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December 11, 2014

International team maps 'big bang' of bird evolution
Beijing (SPX) Dec 12, 2014
The genomes of modern birds tell a story of how they emerged and evolved after the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and almost everything else 66 million years ago. That story is now coming to light, thanks to an ambitious international collaboration that has been underway for four years. The first findings of the Avian Phylogenomics Consortium are being reported nearly simultaneously in 28 papers - eight papers in a special issue of Science and 20 more in Genome Biology, GigaScience and ... read more

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ADS to build Falcon Eye Earth-observation system for UAE Airbus Defence and Space has signed as the leader of the industrial team (including Thales Alenia Space as co-prime contractor), a contract with the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAEAF) ... more		Superbugs could kill 'more than cancer' by 2050 A new report commissioned by U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron says antimicrobial resistant bacteria, or superbugs, will kill more people than cancer by 2050. ... more		NASA's CATS: A Launch of Exceptional Teamwork There aren't enough people on NASA's Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) team to field both sides of a football scrimmage, but there are enough to build and test the Earth-observing instrument, bo ... more
				In Lebanon, a garden blooms on former 'trash mountain' Lebanon's southern city of Sidon is best known for its Crusader castle and ancient market, but a more modern landmark has marred its Mediterranean shoreline for decades - a towering "mountain" of trash. ... more		Thousands without power as storm batters California About 150,000 people were left without power Thursday as a powerful storm slammed into drought-stricken California, bringing snow, heavy rain and ferocious winds to the western US state. ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Genes tell story of birdsong and human speech His office is filled with all sorts of bird books, but Duke neuroscientist Erich Jarvis didn't become an expert on the avian family tree because of any particular interest in our feathered friends. ... more		How birds get by without external ears Unlike mammals, birds have no external ears. The outer ears of mammals play an important function in that they help the animal identify sounds coming from different elevations. But birds are also ab ... more		AALTO plans Zephyr stratospheric hub in northern Australia and seeks local payload partners Ancient guano drove Chincha coastal power UAH lands first DARPA award for biological sciences department		Biologist gains insight into genetic evolution of birds A University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher has contributed to discoveries about bird evolution as part of a new study that sequenced the complete genomes of 45 avian species. Published Dec. 1 ... more
				Early warning signals of abrupt climate change A new study by researchers at the University of Exeter has found early warning signals of a reorganisation of the Atlantic oceans' circulation which could have a profound impact on the global climat ... more		The avian tree of life An international effort to sequence the genomes of 45 avian species has yielded the most reliable tree of life for birds to date. This new avian family tree helps to clarify how modern birds--the mo ... more

Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun; A Japanese Solar Venture - by Bradley L. Bartz

Chesapeake Bay Region Streams are Warming The majority of streams in the Chesapeake Bay region are warming, and that increase appears to be driven largely by rising air temperatures. These findings are based on new U.S. Geological Survey re ... more		Bird flu outbreak spreads in Canada Canada expanded its quarantine of poultry farms in westernmost British Columbia province Thursday after learning that an outbreak of avian influenza has spread. ... more		Sidekick autonomy software guides YFQ-42A test mission for CCA program Infleqtion lists shares on NYSE as neutral atom quantum firm Top Chinese gaming companies continue to challenge		Climate change projected to drive species northward Anticipated changes in climate will push West Coast marine species from sharks to salmon northward an average of 30 kilometers per decade, shaking up fish communities and shifting fishing grounds, a ... more
Birds find their place in the avian tree of life An international effort involving more than 100 researchers, nine supercomputers and about 400 years of CPU time has yielded the most reliable avian tree of life yet produced, researchers report in ... more		Computer scientists at UT Austin crack code for redrawing bird family tree A new computational technique developed at The University of Texas at Austin has enabled an international consortium to produce an avian tree of life that points to the origins of various bird speci ... more		Mexico City sinking as aquifer exhausted As Mexico City continues to pull water from the aquifer below, its ground is sinking. The process is called subsidence. Now, the city's subsidence can be visualized from the perspective of low Earth orbit. ... more		Iraq says record 17 million Shiite pilgrims in Karbala Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said Thursday that the number of pilgrims in the city of Karbala for the annual Arbaeen commemoration had reached a record 17.5 million this year. ... more

	Odd couples emerge in bird family tree Birds use essentially the same genes to sing as humans do to speak. And flamingos are more closely related to pigeons than they are to pelicans. ... more		Rhino horn trafficking up 30-fold: wildlife group The trafficking of African rhinoceros horn on the black market has surged 30-fold in the past 13 years and is now running "out of control," animal protection advocates said Thursday. ... more

CACI Wins 231 Million Dollar Task Order for Tactical Satellite Communications to US Special Operations Command

Starfighters Space and Blackstar Orbital Broaden F-104 SpaceDrone Integration Program

PlanetiQ Wins 15 Million Dollar Air Force STRATFI Deal for Next-Gen Space Weather Data

UN rights chief slams indifference over migrant deaths at sea		Maldives says 'worst is over' in water crisis		Greenpeace apologizes for stunt at ancient Peru site		Warmer Pacific Ocean could release millions of tons of seafloor methane		Ancient balloon-shaped animal fossil sheds light on Earth's ancient seas
Climate change challenge for animals reliant on external sources of heat		Looking at El Nino's past to predict its future		Wetlands more vulnerable to invasives as climate changes		Abandoned wells can be 'super-emitters' of greenhouse gas		Malala vows to fight on as she shares Nobel Peace Prize

China says veteran Mongol activist released

Hong Kong protest leaders will 'stay to end' as police swoop looms

Scientists reveal parchment's hidden stories

Endangered porpoises four years from extinction

Climate funds exceed $10 bn at Lima talks

Philippines rushes aid to displaced storm survivors

Heavy flooding brings chaos to Sao Paulo

Lower IQ seen after exposure to plastic chemicals

Oceans laden with 269,000 tons of plastic: study

Orange spotted filefish takes on the smell of its food

Re-thinking Southern California earthquake scenarios

Commentary calls for new 'science of climate diversity'

Ancient engravings rewrite human history

NIST study 'makes the case' for RFID forensic evidence management

Asbestos: An ongoing challenge to global health

Evidence Suggests California's Drought is the Worst in 1,200 Years

UBC team finds a glitch in hummingbird hovering

What Quails can teach us about the gait of Dinosaurs

Study: Vikings were family men

New form of ice could help explore exciting avenues for energy production and storage

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