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 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:05:01 EDT 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/2009/06/090624152822.htm Evolutionarily speaking, baboons may be our more distant cousins among primates. But when it comes to our experiences with malaria over the course of time, it seems the stories of our two species have followed very similar plots. Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624152822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709201847.htm The strain of influenza, A/H1N1, that is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population. Researchers infected five pigs with the human strain of swine flu. Within four days the virus had spread to three uninfected pigs housed with the infected ones. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709201847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623162121.htm Elemental hyperaccumulation in plants is hypothesized to represent a plant defense mechanism. The objective of this study was to determine whether selenium hyperaccumulation offers plants long-term protection from the black-tailed prairie dog. This study is the first to test the ecological significance of hyperaccumulation over a long period in a hyperaccumulator's natural habitat. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623162121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709110836.htm The bottom-line message from a decades-long study of monkeys on a restricted diet is simple: Consuming fewer calories leads to a longer, healthier life. Researchers report that a nutritious but reduced-calorie diet blunts aging and significantly delays the onset of such age-related disorders as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and brain atrophy. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709110836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152137.htm Chile peppers have long played an important role in the diets of Mesoamerican people. Capsicum annuum is one of five domesticated species of chiles and is one of the primary components of these diets. However, little is known regarding the original location of domestication of C. annuum and the genetic diversity in wild relatives. Researchers have now found a large amount of diversity in individuals from the Yucatan Peninsula, making this a center of diversity for chiles. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709201849.htm Southern elephant seals responded rapidly to climate and habitat change and established a new breeding site thousands of kilometers from existing breeding grounds, according to new research. Scientists found that when the Antarctic ice sheets of the Ross Sea Embayment retreated in the Holocene period 8,000 years ago, elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, adopted the emergent habitat and established a new population which flourished. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709201849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707171002.htm A 700-mile security wall under construction along the United States' border with Mexico could significantly alter the movement and "connectivity" of wildlife, biologists say, and the animals' potential isolation is a threat to populations of some species. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707171002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706134058.htm Pinpointing the genes involved in human brain cancer can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, and sometimes the needle you find may not be the right one. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706134058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618151333.htm A new approach to tracking polar bears will shed more light on the potentially endangered Arctic animal and help boost the economy of Canada's north. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618151333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111755.htm New research explains a 60-year mystery behind a rare bat's nose that is unusually large for its species. Bourret's horseshoe bat uses its elongated nose to create a highly focused sonar beam. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082905.htm Extinction looms for amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds restricted to declining mangrove forests. Substantial numbers of terrestrial vertebrates are restricted to mangrove forests. Many of these specialized species are listed as threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Prospects for mangrove-restricted animals are bleak, because more than two percent of mangrove forests are lost each year. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707121417.htm Biologists have discovered a new monkey in a remote region of the Amazon in Brazil. The monkey is threatened by proposed dams and other development in the region. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707121417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201216.htm Long-term declines of elephants, giraffe, impala and other animals in Kenya are occurring at the same rates within the country's national parks as outside of these protected areas, according to a study released this week. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706090604.htm Parents compensate for a lazy partner by working harder to bring up their offspring, but not enough to completely make up for the lack of parenting, says research by bird biologists. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706090604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124940.htm Slow-flying, woodland bats -- which tend to be at greater risk from extinction than their speedier kin -- really don't like street lights, according to a new study. Lesser horseshoe bats will stray from their usual flight routes to steer clear of the artificial glow from lights that are similar to everyday street lights, the new report shows. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100639.htm Scientists are describing discovery and successful tests of the first once-a-month pill for controlling both fleas and ticks in domestic dogs and cats.  Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706171540.htm Long before mammals, birds, and even dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the first four-legged creatures made their first steps onto land. These early land vertebrates varied considerably in size and shape. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706171540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706151144.htm Catching adult eagles for research purposes is no easy task, but a researcher has found a way around the problem, and, in the process, gathered even more information about the birds without ever laying a hand on one. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706151144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705145642.htm Bordetella hinzii just may be the Eddie Haskell of avian bacteria. Like the notoriously sneaky character from the iconic 1950s television show "Leave It to Beaver," B. hinzii has been causing trouble and dodging the blame. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705145642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705141721.htm Even in its native Argentina, the fire ant wins in head-to-head competition with other ant species more than three-quarters of the time. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705141721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170131.htm Intelligent countryside management could improve the survival chances of animal and plant species threatened by climate change. The creation of small heat-shielded habitats and better links between habitats would counteract a moderate temperature increase, and give threatened species more time to adapt better and/or to migrate to cooler regions. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703111301.htm Oscar the bobcat is healing by leaps and bounds after a team of surgeons repaired injuries he sustained after being hit by a car. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703111301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090704064959.htm The newest revolution in microbiology testing walks on four legs and says "baa". It's the hair sheep, a less-hirsute version of the familiar woolly barnyard resident. Not only are these ruminants low-maintenance and parasite-resistant, they're also perfect blood donors for the microbiology tests necessary to diagnose infectious disease in the developing world. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090704064959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630215938.htm Scientists have performed the first DNA-based reconstruction of the giant extinct moa bird, using prehistoric feathers recovered from caves and rock shelters in New Zealand. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630215938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100649.htm New research has shown that fish kept alone or in small groups are more aggressive and exhibit fewer natural behaviors such as shoaling. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629100649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630101229.htm Scientists are batty over a new discovery which could lead to the single most important medical breakthrough in human history -- significantly longer lifespans. The discovery shows that proper protein folding over time in long-lived bats explains why they live significantly longer than other mammals of comparable size, such as mice. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630101229.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081131.htm When the ancestors of present marine mammals returned to the oceans, their physiology had to adapt radically. Scientists have been studying how myoglobin, the molecule responsible for delivering oxygen to the muscles during locomotion, has been modified in seals and whales to help them cope with the needs of a life at sea. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081133.htm Burrowing frogs can survive buried for several years without food or water. Scientists have discovered that the metabolism of their cells changes radically during the dormancy period allowing the frogs to maximize the use of their limited energy resources. This discovery could prove to have important applications in the long term for treating energy-related disorders such as obesity. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084633.htm Many animals and people experience chronic joint pain. In dogs, a common source of joint pain is hip dysplasia, a developmental defect of the hip joint. Implantation of gold into the soft tissues around the hip joints of dogs with dysplasia can relieve pain and lessen stiffness for several years. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120846.htm Scientists are warning that a new form of unregulated whaling has emerged along the coastlines of Japan and South Korea, where the commercial sale of whales killed as fisheries "bycatch" is threatening coastal stocks of minke whales and other protected species. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623120846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629211813.htm Many plants protect themselves from hungry animals by producing toxic chemicals. In turn, animals rely on detecting the presence of these harmful chemicals to avoid consuming dangerous plant material. A new article investigates the response of an insect to a common plant weapon -- the toxin L-canavanine. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629211813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629165112.htm If you are a cricket and it is a dry season on the San Pedro River in Arizona, on your nighttime ramblings to eat leaves, you are more likely to be ambushed by thirsty wolf spiders. A potential horror story for any cricket. However, it is also a tale of water limitation that looks beyond how most ecosystem studies are considered. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629165112.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626091127.htm Dolphins are supremely agile swimmers, but it wasn't clear how their fins help them maneuver though water. Building scale models of whale and dolphins' fins, a team of US scientists has found that some dolphins' fins work just like delta wing aircraft. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626091127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618144009.htm High-tech DNA fecal sampling will help save tigers. Researchers will be able to accurately count and assess tiger populations by identifying individual animals from the unique DNA signature found in their dung. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618144009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624161631.htm In the mating world of yellow dung flies, large, males almost always get the girl. However, a new study suggests that smaller males rule if presented with an opportunity to woo females when they are not hanging out on cow dung. Small male dung flies, which are traditionally unsuccessful at finding and keeping mates on dung pats, successfully mated with females feeding on composting apple pomace. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624161631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622171401.htm Researchers have identified a protein that helps protect immature mouse sperm from oxidative stress. When male mice over one year old lacking this protein were mated with normal female mice, an increased incidence of miscarriages and fetal developmental defects were observed. These data have clinical relevance, as age-related DNA damage to human sperm is associated with decreased fertility and increased rates of miscarriage and childhood disease. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622171401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141508.htm Scientists have developed the ability to take regular cells from a pig's connective tissues, known as fibroblasts, and transform them into stem cells, eliminating several of the hurdles associated with stem cell research. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623165214.htm Scientists trying to understand how the brains of animals evolve have found that evolutionary changes in brain structure reflect the types of social interactions and environmental stimuli different species face. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623165214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624102255.htm While cancer touches the lives of many humans, it is also a major threat to wild animal populations as well, according to a recent study. A new article compiles information on cancer in wildlife and suggests that cancer poses a conservation threat to certain species. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624102255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612092731.htm Endangered manatees are often at risk from collisions with boats, but no one knew if the mammals could tell which directions sounds come from to escape injury. New research shows that manatees can localize the directions that sounds are coming from, which is crucial information for manatee protection programs. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612092731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610192429.htm A suite of genes that affect aggression in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been identified. By investigating male flies from a large panel of lines which each carry a mutation in a single gene but are otherwise genetically identical, researchers identified particularly angry and particularly placid insects, uncovering 59 mutations in 57 genes that affect aggressive behavior. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610192429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090621195618.htm What do great white sharks have in common with serial killers? Refined hunting skills, according to a new article. Researchers have found that sharks hunt in a highly focused fashion, just like serial criminals. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090621195618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220725.htm A research intern working in the wilds of Papua New Guinea has successfully completed what many other field biologists considered "mission impossible" -- the first study of a rare egg-laying mammal called the long-beaked echidna. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090621195620.htm The largest animals ever to have walked the face of the earth may not have been as big as previously thought, according to a new article. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090621195620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604095125.htm Researchers have created a line of embryonic-like stem cells from adult pigs. As pigs are large animals with a physiology very similar to humans, this work provides a valuable model to study the clinical potential of this new "induced pluripotent stem cell" technology. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604095125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124015.htm Whether baby lizards will turn out to be male or female is a more complicated question than scientists would have ever guessed, according to a new report. The study shows that for at least one lizard species, egg size matters. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618144002.htm The mystery of giant sperm present in some living animal groups today has now taken on a new dimension -- in one group of micro-crustaceans new evidence shows that it is a feature at least 100 million years old. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618144002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618195804.htm The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released reports documenting the status of polar bears and Pacific walrus in Alaska. The reports confirm that polar bears in Alaska are declining and that Pacific walrus are under threat. Both species are imperiled due to the loss of their sea-ice habitat due to global warming, oil and gas development, and unsustainable harvest. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618195804.htm