http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/zoology/ Zoology. Full-text news, articles and photos on animal life sciences. Read the latest research in zoology. Updated daily. en-us Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:05:01 EST Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/zoology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029160739.htm New anti-flu drugs could become a reality as a result of a new study. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029160739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112104.htm Why do so many animal species -- including fish, birds and insects -- display such rich diversity in coloration and other traits? New research offers an answer. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173728.htm They may only be 1.5mm in size, but the tiny wasps that pollinate fig trees can travel over 160km in less than 48 hours, according to new research. The fig wasps are transporting pollen ten times further than previously recorded for any insect. The fig wasps travel these distances in search of trees to lay their eggs, which offers hope that trees pollinated by similar creatures have a good chance of surviving if they become isolated through deforestation. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121338.htm Evolutionary biologists argue in a new article that high cooperation and low conflict between components, from the genetic level on up, give a living thing its "organismality," whether that thing is an animal, a plant, a bacteria or a colony. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121338.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121050.htm Despite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins, says a new study of male-female size differences in extinct big cats. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145249.htm Some 350 experts from 50 nations gathering in Mexico for their 3rd global meeting will outline the latest creative applications of DNA barcoding, including several projects related to human health, fraud, smuggling, the food chain and reconstructing environmental history. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106111214.htm Predictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106111214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132706.htm Scientists have an ambitious new strategy for untangling the evolutionary history of humans and their biological relatives: Create a genetic menagerie made of the DNA of more than 10,000 vertebrate species. The plan, proposed by an international consortium of scientists, is to obtain, preserve, and sequence the DNA of approximately one species for each genus of living mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143815.htm The impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and wide-spread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater that previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm For the insects called water striders, the pushiest guys don't always get the girls. New research provides support for the theory of multi-level selection and contradicts previous laboratory experiments that suggested that the most aggressive males are the most successful at reproducing. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm Researchers found that removing all of the trees from a section of the forest had a negative effect on amphibians during their later life cycles, but had some positive effects during amphibians' aquatic larva stages at the beginning of their lives. To lessen the negative effects during the later life stage, scientists recommend partial or selection cuts to forests rather than completely removing trees from an area. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172247.htm About half of 36 fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the last four decades, with some stocks nearly disappearing from US waters as they move farther offshore, according to a new study. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111839.htm New insights into the biology of the platypus and echidna have been published, providing a collection of unique research data about the world's only monotremes. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102252.htm By building a tiny microscope small enough to be carried around on a rat's head, scientists in Germany have found a way to study the complex activity of many brain cells simultaneously while animals are free to move around. With this new technology scientists can actually see how the brain cells operate while the animal is behaving naturally, giving rise to immense new insights into the understanding of perception and attention. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103174208.htm A tracking study of white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean shows they adhere to a rigid route of migration across the sea, returning to precisely the same spot along the California coast each time they come back, according to a team of researchers. Over time, this behavior has made the population in the northeastern Pacific genetically distinct from other white shark populations. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103174208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085823.htm A global collaborative has produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that will lead to insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm A recent assessment finds some positive trends among indicators of biodiversity loss in China -- notably, growth in forest coverage and improvements in marine ecosystems. However, other indicators, such as the rate of discovery of invasive species, are worsening. Many animals are under growing threat. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121454.htm Teenage tyrannosaurs got into some serious fights with their peers. The evidence can be found on Jane, a prized juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, discovered in 2001 in Montana. The dinosaur's fossils show that it sustained a serious bite that punctured through the bone of its upper jaw and snout. The researchers determined that another juvenile tyrannosaur was responsible for the injury. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085825.htm Nature inspires technology as an engineer and an ecologist have teamed to develop robots that use advanced materials to swim like fish to probe underwater environments. Robotic fish -- perhaps schools of them operating autonomously for months -- could give researchers far more precise data on aquatic conditions, deepening our knowledge of critical water supplies and habitats. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026123946.htm The Kentish-Snowy Plover, a small shorebird found in the US and Europe, is 'suffering' from an identity crisis after scientists found genetic evidence that the populations are, in fact, separate species. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026123946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125048.htm Scientists report a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against two deadly viruses, Nipah virus and the related Hendra virus. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029113756.htm Spanish researchers have confirmed that the largest bat in Europe, Nyctalus lasiopterus, was present in north-eastern Spain during the Late Pleistocene. The Greater Noctule fossils found in the excavation site at Abric Romani prove that this bat had a greater geographical presence more than 10,000 years ago than it does today, having declined due to the reduction in vegetation cover. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029113756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140043.htm Researchers are using a remotely operated vehicle and satellite-linked data loggers to learn more about turtle behavior in commercial fishing areas and to develop new ways to avoid catching turtles in fishing gear. This marks the first time an ROV has been used to follow turtles in the wild to learn about their behavior and how they interact with their habitat Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090528.htm Marine biologists examined whether Laysan albatrosses nesting on Kure Atoll and Oahu, Hawaii, 2,150 km away, ingested different amounts of plastic by putting miniaturized tracking devices on birds to follow them at sea and examining their regurgitated stomach contents. Surprisingly, birds from Kure Atoll ingested almost ten times the amount of plastic compared to birds from Oahu. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111909.htm The American Physiological Society announced that it has endorsed the recommendation of a National Academy of Sciences report calling for the identification of new suppliers to replace Class B dealers as providers of random source dogs and cats for medical research. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111909.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152806.htm Biologists for the first time have documented a second breeding season during the annual cycle of five songbird species that spend summers in temperate North America and winters in tropical Central and South America. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026162542.htm When wild boar and deer, traditional menu items in the fall, eat genetically modified corn, do transgenic residues accumulate in their meat? Do they spread GM corn via their feces? The answer in each case is no, according to scientists. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026162542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026180207.htm In hopes of preventing the next global pandemic and a possible death toll into the millions, researchers have launched an unprecedented international effort to find and control diseases that move between wildlife and people. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026180207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016093927.htm Satellite tracking has allowed a research team to uncover the mysteries of the migration of Eleanora's falcon for the first time. In total, the bird flies more than 9,500 kilometers across the African continent from the Balearic and Columbretes Islands before reaching the island of Madagascar. Some of the previously-obscure secrets now revealed by the scientists show that these falcons migrate by both day and night, and cross supposed ecological barriers such as the Sahara Desert. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016093927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027111451.htm Surveys have confirmed that the finest montane forests in Timor-Leste, and possibly the whole island of Timor, are to be found on the inaccessible Mount Mundo Perdido -- literally, "Lost World." With 22 of the restricted-range species of the Timor and Wetar Endemic Bird Area found so far, Mount Mundo Perdido has been recognized as Timor-Leste's seventeenth Important Bird Area. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027111451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224153.htm The Cambrian Explosion is widely regarded as one of the most relevant episodes in the history of life on Earth, when the vast majority of animal phyla first appear in the fossil record. However, the causes of its origin have been object of debate for decades. A novel theory formulates that the geologically induced increase on marine calcium, as a result of volcanic activity, might be the key for understanding this important stage in evolution. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152812.htm Despite a 30-year lifespan that gives ample time for cells to grow cancerous, a small rodent species called a naked mole rat has never been found with tumors of any kind -- and now biologists think they know why. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019141538.htm A workshop at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama has nearly doubled the number of people capable of quatitatively testing for chytridiomycosis, dramatically improving the ability of conservationists and regulatory agencies to monitor the spread of one of the deadliest frog diseases on Earth. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019141538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133639.htm Two related research expeditions by NOAA scientists to track the habitat preferences and movements of fish at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary may help managers protect overfished species such as red snapper and grouper. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152934.htm Just in time for Halloween, researchers have announced the discovery of a new, real-world "monster" -- what they are calling a "unicorn" fly that lived about 100 million years ago and is being described as a new family, genus and species of fly never before observed. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142508.htm Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is among the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the tropical Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to NOAA researchers. Their report offers insights into the coral and fish communities within the sanctuary based on data collected in 2006 and 2007. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172056.htm Scientists have identified the dominant odor naturally produced in humans and birds that attracts the blood-feeding Culex mosquitoes, which transmits West Nile virus and other life-threatening diseases. The groundbreaking research explains why mosquitoes shifted hosts from birds to humans and paves the way for key developments in mosquito and disease control. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917161740.htm Temperature differences and slow-moving water at the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers in Idaho might delay the migration of threatened fall Chinook salmon salmon and allow them to grow larger before reaching the Pacific Ocean. To find out if that's the case, a team of researchers is implanting young fish with acoustic and radio tags to track their movement and using hydrological sensors to measure water temperature and speed. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917161740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141402.htm A new article describes a highly simplified model cell that not only sheds light on the way certain real cells generate electric voltages, but also acts as a tiny battery that could offer a practical alternative to conventional solid-state energy-generating devices. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125135.htm A clever structure in the ear of a tropical butterfly that potentially makes it able to distinguish between high and low pitch sounds has been discovered. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101702.htm The fossil remains of some of the first animals with shells, ocean-dwelling creatures that measure a few centimeters in length and date to about 520 million years ago, provide a window on evolution at this time, according to scientists. Their research indicates that these animals were larger than previously thought. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830104316.htm Group B Streptococcus is a versatile pathogen that affects a variety of animals. Now studies are revealing new information about this pathogen. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830104316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020203413.htm It may take a village to raise a child, and apparently it takes at least two adult birds to teach a young song sparrow how and what to sing. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020203413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022122321.htm A new study of chimpanzees living in the wild adds to evidence that our closest primate relatives have cultural differences, too. The study shows that neighboring chimpanzee populations in Uganda use different tools to solve a novel problem: extracting honey trapped within a fallen log. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022122321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021115013.htm Scientists are reporting the first scientific explanation for one of the most widely known rules of thumb for pairing wine with food: "Red wine with red meat, white wine with fish." The scientists are reporting that the unpleasant, fishy aftertaste noticeable when consuming red wine with fish results from naturally occurring iron in red wine. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021115013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105335.htm Research has previously assumed that animals and plants developed different genetic programs for cell death. Now scientists have shown that parts of the genetic programs that determine programmed cell death in plants and animals are actually evolutionarily related and moreover function in a similar way. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019172632.htm Pairing a new approach to prepare ancient DNA with a new scientific technique developed specifically to genotype a cow, scientists have created a very accurate and widespread "family tree" for cows and other ruminants, going back as far as 29 million years. This same technique also could be used to verify ancient relatives to humans and assist scientists who are studying human diseases. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019172632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029150838.htm Unseen and unheard, insects are all around us. And with more than a million different species, each one perfectly adapted to its environment, no other form of animal life comes close to matching insects for diversity. Scientists now want to exploit this diversity to develop and test new medicines, new methods of pest control, new industrial enzymes and even bionic systems. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029150838.htm