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Saving Gorillas Starts With Understanding Their Human Neighbors West Lafayette IN (SPX) Feb 08, 2010
Understanding local human cultures is key to preserving gorillas, elephants and other wildlife in African parks and reserves, according to new research from Purdue University.
"Conservation efforts and the management of protected areas are often designed with the best intentions, but sometimes supporting scientific data is missing or incorrect assumptions are made about a local culture or ... read moreCold War Helped To Limit Species Invasions
Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Feb 04, 2010A recent study about movement of bird species during the Cold War outlines one of the perils facing an expanding global economy - along with international trade comes the potential for a significant increase in invasive species that can disrupt ecosystems. The research found that during an extended period following World War II, when most trade and travel was interrupted between Eastern Eu ... more
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EU ministers call for common electric car strategy
US warns China against 'stillborn' climate deal Eastern US braces for more snow misery Snowbound US government freezes up on hot issues Homes evacuated as Los Angeles braces for storm Eastern US braces for fresh snow blitz Swift help urged for Haiti's crucial weather forecasters Amnesty demands halt to Vedanta's India mine plans Two dead as storms, floods hit Turkey's south: report China says it has 6,000 captive tigers
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Surprise Surprise Evolution Impacts Environment
Riverside CA (SPX) Feb 04, 2010Biologists have known for long that ecology, the interaction between organisms and their environment, plays a significant role in forming new species and in modifying living ones. The traditional view is that ecology shapes evolution. The environment defines a template and the process of evolution by natural selection shapes organisms to fit that template. Some specialized theory, a few la ... more Here's looking at dew: spiders snare water from the air
Paris (AFP) Feb 3, 2010Fog-catching nets which provide precious water in rain-starved parts of the world may be poised for a high-tech upgrade thanks to the spider. In a paper published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Chinese scientists report on why spider's silk is not only famous for strength but also terrific for collecting water from the air, sparing the creature a hunt for a drink. The secret, reveal ... more Organisms Can Tolerate Mutations Yet Adapt To Change
Philadelphia PA (SPX) Feb 03, 2010Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania studying the processes of evolution appear to have resolved a longstanding conundrum: How can organisms be robust against the effects of mutations yet simultaneously adaptable when the environment changes? The short answer, according to University of Pennsylvania biologist Joshua B. Plotkin, is that these two requirements are often not contradic ... more Survival Of The Cutest Proves Darwin Right
Manchester, UK (SPX) Feb 02, 2010Domestic dogs have followed their own evolutionary path, twisting Darwin's directive 'survival of the fittest' to their own needs - and have proved him right in the process, according to a new study by biologists Chris Klingenberg, of The University of Manchester and Abby Drake, of the College of the Holy Cross in the US. The study, published in The American Naturalist, compared the skull ... more |
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Dog Genome Researchers Track Paw Prints Of Selective Breeding
Seattle WA (SPX) Jan 26, 2010From the Dachshund's stubby legs to the Shar-Pei's wrinkly skin, breeding for certain characteristics has left its mark on the dog genome. Researchers have identified 155 regions on the canine genome that appear to have been influenced by selective breeding. With more than 400 distinct breeds, dogs come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, fur-styles, and temperaments. The curly-haired toy po ... more Rare Kenya rhinos de-horned to frustrate poachers
Nairobi (AFP) Jan 26, 2010Four extremely rare Northern White rhinos recently transferred to Kenya from a Czech zoo have been dehorned to protect them from poachers, a conservation group said Tuesday. "With the increase of poaching in Kenya, we are simply not taking any chances," Elodie Sampere from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which is overseeing the animals' acclimatisation told AFP. "Without a horn, these rhinos ... more Climate Change And Habitat Destruction Affect Butterfly Populations
Reno NV (SPX) Jan 26, 2010Butterfly populations in California are declining and, in some cases, moving to higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada due to climate change and loss of habitat, according to a study authored by biologist Matthew Forister, a University of Nevada, Reno assistant professor in the College of Science. "Caterpillars are important herbivores as well as a food source for small mammals and birds," ... more The Viruses Within
Lausanne, Switzerland (SPX) Jan 26, 2010It is known that viral "squatters" comprise nearly half of our genetic code. These genomic invaders inserted their DNA into our own millions of years ago when they infected our ancestors. But just how we keep them quiet and prevent them from attack was more of a mystery until EPFL researchers revived them. The reason we survive the presence of these endogenous retroviruses-viruses that att ... more |
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