ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Meerkat predator-scanning behaviour is altruistic, experts say
• Polar bear researchers urge governments to act now and save the species
• Tortugas Marine Reserve yields more, larger fish
• How plants sense gravity: New look at the roles of genetics and the cytoskeleton
• Monogamous birds read partner's food desires
• Last Neanderthals of southern Iberia may not have coexisted with modern humans, new data suggest
• Grooming helps insects keep their senses sharpened
• Gases work with particles to promote cloud formation
• Biodiversity exploration in the 3-D era
• Impressive aerial maneuvers of the pea aphid
• New kind of extinct flying reptile discovered
• Survival of the fittest: Predator wasps breed at the expense of spider juveniles
• Tropical rainfall patterns varied through time: Deeper understanding of drought cycles in Central America
• Low rainfall and extreme temperatures double risk of baby elephant deaths
• Discovery of remains of England's King Richard III confirmed
• Macromolecular shredder for RNA: Researchers unravel the structure of the machinery for RNA disposal
• Climate change clues from tiny marine algae -- ancient and modern

Meerkat predator-scanning behaviour is altruistic, experts say Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:08 PM PST In order to spot potential predators, adult meerkats often climb to a higher vantage point or stand on their hind legs. If a predator is detected, they use several different alarm calls to warn the rest of the group. New Cambridge research shows that they are more likely to exhibit this behavior when there are young pups present, suggesting that the predator-scanning behavior is for the benefit of the group rather than the individual.

Polar bear researchers urge governments to act now and save the species Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:47 PM PST Polar bear researchers are urging governments to start planning for rapid Arctic ecosystem change to deal with a climate change catastrophe for the animals.

Tortugas Marine Reserve yields more, larger fish Posted: 04 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST Both fish populations and commercial and recreational anglers have benefited from "no-take" protections in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a new report shows.

How plants sense gravity: New look at the roles of genetics and the cytoskeleton Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:40 PM PST The general response to gravity in plants is well known: roots respond positively, growing down, into the soil, and stems respond negatively, growing upward, to reach the sunlight. But how do plants sense gravity and direct or signal their cells to grow in response to it? Although botanists understand a great deal, a recent article reveals substantial gaps in our knowledge of the molecular details and highlights new ideas for potential regulating mechanisms.

Monogamous birds read partner's food desires Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:39 PM PST New research shows that male Eurasian Jays in committed relationships are able to share food with their female partner according to her current desire.

Last Neanderthals of southern Iberia may not have coexisted with modern humans, new data suggest Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:37 PM PST The last Neanderthals had passed by southern Iberia quite earlier than previously thought, approximately 45,000 years ago and not 30,000 years ago as it has been estimated until recently. Researchers dated samples from two archaeological sites of central and southern Iberia. The new data casts doubt on the theory that sapiens and Neanderthals coexisted in Iberia during the Upper Pleistocene.

Grooming helps insects keep their senses sharpened Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:36 PM PST Insect grooming -- specifically, antennal cleaning -- removes both environmental pollutants and chemicals produced by the insects themselves while keeping olfactory senses sharp.

Gases work with particles to promote cloud formation Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:36 PM PST Researchers have shown that certain volatile organic gases can promote cloud formation in a way never considered before by atmospheric scientists. They say this is the first time gases have been shown to affect cloud formation in this way and will "improve our ability to model cloud formation, an important component of climate."

Biodiversity exploration in the 3-D era Posted: 04 Feb 2013 11:26 AM PST A group of marine biologists from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research in Crete are testing computed tomography as a tool to accurately document the anatomy of biological specimens. The resulting 3-D models can be instantly accessed and interactively manipulated by other researchers, thus promoting rapid dissemination of morphological data useful to biodiversity research.

Impressive aerial maneuvers of the pea aphid Posted: 04 Feb 2013 10:00 AM PST Pea aphids can free fall from the plants they feed on and -- within a fraction of a second -- land on their feet every time. Oftentimes, the falling aphids manage to cling to a lower part of the plant by their sticky feet on the way down, avoiding the dangerous ground altogether.

New kind of extinct flying reptile discovered Posted: 04 Feb 2013 08:15 AM PST A new kind of pterosaur, a flying reptile from the time of the dinosaurs, has been identified by scientists from Romania, the UK and Brazil. The fossilized bones come from the Late Cretaceous rocks of Sebes-Glod in the Transylvanian Basin, Romania, which are approximately 68 million years old.

Survival of the fittest: Predator wasps breed at the expense of spider juveniles Posted: 04 Feb 2013 07:24 AM PST A study conducted in Portugal reveals the dark secrets of two wasp species whose larvae feed on ant-eating spiders Zodarion styliferum. The juveniles of the host find their death while hidden away in a stone igloo nest, ironically built for their protection.

Tropical rainfall patterns varied through time: Deeper understanding of drought cycles in Central America Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST Historic lake sediment dug up by researchers reveals that oceanic influences on rainfall in Central America have varied over the last 2,000 years, highlighting the fluctuating influence the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have on precipitation.

Low rainfall and extreme temperatures double risk of baby elephant deaths Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:59 AM PST Extremes of temperature and rainfall are affecting the survival of elephants working in timber camps in Myanmar and can double the risk of death in calves aged up to five, new research has found.

Discovery of remains of England's King Richard III confirmed Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:46 AM PST The University of Leicester has confirmed that it has discovered the remains of England's King Richard III. At a specially convened media conference, experts unanimously identified the remains discovered in Leicester city center as being those of the last Plantagenet king who died in 1485. Rigorous scientific investigations confirmed the strong circumstantial evidence that the skeleton found at the site of the Grey Friars church in Leicester was indeed that of King Richard III.

Macromolecular shredder for RNA: Researchers unravel the structure of the machinery for RNA disposal Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:46 AM PST Much in the same way as we use shredders to destroy documents that are no longer useful or that contain potentially damaging information, cells use molecular machines to degrade unwanted or defective macromolecules. Scientists in Germany have now decoded the structure and the operating mechanism of the exosome, a macromolecular machine responsible for degradation of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) in eukaryotes.

Climate change clues from tiny marine algae -- ancient and modern Posted: 04 Feb 2013 06:45 AM PST Microscopic ocean algae called coccolithophores are providing clues about the impact of climate change both now and many millions of years ago. The study found that their response to environmental change varies between species, in terms of how quickly they grow.

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