in the western Amazon as early as 10,000 years ago, according to new research.

Fifteen new species of Amazonian birds

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:31 PM PDT

Biologists have recently discovered 15 species of birds previously unknown to science. Not since 1871 have so many new species of birds been introduced under a single cover.

Wildfires projected to worsen with climate change

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:29 PM PDT

Environmental scientists brings bad news to the western United States, where firefighters are currently battling dozens of fires in at least 11 states.

Woodland salamanders indicators of forest ecosystem recovery

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT

Woodland salamanders are a viable indicator of forest ecosystem recovery, according to researchers,

Model of 'near-optimal' genetic code developed

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT

Researchers have created a model that may explain the complexities of the origins of life. Their work offers new insights into how RNA signaling likely developed into the modern "genetic code."

East Antarctic Ice Sheet could be more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:19 AM PDT

The world's largest ice sheet could be more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than previously thought, according to new research.

Scientists uncover how superbug fights off antibiotic

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 08:41 AM PDT

Scientists working to stem the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have taken a major step in their efforts to develop new treatments. In a new study, researchers report they have identified a novel mechanism that a particular superbug uses to fend off a key front-line antibiotic called daptomycin. The superbug often affects critically ill patients.

AC or DC? Two newly described electric fish from the Amazon are wired differently

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT

Two new species of weakly electric fishes from the Amazon with some unusual characteristics. Often collected together and so similar in many respects that they have been mistaken for a single species, the two species differ most notably with respect to their electric organs and electric signals.

Parasitic worm genome uncovers potential drug targets

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:33 AM PDT

Researchers have identified five enzymes that are essential to the survival of a parasitic worm that infects livestock worldwide and is a great threat to global food security. Two of these proteins are already being studied as potential drug targets against other pathogens.

Fukushima radioactive plume to reach US in 3 years

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:23 AM PDT

Researchers find it will take three years from the date of leakage for the the plume of radioactive water to reach the US coastline.

Greener Greenland predicted

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:22 AM PDT

In 2100, a warmer climate will allow growth of trees and bushes in large parts of that Greenland, which is currently ice-free. This opportunity, will offer both risks and opportunities for the Greenlanders according to a new analysis.

Scientists monitor with phosphorus the algal blooms in European lakes

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT

An international research team has analyzed the relationship between the amount of phosphorus recorded in 1,500 European lakes and reservoirs, and the growth of cyanobacteria, a toxin-producing microorganism. The results show that 23% of these water masses in Spain exceed the level established by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This percentage is closer to 50% for Germany and the Netherlands.

Spread of farming and origin of lactase persistence in Neolithic Age

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT

Scientists have brought to light the spread of dairy farming in Europe and the development of milk tolerance in adult humans. It was after the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to that of a settled farming culture in the Neolithic period that dairy-related animal husbandry first evolved, and this practice spread from the Middle East to all of Europe. The processing of milk to make cheese and yogurt contributed significantly to the development of dairy farming, as this represented a way of reducing the lactose content of fresh milk to tolerable levels, making a valuable foodstuff available to the human population.

Not the end of the world: Why Earth's greatest mass extinction was the making of modern mammals

Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT

The ancient closest relatives of mammals – the cynodont therapsids - not only survived the greatest mass extinction of all time, 252 million years ago, but thrived in the aftermath, according to new research.

How mate choice is influenced by 'sexual imprinting' revealed by high school students

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT

Two Tennessee high school students have used a combination of analytical models and individual-based mathematical simulations, to shed new light on how mate choice is influenced by "sexual imprinting," a process whereby individuals express preference for mates with traits similar to their mothers, to their fathers, or to other adult members in their population.

Tornadoes tend toward higher elevations and cause greater damage moving uphill

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:19 AM PDT

The first field investigations of the effect of terrain elevation changes on tornado path, vortex, strength and damage have yielded valuable information that could help prevent the loss of human life and damage to property in future tornadoes. Engineering researchers analyzed Google Earth images of the massive 2011 Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Joplin, Mo., tornadoes and found similarities between the two in behavior and interaction with the terrain. The findings likely apply to all tornadoes.

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