ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• New epilepsy gene located in dogs
• Assess global freshwater stress using new tool
• An extinct species of scops owl has been discovered in Madeira
• Dairy cows have individual temperaments
• Humans began walking upright to carry scarce resources, chimp study suggests
• Marine forensics expert seeks to vindicate Titanic survivors' account
• Diatom biosensor could shine light on future nanomaterials
• Ancient civilizations reveal ways to manage fisheries for sustainability
• Archaeologists reconstruct diet of Nelson's navy with new chemical analysis of excavated bones
• Plasma flows may shed light on predicting sunspot cycles
• Pulp Nonfiction: Fungal analysis reveals clues for targeted biomass deconstruction
• Subtle differences can lead to major changes in parasites
• Scientists use rare mineral to correlate past climate events in Europe, Antarctica

New epilepsy gene located in dogs Posted: 23 Mar 2012 05:53 PM PDT A new epilepsy gene for idiopathic epilepsy in Belgian Shepherds has been found in the canine chromosome 37. This research opens new avenues for the understanding of the genetic background of the most common canine epilepsies. The research also has an impact on the understanding of common epilepsies in humans.

Assess global freshwater stress using new tool Posted: 23 Mar 2012 11:17 AM PDT A new method to make better use of vast amounts of data related to global geography, population and climate may help determine the relative importance of population increases vs. climate change.

An extinct species of scops owl has been discovered in Madeira Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:45 AM PDT Scientists have described a new type of fossil scops owl, the first extinct bird on the archipelago of Madeira (Portugal). Otus mauli, which was also the first nocturnal bird of prey described in the area, lived on land and became extinct as a result of humans arriving on the island. Twenty years ago, the German researcher Harald Pieper discovered fossil remains of a small nocturnal bird of prey in Madeira, which, until now, had not been studied in depth. The international team of palaeontologists has shown that the remains belong to a previously unknown extinct species of scops owl, which they have called Otus mauli.

Dairy cows have individual temperaments Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:45 AM PDT From a young age, dairy cows react differently from each other to stimuli from their surroundings. An animal's temperament determines how it reacts in stressful situations, but may also influence its general health. In the future, temperament could be bred as a selective trait to improve the robustness and well-being of dairy cows.

Humans began walking upright to carry scarce resources, chimp study suggests Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:44 AM PDT Most of us walk and carry items in our hands every day. These are seemingly simple activities that the majority of us don't question. But scientists have discovered that human bipedalism, or walking upright, may have originated millions of years ago as an adaptation to carrying scarce, high-quality resources.

Marine forensics expert seeks to vindicate Titanic survivors' account Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:44 AM PDT On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, marine forensics experts are re-interpreting the statements made by survivors at the 1912 official inquiries into the disaster.

Diatom biosensor could shine light on future nanomaterials Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:40 AM PDT A biosensor made of fluorescent proteins embedded in the shell of microscopic marine algae called diatoms could help detect chemicals in water samples. The same research could also lead to new, diatom-inspired nanomaterials that could solve problems in sensing, catalysis and environmental remediation.

Ancient civilizations reveal ways to manage fisheries for sustainability Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:40 AM PDT In the search for sustainability of the ocean's fisheries, solutions can be found in a surprising place: the ancient past. Marine scientists reconstructed fisheries yields over seven centuries of human habitation in Hawaii and the Florida Keys, the largest coral reef ecosystems in the United States, and evaluated the management strategies associated with periods of sustainability. The results surprised them.

Archaeologists reconstruct diet of Nelson's navy with new chemical analysis of excavated bones Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:38 AM PDT Salt beef, sea biscuits and the occasional weevil; the food endured by sailors during the Napoleonic wars is seldom imagined to be appealing. Now a new chemical analysis technique has allowed archaeologists to find out just how dour the diet of Georgian sailors really was. The team's findings also reveal how little had changed for sailors in the 200 years between the Elizabethan and Georgian eras.

Plasma flows may shed light on predicting sunspot cycles Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:36 AM PDT A geophysics researcher wants to look inside the sun. More accurately, she wants to simulate the sun to study plasma flows associated with sunspot cycles. With the help of simulations scientists recently warned about a series of solar storms in early March, concerned that it could affect global positioning systems, power grids, satellites and airplane travel.

Pulp Nonfiction: Fungal analysis reveals clues for targeted biomass deconstruction Posted: 22 Mar 2012 09:14 PM PDT Without fungi and microbes to break down dead trees and leaf litter in nature, the forest floor might look like a scene from TV's "Hoarders." A comparative genomic analysis of two white rot fungi was just published. Both fungi are of interest to bioenergy researchers because they possess enzymes that can break down plant biomass and could therefore be useful for accelerating biofuels production. The study revealed substantial differences among the sets of genes involved in lignocellulose degradation.

Subtle differences can lead to major changes in parasites Posted: 22 Mar 2012 09:14 PM PDT Researchers have found the subtle genetic differences that make one parasite far more virulent than its close relative. They looked at the evolution of these parasites and found that although their genome architecture still remains similar, the two split from their common ancestor 28 million years ago, approximately four times longer than the human-gorilla split.

Scientists use rare mineral to correlate past climate events in Europe, Antarctica Posted: 21 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT Are climate changes in one part of the world felt half a world away? To understand the present, scientists look for ways to unlock information about past climate hidden in the fossil record. Scientists have now found a new key in the form of ikaite, a rare mineral that forms in cold waters.

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