ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Research improves temperature modeling across mountainous landscapes
• Zombie ant fungi manipulate hosts to die on the 'doorstep' of the colony
• Pygmy phenotype developed many times, adaptive to rainforest
• More than just X and Y: New genetic basis for sex determination
• 500 million year reset for immune system
• Project serves up big data to guide managing America's coastal waters
• Pigs' hearts transplanted into baboon hosts remain viable more than a year
• Recycling old car batteries into solar cells: Environmental twofer could recycle lead batteries to make solar cells
• Ocean warming could drive heavy rain bands toward poles
• Ebola has profound effects on wildlife population dynamics
• Butterflies' evolutionary responses to warmer temperatures may compromise their ability to adapt to future climate change
• Did an exceptional iceberg sink the Titanic?
• International scientific team criticizes adoption of 'novel ecosystems' by policymakers
• Sun's activity influences natural climate change
• New discovery: Microbes create dripstones
• Toothless 'dragon' pterosaurs dominated the Late Cretaceous skies
• Artificial cells act like the real thing
• From rectal cells to neurons: Keys to understanding transdifferentiation
• Genes determine traces that stress leaves behind on brains
• Club cells are 'bad guys' during flu infection
• Evolutionary misfit: Misunderstood worm-like fossil finds its place in the Tree of Life
• Microchip reveals how tumor cells transition to invasion
• New mechanism of erosion: Gorges are eradicated by downstream sweep erosion
• 8,000-year-old mutation key to human life at high altitudes: Study identifies genetic basis for Tibetan adaptation
• Utility of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers

Research improves temperature modeling across mountainous landscapes Posted: 18 Aug 2014 01:14 PM PDT New research provides improved computer models for estimating temperature across mountainous landscapes. Accurate, spatially based estimates of historical air temperature within mountainous areas are critical as scientists and land managers look at temperature-driven changes to vegetation, wildlife habitat, wildfire and snowpack.

Zombie ant fungi manipulate hosts to die on the 'doorstep' of the colony Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT A parasitic fungus that must kill its ant hosts outside their nest to reproduce and transmit their infection, manipulates its victims to die in the vicinity of the colony, ensuring a constant supply of potential new hosts, according to researchers. The fungus grows a stalk, called the stroma, which protrudes from the ant cadaver. A large round structure, known as the ascoma, forms on the stroma. Infectious spores then develop in the ascoma and are discharged onto the forest floor below, where they can infect foraging ants from the colony.

Pygmy phenotype developed many times, adaptive to rainforest Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT The small body size associated with the pygmy phenotype is probably a selective adaptation for rainforest hunter-gatherers, according to an international team of researchers, but all African pygmy phenotypes do not have the same genetic underpinning, suggesting a more recent adaptation than previously thought.

More than just X and Y: New genetic basis for sex determination Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT Men and women differ in obvious ways, and scientists have long known that genetic differences buried deep within our DNA underlie these distinctions. In the past, most research has focused on understanding how the genes that encode proteins act as sex determinants. But scientists have found that a subset of very small genes encoding short RNA molecules, called microRNAs, also play a key role in differentiating male and female tissues in the fruit fly.

500 million year reset for immune system Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT A single factor can reset the immune system of mice to a state likely similar to what it was 500 million years ago, when the first vertebrates emerged. The model, researchers report, could provide an explanation of how the immune system had developed in the course of evolution.

Project serves up big data to guide managing America's coastal waters Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT Researchers have given a sweeping assessment to understand how human activities are affecting estuaries, the nation's sounds, bays, gulfs and bayous. This first comprehensive look at changes in land cover, river flow, pollution and nutrient levels offers a comprehensive look at the state of America's estuaries.

Pigs' hearts transplanted into baboon hosts remain viable more than a year Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:34 AM PDT Investigators have successfully transplanted hearts from genetically engineered piglets into baboons' abdomens and had the hearts survive for more than one year, twice as long as previously reported. This was achieved by using genetically engineered porcine donors and a more focused immunosuppression regimen in the baboon recipients, according to a new study.

Recycling old car batteries into solar cells: Environmental twofer could recycle lead batteries to make solar cells Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:34 AM PDT This could be a classic win-win solution: A system proposed by researchers recycles materials from discarded car batteries -- a potential source of lead pollution -- into new, long-lasting solar panels that provide emissions-free power.

Ocean warming could drive heavy rain bands toward poles Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT In a world warmed by rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, precipitation patterns are going to change because of two factors: one, warmer air can hold more water; and two, changing atmospheric circulation patterns will shift where rain falls. According to previous model research, mid- to high-latitude precipitation is expected to increase by as much as 50 percent. Yet the reasons why models predict this are hard to tease out.

Ebola has profound effects on wildlife population dynamics Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT New research in gorillas that were affected by an Ebola virus outbreak shows that disease can influence reproductive potential, immigration and social dynamics, and it highlights the need to develop complex models that integrate all the different impacts of a disease.

Butterflies' evolutionary responses to warmer temperatures may compromise their ability to adapt to future climate change Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT Members of the brown argus butterfly species that moved north in response to recent climate change have evolved a narrower diet dependent on wild Geranium plants, researchers report. However, butterflies that did not move north have more diverse diets, including plants such as Rockrose that are abundant in southern parts of the UK.

Did an exceptional iceberg sink the Titanic? Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:32 AM PDT While the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 is typically blamed on human, design and construction errors, a new paper points to two other unfavorable factors outside human control: there were a greater number of icebergs than normal that year, and weather conditions had driven them further south, and earlier in the year, than was usual.

International scientific team criticizes adoption of 'novel ecosystems' by policymakers Posted: 18 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT Novel ecosystems arise when human activities transform biological communities through species invasions and environmental change. They are seemingly ubiquitous, and thus many policymakers and ecologists argue for them to be accepted as the "new normal" -— an idea the researchers say is a bad one.

Sun's activity influences natural climate change Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:52 AM PDT A new study has, for the first time, reconstructed solar activity during the last ice age. The study shows that the regional climate is influenced by the sun and offers opportunities to better predict future climate conditions in certain regions.

New discovery: Microbes create dripstones Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT According to new research humble, microscopic organisms can create dripstones in caves. This illustrates how biological life can influence the formation of Earth's geology -- and the same may be happening right now on other planets in space.

Toothless 'dragon' pterosaurs dominated the Late Cretaceous skies Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT A new study provides an exciting insight into the diversity and distribution of pterosaurs from the Azhdarchidae family. Dominating the Late Cretaceous skies this group of toothless flying 'dragons' represent an important link in evolutionary transitions between the pre-historic times and the world as we know it today.

Artificial cells act like the real thing Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:50 AM PDT Scientists have created an artificial, network-like cell system that is capable of reproducing the dynamic behavior of protein synthesis. This achievement is not only likely to help gain a deeper understanding of basic biological processes, but it may, in the future, pave the way toward controlling the synthesis of both naturally-occurring and synthetic proteins for a host of uses.

From rectal cells to neurons: Keys to understanding transdifferentiation Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT How can a specialized cell change its identity? A research team investigated a 100% effective natural example of this phenomenon, which is called transdifferentiation. This process, by which some cells lose their characteristics and acquire a new identity, could be more generally involved in tissue or organ regeneration in vertebrates, and is a promising research avenue for regenerative medicine. This study identifies the role of epigenetic factors involved in this conversion, underlines the dynamic nature of the process, and shows the key mechanisms for effective transdifferentiation.

Genes determine traces that stress leaves behind on brains Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Our individual genetic make-up determines the effect that stress has on our emotional centers, researchers have found. Not every individual reacts in the same way to life events that produce the same degree of stress. Some grow as a result of the crisis, whereas others break down and fall ill, for example with depression. The outcome is determined by a complex interaction between depression gene versions and environmental factors.

Club cells are 'bad guys' during flu infection Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:46 AM PDT A specialized subset of lung cells can shake flu infection, researchers have discovered, yet they remain stamped with an inflammatory gene signature that wreaks havoc in the lung. Seasonal flu is caused by influenza virus, which can infect a variety of cell types in the lung. Infected cells are typically destroyed by the virus itself or by immune cells that attack infected cells.

Evolutionary misfit: Misunderstood worm-like fossil finds its place in the Tree of Life Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:00 PM PDT One of the most bizarre-looking fossils ever found -- a worm-like creature with legs, spikes and a head difficult to distinguish from its tail -- has found its place in the evolutionary tree of life, definitively linking it with a group of modern animals for the first time.

Microchip reveals how tumor cells transition to invasion Posted: 17 Aug 2014 07:00 PM PDT A microscopic obstacle course of carefully spaced pillars enables researchers to observe cancer cells directly as they break away from a tumor mass and move more rapidly across the microchip. The device could be useful for testing cancer drugs and further research on the mechanics of metastasis.

New mechanism of erosion: Gorges are eradicated by downstream sweep erosion Posted: 17 Aug 2014 06:59 PM PDT Local surface uplift can block rivers, particularly in mountainous regions. The impounded water, however, always finds its way downstream, often cutting a narrow gorge into the rocks. Subsequent erosion of the rocks can lead to a complete eradication of this initial incision, until not a trace is left of the original breakthrough. In extreme cases the whole gorge disappears, leaving behind a broad valley with a flat floodplain. Previously, the assumption was that this transition from a narrow gorge to a wide valley was driven by gorge widening and the erosion of the walls of the gorges.

8,000-year-old mutation key to human life at high altitudes: Study identifies genetic basis for Tibetan adaptation Posted: 17 Aug 2014 06:58 PM PDT In an environment where others struggle to survive, Tibetans thrive in the thin air of the Tibetan Plateau, with an average elevation of 14,800 feet. A new study is the first to find a genetic cause for the adaptation and demonstrate how it contributes to the Tibetans' ability to live in low oxygen conditions.

Utility of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:25 PM PDT Sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers have proved to be useful for agronomic studies (including crop development and identification of pathogen-resistant markers), but their use in other fields of plant biology has been limited. A new study surveys the SRAP literature and makes a case for the potential use of SRAP markers across a broad range of research fields including plant systematics, biogeography, conservation, and ecology.

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