http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/nature/ Nature. Read the latest scientific research on the natural world, ecology and climate change. en-us Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:05:01 EDT Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/nature/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318132510.htm Butterflies are emerging in spring over 10 days earlier than they did 65 years ago, a shift that has been linked to regional human-induced climate change in an Australian-led study. The work reveals a causal link between increasing greenhouse gases, regional warming and the change in timing of a natural event. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318132510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316101610.htm "Four and 20 black birds baked in a pie" -- but wait, one has blue-gray eyes. That discovery, backed by DNA analysis, means scientists now know there is one more species of black shrike in the Albertine Rift of Africa than was previously thought. And if Dr. Gary Voelker has his way, he'll soon be studying the bird's habits to determine its susceptibility to the deforestation now occurring across its native habitat. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316101610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317101342.htm A new assessment of the Arctic's biodiversity reports a 26 percent decline in species populations in the high Arctic. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317101342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317121352.htm The use of prescribed burns to manage Western forests may help the United States reduce its carbon footprint. A new study finds that such burns, often used by forest managers to reduce underbrush and protect bigger trees, release substantially less carbon dioxide emissions than wildfires of the same size. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317121352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100312133722.htm A new study of the scorpion family Typhlochactidae, a group of nine dark-adapted species endemic to Mexico, shows that specialized traits are not necessarily an evolutionary dead end. At least three reversals, or a return to generalized morphology, were found in a phylogenetic analysis. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100312133722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318132500.htm Rapid increases in tree growth in the US, slower tree growth in the tropics, new ideas about biodiversity, new methods for monitoring forest carbon stocks: These are among the mid-term results from the HSBC Climate Partnership. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318132500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318113241.htm Beluga sturgeon in the Caspian Sea have been reclassified as "critically endangered" placing them on IUCN's Red List, providing strong evidence that fishing and international trade should be halted and a stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately. Beluga sturgeon populations have been decimated in part due to unrelenting exploitation for black caviar -- the sturgeon's unfertilized eggs -- considered the finest in the world. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318113241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318093300.htm A 3,000-year record from 52 of the world's oldest trees shows that California's western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to new research. Scientists reconstructed the region's history of fire by dating fire scars on ancient giant sequoia trees, Sequoiadendron giganteum, in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. Individual giant sequoias can live more than 3,000 years and are considered the world's largest trees by volume. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318093300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315161919.htm Flowering plants may be considerably older than previously thought, says a new analysis of the plant family tree. Previous studies suggest that flowering plants, or angiosperms, first arose 140 to 190 million years ago. Now, a new article pushes back the age of angiosperms to 215 million years ago, some 25 to 75 million years earlier than either the fossil record or previous molecular studies suggest. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315161919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317144634.htm Fungi have significant potential for "horizontal" gene transfer, a new study has shown, similar to the mechanisms that allow bacteria to evolve so quickly, become resistant to antibiotics and cause other serious problems. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100317144634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311175131.htm A group of Argentine scientists have announced that yellow fever is the culprit in a 2007-2008 die-off of howler monkeys in northeastern Argentina, a finding that underscores the importance of paying attention to the health of wildlife and how the health of people and wild nature are so closely linked. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311175131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315103942.htm A little-known Iranian salamander is poised to become the first example of a species requiring international government protection because of e-commerce -- a major threat to endangered wildlife that authorities are struggling to address. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315103942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316083719.htm A new study states that forest protection offers one of the most effective, practical, and immediate strategies to combat climate change. The study makes specific recommendations for incorporating protected areas into overall strategies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses from deforestation and degradation (nicknamed REDD). Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316083719.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315091307.htm Beyond the headline-grabbing proposals on bluefin tuna and ivory trade, the largest wildlife trade convention meeting this week will also address several timber-related issues -- an often overlooked responsibility of the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315091307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100312164653.htm WWF and TRAFFIC welcome a World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies statement urging its members not to use tiger bone or any other parts from endangered wildlife. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100312164653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315144812.htm Researchers have described a new carnivorous amphibian from western Pennsylvania. The 300-million-year-old remarkably preserved fossil is one of few amphibians displaying evidence of a land-based life history so early in time. The rocks where Fedexia was found are nearly 20 million years older than those of its fossil relatives, suggesting that the group's expansion occurred much earlier than previously thought. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315144812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226115118.htm The flowering plant -- purple loosestrife -- has been heading north since it was first introduced from Europe to the eastern seaboard 150 years ago. This exotic invader chokes out native species and has dramatically altered wetland habitats in North America. But it turns out it may have a vulnerability after all: the northern climate. Canadian scientists have found that adapting to the Great White North carries a severe reproductive penalty that may limit its spread. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100226115118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225164857.htm It's a paradox that's puzzled scientists for a half-century. Models clearly show that the coexistence of competing species depends on those species responding differently to the availability of resources. Then why do studies comparing competing tree species draw a blank? Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225164857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225122710.htm A first-of-its-kind study of a Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) fishery demonstrates current harvest rates are four to five times higher than those that would sustain population abundance. The study's results suggest that conservation strategies for beluga sturgeon should focus on reducing the overfishing of adults rather than heavily relying upon hatchery supplementation. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225122710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315162203.htm Fescue grass covers an area equivalent to 12 million football fields in the US, and a new study by ecologists shows that the grass and a symbiotic fungus can affect local ecosystems in significant ways. Study results show that the genetic identity of an invisible fungus living symbiotically in fescue can alter the surrounding composition and diversity of the plant community. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315162203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315132704.htm Scientists have studied the migratory behavior of thin-billed prions and discovered that the animals spend their molting season in two areas that are at a considerable distance from each other. Thus, it would appear that some seabirds can be extremely flexible and change their habitat if required -- a vital adaptation to the unpredictable conditions found on the high seas. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315132704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309202931.htm Scandinavian scientists have discovered that a species of tree defends itself from herbivore attack by using chemicals emitted by neighboring plants. The study reveals how species of Birch tree absorb chemical compounds from neighboring Marsh tea plants, Rhondodendron tomentosum, in a unique "defense by neighbor strategy." Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309202931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311192933.htm Amphibians may be a love 'em and leave 'em class, but one frog species defies the norm, scientists have found. Biologists have discovered in Peru the first confirmed species of monogamous amphibian, Ranitomeya imitator, better known as the mimic poison frog -- a finding that provides groundbreaking insight into the ecological factors that influence mating behavior. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311192933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310113535.htm A study of extinction patterns of 25 large mammal species in India finds that improving existing protected areas, creating new areas, and interconnecting them will be necessary for many species to survive this century. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310113535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308171152.htm Scientists have discovered that the drastic decline in Arctic musk ox populations that began roughly 12,000 years ago was due to a warming climate rather than to human hunting. The research is the first study to use ancient musk ox DNA collected from across the animal's former geographic range to test for human impacts on musk ox populations. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308171152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309182447.htm Researchers have found a faster way to study the spread and diet of insect pests. Using a technique called DNA barcoding, which involves the identification of species from a short DNA sequence, they studied populations of numerous moth and butterfly species across Papua New Guinea. DNA barcodes showed that migratory patterns and caterpillar diets are very dynamic. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309182447.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309102525.htm Researchers in Spain have demonstrated, using a map of the potential distribution, the alpine marmot's capacity for adaptation in the fields of the Pyrenees. Its quick proliferation makes it a successful example of species introduction. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100309102525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308095836.htm Between the grains of sand on the sea floor there is an unknown and unexplored world. Scientists have just found new animal species on the Great Barrier Reef, in New Caledonia, and in the sea off the Gullmarsfjord in the Swedish county of Bohuslan. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308095836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308095845.htm Plants and herbivores have always been involved in a sort of arms race, and plants' defensive strategies commonly involve thorns, spines, and chemical toxins. But when certain flies are out looking for goldenrod to lay their eggs on, some goldenrod plants react in a seemingly rationale way: they duck. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308095845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100305112153.htm Agricultural cientists are helping to sort through the jumbled genetics of Echinacea, the coneflower known for its blossoms -- and its potential for treating infections, inflammation, and other human ailments. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100305112153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304142242.htm The Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction, which wiped out the dinosaurs and more than half of species on Earth, was caused by an asteroid colliding with Earth and not massive volcanic activity, according to a comprehensive review of all the available evidence. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304142242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304202248.htm Recent years have seen an unusual rise in the number of bees about in the cold winter months. Scientists have found that while most bees are hibernating, the buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, is out taking advantage of exotic winter-flowering plants in our gardens and parks. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304202248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302093330.htm The next 10 to 20 years could be extremely significant for restoring wild populations of American bison to their original roaming grounds. But for this to happen, more land must be made available for herds to roam free, government policies must be updated and the public must change its attitude towards bison, a new report says. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302093330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184333.htm The old balkanized approach to ocean management, in which different resources and activities are governed by different laws and agencies, has failed to protect ocean ecosystems or reduce conflicts between ocean users, a panel of international scientists says. It should be replaced with a more balanced approach using marine spatial planning. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100220184333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303192446.htm Biologging -- the use of miniaturized electronic tags to track animals in the wild -- has revealed previously unknown information about a wide variety of ocean animals. Biologging science is showing researchers how animals work in the furthest reaches of the ocean environs. A collection of papers on Biologging Science is being published in the scientific journal Endangered Species Research, which features a wide array of cutting-edge biologging research from around the world. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303192446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301151925.htm Scientists broadly agree that global warming may threaten the survival of many plant and animal species; but global warming did not kill the Monteverde golden toad, an often cited example of climate-triggered extinction, says a new study. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301151925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218110933.htm Scientists have investigated the distribution and abundance of Antarctica's vast marine biodiversity with the Census of Antarctic Marine Life. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218110933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301141848.htm DNA from a rare, ancient polar bear fossil is yielding information about the response of the species to the devastation wrought by past climate changes. Analyses of the fossil's DNA reveals key pieces of the evolutionary history of both polar bears and brown bears. The fossil's DNA is, by far, the oldest mammal mitochondrial genome to be sequenced -- about twice the age of the oldest genome sequence from a woolly mammoth. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301141848.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222094803.htm Marine reserves are increasingly important for species that are being forced by climate change to move to a new home, adapt to new conditions or die. Biologists have now compared the relative benefits of large and small protected areas in perpetuating populations. Interestingly they have also found a coral species that has developed the "skills" to cope with rising temperatures. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222094803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218102456.htm Monkey populations in threatened forests are far more sensitive to damage to their habitat than previously thought. Numbers closely related to the type of habitat found between forest fragments, rather than the distance that separates them. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218102456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216113557.htm Researchers have studied the changes in the make-up of animal populations following forest fires, and have concluded that malacological fauna are a good indicator of forest recovery. The conclusions of this study will help to ensure that post-fire forestry operations that do not harm these species of mollusks, which are sensitive to microclimatic conditions of the soil and vegetation structure. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216113557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225091344.htm Scientists in the UK have provided the first experimental evidence that shows that evolution is driven most powerfully by interactions between species, rather than adaptation to the environment. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225091344.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224132735.htm With a changing climate there's a good chance that forest fires in the Pacific Northwest will become larger and more frequent -- and according to one expert speaking today at a professional conference, that's just fine. It will ultimately be good for forest health. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224132735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222161858.htm Conventional wisdom among many ecologists is that industrial-scale agriculture is the best way to produce lots of food while preserving biodiversity in the world's remaining tropical forests. But some researchers reject that idea and argue that small, family-owned farms may provide a better way to meet both goals. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222161858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223161831.htm The origins of flowering plants from peas to oak trees are now in clearer focus. A new study unravels 100 million years of evolution through an extensive analysis of plant genomes. It targets one of the major moments in plant evolution, when the ancestors of most of the world's flowering plants split into two major groups. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223161831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222104943.htm Thanks to the introduction of various non-native species to Australia throughout history, the country is overrun with feral animals. A new application developed by ecologists aims to improve the success of wildlife managers tasked with eradicating such problems. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222104943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216114034.htm Since the dawn of the biological sciences, humankind has struggled to comprehend the relationships among the major groups of "jointed-legged" animals -- the arthropods. Now, a team of researchers has finished a completely new analysis of the evolutionary relationships among the arthropods, answering many questions that defied previous attempts to unravel how these creatures were connected. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216114034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218125537.htm Morphologically distinct types are often found within species, and biologists have speculated that these "morphs" could be the raw material for speciation. What were once different types of individuals within the same population could eventually evolve into separate species. A new study supports this idea. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218125537.htm