http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/invasive_species/ Learn how invasive species threaten ecosystems. Read about new methods of minimizing risks of introducing exotic species and dealing with those we already have. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:02 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/invasive_species/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111256.htm Invasive species which have the potential to destroy biodiversity and influence global change could be tracked and controlled in the same way as wanted criminals, according to new research. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172924.htm A new study examines several options for managing the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is destroying US ash trees. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172924.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/2012/02/120206214226.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/2012/01/120131135205.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/2012/01/120130193241.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/2012/01/120119102008.htm A comprehensive multi-disciplinary synthesis reveals the urgent need for further investigation and policy development to address significant environmental, social and economic impacts of invasive alien species and climate change. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119102008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110114533.htm Virginia Tech researchers have identified a novel anti-viral pathway in the immune system of culicine mosquitoes, the insect family to which mosquitoes that spread yellow fever, West Nile fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya fever belong. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110114533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153741.htm Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153735.htm A recent analysis suggests that climate change predicted for the United States will boost demand for imported drought- and heat-tolerant landscaping plants from Africa and the Middle East. This greatly increases the risk that a new wave of invasives will overrun native ecosystems in the way kudzu, Oriental bittersweet and purple loosestrife have in the past, members of the international team say. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111226093008.htm The Harlequin ladybeetle, Japanese knotweed and the American lobster -- while this trio of creatures may have friendly sounding names, they are all introduced species in Norway, and may be anything but friendly to the Norwegian environment. But determining exactly how damaging introduced species may be in their new environment has always been something of a challenge for biologists and land managers -- until now. Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111226093008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214171538.htm Many developing countries rely on traditional medicine as an accessible and affordable treatment option for human maladies. However, until now, scientific data has not existed to evaluate the potential toxicity of medicinal plant species in Peru. Scientists are now using brine shrimp to determine the toxicity of 341 Northern Peruvian plant species commonly ingested in traditional medicine. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214171538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130202559.htm A co-evolutionary arms race exists between social insects and their parasites. Army ants share their nests with several parasites such as beetles, snails and spiders. They also share their food with the kleptoparasitic silverfish. New research shows that the silverfish manage to hide amongst the ants by covering themselves in the ant's chemical scent. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130202559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115645.htm The biodiversity loss caused by climate change will result from a combination of rising temperatures and predation -- and may be more severe than currently predicted, according to a new study. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122143358.htm The latest invader of the Great Lakes -- Hemimysis anomala, or more commonly the bloody red shrimp after its bright red spots -- may become a new food source for fish, allaying concerns about how it will impact native fish populations. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122143358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116104514.htm Researchers found that invasive species can become essential to the very ecosystems threatened by their presence, taking on important biological roles -- such as flower pollination -- once held by the species the interlopers helped eliminate. As a result, campaigns to curb invasive animal populations should include efforts to understand the role of the invasive species in question and, if necessary, reintroduce missing native animals. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116104514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111106151320.htm Invasive species have hitchhiked to the United States on cargo ships for centuries, but the method US regulators most rely on to keep them out is not equally effective across coasts. Ecologists have found that ports on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico are significantly less protected than ports on the West Coast. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111106151320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103081431.htm A huge "migration" of trees has begun across much of the West due to global warming, insect attack, diseases and fire, and many tree species are projected to decline or die out in regions where they have been present for centuries, while others move in and replace them. In an enormous display of survival of the fittest, the forests of the future are taking a new shape. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103081431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101155505.htm Odorous house ants - so called because they tend to invade houses and smell like coconut when smashed - have found their way to Hawaii. And, according to entomologists, it doesn't seem as though they have plans to end their vacations. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101155505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024084230.htm A recently published study shows that due to the low salinity, the invasive comb jelly cannot produce enough eggs to sustain a population in the central Baltic Sea. This is another indication, that the comb jelly poses no threat to the commercially important Baltic cod. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024084230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020145050.htm After its initial appearance in New York in 1999, West Nile virus spread across the United States in just a few years and is now well established throughout North and South America. Researchers have found that in most places only a few key species of bird "hosts" and mosquito "vectors" are important in transmission of the virus. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020145050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105756.htm New research suggests that hitchhiking, once believed to be the exclusive domain of beat poets and wanderers, is in fact an activity that daring members of the animal kingdom engage in. And it may lead to a serious ecological problem. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020024850.htm Scientists have confirmed the identity of a strange grass-like sedge discovered in a Mississippi graveyard, and believes the appearance of the potentially invasive plant is linked to the final resting places of several members of a royal Gypsy family. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020024850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102001.htm New research indicates that simple life in the form of photosynthetic algae could have survived a "snowball Earth" event, living in a narrow body of water with characteristics similar to today's Red Sea. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103235.htm Cities are generally regarded as hostile for wildlife and urbanization a dramatic form of destruction of natural habitats. Still, they are far from dead zones. Their biodiversity may even exceed that of surrounding landscapes. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103233.htm Biological invasions, i.e., the spread of introduced, non-native species, not only serve as ecological model systems, but also bring out the importance of economic activities on ecological processes. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007073214.htm Cultivars of popular woody ornamental plants that have reduced viable seed production and are being advertised as "non-invasive" in the horticultural and nursery industries are probably nonetheless quite capable of spawning invasions, according to researchers. More rigorous testing, or complete sterility, should be required to allow claims that a cultivar of a potentially invasive species is environmentally safe. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007073214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930153044.htm With toxic algal blooms -- which can increase the amount of harmful toxins in the shellfish that California residents consume -- ramping up in frequency and severity locally, scientists have developed a new algae monitoring method in hopes of one day being able to predict when and where toxic "red tides" will occur. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110930153044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926132018.htm Scientists have studied populations of European green crab, Carcinus maenas. The species was introduced to the East Coast of North America twice, at both the upper and lower edges of its range. Their findings may help inform the control of invasive species and conservation of imperiled native species. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926132018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134548.htm A new study looks at how human activities can diminish the usefulness of an ornamental trait, such as colorful feathers, as a signal of fitness. Cardinals, for example, need carotenoids in their diet to produce their red plumage; brilliant red plumage can signal an individual's health and fitness. Researchers found that the non-native Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) altered the selective environments for coloration by creating an evolutionary trap for the cardinals in rural landscapes and possibly relaxing selection in cities. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919104757.htm A new study found that genes involved in creating different sexes, life stages and castes of fire ants and honeybees evolved more rapidly than genes not involved in these processes. The fast-evolving genes also exhibited elevated rates of evolution before they were recruited for development. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919104757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110916102406.htm Renewed vigilance over the biosecurity of the Galápagos Islands is needed, based on new research on the risk posed by West Nile virus. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110916102406.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915131604.htm Florida has the world's worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, and a new 20-year study verifies the pet trade as the No. 1 cause of the species' introductions. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915131604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195137.htm Homeowners and taxpayers are picking up most of the tab for damage caused by invasive tree-feeding insects that hide in packing materials, live plants and other goods imported from countries into the United States every year. Results from a first-of-its-kind economic analysis, which estimates financial damage of importing foreign insects into the nation and trying to eradicate them once they establish, are reported in a new article. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195135.htm Homeowners and taxpayers are picking up most of the tab for damages caused by invasive tree-feeding insects that are inadvertently imported along with packing materials, live plants, and other goods. That's the conclusion of a team of biologists and economists, whose research findings are reported in a new article. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195132.htm Non-native, wood-boring insects such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle are costing an estimated $1.7 billion in local government expenditures in the United States and approximately $830 million in lost residential property values every year, according to a new study. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908145055.htm For a century, scientists have watched European gypsy moth caterpillars infected with a virus use their last strength to do something that a healthy gypsy moth caterpillar would never do in daylight hours -- climb high into a tree and onto a leaf. For scientists, the question has been how does a virus change its host's behavior? Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908145055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907163917.htm A six-year campaign to control invasive winter moths with a natural parasite now has concrete evidence that a parasitic fly, Cyzenis albicans, has been established and is attacking the pest at four sites in Seekonk, Hingham, Falmouth and Wellesley. It's the beginning of the end for the decade-long defoliation of eastern Massachusetts trees by the invasive species. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907163917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907124401.htm Like clues from an Agatha Christie mystery novel, trees can provide secrets about past events, and their rings are especially good at providing information about fires, some of which happened hundreds of years ago, according to studies from a Texas researcher. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907124401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906134009.htm An aerial photography survey of 38,000 wildfire-burned acres in Idaho provided what is believed to be the first evidence that the invasive leafy spurge weed is displacing seedlings of native mountain big sagebrush. Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906134009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902151649.htm A catastrophic infestation of the goldspotted oak borer, which has killed more than 80,000 oak trees in San Diego County in the last decade, might be contained by controlling the movement of oak firewood from that region, according to researchers in California. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902151649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901104930.htm It is widely acknowledged that human beings are largely responsible for the widespread alteration of ecosystems on the planet. A recent study traces the ways in which humans are the principal agents of dispersal of exotic earthworms in the forests of Northern America. Their findings suggest that humans spread earthworms both inadvertently via horticulture and land disturbance, in the tires and underbodies of vehicles, but also knowingly through composting and careless disposal of fish bait. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901104930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110830151232.htm Results from the first study of the Asian longhorned beetle in forests show that the invasive insect can easily spread from tree-lined city streets to neighboring forests. Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110830151232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110816112644.htm Scientists have developed a seedless variety of the popular ornamental shrub Euonymus alatus, also called 'burning bush,' that retains the plant's brilliant foliage yet eliminates its ability to spread and invade natural habitats. Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110816112644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110816112115.htm The cisco, a key forage fish found in Wisconsin's deepest and coldest bodies of water, could become a climate change casualty and disappear from most of the Wisconsin lakes it now inhabits by the year 2100, according to a new study. Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110816112115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812091524.htm Reducing mosquito populations, and the diseases they sometimes carry, in cities can be as simple as dumping out standing water on private property. However, not everyone is aware that standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes -- and some urban residents are unmotivated to dump the water even if they are aware. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812091524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811100936.htm Scientists are trying to learn exactly what is causing the decline in bumble bee populations and are also searching for a species that can serve as the next generation of greenhouse pollinators. Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811100936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809162017.htm Invasive species cost an estimated $1.4 trillion annually in their environmental and economic impacts worldwide and are second only to habitat loss as a threat to biodiversity. As scientists struggle with the challenge of controlling invasive species, the question of why some species are so successful continually arises. Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809162017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809144513.htm Road maintenance may accidentally spread the seeds of invasive plants, according to new research. Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809144513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110805163544.htm A repellant for sea lampreys could be the key to better controlling one of the most destructive invasive species in the Great Lakes, according to new research. Scientists have seen the effect alarm cues have on lampreys. When scents from dead sea lampreys are poured into a tank of live ones, the lampreys' efforts to escape are dramatic. In the past, these reactions were simply dismissed as novel. But researchers now see this reaction as a potential game changer. Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110805163544.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110802085825.htm Marine researchers in New Zealand have identified the direct impact of fishing as the largest known human factor in the decline of the endangered native sea lion population. The team's findings discount non-human factors, such as disease and identifies resource competition and by-catch incidents as the most likely causes. Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110802085825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110729175805.htm New research answers critical questions regarding cycad reproduction on Guam. Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110729175805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110729175723.htm With rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall, California's native grasses will likely suffer at the hands of exotic invasive grasses, which are more equipped to deal with warmer weather. That is the conclusion of researchers who analyzed all exotic and native grasses in the state and predicted their likely range changes with changing climate. Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110729175723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725091707.htm Scientists have developed a new method that can track both clinical cases of West Nile Virus and populations of infected mosquitoes, identifying "danger zones" and providing timely warnings of impending outbreaks. Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725091707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110721131156.htm Hemlock woolly adelgid has devastated hemlock forests from Georgia to Maine. Now a scientist has developed a treatment called a "fungal microfactory." In infested trees, a sprayed-on fungus mixture brought down populations of adelgid, while in adjacent control trees, that were not treated, the pest population tripled. This approach, using low-cost sweet whey as a growth medium, seems likely to provide cost-effective, long-term protection for hemlock trees. Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110721131156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110719093759.htm Recent botanical exploration efforts in the rugged Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) have increased the known flora of the archipelago by an impressive 20 percent. Field research projects have yielded 62 new species of ferns and flowering plants bringing the total native species to 360. Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110719093759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713101948.htm Researchers have found that a subset of fungus-farming ambrosia beetles may be in the early stages of a global epidemic threatening a number of economically important trees, including avocados, poplars and oaks. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713101948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713093001.htm Exotic marine species, including giant seaweeds, are spreading fast, with harmful effects on native species, and are increasingly affecting the biodiversity of the Mediterranean seabed. Some native species, such as sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus), can fight off this invasion, but only during its early stages, or when seaweed densities are very low. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713093001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713092955.htm Invasive plant species in Chile pose a higher threat to its neighbor, Argentina, than vice versa. This was concluded by scientists from Chile and Germany after analyzing the flora of both countries. In particular, 22 non-native species which occur in Chile on connecting roads leading to Argentina present a high risk, according to the researchers. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713092955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630112859.htm The threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes community may be politically controversial, but pales in comparison to the costs and danger of continuing to wring hands over established facts. It's time, a fisheries expert says, to let science drive policy and put knowledge into action. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630112859.htm