Nature News Articles Archive Page 17 from Wed 27 Apr 2011 to Thu 19 May 2011

Remarkable rodent rediscovered after 113 years

Posted Thu, 19 May 2011 13:51:00 GMT by Ruth Hendry

A creature once thought extinct has been rediscovered in Colombia. Where would you expect to see a species last seen in 1898? Deepest jungle? At the bottom of the ocean? How about on your doorstep? The red-crested tree-rat, a little known guinea-pig sized rodent, casually appeared

Remarkable rodent rediscovered after 113 years

Large carnivorous Hawaiian crab driven to extinction by first arrivals

Posted Mon, 16 May 2011 21:00:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

A new species of large, land-based, carnivorous crabs has been described in toady's PloS ONE - found all over the Hawaiian Islands. The catch is that they have been extinct for a thousand years - tipped into an early demise by newly arrived Polynesian colonists.

Large carnivorous Hawaiian crab driven to extinction by first arrivals

Climate Change Affects Animal Distribution

Posted Sun, 15 May 2011 13:25:00 GMT by Kieran Ball

A research group from Brown University have discovered that rainfall distribution affected the chosen habitat of mammals over 200 million years ago. A team of scientists at Brown University have established that early mammals confined themselves to one area of the continent while early reptiles known as procolophonids lived in another section.

Climate Change Affects Animal Distribution

Sperm whales speak with regional accents

Posted Sat, 14 May 2011 09:11:00 GMT by Lucy Brake

Latest research suggests that sperm whales communicate with different accents and regional dialects. Sperm whales communicate with each other using a pattern of clicks or 'codas' and it is well known that there is a pattern of a series of five clicks, which are evenly spaced apart, that is used by sperm whales all over the world.

Sperm whales speak with regional accents

Earthquake strikes Spain, killing at least eight people

Posted Thu, 12 May 2011 20:05:00 GMT by Ruth Hendry

Hundreds injured, thousands homeless. At least eight people have died and 260 are injured after Spain's worst earthquake in 50 years. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the southern Spanish town of Lorca on Wednesday evening, just two hours after a magnitude 4.5 tremor.

Earthquake strikes Spain, killing at least eight people

Lone Male Black Bears Responsible for Most Attacks on Humans

Posted Wed, 11 May 2011 16:29:00 GMT by Kieran Ball

Predatory male black bears are responsible for more deaths than female bears. An article in the Journal of Wildlife Management reports that the majority of fatal bear attacks on people are carried out by lone male black bears. Perhaps more significantly, the report also suggests that these attacks are on the increase.

Lone Male Black Bears Responsible for Most Attacks on Humans

2011 State of Birds Report

Posted Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:00 GMT by Brooke Janssens

''This year's report brings attention to the importance of public lands and waters for conserving America's wildlife and habitats.'' The recent release of the 2011 State of Birds report has given new insight into the welfare of America's bird populations, as well as the status of wildlife and conservation efforts.

2011 State of Birds Report

Trees killed by Pine Beetles create more dangerous fires

Posted Fri, 06 May 2011 14:55:00 GMT by Melanie J. Martin

Fire ignites and spreads more easily in forests devastated by pine beetles, making new fire management plans crucial. In areas where many trees have been killed by pine beetle infestations, forest fires can spread more quickly, new research says. The dead trees are much drier than live wood, as are the red needles. The way fire behaves in areas struck by pine beetles, such as much of British Columbia and Montana, is changing dramatically in a short time.

Trees killed by Pine Beetles create more dangerous fires

Increase in whale strandings causes concern

Posted Fri, 06 May 2011 08:26:00 GMT by Melanie J. Martin

Whale and dolphin strandings and deaths may be on the rise due to sonar. In the past few years, whale strandings have risen, says a spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in a May 4 article on ABC News. The DEC isn't sure why whales are stranding more frequently, he says, but it plans to investigate the causes.

Increase in whale strandings causes concern

Rodent eradication declared a success in South Georgia

Posted Thu, 05 May 2011 17:20:00 GMT by Ruth Hendry

50 tonnes of rodenticide spread by helicopter to remove invasive species. South Georgia has been colonised by invasive rodent species. These introduced rodents feed on the eggs and young of ground-nesting native birds, which can offer no resistance. Every year thousands, perhaps millions, of young birds are eaten alive by rats.

Rodent eradication declared a success in South Georgia

Forearms point to Tasmanian tiger as a solitary hunter

Posted Tue, 03 May 2011 23:00:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, really was more like a solitary stalking tiger than a wolf, says a study into the bones of this extinct marsupial in the latest Biology Letters. That means it wasn't a direct competitor with the introduced dingo - raising questions about exactly how this top predator met its untimely demise in mainland Australia.

Forearms point to Tasmanian tiger as a solitary hunter

Look out for the little guys - smaller fish more vulnerable than thought

Posted Mon, 02 May 2011 19:00:01 GMT by Martin Leggett

Small fry may be at greater risk from population plunges than the big predatory fish, says a study out today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. That flips the convention that has fish species at the top of the food pyramid as most vulnerable to pollution and overfishing pressures; anchovies and sardines need looking after too.

Look out for the little guys - smaller fish more vulnerable than thought

Curious or cowardly - how greenfinches personality shines through

Posted Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:38:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

An experimental study on greenfinch personality has shown that being brave or curious has real biochemical consequences, when it comes to defending against dangerous oxidants. Braver and bolder finches show better antioxidant defenses than more timid and less adventurous birds, says the study in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Curious or cowardly - how greenfinches personality shines through

Deep ocean larvae hitch ride on powerful eddies

Posted Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:00:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

Oceanic eddies 300-miles wide don't just stretch across the surface of the ocean - they reach down to its depths, helping to connect isolated areas of the mid-oceanic ridges, and even providing 'lifts' to their inhabitants. So claims a new paper in Science which shows that these rotating currents help bring the 'seasons' of the surface to the darkest corners of the oceans.

Deep ocean larvae hitch ride on powerful eddies

Humpback whales in super-aggregation in Antarctica

Posted Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:10:00 GMT by Louise Murray

In a wildlife spectacle, a massive aggregation of over 300 humpback whales followed the biggest swarm of Antarctic krill seen in twenty years into bays in the Western Antarctic peninsula. The humpbacks were gorging on swarms of the tiny shrimp-like crustaceans. Almost all life in the Southern Ocean is ultimately dependent on the protein-rich crustaceans, from seabirds, seals and penguins, to the filter feeding whales.

Humpback whales in super-aggregation in Antarctica

Massive public evolutionary study sights ¾ million brightly colored snails

Posted Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:05:01 GMT by Martin Leggett

In one of the biggest mass-participation studies of its kind, 6,000 members of the public across Europe have helped document the evolutionary track of banded snails over the last fifty years. The Evolution Megalab project, published today in PloS One, shows that warmer temperatures are influencing snails in some areas and threw up some interesting surprises.

Massive public evolutionary study sights ¾ million brightly colored snails

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