ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• The Deep Roots of Catastrophe: Partly molten, Florida-sized blob forms atop Earth's core
• Scientists identify genetic mechanism that contributed to Irish Famine
• Sensing the light, but not to see: Primitive organism's photosensitive cells may be ancestral to 'circadian receptors' in mammalian retina
• Tiny marine creature spreading through ocean, stabilizing reefs and islands with calcareous shells
• Features of southeast European human ancestors influenced by lack of episodic glaciations
• How new corals species form in the ocean
• Nitrogen from pollution, natural sources causes growth of toxic algae, study finds
• Preserving biodiversity can be compatible with intensive agriculture
• India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought, new timeline suggests
• Hydrothermal liquefaction: The most promising path to sustainable bio-oil production
• New light shed on the mysteries of spider silk
• Pacific locked in 'La Nada' limbo
• 11,000 elephants slaughtered in national park once home to Africa’s largest forest elephant population
• Tapping into the rubber plant genome
• 2012 global temperatures 10th highest on record
• 2012 warmest and second most extreme year on record for the contiguous United States
• Biodiversity helps protect nature against human impacts
• Lungs of the planet reveal their true sensitivity to global warming
• Scientists discover how chromosomes keep their loose ends loose
• Predicting a low carbon future for Toronto
• Thailand: Astonishing ten new species of semi-aquatic freshwater earthworms revealed
• Mercury contamination in water can be detected with a mobile phone
• New steps recommended to preserve China's famous Terracotta Warriors and other relics
• Benefits of Bt corn go beyond rootworm resistance
• Pest uses plant hairs for protection: Trichomes save insect from beetle predation
• Environmental factors determine whether immigrants are accepted by cooperatively breeding animals
• X-rays reveal uptake of nanoparticles by soybean crops
• Pirate-like flies connect symbiosis to diversity
• Air pollution primes children for asthma-related cockroach allergy
• Nothing fishy about swimming with same-sized mates
• Shimmering water reveals cold volcanic vent in Antarctic waters

The Deep Roots of Catastrophe: Partly molten, Florida-sized blob forms atop Earth's core Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:20 PM PST A seismologist analyzed seismic waves that bombarded Earth's core, and believes he got a look at the earliest roots of Earth's most cataclysmic kind of volcanic eruption. But don't worry. He says it won't happen for perhaps 200 million years.

Scientists identify genetic mechanism that contributed to Irish Famine Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:06 PM PST Plant pathologists studied the pathogen that triggered the Irish Famine of the 19th century by infecting potato plants, and deciphered how it succeeded in crippling the potato plant's immune system.

Sensing the light, but not to see: Primitive organism's photosensitive cells may be ancestral to 'circadian receptors' in mammalian retina Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:06 PM PST In a primitive marine organism, scientists find photosensitive cells that may be ancestral to the "circadian receptors" in the mammalian retina.

Tiny marine creature spreading through ocean, stabilizing reefs and islands with calcareous shells Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:06 PM PST The climate is getting warmer, and sea levels are rising -- a threat to island nations. As a group of researchers found out, at the same time, tiny single-cell organisms are spreading rapidly through the world's oceans, where they might be able to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Amphistegina are stabilizing coastlines and reefs with their calcareous shells.

Features of southeast European human ancestors influenced by lack of episodic glaciations Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:58 PM PST A fragment of human lower jaw recovered from a Serbian cave is the oldest human ancestor found in this part of Europe, who probably evolved under different conditions than populations that inhabited more western parts of the continent at the same time, according to new research.

How new corals species form in the ocean Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:23 PM PST Biological sciences professors have investigated how corals specialize to particular environments in the ocean. They propose that the large dispersal potential of coral larvae in open water and the proximity of different species on the ocean floor creates a mystery for researchers who study speciation, asking, "How can new marine species emerge without obvious geographic isolation?"

Nitrogen from pollution, natural sources causes growth of toxic algae, study finds Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:23 PM PST Nitrogen in ocean waters fuels the growth of two tiny but toxic phytoplankton species that are harmful to marine life and human health, warns a new study. Researchers found that nitrogen entering the ocean -- whether through natural processes or pollution -- boosts the growth and toxicity of a group of phytoplankton that can cause the human illness amnesic shellfish poisoning.

Preserving biodiversity can be compatible with intensive agriculture Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST Preserving genetically diverse local crops in areas where small-scale farms are rapidly modernizing is possible, according to a geographer, who is part of an international research project investigating the biodiversity of maize, or corn, in hotspots of Bolivia, Peru and Mexico.

India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought, new timeline suggests Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST Researchers have found that the collision between India and Asia occurred only 40 million years ago -- 10 million years later than previously thought. The scientists analyzed the composition of rocks from two regions in the Himalayas, and discovered evidence of two separate collisional events: As India crept steadily northward, it first collided with a string of islands 50 million years ago, before plowing into the Eurasian continental plate 10 million years later.

Hydrothermal liquefaction: The most promising path to sustainable bio-oil production Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST A new generation of the HTL process can convert all kinds of biomasses to crude bio-oil, which is sufficiently similar to fossil crude oil that a simple thermal upgrade and existing refinery technology can be employed to subsequently obtain all the liquid fuels we know today. What is more, the HTL process only consumes approximately 10-15 percent of the energy in the feedstock biomass, yielding an energy efficiency of 85-90 percent.

New light shed on the mysteries of spider silk Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST Researchers have now measured all of the elastic properties of an intact spider's web, drawing a remarkable picture of the behavior of one of nature's most intriguing structures. The work could lead to new "bio-inspired" materials that improve upon nature.

Pacific locked in 'La Nada' limbo Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:58 PM PST Sea-surface height data from NASA's Jason-1 satellite show that the equatorial Pacific Ocean is still locked in what some call a neutral, or 'La Nada' state. This condition follows two years of strong, cool-water La Niña events.

11,000 elephants slaughtered in national park once home to Africa’s largest forest elephant population Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:15 AM PST The Wildlife Conservation Society has just announced that a national park, once home to Africa's largest forest elephant population, has lost a staggering 11,100 individuals due to poaching for the ivory trade. The shocking figures come from Gabon's Minkebe Park, where recent surveys of areas within the park revealed that two thirds of its elephants have vanished since 2004. The majority of these losses have probably taken place in the last five years.

Tapping into the rubber plant genome Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:14 AM PST Scientists have sequenced the draft genome sequence of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis, the major commercial source of natural rubber.

2012 global temperatures 10th highest on record Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST The globally-averaged temperature for 2012 marked the 10th warmest year since record keeping began in 1880. It also marked the 36th consecutive year with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last below-average annual temperature was 1976. Including 2012, all 12 years to date in the 21st century (2001-2012) rank among the 14 warmest in the 133-year period of record. Only one year during the 20th century -- 1998 -- was warmer than 2012.

2012 warmest and second most extreme year on record for the contiguous United States Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:07 AM PST In 2012, the contiguous United States (CONUS) average annual temperature of 55.3°F was 3.2°F above the 20th century average, and was the warmest year in the 1895-2012 period of record for the nation. The 2012 annual temperature was 1.0°F warmer than the previous record warm year of 1998.

Biodiversity helps protect nature against human impacts Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:10 AM PST New research suggests farmers and resource managers should not rely on seemingly stable but vulnerable single-crop monocultures. Instead they should encourage more kinds of plants in fields and woods as a buffer against sudden ecosystem disturbance.

Lungs of the planet reveal their true sensitivity to global warming Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:10 AM PST The amount of carbon dioxide that rainforests absorb, or produce, varies hugely with year-to-year variations in the climate. Climate scientists have shown that these variations reveal how vulnerable the rainforest is to climate change.

Scientists discover how chromosomes keep their loose ends loose Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:10 AM PST We take it for granted that our chromosomes won't stick together, yet this kind of cellular disaster would happen constantly were it not for a protein called TRF2. Now, scientists have discovered key details of how TRF2 performs this crucial chromosome-protecting function. The finding represents a significant advance in cell biology and also has implications for our understanding of cancer and the aging process.

Predicting a low carbon future for Toronto Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:13 AM PST Cities are major players in the climate change game. More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas and over 70 percent of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions can be attributed to cities. A case study of Toronto demonstrates alternative strategies for how the city can implement a low carbon urban infrastructure plan by 2031.

Thailand: Astonishing ten new species of semi-aquatic freshwater earthworms revealed Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:13 AM PST An astonishing ten new species of semi-aquatic freshwater earthworms have been discovered in river systems in Thailand, documenting a remarkable level of biodiversity. The animals occur in a wide range of natural freshwater habitats, including rice fields, where they might play an important role in the development of organic farming.

Mercury contamination in water can be detected with a mobile phone Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:10 AM PST Chemists have manufactured a sheet that changes color in the presence of water contaminated with mercury. The results can be seen with the naked eye but when photographing the membrane with a mobile phone the concentration of this extremely toxic metal can be quantified.

New steps recommended to preserve China's famous Terracotta Warriors and other relics Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:09 AM PST The preservation of immovable historic relics displayed in large open spaces like China's world-renowned Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses requires air curtains and other modifications to recreate the primitive environment from which archaeologists excavated the relics. That's the conclusion of a study of environmental control measures for archaeology museums in the People's Republic of China.

Benefits of Bt corn go beyond rootworm resistance Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:09 AM PST Researchers find that Bt corn has higher yields and uses nitrogen more efficiently than non-Bt corn.

Pest uses plant hairs for protection: Trichomes save insect from beetle predation Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:49 AM PST Guam cycads' hairy problem allows invasive insect to flourish. Everyone needs to eat. But it's a dog-eat-dog world, and with the exception of the top predators, everyone also gets eaten. To cope with this vicious reality, a tiny insect that eats plants has learned to employ the plant's hairs for physical protection from its beetle predator.

Environmental factors determine whether immigrants are accepted by cooperatively breeding animals Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:47 AM PST Cichlid fish are more likely to accept immigrants into their group when they are under threat from predators and need reinforcements, new research shows.

X-rays reveal uptake of nanoparticles by soybean crops Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:47 AM PST Scientists have for the first time traced engineered nanoparticles, taken up from soil by crop plants, and analyzed the chemical states of their metallic elements. Zinc dissolves and accumulates throughout the plants; cerium does not dissolve, but CeO2 nanoparticles were detected in plant tissue. This contributes to the controversial debate on plant toxicity of nanoparticles and entry of engineered nanoparticles into the food chain.

Pirate-like flies connect symbiosis to diversity Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:47 AM PST After a year of studying up close the symbiotic relationship between a mosquito-sized bug and a fungus, a biologist has advanced the scientific understanding of biological diversity. Jeffrey Joy has discovered that symbiosis -- a relationship between two or more organisms that can be parasitic or mutualistic -- is as much the mother of biological diversity as predation and competition.

Air pollution primes children for asthma-related cockroach allergy Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:47 AM PST An allergic reaction to cockroaches is a major contributor to asthma in urban children, but new research suggests that the insects are just one part of a more complex story. Very early exposure to certain components of air pollution can increase the risk of developing a cockroach allergy by age 7 and children with a common mutation in a gene called GSTM may be especially vulnerable.

Nothing fishy about swimming with same-sized mates Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:39 AM PST Same-sized fish stick together, using chemical cues to identify each other. Have you ever wondered why, and how, shoals of fish are composed of fish of the same size? According to new research, fish can use a variety of different sensory cues to locate shoal-mates, but they are able to use chemical cues to find other fish of the same size as themselves. Using these cues, they can form a group with strength in numbers.

Shimmering water reveals cold volcanic vent in Antarctic waters Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:39 AM PST The location of an underwater volcanic vent, marked by a low-lying plume of shimmering water, has been revealed.

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