ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Increase in heavy rainfalls over past 60 years in upper Midwest, US
• Life in the universe: Foundations of carbon-based life leave little room for error
• Bottlenose dolphin leaders more likely to lead relatives than unrelated individuals
• Sex at zero gravity: Changes in gravity affect the reproductive process in plants
• Bat disease: More accurate, sensitive DNA test allows early identification of fungus causing white nose syndrome
• Mechanism that regulates production of energy-burning brown fat discovered
• Strange spaghetti-shaped creature is missing link: Discovery pushes fossil record back 200 million years
• Monarch butterflies numbers down again
• Ancient Chinese coin found on Kenyan island
• Whole genome sequencing of wild rice reveals the mechanisms underlying oryza genome evolution
• Doing business with a parrot: Self-control observed in cockatoos
• It's all in the way we move: Bone form and locomotor behavior in bipedal and quadrupedal marsupials
• Making fuel from bacteria
• Gorillas caught in the crossfire in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Biochemical engineering: Waste not, want not
• Extreme water in Earth's interior
• Open software platform to bring down energy costs
• An accurate way of predicting landslides
• Indirect side-effects of the cultivation of genetically modified plants
• Biodegradable diapers from recycled cardboard
• The natural ecosystems in the Colombian Orinoco Basin are in danger

Increase in heavy rainfalls over past 60 years in upper Midwest, US Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:23 PM PDT Heavy rains have become more frequent in the upper Midwest over the past 60 years, according to a new stud. The trend appears to hold true even with the current drought plaguing the region, the study's main author says.

Life in the universe: Foundations of carbon-based life leave little room for error Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:23 PM PDT Life as we know it is based upon the elements of carbon and oxygen. Now a team of physicists is looking at the conditions necessary to the formation of those two elements in the universe. They've found that when it comes to supporting life, the universe leaves very little margin for error.

Bottlenose dolphin leaders more likely to lead relatives than unrelated individuals Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:21 PM PDT Traveling into uncharted territory in search of food can be a dangerous undertaking, but some bottlenose dolphins may benefit by moving through their habitat with relatives who may be more experienced or knowledgeable. It turns out that leaders in bottlenose dolphin groups in the Florida Keys are more likely to be related to the dolphins that follow them.

Sex at zero gravity: Changes in gravity affect the reproductive process in plants Posted: 13 Mar 2013 03:20 PM PDT Researchers found that changes in gravity affect the reproductive process in plants. Gravity modulates traffic on the intracellular "highways" that ensure the growth and functionality of the male reproductive organ in plants, the pollen tube.

Bat disease: More accurate, sensitive DNA test allows early identification of fungus causing white nose syndrome Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:09 PM PDT Scientists are identifying additional species of Geomyces and describing development of a highly sensitive DNA-based technique for early identification of Geomyces destructans on bats as well as in soils and on cave walls.

Mechanism that regulates production of energy-burning brown fat discovered Posted: 13 Mar 2013 01:07 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a mechanism that regulates the production of brown fat, a type of fat which plays an important role in heat production and energy metabolism. The findings may lead to new therapies that increase BAT formation to treat obesity.

Strange spaghetti-shaped creature is missing link: Discovery pushes fossil record back 200 million years Posted: 13 Mar 2013 11:25 AM PDT Canada's 505 million year-old Burgess Shale fossil beds, located in Yoho National Park, have yielded yet another major scientific discovery -- this time with the unearthing of a strange phallus-shaped creature.

Monarch butterflies numbers down again Posted: 13 Mar 2013 11:24 AM PDT Bad news again for the Monarch butterfly: Drought conditions and historic wildfires the past few years continue to decrease their numbers as they wing across Texas this spring. Worse news: milkweed plants – the only kind they need to survive – are also not in plentiful supply.

Ancient Chinese coin found on Kenyan island Posted: 13 Mar 2013 10:19 AM PDT Scientists have unearthed a 600-year-old Chinese coin on the Kenyan island of Manda that shows trade existed between China and east Africa decades before European explorers set sail and changed the map of the world.

Whole genome sequencing of wild rice reveals the mechanisms underlying oryza genome evolution Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:25 AM PDT Whole genome sequencing of wild rice reveals the mechanisms underlying oryza genome evolution.

Doing business with a parrot: Self-control observed in cockatoos Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:24 AM PDT Scientists have for the first time succeeded in observing self-control in cockatoos.

It's all in the way we move: Bone form and locomotor behavior in bipedal and quadrupedal marsupials Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:24 AM PDT A new study examined the connections between bone form and locomotor behavior in bipedal and quadrupedal marsupials.

Making fuel from bacteria Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:22 AM PDT In the search for the fuels of tomorrow, Swedish researchers are finding inspiration in the sea. Not in offshore oil wells, but in the water where blue-green algae thrive.

Gorillas caught in the crossfire in the Democratic Republic of Congo Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:19 AM PDT The world's leading conservation organizations have joined together to fight for the survival of the Endangered Grauer's or eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri).

Biochemical engineering: Waste not, want not Posted: 13 Mar 2013 08:17 AM PDT A simple fermentation treatment can convert a by-product of biofuel production into a valuable chemical feedstock for a wide range of biomedical products.

Extreme water in Earth's interior Posted: 13 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT Earth is the only known planet that holds water in massive quantities and in all three of the main phase states. But the earthly, omnipresent compound water has very unusual properties that become particularly evident when subjected to high pressure and high temperatures.

Open software platform to bring down energy costs Posted: 13 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT Energy is getting more and more expensive, and experts are predicting record electricity and heating prices. A software platform promises to lighten the load for households and businesses by making it easier for consumers to put renewables to good effect.

An accurate way of predicting landslides Posted: 13 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT A landslide can seriously injure or even kill people. Now, a new early warning system will be the first to employ geological data in tandem with the latest weather forecasts to provide a concrete warning in emergency situations. A deluge of rain pelts down on the already thoroughly sodden ground. Rivers burst their banks as local residents haul up sandbags to protect themselves from the rising waters.

Indirect side-effects of the cultivation of genetically modified plants Posted: 13 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT Genetically modified Bt cotton plants contain a poison that protects them from their most significant enemies. As a result, these plants rely less on their own defence system. This benefits other pests, such as aphids.

Biodegradable diapers from recycled cardboard Posted: 13 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT Biodegradable nonwovens can be manufactured cost-effectively using a new method. Scientists have developed a process that enables recycled paper and cardboard to be used as a raw material for nonwovens. Hygiene and home care products, such as diapers, sanitary napkins and cleaning cloths, are among the many items that can be manufactured from the biodegradable nonwovens.

The natural ecosystems in the Colombian Orinoco Basin are in danger Posted: 12 Mar 2013 01:12 PM PDT About 80 percent of the total area of the Orinoco basin -- one of the most biodiverse and vulnerable regions on our planet -- is covered by natural ecosystems. Sadly, most of them are located outside of the genuinely protected areas of the region.

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