http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/mammals/ Mammals in the news, wild mammals, mammal conservation efforts, and domesticated mammals. en-us Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:05:01 EST Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/mammals/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118121946.htm Anthropologists have discovered a group of primates not seen alive in 85 years. The pygmy tarsiers, furry Furby-like, or gremlin-looking, creatures about the size of a small mouse and weighing less than two ounces, have not been observed since they were last collected for a museum in 1921. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118121946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119140712.htm Scientists have completed the genome-wide sequence of an extinct animal. The scientists sequenced the genome of the woolly mammoth, an extinct species of elephant that was adapted to living in the cold environment of the northern hemisphere. They sequenced four billion DNA bases using next-generation DNA-sequencing instruments and a novel approach that reads ancient DNA highly efficiently. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119140712.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111183041.htm Ten of the world's most popular pesticides can decimate amphibian populations when mixed together even if the concentration of the individual chemicals are within limits considered safe, according to new research. Such "cocktails of contaminants" are frequently detected in nature, a new article notes. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111183041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118131857.htm Americans are woefully out of touch with the fact that the American bison, or buffalo, is in trouble as a wild, iconic species, but they do love them as an important symbol of their country -- and as an entree on the dinner table. These sentiments were found in a public survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society at a national conference on restoring bison populations in the North America. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118131857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081110153612.htm Colugos, the closest living relatives of primates most notable for their ability to glide from tree to tree over considerable distances, are more diverse than had previously been believed, according to a new report in Current Biology. Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081110153612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111093919.htm The newly described skull of the oldest woolly rhinoceros in Europe shows that these giant creatures -- with two impressively large horns on the bridge of their noses -- once roamed across central Germany. The large shaggy mammals grazed at the foot of the Kyffhäuser range, whose unforested, rocky slopes loomed out of the broad, bleak plains of northern Thuringia 460,000 years ago. The climate at this time was icy cold and far drier than today. Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111093919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071827.htm The lion is one of the world's most charismatic carnivores. In a new study, researchers provide insights into the genetic structure and history of lion populations. Their work refutes the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single, randomly breeding population. It also indicates the importance of preserving populations in decline as opposed to prioritizing larger-scale conservation efforts. Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105081955.htm A new ancient DNA study published in PLoS One is the first to demonstrate that disease can cause extinction in mammals, supporting the "hyperdisease" hypothesis. This study found rat-specific trypanosomes in museum specimens of native Christmas Island rats collected after but not before contact with black rats. It is assumed that black rats brought the pathogen to these immunologically naïve species; both Rattus macleari and R. nativitatis went extinct within a decade, by 1908. Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105081955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103164725.htm Zoologists are working on a national project in Australia to help save the endangered Tasmanian devil from extinction. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103164725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081101124904.htm A once critically endangered bat species, the 'Pemba flying fox', has made a dramatic return from the brink of extinction, according to new research. As recently as 1989, only a scant few individual fruit bats could be observed on the tropical island of Pemba, off Tanzania. Its numbers have since soared to an astounding 22,000 bats in less than 20 years, the new research finds. Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081101124904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030123951.htm The world's rarest big cat is alive and well. At least one of them, that is, according to researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society who captured and released a female Far Eastern leopard in Russia last week. Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030123951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031102304.htm The sabertooth cat, one of the most iconic extinct mammal species, was likely to be a social animal, living and hunting like lions today, according to new scientific research. The species is famous for its extremely long canine teeth, which reached up to seven inches in length and extended below the lower jaw of the cat. Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031102304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030144613.htm White-nose syndrome in bats is a disease that is decimating bat populations in the northeast U.S. A previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus has been linked to white-nose syndrome, a condition associated with the deaths of over 100,000 hibernating bats in the northeastern United States. Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030144613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022135842.htm The Marine Mammal Center has seen an increase in leptospirosis cases in sea lions this year. Researchers there are launching a new study to determine causes of cyclical outbreaks and how the disease is spread among sea lions. Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022135842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020191534.htm Due to their underground habitats, moles' eyes have been modified by natural selection in ways very different from those of surface-dwelling animals. New research offers a detailed anatomical and genetic examination of the changes that result from living life in the dark. Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020191534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081024103856.htm There may be less than 20,000 rhinoceros in the world, with one species perhaps already extinct and another with possibly only four animals remaining in the wild. As the populations of these animals age and become infirm, successful breeding becomes increasingly difficult. Now researchers have achieved a world-first: birth of a white rhino after artificial insemination with frozen sperm. The rhino baby, a male, was born at 4:57am in the Budapest Zoo on the 22nd of October 2008. In June 2007, scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin artificially inseminated his mother, the rhino cow Lulu, with frozen bull semen. Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081024103856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021094010.htm In a potential breakthrough for the performance horse industry (such as racing and polo), scientists are aiming to harness stem cells to repair tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone damage in horses. Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021094010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020191536.htm Because African wild dogs face bigger competitors like lions, whose larger stomachs handle large irregular meals, the African wild dog evolved a runner's metabolism (lithe, smaller stomachs) and formed large packs. In packs they reduce costs and ensure a regular supply of food. But in packs less than five, they end up in poverty traps, less well fed, less able to have pups, and spiral downward. This study reveals an extinction risk for social species. Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020191536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015100033.htm A biologist has shown that bastard doves can fend for themselves. Despite having a strange coo, hybrid offspring are still able to defend their territory. This is necessary for further reproduction. Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015100033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021185205.htm A recently released study of northern and southern polar dinosaur migration indicates that some species may have migrated nearly 3,000 km in a six month period- far short of the distance needed to reach warmer climes. What's more, the study also revealed that other species would have been forced to endure polar winters and exhibited characteristics similar to today's nonmigratory animals when dealing with hibernating, foraging and even burrowing. Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021185205.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016124528.htm Study says free-living red squirrels are mounting an immune response to the squirrelpox viral disease. Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016124528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012093255.htm NOAA officials have issued a regulation that will implement new measures to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. The regulation will, for the first time, require large ships to reduce speeds to ten knots in areas where the whales feed and reproduce, as well as along migratory routes in between. The goal of the regulation is to reduce the risk of ship collisions with the whales. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012093255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081019184800.htm A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to a new article published in the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081019184800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144057.htm UC Berkeley's resurvey of animal populations in California's eastern mountains kicked off in 2003 with a resurvey of Yosemite National Park, following the route of Joseph Grinnell in 1914-20. The first results show that small mammals have moved to higher elevations as a result of warming, some expanding their range upward, others moving upward and abandoning lower elevations entirely. Though biodiversity remains unchanged, the rapid rate of change sounds a cautionary note about global warming. Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015120734.htm An increase in average temperature of only two degrees Celsius could have a devastating effect on populations of Australia's iconic kangaroos. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015120734.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081635.htm Sea otters are known as a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even farther-reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the behavior of another top predator: the bald eagle. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013124416.htm Unlike the male-dominated societies of their chimpanzee relatives, bonobo society -- in which females enjoy a higher social status than males -- has a "make-love-not-war" kind of image. While chimpanzee males frequently band together to hunt and kill monkeys, the more peaceful bonobos were believed to restrict what meat they do eat to forest antelopes, squirrels and rodents. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013124416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013192600.htm Sheep farmers are highly able to spot even mildly lame sheep, but many do not take steps to prevent the spread of lameness in their flocks by catching and treating these animals. A study in the journal BMC Veterinary Research is the first to provide evidence for the accuracy of farmers' reporting of lameness, suggesting that farmers have one of the skills required to minimize footrot and other infectious foot conditions in their flocks. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013192600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012100519.htm The fate of the world's few remaining western grey whales now rests on the outcome of appeals to Russian authorities and courts following the refusal of an oil consortium to consider alternatives to a proposal to lay an oil pipeline through a shallow lagoon crucial to the whales' food supplies. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012100519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093024.htm One of the smallest seals -- the Caspian -- has joined a growing list of mammal species in danger of extinction. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006093024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073928.htm A new report lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, with potential impacts to both human and wildlife health and global economies. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001181306.htm Small stretches of seemingly useless DNA harbor a big secret, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. There's one problem: We don't know what it is. Although individual laboratory animals appear to live happily when these genetic ciphers are deleted, these snippets have been highly conserved throughout evolution. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001181306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112057.htm With the U.S. Supreme Court due to review a series of lower court rulings that restrict the Navy's use of sonar in submarine detection training exercises off the coast of Southern California, George Mason University professor Chris Parsons discusses the links between mass strandings and military exercises worldwide in a paper in the Marine Pollution Bulletin. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092643.htm From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006154952.htm The most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006154952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130457.htm Several mamalogists at Chicago's Field Museum participated in the IUCN survey of the world's mammals, using the Museum's extensive mammal collections for reference. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930135301.htm Black bears that live around urban areas weigh more, get pregnant at a younger age, and are more likely to die violent deaths, according to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930135301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929212926.htm Prion protein, a form of protein that triggers BSE, is associated with other brain diseases in cattle, raising the possibility of a significant increase in the range of prion disease. Scientists have detected changes in the production and accumulation of the prion protein in the brains of cattle with a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929212926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929212931.htm The remains of a 30-foot-long predatory dinosaur discovered along the banks of Argentina's Rio Colorado is helping to unravel how birds evolved their unusual breathing system. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929212931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926162615.htm New research suggests that bats are reservoirs of a newly identified group of astroviruses, a significant agent of diarrhea in many species including humans. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926162615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155948.htm Two species of giraffe, several rhinos and five elephant relatives, along with multitudes of rodents, bush pigs, horses, antelope and apes, once inhabited what is now northern Pakistan. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922100152.htm Bees have the potential to mediate the escape of transgenes (genetically engineered material) from crops to their wild relatives over several kilometers. The findings bear significant implications for the introduction of genetically modified crops in Africa. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922100152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919074828.htm When bats go hunting by listening for faint rustling sounds made by their quarry on a quiet night they don't have any problems. But what happens when a bat goes foraging next to a noisy highway? Can they still hear the faint sounds? Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919074828.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918171155.htm Researchers have shown that the origin and evolution of the placenta and uterus in mammals is associated with evolutionary changes in a single regulatory protein, according to new report. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918171155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917074126.htm The Netherlands is a densely populated nation, but could be a good example of how to practice wildlife management in the coming century. Rapid human population growth on the planet is creating pressure on wildlife populations, and many places will thus come to resemble the present situation in The Netherlands. Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917074126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917074132.htm Spanish highways are increasingly incorporating walkways specially designed for wild animals, or mixed use structures designed for other purposes, which connect wildlife from one side of the road to the other. Researchers have analysed 43 walkways used by vertebrates to quantify the importance of these structures, which facilitate animals’ natural movements and reduce mortality caused by vehicles and, consequently, traffic accidents. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917074132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918081158.htm Biologists have found that small-bodied rodents with long lifespans have evolved a previously unknown anti-cancer mechanism that appears to be different from any anticancer mechanisms employed by humans or other large mammals. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918081158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917210028.htm The crashing of the enormous fluked tail on the surface of the ocean is a "calling card" of modern whales. Living whales have no back legs, and their front legs take the form of flippers that allow them to steer. Their special tails provide the powerful thrust necessary to move their huge bulk. Yet this has not always been the case. Now newly found fossils from Alabama and Mississippi that pinpoint where tail flukes developed in the evolution of whales. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917210028.htm