ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Wednesday, September 3, 2008
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Black-footed Ferrets Sired By Dead Males Via Frozen Sperm (September 3, 2008) -- Two black-footed ferrets at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have each given birth to a kit that was sired by males who died in 1999 and 2000. These endangered ferrets were artificially inseminated in May with frozen semen from the two deceased males, each giving birth on June 20 and 21 respectively. Successful inseminations with frozen semen are extremely rare -- until now only three black-footed ferret kits have been born from this method. ... > full story
New Methods To Protect Wind Generators During Voltage Dips Developed (September 3, 2008) -- A young researcher has put forward two protection techniques so that wind generators continue to be operative despite breaks in electricity supply. ... > full story
Baltic States Failing To Protect Most Damaged Sea (September 3, 2008) -- Nine Baltic sea states all scored failing grades in an annual WWF evaluation of their performance in protecting and restoring the world's most damaged sea. ... > full story
Scientists Develop New Computational Method To Investigate Origin Of Life (September 2, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a new computational method that they say will help them to understand how life began on Earth. The method has the potential to trace the evolutionary histories of proteins all the way back to either cells or viruses, thus settling the debate once and for all over which of these life forms came first. ... > full story
Slowing Ships To Protect North Atlantic Right Whales (September 2, 2008) -- NOAA's Fisheries Service is seeking comment on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ship Strike Reduction Rule, which aims to reduce the number of endangered North Atlantic right whales injured or killed by collisions with large ships. ... > full story
Why Did The Squirrel Cross The Road? (September 2, 2008) -- A study has shown that red squirrels can and do make use of special crossings set up over busy roads. This kind of bridge is usually installed at sites where there have been fatalities recorded but up until now no-one has collected any data to show whether or not they are actually used by the animals. ... > full story
Person's Geographic Origins Located From DNA (September 2, 2008) -- One day soon, you may be able to pinpoint the geographic origins of your ancestors based on analysis of your DNA. New research uses DNA to predict the geographic origins of individuals from a sample of Europeans, often within a few hundred kilometers of where they were born. ... > full story
More Than 150,000 Species Of Flies, Gnats, Maggots, Midges, Mosquitoes Documented In Database (September 2, 2008) -- Distinguishing between insect pests and partners starts with an ironclad identification. Entomologists have now prepared a database with information to accurately identify and name almost 157,000 flies, gnats, maggots, midges, mosquitoes and related species in the order Diptera. ... > full story
'Fingerprinting' Helps Make Great Grapes (September 2, 2008) -- At about this time next year, nearly all of the 2,800 wild, rare and domesticated grapes in a unique northern California genebank will have had their "genetic profile" or "fingerprint" taken. ... > full story
Earth Has Had Sharp Climatic Shifts In Past: Is Earth Nearing Another Tipping Point? (September 2, 2008) -- In the Earth’s history, periods of relatively stable climate have often been interrupted by sharp transitions to a contrasting state. For instance, glaciation periods typically ended suddenly. About 34 million years ago the Earth’s long lasting tropical state in which most recent life forms evolved, shifted abruptly and irreversibly to a cooler state with ice caps. This shift is known as the "Greenhouse-Icehouse-Transition". ... > full story
Key Discovered To Cold Tolerance In Corn (September 2, 2008) -- Demand for corn -- the world's number one feed grain and a staple food for many -- is outstripping supply, resulting in large price increases that are forecast to continue over the next several years. If corn's intolerance of low temperatures could be overcome, then the length of the growing season, and yield, could be increased at present sites of cultivation and its range extended into colder regions. ... > full story
Global Warming Greatest In Past Decade (September 2, 2008) -- Researchers confirm that surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere were warmer over the last 10 years than any time during the last 1300 years, and, if the climate scientists include the somewhat controversial data derived from tree-ring records, the warming is anomalous for at least 1700 years. ... > full story
Thawing Permafrost Likely To Boost Global Warming, New Assessment Concludes (September 2, 2008) -- A new assessment more than doubles previous estimates of the amount of carbon stored in permafrost, and indicates that carbon dioxide emissions from microbial decomposition of organic carbon in thawing permafrost could amount to roughly half those resulting from global land-use change during this century. ... > full story
Teflon: Chemists Break Harmful Bonds (September 2, 2008) -- Everybody loves the way eggs slide off of Teflon pans. Indeed, the carbon-fluorine bond at the heart of Teflon cookware is so helpful we also use it in products from clothing to blood substitutes. But the very strength of the C-F bond also gives it greenhouse gas effects. In the journal Science, researchers report a catalyst that breaks the C-F bond and converts it to a carbon-hydrogen bond, rendering it harmless to the environment. ... > full story
New Giant Clam Species Offers Window Into Human Past (September 2, 2008) -- Researchers report the discovery of the first new living species of giant clam in two decades. ... > full story
Bonobos May Have Greater Linguistic Skills Than Previously Thought (September 2, 2008) -- What happens when linguistic tools used to analyze human language are applied to a conversation between a language-competent bonobo and a human? New findings indicate that bonobos may exhibit larger linguistic competency in ordinary conversation than in controlled experimental settings. ... > full story
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary In Fair Condition, Facing Emerging Threats (September 2, 2008) -- A new NOAA report on the health of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is fair. The report also identifies several emerging threats to sanctuary resources, including non-indigenous marine species, overfishing, waterborne chemicals from human coastal activities, and increased recreational use of the site. ... > full story
Prehistoric Funerary Precinct Excavated In Northern Israel: Grave Goods Include Phallic Figurines, Sea Shells (September 2, 2008) -- Hebrew University excavations in the north of Israel have revealed a prehistoric funerary precinct dating back to 6,750-8,500 BCE. The precinct, a massive walled enclosure measuring 10 meters by at least 20 meters, was discovered at excavations being undertaken at Kfar HaHoresh. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B site in the Nazareth hills of the lower Galilee is interpreted as having been a regional funerary and cult center for nearby lowland villages. ... > full story
Bitter-tasting Nectar And Floral Odors Optimize Outcrossing For Plants (September 2, 2008) -- Experiments with genetically modified plants reveal new aspects on the biochemistry of flowers. Scientists have discovered how the chemistry of nectar and floral scents enforces good pollinator behavior, enabling plants to optimize the production of out-crossed seeds. ... > full story
Grain Moisture Measurements May Divert Mold, Insect Infestation (September 2, 2008) -- Grain storage bins are routinely monitored for temperature to control insect and mold problems. Now an scientists have preliminary research findings showing that monitoring carbon dioxide -- along with humidity and temperature -- also may help detect problems more effectively. ... > full story
'Lost World' Beneath Caribbean To Be Explored (September 1, 2008) -- Scientists are set to explore the world's deepest undersea volcanoes and find out what lives in a 'lost world' five kilometres beneath the Caribbean. ... > full story
New Report Loosens Noose Around Albatross’s Neck (September 1, 2008) -- The survival chances of the albatross, now officially the most threatened seabird family in the world, have been improved following a new report released by WWF-South Africa. ... > full story
Environmental Friendly Technology Can Remove Ink Stains In Paper Recycling (September 1, 2008) -- The greatest challenge in paper recycling is removal of polymeric ink and coating; and the most difficult paper is mixed office wastepaper. Traditional de-inking processes involve large quantities of chemicals which are expensive and unfriendly to the environment. A better alternative would be a technology that involves biological intervention. ... > full story
'Armored' Fish Study Helps Strengthen Darwin's Natural Selection Theory (September 1, 2008) -- Shedding some genetically induced excess baggage may have helped a tiny fish thrive in freshwater and outsize its marine ancestors, according to a new study in Science. ... > full story
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Humans Could Be Infected Through Blood Transfusions (September 1, 2008) -- A nine-year study in sheep has added to the evidence that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) can be transmitted through blood transfusion in humans. The likelihood of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) being transmitted between sheep through transfusion of infected sheep blood was 36 per cent, according to new research. ... > full story
Diversity Among Parasitic Wasps Is Even Greater Than Suspected (September 1, 2008) -- A tiny wasp that lays its eggs under the skin of unwitting caterpillars belongs to one of the most diverse groups of insects on Earth. Now researchers report that its diversity is even higher than previously thought. ... > full story
Faster Rise In Sea Level Predicted From Melting Greenland Ice Sheet, Based On Lessons From Ice Age (September 1, 2008) -- If the lessons being learned by scientists about the demise of the last great North American ice sheet are correct, estimates of global sea level rise from a melting Greenland ice sheet may be seriously underestimated. Scientists report that sea level rise from greenhouse-induced warming of the Greenland ice sheet could be double or triple current estimates over the next century. ... > full story
Crystals Improve Understanding Of Volcanic Eruption Triggers (September 1, 2008) -- Scientists have exploited crystals from lavas to unravel the records of volcanic eruptions. ... > full story
Life Under The Laser: Unique Technology Illuminates Microscopic Activity In Body's Chemical Messenger System (August 31, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a unique technology that will allow scientists to look at microscopic activity within the body's chemical messenger system for the very first time, live as it happens. ... > full story
No More Big Stink: Scent Lures Mosquitoes, But Humans Can't Smell It (August 31, 2008) -- Mosquito traps that reek like latrines may be no more. Chemical ecologists have discovered a low-cost, easy-to-prepare attractant that lures blood-fed mosquitoes without making humans hold their noses. ... > full story
Incidence Of Intestinal Parasite Coccidia Is Increasing In Broilers (August 31, 2008) -- Coccidia are single-celled intestinal parasites that currently represent one of the greatest challenges to the broiler industry. To keep the level of infection low, farmers commonly add coccidia-inhibiting chemicals (coccidiostats) to broiler feed. While this does not kill the parasites, it greatly reduces the incidence of overt sickness and death from infection. While clinical coccidiosis is therefore not a problem, veterinary authorities have never been able to gauge the extent of subclinical coccidiosis and the consequences this may have for animal welfare issues and production costs. ... > full story
Public Involvement Usually Leads To Better Environmental Decision Making (August 31, 2008) -- When done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council. ... > full story
Treatment For Hearing Loss? Scientists Grow Hair Cells Involved in Hearing (August 30, 2008) -- Scientists have successfully produced functional auditory hair cells in the cochlea of the mouse inner ear. The breakthrough suggests that a new therapy may be developed in the future to successfully treat hearing loss. ... > full story
Magmatically Triggered Slow Earthquake Discovered At Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (August 30, 2008) -- From June 17-19, 2007, Kilauea experienced a new dike intrusion, where magma rapidly moved from a storage reservoir beneath the summit into the east rift zone and extended the rift zone by as much as 1 meter. ... > full story
Novel Approach In Molecular Differentiation Of Prion Strains (August 30, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a prion protein characteristic that is unique to some natural but unusual sheep scrapie cases. This finding may provide a novel method by which to study prion diversity and their possible changes during cross-species transmission. ... > full story
Antarctic Research Helps Shed Light On Climate Change On Mars (August 30, 2008) -- Eroded gullies on the flanks of Martian craters may have been formed by snowmelt as recently as a few hundred thousand years ago and in sites once occupied by glaciers. Similar conditions can be found in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys. Rather than being a dead planet, the new data are consistent with dynamic climate changes on Mars. ... > full story
Scientists Discover Why Flies Are So Hard To Swat (August 29, 2008) -- Over the past two decades, Michael Dickinson has been interviewed by reporters hundreds of times about his research on the biomechanics of insect flight. One question from the press has always dogged him: Why are flies so hard to swat? "Now I can finally answer," says Dickinson, the Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology. ... > full story
Katrina And Rita Provide Glimpse Of What Could Happen To Offshore Drilling If Gustav Hits Gulf (August 29, 2008) -- Shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the US, engineers studied damage done to offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. If tropical storm Gustav strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane, as forecasters are predicting, the damage could be extensive. ... > full story
Unexpected Large Monkey Population Discovered In Cambodia: Tens Of Thousands Of Threatened Primates (August 29, 2008) -- Biologists have discovered surprisingly large populations of two globally threatened primates in a protected area in Cambodia. The report counted 42,000 black-shanked douc langurs along with 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, an estimate that represents the largest known populations for both species in the world. ... > full story
'Pristine' Amazonian Region Hosted Large, Urban Civilization (August 29, 2008) -- They aren't the lost cities early explorers sought fruitlessly to discover. But ancient settlements in the Amazon, now almost entirely obscured by tropical forest, were once large and complex enough to be considered "urban" as the term is commonly applied to both medieval European and ancient Greek communities. ... > full story
Black Raspberries Slow Cancer By Altering Hundreds Of Genes (August 29, 2008) -- New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents, such as those found in concentrated black raspberries, may more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene. Researchers examined the effect of freeze-dried black raspberries on genes altered by a chemical carcinogen in an animal model of esophageal cancer. ... > full story
Saving Lives Through Smarter Hurricane Evacuations (August 29, 2008) -- Hundreds of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars could potentially be saved if emergency managers could make better and more timely critical decisions when faced with an approaching hurricane. Now, an MIT graduate student has developed a computer model that could help do just that. ... > full story
Eyes Evolved For 'X-Ray Vision': Forward-facing Eyes Allow Animals To 'See Through' Clutter In The World (August 29, 2008) -- The advantage of using two eyes to see the world around us has long been associated solely with our capacity to see in 3-D. Now, a new study has uncovered a truly eye-opening advantage to binocular vision: our ability to see through things. ... > full story
Natural Chemical From Sea Sponges Induces Death In Cancer Cells Via Unusual Pathway (August 29, 2008) -- A chemical called candidaspongiolide (CAN) inhibits protein synthesis but also kills cancer cells by triggering caspase 12-dependent programmed cell death, according to an article in the Aug. 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ... > full story
Explosives Go 'Green' ... And Get More Precise (August 29, 2008) -- Certain explosives may soon get a little greener and a little more precise. Researchers have added unique green solvents (ionic liquids) to an explosive called TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) and improved the crystal quality and chemical purity of the material. ... > full story
Researchers Provide Solution To World’s Worst Mass Poisoning Case (August 29, 2008) -- A solution to the world's worst case of ongoing mass poisoning, linked to rising cancer rates in Southern Asia, has been developed by researchers from Queen's University Belfast. They have created new low-cost technology to provide arsenic-free water to millions of people in South Asia currently exposed to high levels of the poison in groundwater. ... > full story
Fishing For Profits On World Caviar Market (August 29, 2008) -- As sturgeon populations decline in the Caspian Sea, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have a found way for Israel to cash in on the world's growing demand for caviar. ... > full story
Arctic Ice On Verge Of Another All-time Low (August 28, 2008) -- Following last summer's record minimum ice cover in the Arctic, current observations from ESA's Envisat satellite suggest that the extent of polar sea-ice may again shrink to a level very close to that of last year. ... > full story
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