ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Engineered spider toxin could be the future of anti-venom vaccines
• Save the parrots: Macaw genome sequenced
• Biologist maps the family tree of all known snake and lizard groups
• Exotic atoms hold clues to unsolved physics puzzle at the dawn of the universe
• Human impacts on natural world underestimated
• Four new dinosaur species identified
• New Red List developed for threatened ecosystems
• Setting the standard for sustainable bioenergy crops
• Dietary flexibility may have helped some large predators survive after last ice age
• Cannibal tadpoles key to understanding digestive evolution
• Lucky bacteria strike it rich during formation of treatment-resistant colonies: Research could help in battle against infections that do not respond to powerful drugs
• How long do insects last?
• Using 'bacteria-eaters' to prevent infections on medical implant materials
• First biological evidence of a supernova
• Differences between 'marathon mice' and 'couch potato mice' reveal key to muscle fitness
• A trick to fold proteins more quickly: 'Clever' technique speeds up the analysis of protein dynamics
• World's most extreme hearing animal: The greater wax moth

Engineered spider toxin could be the future of anti-venom vaccines Posted: 08 May 2013 06:32 PM PDT New engineered spider protein could be the start of a new generation of anti-venom vaccines, potentially saving thousands of lives worldwide. The new protein is created from parts of a toxin from the reaper spider

Save the parrots: Macaw genome sequenced Posted: 08 May 2013 06:30 PM PDT In a groundbreaking move that provides new insight into avian evolution, biology and conservation, researchers have successfully sequenced the complete genome of a Scarlet macaw for the first time.

Biologist maps the family tree of all known snake and lizard groups Posted: 08 May 2013 02:22 PM PDT Biologists have created the first large-scale evolutionary family tree for every snake and lizard around the globe.

Exotic atoms hold clues to unsolved physics puzzle at the dawn of the universe Posted: 08 May 2013 02:21 PM PDT An international team of physicists has found the first direct evidence of pear shaped nuclei in exotic atoms. The findings could advance the search for a new fundamental force in nature that could explain why the Big Bang created more matter than antimatter -- a pivotal imbalance in the history of everything.

Human impacts on natural world underestimated Posted: 08 May 2013 02:21 PM PDT A comprehensive five-year study by ecologists -- which included monitoring the activity of wolves, elks, cattle and humans -- indicates that two accepted principles of how ecosystems naturally operate could be overshadowed by the importance of human activity.

Four new dinosaur species identified Posted: 08 May 2013 02:21 PM PDT Just when dinosaur researchers thought they had a thorough knowledge of ankylosaurs, a family of squat, armor-plated, plant-eaters, along comes a graduate student with some other ideas.

New Red List developed for threatened ecosystems Posted: 08 May 2013 02:21 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new Red List system for identifying ecosystems at high risk of degradation, similar to the influential Red List for the world's threatened species.

Setting the standard for sustainable bioenergy crops Posted: 08 May 2013 02:19 PM PDT Bioenergy crops, such as Miscanthus and switchgrass, appear to be promising resources for renewable energy, but these new crops did not come with a manual on how to measure details on their sustainability impacts.

Dietary flexibility may have helped some large predators survive after last ice age Posted: 08 May 2013 12:14 PM PDT During the late Pleistocene, a diverse assemblage of large-bodied mammals inhabited the "mammoth steppe" of northern Eurasia and Beringia. Of the large predators -- wolves, bears, and big cats -- only the wolves and bears were able to maintain their ranges well after the end of the last ice age. A new study suggests that dietary flexibility may have been an important factor giving wolves and bears an edge over saber-toothed cats and cave lions.

Cannibal tadpoles key to understanding digestive evolution Posted: 08 May 2013 10:18 AM PDT A carnivorous, cannibalistic tadpole may play a role in understanding the evolution and development of digestive organs, according to new research.

Lucky bacteria strike it rich during formation of treatment-resistant colonies: Research could help in battle against infections that do not respond to powerful drugs Posted: 08 May 2013 10:18 AM PDT Like pioneers in search of a better life, bacteria on a surface wander around and often organize into highly resilient communities, known as biofilms. It turns out that a lucky few bacteria become the elite cells that start the colonies, and they organize in a rich-get-richer pattern similar to the distribution of wealth in the US economy, according to a new study.

How long do insects last? Posted: 08 May 2013 10:17 AM PDT Researchers have shown that although insects are made from one of the toughest natural materials, their legs and wings can wear out over time.

Using 'bacteria-eaters' to prevent infections on medical implant materials Posted: 08 May 2013 09:30 AM PDT Viruses that infect and kill bacteria -- used to treat infections in the pre-antibiotic era a century ago and in the former Soviet Union today -- may have a new role in preventing formation of the sticky "biofilms" of bacteria responsible for infections on implanted medical devices.

First biological evidence of a supernova Posted: 08 May 2013 09:30 AM PDT In fossil remnants of bacteria, researchers have found a radioactive iron isotope that they trace back to a supernova in our cosmic neighborhood. This is the first proven biological signature of a starburst. An age determination showed that the supernova must have occurred about 2.2 million years ago, roughly around the time when the modern human developed.

Differences between 'marathon mice' and 'couch potato mice' reveal key to muscle fitness Posted: 08 May 2013 07:26 AM PDT Using "marathon" and "couch potato" mouse models, researchers have discovered that microRNAs link the defining characteristics of fit muscles: The abilities to burn fuel and switch between muscle fiber types. They also found that active people have higher levels of one microRNA than sedentary people.

A trick to fold proteins more quickly: 'Clever' technique speeds up the analysis of protein dynamics Posted: 08 May 2013 06:28 AM PDT Scientists have devised a method to reduce the time used to simulate how proteins take on their signature three-dimensional shape. Such important information to comprehend their function is usually obtained using often very costly experimental techniques.

World's most extreme hearing animal: The greater wax moth Posted: 08 May 2013 06:28 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that the greater wax moth is capable of sensing sound frequencies of up to 300 kHz -- the highest recorded frequency sensitivity of any animal in the natural world.

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