ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• What lies beneath: NASA Antarctic sub goes subglacial
• Fish migrate to escape predators
• NOAA and NASA's next generation weather satellite may provide earlier warnings
• Sea lamprey genome mapped
• New dinosaur species: First fossil evidence shows small crocs fed on baby dinosaurs
• Where the wild things go … when there's nowhere else
• Researchers find new information about 'Snowball Earth' period
• Historic datasets reveal effects of climate change and habitat loss on plant-pollinator networks
• Loss of wild insects hurts crops around the world
• The safer sex? For a little-known primate, a new understanding of why females outlive males
• Democratic Republic of Congo's best run reserve is hemorrhaging elephants
• New marine species discovered in Pacific Ocean
• NASA's Van Allen Probes reveal a new radiation belt around Earth
• Improving climate protection in the agricultural sector
• Reducing numbers of one carnivore species indirectly leads to extinction of others
• How did early primordial cells evolve?
• Fighting GM crop vandalism with a government-protected research site
• DNA's twisted communication
• Toxic oceans may have delayed spread of complex life
• Mutation altering stability of surface molecule in acid enables H5N1 infection of mammals
• Icy cosmic start for amino acids and DNA ingredients
• Antarctic scientists discover 18-kilogram meteorite
• Metal ions regulate terpenoid metabolism in insects
• Giant cockroach genus Pseudophoraspis expands to the north with 3 new species
• Global tipping point not backed by science, experts argue
• Is nanosilver toxic?
• More new species in geologically dynamic region
• Three overstretched DNA structures confirmed
• River regulation influences land-living animals
• Nemo helps anemone partner breath by fanning with his fins

What lies beneath: NASA Antarctic sub goes subglacial Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:10 AM PST When researcher Alberto Behar from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., joined an international Antarctic expedition last month on a trek to investigate a subglacial lake, he brought with him a unique instrument designed and funded by NASA to help the researchers study one of the last unexplored aquatic environments on Earth.

Fish migrate to escape predators Posted: 01 Mar 2013 12:46 AM PST By individually tagging fish in a lake and following their movements, a research team has shown that migration is a very effective defense against being eaten.

NOAA and NASA's next generation weather satellite may provide earlier warnings Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:15 PM PST A new satellite that will detect the lightning inside storm clouds may lead to valuable improvements in tornado detection. The GOES-R satellite is currently being built with new technology that may help provide earlier warnings for severe weather.

Sea lamprey genome mapped Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:15 PM PST Beginning in 2004, a group of scientists from around the globe set out to map the genome of the sea lamprey. The secrets of how this jawless vertebrate separated from the jawed vertebrates early in the evolutionary process will give insight to the ancestry of vertebrate characters and may help investigators more fully understand neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

New dinosaur species: First fossil evidence shows small crocs fed on baby dinosaurs Posted: 28 Feb 2013 02:15 PM PST A paleontologist and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs.

Where the wild things go … when there's nowhere else Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:57 PM PST The presence of endangered cats and primates in swamp forests might be seriously overlooked. Recent research concludes that swamp forests beg further exploration as places where endangered species have preserved their numbers -- and where humans could potentially preserve them into the future.

Researchers find new information about 'Snowball Earth' period Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:56 PM PST Researchers report new clues on the duration of what was a significant change in atmospheric conditions following the Marinoan glaciation.

Historic datasets reveal effects of climate change and habitat loss on plant-pollinator networks Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:56 PM PST Two biologists at Washington University in St. Louis were delighted to discover a meticulous dataset on a plant-pollinator network recorded by Illinois naturalist Charles Robertson between 1884 and 1916. Re-collecting part of Robertson's network, they learned that although the network has compensated for some losses, battered by climate change and habitat loss it is now weaker and less resilient than in Robertson's time.

Loss of wild insects hurts crops around the world Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:56 PM PST Researchers studying data from 600 fields in 20 countries have found that managed honey bees are not as successful at pollinating crops as wild insects, primarily wild bees, suggesting the continuing loss of wild insects in many agricultural landscapes has negative consequences for crop harvests.

The safer sex? For a little-known primate, a new understanding of why females outlive males Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:56 PM PST Researchers studying aging in an endangered lemur known as the Milne-Edwards' sifaka report that in old age, females are the safer sex.

Democratic Republic of Congo's best run reserve is hemorrhaging elephants Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:54 PM PST The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) largest remaining forest elephant population has declined by 37 percent in the last five years according to wildlife surveys by the Wildlife Conservation Society and DRC officials.

New marine species discovered in Pacific Ocean Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:54 PM PST An international expedition in Papua New Guinea has found a new species of sea slugs, feather stars and amphipods, a shrimp-like animal.

NASA's Van Allen Probes reveal a new radiation belt around Earth Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:54 PM PST NASA's Van Allen Probes mission has discovered a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth, revealing the existence of unexpected structures and processes within these hazardous regions of space.

Improving climate protection in the agricultural sector Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:41 AM PST Agriculture is responsible for around 10 to 12 percent of all greenhouse gases attributable to human activities. This raises the question of how these emissions could be reduced. A recent study has investigated -- for the first time -- the full range of factors that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, namely soil and climate conditions, the agricultural model and the farming intensity on both organic and conventional holdings.

Reducing numbers of one carnivore species indirectly leads to extinction of others Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:41 AM PST Previous studies have shown that carnivores can have indirect positive effects on each other, which means that when one species is lost, others could soon follow. Biologists have now found that reducing the numbers of one species of carnivore can lead to the extinction of others.

How did early primordial cells evolve? Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:41 AM PST New research on bacteria examines how primordial cells could have evolved without protein machinery or cell walls. While the vast majority of bacteria have cell walls, many bacteria can switch to a wall-free existence called the L-form state, which could mirror the structure of primordial cells. A new study reveals how bacteria in this L-form state divide and proliferate, shedding light on how the earliest forms of cellular life may have replicated.

Fighting GM crop vandalism with a government-protected research site Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:41 AM PST Genetically modified (GM) crops have been a source of great controversy -- particularly in Europe -- but acts of vandalism and associated security costs have made scientific evidence about the health and ecological impacts of those crops hard to come by. A Swiss government-protected field site dedicated for use in GM crop studies could serve as an example to other European countries interested in pursuing crop biotechnology, according to a new article.

DNA's twisted communication Posted: 28 Feb 2013 09:40 AM PST Gene expression needs to be finely controlled during embryo development. Fgf8 is one of these regulation factors that control how the limbs, the head and the brain grow. Researchers have elucidated how Fgf8 in mammal embryos is, itself, controlled by a series of interdependent regulatory elements. Their findings shed new light on the importance of the genome's architecture for gene regulation.

Toxic oceans may have delayed spread of complex life Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:34 AM PST A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen.

Mutation altering stability of surface molecule in acid enables H5N1 infection of mammals Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:34 AM PST A single mutation in the H5N1 avian influenza virus that affects the pH at which the hemagglutinin surface protein is activated simultaneously reduces its capacity to infect ducks and enhances its capacity to grow in mice, according to researchers.

Icy cosmic start for amino acids and DNA ingredients Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:34 AM PST Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars.

Antarctic scientists discover 18-kilogram meteorite Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:34 AM PST An international team of scientists have discovered a meteorite with a mass of 18 kilograms embedded in the East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest such meteorite found in the region since 1988.

Metal ions regulate terpenoid metabolism in insects Posted: 28 Feb 2013 07:34 AM PST Scientists have discovered an unusual regulation of enzymes that catalyze chain elongation in the terpenoid pathway. In the horseradish leaf beetle, a single enzyme can trigger the production of two completely different substances depending on whether it is regulated by cobalt, manganese or magnesium ions: Defensive iridoids or juvenile hormones.

Giant cockroach genus Pseudophoraspis expands to the north with 3 new species Posted: 28 Feb 2013 07:34 AM PST Three new species of the giant cockroach genus Pseudophoraspis have been discovered in the Hainan, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces of China. The three newly described cockroaches, together with another three already known species, mark the first record north of Vietnam, which was previously considered the northern boundary of the genus.

Global tipping point not backed by science, experts argue Posted: 28 Feb 2013 06:34 AM PST A group of international ecological scientists have rejected a doomsday-like scenario of sudden, irreversible change to the Earth's ecology. In a new paper, the scientists from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom argue that global-scale ecological tipping points are unlikely and that ecological change over large areas seem to follow a more gradual, smooth pattern.

Is nanosilver toxic? Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:03 AM PST According to new research with data obtained on two crustacean species, there is apparently no reason to consider silver nanoparticles more dangerous for aquatic ecosystems than silver ions.

More new species in geologically dynamic region Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:03 AM PST Mountain formation stimulates increased biodiversity, researchers have discovered. It is often thought that a long-term stable environment lead to species richness and, therefore, greater biodiversity. It now appears that geologically dynamic regions actually play a major role in the increase of biodiversity. The authors have come to this conclusion based on their own research and literature on, among other things, the Andes-Amazon region.

Three overstretched DNA structures confirmed Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:02 AM PST A novel discovery brings a close to a 17-year-old scientific debate about the impact of mechanical stretching on the structure of DNA.

River regulation influences land-living animals Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:02 AM PST Forest-living insects and spiders become less abundant and birds are adversely affected along regulated rivers. Three different studies by ecologists show that river regulation has a negative effect also on land-living animals.

Nemo helps anemone partner breath by fanning with his fins Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:34 PM PST Nestled amongst the tentacles of their anemone sanctuary, clownfish have reached an amicable arrangement with their deadly hosts. But what does the anemone get in return? Biologists have discovered that the helpful fish increase the flow of water through their anemone-haven at night improving the anemone's oxygen supply when it is scarce.

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