http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/animals/ Animals in the news. Dogs, elephants, horses and kangaroos. Read the latest research involving animals of every sort and description. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/animals/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215083023.htm Four new species of miniaturized lizards have been identified in Madagascar. These lizards, just tens of millimeters from head to tail and in some cases small enough to stand on the head of a match, rank among the smallest reptiles in the world. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215083023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121854.htm Bumblebees can use cues from their rivals the honeybees to learn where the best food resources are, according to new research. In a new study, researchers trained a colony of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to use cues provided by a different species, the honeybee (Apis mellifera), as well as cues provided by fellow bumblebees to locate food resources on artificial flowers. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154053.htm A study of the evolutionary history of Antarctic fish and their "anti-freeze" proteins illustrates how tens of millions of years ago a lineage of fish adapted to newly formed polar conditions -- and how today they are endangered by a rapid rise in ocean temperatures. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213134144.htm The choices big fish make on where to shelter could have a major influence on their ability to cope with climate change, say scientists. In research aimed at understanding the process of fish population decline when coral reefs sustain major damage, scientists have found that big fish show a marked preference for sheltering under large, flat table corals. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213134144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120211095049.htm Advances in studying genes mean that scientists in evolutionary developmental biology or “evo-devo” can now explain more clearly than ever before how bats got wings, the turtle got its shell and blind cave fish lost their eyes, says an evolutionary biologist. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120211095049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111302.htm A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest snake in the neighborhood -- attracting dozens of other males eager to mate. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210110036.htm Researchers have identified four plant extracts that might help in preventing and fighting obesity. The researchers identified the most effective plant extracts through in vitro assays; subsequently, extracts were tested on rats. While the results obtained are promising, further studies on animals are required to evaluate and confirm the anti-obesity effects of these extracts. Once their anti-obesity effects are confirmed on animals, the extracts will be tested on humans. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210110036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209140200.htm Global warming is having an effect on the dive behavior and search for food of southern elephant seals. Researchers have discovered that the seals dive deeper for food when in warmer water. The scientists attribute this behavior to the migration of prey to greater depths and now wish to check this theory using a new sensor which registers the feeding of the animals below water. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209140200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101730.htm Horseflies are unpleasant insects that deliver powerful bites and now it seems that zebras evolved their stripes to avoid attracting the unpleasant pests. New research show that zebras have the least attractive hides for horseflies. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101730.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220215.htm A species of mosquito has been discovered breeding in the UK that has not been seen in the country since 1945. Populations of the mosquito, found across mainland Europe and known only by its Latin name Culex modestus, were recorded at a number of sites in the marshes of north Kent and south Essex in 2010 and 2011. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220210.htm Tarsiers' ultrasonic calls -- among the most extreme in the animal kingdom -- give them a "private channel" of communication, says an anthropologist. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208180251.htm Dogs are better than chimps at interpreting pointing gestures, according to a new study. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208180251.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152340.htm Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail – more insight into predicting how an animal’s genes affect physical or behavioral traits – now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries in everything from pest control to personalized medicine. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132711.htm Exposure to low-frequency ship noise may be associated with chronic stress in whales, according to a new study. The study, conducted in Canada's Bay of Fundy, has implications for all baleen whales in areas with heavy ship traffic, and for the recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale population. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202620.htm Mapping the ancestry of sheep over the past 11,000 years has revealed that our woolly friends are stars among domestic animals, boasting vast genetic diversity and substantial prospects for continued breeding to further boost wool and food production for a rising world population. An international research team has provided an unprecedented in-depth view of the genetic history of sheep, one of the world's most important livestock species. The study maps out how humans have moulded sheep to suit diverse environments and to enhance the specialised production of meat, wool and milk. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202302.htm When mature male white-crowned sparrows duel to win a mate or a nesting territory, a young bird just doesn’t get much respect. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214228.htm A ladybird's color indicates how well-fed and how toxic it is, according to scientists. This research directly shows that differences between animals' warning signals reveal how poisonous individuals are to predators. The study shows that redder ladybirds are more poisonous than their paler peers and reveals that this variation is directly linked to diet in early life, with better-fed ladybirds being more visible and more deadly. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214226.htm A new study provides compelling evidence that the arrival of the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird (ladybug) to mainland Europe and subsequent spread has led to a rapid decline in historically-widespread species of ladybird in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. The analysis is further evidence that harlequin ladybirds are displacing some native ladybirds, most probably through predation and competition. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206164632.htm Scientists found evidence that domestic cats and wild cats that share the same outdoor areas in urban environments also can share diseases such as Bartonellosis and Toxoplasmosis. Both can be spread from cats to people. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206164632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206154122.htm Studies of diving beetles suggest sperm evolution may be driven by changes in female reproductive organs, challenging the paradigm of post-mating sexual selection being driven mostly by competition among sperm. In the process, the researchers discovered an unexpected and stunning variety of sperm form and behavior. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206154122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206154114.htm The love song of an extinct cricket that lived 165 million years ago has been brought back to life by scientists. The song – possibly the most ancient known musical song documented to date – was reconstructed from microscopic wing features on a fossil discovered in North East China. It allows us to listen to one of the sounds that would have been heard by dinosaurs and other creatures roaming Jurassic forests at night. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206154114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203102414.htm They are tiny, ugly, disease-carrying little blood-suckers that most people have never seen or heard of, but a new discovery in a one-of-a-kind fossil shows that "bat flies" have been doing their noxious business with bats for at least 20 million years. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203102414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151127.htm In the first experimental study of the founder effect in a natural setting, researchers found that natural selection does not overwhelm the founder effect. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202150825.htm The Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Peru program recently announced the discovery of 365 species previously undocumented in Bahuaja Sonene National Park in southeastern Peru. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202150825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173222.htm Humpback whales on both sides of the southern Indian Ocean are singing different tunes, unusual since humpbacks in the same ocean basin usually all sing very similar songs. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175625.htm A new species of prehistoric crocodile has been discovered. The extinct creature, nicknamed "Shieldcroc" due to a thick-skinned shield on its head, is an ancestor of today's crocodiles. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135414.htm Volunteers working in northeast China have cleared 162 illegal wire snares in an ongoing effort to protect the nation’s remaining population of critically endangered Amur (Siberian) tigers. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135205.htm New research links precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135205.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131102519.htm Thirty-thousand-year-old bison bones discovered in permafrost at a Canadian goldmine are helping scientists unravel the mystery about how animals adapt to rapid environmental change. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131102519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130193241.htm Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park in Florida have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to new research. The study, the first to document the ecological impacts of this invasive species, strongly supports that animal communities in the 1.5-million-acre park have been markedly altered by the introduction of pythons within 11 years of their establishment as an invasive species. Mid-sized mammals are the most dramatically affected, but some Everglades pythons are as large as 16 feet long, and their prey have included animals as large as deer and alligators. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130193241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172408.htm Wildlife health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society have published evidence which supports the conclusion that Mongolian gazelles -- one of the most populous large land mammals on the planet -- are not a reservoir of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral disease that threatens both wildlife and livestock in Asia. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130171911.htm It took about 10 million generations for terrestrial mammals to hit their maximum mass: that's about the size of a cat evolving into the size of an elephant. Sea mammals, such as whales took about half the number of generations to hit their maximum. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130171911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130171909.htm Scientists have for the first time measured how fast large-scale evolution can occur in mammals, showing it takes 24 million generations for a mouse-sized animal to evolve to the size of an elephant. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130171909.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130130841.htm Genetic mutations that boost an individual's adaptability have greater chances of getting through to X chromosomes -- at least in chimpanzees, according to new Danish research. An analysis of the genes of 12 chimpanzees has now demonstrated that the chimpanzee X chromosome plays a very special role in the animal's evolutionary development. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130130841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129232818.htm Killer whales are the top marine predator. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behavior and diet in the Arctic. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129232818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140528.htm Hundreds of rare, endemic species in the Central Andes remain unprotected and are increasingly under threat from development and climate change, according to a new study. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:05:05 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126223929.htm The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most biologically rich and rapidly changing areas of the world. A new study has used information collected over the last 100 years by explorers and from satellite images which reveals detailed patterns of species and ecosystems that occur only in this region. Worryingly, the study also finds that many of these unique species and ecosystems are lacking vital national level protection. Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126223929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126143653.htm Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics of their wriggly prey. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126143653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126142908.htm Fish biologists conducted one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years, 2,237 feet under the Atlantic. With recording technology more affordable, fish sounds can be studied to test the idea that fish communicate with sound, especially those in the dark of the deep ocean. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126142908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126100633.htm It comes as a surprise to many that male house mice produce melodious songs to attract mates.  Unfortunately for us, because the melodies are in the ultra-sonic range human ears cannot detect them.  Through spectrographic analyses of the vocalizations of wild house mice, researchers have found that the songs of male mice contain signals of individuality and kinship.  Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126100633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125132810.htm If you were a blind, cannibalistic sea slug, living among others just like you, nearly every encounter with another creature would require a simple cost/benefit calculation: Should I eat that -- or flee? In a new study, researchers report that these responses are linked to a simple circuit in the brain of the sea slug Pleurobranchaea. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125132810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091059.htm Each year around 20,000 people are infected by nematodes of the genus Anisakis and suffer from illnesses ranging from gastrointestinal diseases to serious allergic reactions as a result. For the first time, parasitologists have gathered data on the occurrence of the parasitic worm and have modeled the worldwide distribution of individual species in the ocean. The resulting maps not only enable statements to be made on the occurrence and migration behavior of certain hosts of the parasites, such as Baleen or toothed whales,  but also provide conclusions on the risk of human infection. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124151945.htm The fate of the world's great whale species commands global attention as a result of heated debate between pro and anti-whaling advocates, but the fate of smaller marine mammals is less understood, specifically because the deliberate and accidental catching and killing of dolphins, porpoises, manatees, and other warm-blooded aquatic species are rarely studied or monitored. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124151945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140352.htm In August 2010, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside discovered a tiny fairyfly wasp in upstate New York that had never been seen in the United States until then. Nearly exactly a year later, he discovered the wasp in Irvine, Calif., strongly suggesting that the wasp is well established in the country. Called Gonatocerus ater, the 1-millimeter-long wasp was accidentally introduced in North America. It lays its eggs inside the eggs of leafhoppers. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140103.htm A three year feeding study has shown no adverse health effects in pigs fed genetically modified (GM) maize.  The maize, which is a Bt-maize bred for its insect resistant properties, was sourced from Spain. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123152528.htm A 33,000-year-old dog skull unearthed in a Siberian mountain cave presents some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication and indicates that modern dogs may be descended from multiple ancestors, with advancing glaciers thwarting early domestication efforts. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123152528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115536.htm Land and marine iguanas and giant tortoises living close to human settlements or tourist sites in the Galapagos islands were more likely to harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria than those living in more remote or protected sites on the islands, researchers report. Many of the reptiles harbor E. coli bacteria that are resistant to ampicillin, doxycycline, tetracycline, and trimethoprin/sulfamethoxazole. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115523.htm A spoonful of medicine goes down a lot easier if there is a dog or cat around. Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094758.htm The survival of the endangered snow leopard is looking promising thanks to scientists who have, for the first time, produced embryonic stem-like cells from the tissue of an adult leopard. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184235.htm Researchers were stunned to rediscover one of the rarest primates in Borneo, the grizzled langur, thought by many to be extinct. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183806.htm Why different animals carry different amounts of fat depends on how they have solved the problem of avoiding both starving to death and being killed by predators, new research suggests. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183044.htm Scientists have found one of the rarest and least known primates in Borneo, Miller’s Grizzled Langur, a species which was believed to be extinct or on the verge of extinction. The findings confirms the continued existence of this endangered monkey and reveals that it lives in an area where it was previously not known to exist. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120010449.htm Fruit flies don't have noses, but a huge part of their brains is dedicated to processing smells. Flies probably rely on the sense of smell more than any other sense for essential activities such as finding mates and avoiding danger. Researchers have discovered that a gene called distal-less is critical to the fly's ability to receive, process and respond to smells. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120010449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133552.htm Pigeons come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some have feathers reaching up over their heads like a hood. Others have feathers all the way to the tips of their toes or fanned out on their tails like tiny turkeys. Now, researchers have traced the birds' family tree in an effort to sort out how all that remarkable variation came to be. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133154.htm Pigeons display spectacular variations in their feathers, feet, beaks and other physical traits, but a new study shows that visible traits don’t always coincide with genetics: A bird from one breed may have huge foot feathers, while a closely related breed does not; yet two unrelated pigeon breeds both may have large foot feathers. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101237.htm Researchers have studied the movements of snakes to create more efficient search-and-rescue robots. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101237.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118173248.htm More than half of the 19,232 species newly known to science in 2009, the most recent calendar year of compilation, were insects -- 9,738 or 50.6 percent -- according to the 2011 State of Observed Species. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118173248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111742.htm Butterflies and birds are no longer able to keep up with climate change. Compared with 20 years ago, butterflies are now 135 kilometers behind the shifting climate zones and birds more than 200 kilometers, according to findings of a new study. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111704.htm Biologists have successfully released a Southern River terrapin (Batagur affinis) – one of the most endangered turtles on Earth – into the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111036.htm A new study suggests that the impact of predation on juvenile Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska has been significantly underestimated, creating a "productivity pit" from which their population will have difficulty recovering without a reduction of predators. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111036.htm