All posts; Tags Include "Zoology"
- June 24, 2014
- 09:04 AM
- 582 views
No need to only send your best work to Science Magazine
by Björn Brembs in bjoern.brembs.blog
The data clearly show that publications in Cell, Nature or Science (CNS for short), on average, cannot be distinguished from other publications, be it by methodology, reproducibility or other measures of quality. Even their citation advantage, while statistically significant, is […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry...... Read more »
DasGupta, S., Ferreira, C., & Miesenbock, G. (2014) FoxP influences the speed and accuracy of a perceptual decision in Drosophila. Science, 344(6186), 901-904. DOI: 10.1126/science.1252114
- June 24, 2014
- 05:10 AM
- 269 views
From Poo to Papillomavirus: Peculiar Penguin Pathogens
by socgenmicro in Microbe Post
Penguin poo has seen a surprising range of scientific applications, from a comprehensive census of emperor penguins from satellite data to a calculation of the rectal pressures required to avoid defecating into their own nests; the latter research, unsurprisingly, even … Continue reading →... Read more »
Varsani A, Kraberger S, Jennings S, Porzig EL, Julian L, Massaro M, Pollard A, Ballard G, & Ainley DG. (2014) A novel papillomavirus in Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) faeces sampled at the Cape Crozier colony, Antarctica. The Journal of General Virology, 95(Pt 6), 1352-65. PMID: 24686913
- June 21, 2014
- 07:02 AM
- 732 views
True Facts About The Fruit Bat | @GrrlScientist
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
This amusing video shares a few facts about the amazing megabats -- the largest flying mammals alive in the world today. Continue reading...... Read more »
Simmons Nancy B., Jörg Habersetzer, & Gregg F. Gunnell. (2008) Primitive Early Eocene bat from Wyoming and the evolution of flight and echolocation. Nature, 451(7180), 818-821. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature06549
Pettigrew J. D., S. K. Robson, L. S. Hall, K. I. McAnally, & H. M. Cooper. (1989) Phylogenetic Relations Between Microbats, Megabats and Primates (Mammalia: Chiroptera and Primates). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 325(1229), 489-559. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1989.0102
Eick G. N. (2005) A Nuclear DNA Phylogenetic Perspective on the Evolution of Echolocation and Historical Biogeography of Extant Bats (Chiroptera). Molecular Biology and Evolution, 22(9), 1869-1886. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msi180
- June 20, 2014
- 07:31 AM
- 771 views
Journal Club: Passenger pigeon extinction: it’s complicated
by GrrlScientist in Maniraptora
A newly published study reveals that the extinction of the passenger pigeon likely was due to the combined effects of their natural dramatic population fluctuations and human over-exploitation. Read more... Read more »
Hung Chih-Ming, Shaner Pei-Jen L., Zink Robert M., Liu Wei-Chung, Chu Te-Chin, Huang Wen-San, & Li Shou-Hsien. (2014) Drastic population fluctuations explain the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1401526111
Hung Chih-Ming, Lin Rong-Chien, Chu Jui-Hua, Yeh Chia-Fen, Yao Chiou-Ju, & Li Shou-Hsien. (2013) The De Novo Assembly of Mitochondrial Genomes of the Extinct Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) with Next Generation Sequencing. PLoS ONE, 8(2). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056301
Groenen Martien A. M., Archibald Alan L., Uenishi Hirohide, Tuggle Christopher K., Takeuchi Yasuhiro, Rothschild Max F., Rogel-Gaillard Claire, Park Chankyu, Milan Denis, & Megens Hendrik-Jan. (2012) Analyses of pig genomes provide insight into porcine demography and evolution. Nature, 491(7424), 393-398. DOI: 10.1038/nature11622
Frankham Richard. (1995) Effective population size/adult population size ratios in wildlife: A Review. Genetical Research, 66(02), 95-107. DOI: 10.1017/S0016672300034455
- June 18, 2014
- 08:15 AM
- 398 views
Sneaking Up On A Snake
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Snakes have several ways of finding prey. Some use sight; many use taste and smell via the veromonasal organ. New research has identified the sensitivity of snake hearing, even though they don’t have an outer or middle ear. They sense vibrations by placing their lower jaws on the ground and the vibrations are transduced by the cochlea they do possess. Finally, new research is showing how the heat-sensing pits of pit vipers work. They use a mutated version of the thermosensor and noxious ch........ Read more »
Christensen CB, Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Brandt C, & Madsen PT. (2012) Hearing with an atympanic ear: good vibration and poor sound-pressure detection in the royal python, Python regius. The Journal of experimental biology, 215(Pt 2), 331-42. PMID: 22189777
Gracheva EO, Ingolia NT, Kelly YM, Cordero-Morales JF, Hollopeter G, Chesler AT, Sánchez EE, Perez JC, Weissman JS, & Julius D. (2010) Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes. Nature, 464(7291), 1006-11. PMID: 20228791
Geng J, Liang D, Jiang K, & Zhang P. (2011) Molecular evolution of the infrared sensory gene TRPA1 in snakes and implications for functional studies. PloS one, 6(12). PMID: 22163322
- June 16, 2014
- 03:26 PM
- 745 views
Passenger pigeon extinction: it's complicated | @GrrlScientist
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
A newly published study reveals that the extinction of the passenger pigeon likely was due to the combined effects of their natural dramatic population fluctuations and human over-exploitation.... Read more »
Hung Chih-Ming, Shaner Pei-Jen L., Zink Robert M., Liu Wei-Chung, Chu Te-Chin, Huang Wen-San, & Li Shou-Hsien. (2014) Drastic population fluctuations explain the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1401526111
Hung Chih-Ming, Lin Rong-Chien, Chu Jui-Hua, Yeh Chia-Fen, Yao Chiou-Ju, & Li Shou-Hsien. (2013) The De Novo Assembly of Mitochondrial Genomes of the Extinct Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) with Next Generation Sequencing. PLoS ONE, 8(2). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056301
Groenen Martien A. M., Archibald Alan L., Uenishi Hirohide, Tuggle Christopher K., Takeuchi Yasuhiro, Rothschild Max F., Rogel-Gaillard Claire, Park Chankyu, Milan Denis, & Megens Hendrik-Jan. (2012) Analyses of pig genomes provide insight into porcine demography and evolution. Nature, 491(7424), 393-398. DOI: 10.1038/nature11622
Frankham Richard. (1995) Effective population size/adult population size ratios in wildlife: A Review. Genetical Research, 66(02), 95-107. DOI: 10.1017/S0016672300034455
- June 16, 2014
- 07:58 AM
- 358 views
The intricate world of cone snail venoms
by Marc in Teaching Biology
A great paper authored by Sébastien Dutertre and colleagues was recently published by Nature Communications: Dutertre, S., Jin, A., Vetter, I., Hamilton, B., Sunagar, K., Lavergne, V., Dutertre, V., Fry, B., Antunes, A., Venter, D., Alewood, P., & Lewis, R. (2014). Evolution of separate predation- and defence-evoked venoms in carnivorous cone snails Nature Communications, 5 […]... Read more »
Dutertre, S., Jin, A., Vetter, I., Hamilton, B., Sunagar, K., Lavergne, V., Dutertre, V., Fry, B., Antunes, A., Venter, D.... (2014) Evolution of separate predation- and defence-evoked venoms in carnivorous cone snails. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4521
- June 14, 2014
- 04:00 PM
- 1,007 views
David VS Goliath: How a tiny Israeli spider preys on ants four times its size
by beredim in Strange Animals
Juvenile Zodarion cyrenaicum (red circle) feeding on the gaster of a much larger antCredit: Stano PekárIn nature, the general rule is that big fish eats little fish. Obviously, this doesn't apply exclusively to fish!However, every rule has an exception. One such notable exception is Zodarion cyrenaicum, a tiny spider from the Negev desert, Israel that feeds almost exclusively on the 4-times bigger Messor arenarius ant.M. arenarius ants grow to be up to 1.7 cm (~0.6 in.) long and ........ Read more »
Pekár S, Sedo O, Líznarová E, Korenko S, & Zdráhal Z. (2014) David and Goliath: potent venom of an ant-eating spider (Araneae) enables capture of a giant prey. Die Naturwissenschaften. PMID: 24879352
- June 10, 2014
- 02:53 PM
- 711 views
Australia's thorny dragon
by beredim in Strange Animals
Thorny dragonKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ReptiliaOrder: SquamataFamily: AgamidaeGenus: MolochSpecies: Moloch horridusConservation Status: Not yet assessedCommon name(s): Thorny dragon, thorny lizard, thorny devil, mountain devil and molochThe thorny dragon is a small, scary-looking species of lizard occurring exclusively in Australia and is the sole species of the genus Moloch. It's a truly bizarre creature, with no other lizard in the world coming remot........ Read more »
BENTLEY PJ, & BLUMER WF. (1962) Uptake of water by the lizard, Moloch horridus. Nature, 699-700. PMID: 13867381
Withers, P. (1993) Cutaneous Water Acquisition by the Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus: Agamidae). Journal of Herpetology, 27(3), 265. DOI: 10.2307/1565146
Kluge, A., & Greer, A. (1991) The Biology and Evolution of Australian Lizards. Copeia, 1991(2), 534. DOI: 10.2307/1446607
Pianka, E., & Pianka, H. (1970) The Ecology of Moloch horridus (Lacertilia: Agamidae) in Western Australia. Copeia, 1970(1), 90. DOI: 10.2307/1441978
Meyers JJ, & Herrel A. (2005) Prey capture kinematics of ant-eating lizards. The Journal of experimental biology, 208(Pt 1), 113-27. PMID: 15601883
- June 4, 2014
- 08:15 AM
- 425 views
Sometimes, Cold Hurts
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Capsaicin receptors (TRPV1) help detect heat and cool the body. Cool receptors (TRPM8) detect cold temperatures and help warm the body. But what about TRPA1 receptors? New research shows that while their function in intense cold sensing may be species specific, they do function in pain production, for heat, cold, and chemicals. So if they are so good at producing pain, why would a spider have a TRPA1 blocker in its venom?... Read more »
de Oliveira, C., Garami, A., Lehto, S., Pakai, E., Tekus, V., Pohoczky, K., Youngblood, B., Wang, W., Kort, M., Kym, P.... (2014) Transient Receptor Potential Channel Ankyrin-1 Is Not a Cold Sensor for Autonomic Thermoregulation in Rodents. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(13), 4445-4452. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5387-13.2014
Spahn V, Stein C, & Zöllner C. (2014) Modulation of transient receptor vanilloid 1 activity by transient receptor potential ankyrin 1. Molecular pharmacology, 85(2), 335-44. PMID: 24275229
Benemei S, Fusi C, Trevisan G, & Geppetti P. (2014) The TRPA1 channel in migraine mechanism and treatment. British journal of pharmacology, 171(10), 2552-67. PMID: 24206166
Gui J, Liu B, Cao G, Lipchik AM, Perez M, Dekan Z, Mobli M, Daly NL, Alewood PF, Parker LL.... (2014) A tarantula-venom peptide antagonizes the TRPA1 nociceptor ion channel by binding to the S1-S4 gating domain. Current biology : CB, 24(5), 473-83. PMID: 24530065
- June 3, 2014
- 09:15 AM
- 471 views
Scientist Names Newly Discovered Blind Fish with Neck Anus after His Alma Mater
by Elizabeth Preston in Inkfish
In what might be considered a mixed message outside of the ichthyology world, scientists have named a new species of cavefish after the Indiana University Hoosiers. It’s blind, has its anus behind its head, and distinguishes itself from its nearest relative by being a little fatter. But its discovery might help keep the world’s other […]The post Scientist Names Newly Discovered Blind Fish with Neck Anus after His Alma Mater appeared first on Inkfish.... Read more »
Chakrabarty, P., Prejean, J., & Niemiller, M. (2014) The Hoosier cavefish, a new and endangered species (Amblyopsidae, Amblyopsis) from the caves of southern Indiana. ZooKeys, 41-57. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.412.7245
- May 31, 2014
- 12:16 PM
- 853 views
Paedophryne amauensis: World's smallest vertebrate (and frog)
by beredim in Strange Animals
Paedophryne amauensis dwarfed by a mere U.S. dimeKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: AmphibiaOrder: AnuraFamily: MicrohylidaeGenus: PaedophryneSpecies: Paedophryne amauensisConservation Status: Not yet assessedCommon name(s): None yetAbout three years ago, I had made a post about Eleutherodactylus cosnipatae, the world's smallest frog species. I am currently in the process of updating all the older posts with new information and this is how I found that E.cosnipatae........ Read more »
Rittmeyer EN, Allison A, Gründler MC, Thompson DK, & Austin CC. (2012) Ecological guild evolution and the discovery of the world's smallest vertebrate. PloS one, 7(1). PMID: 22253785
Kraus F. (2011) At the lower size limit for tetrapods, two new species of the miniaturized frog genus Paedophryne (Anura, Microhylidae). ZooKeys, 71-88. PMID: 22287916
- May 30, 2014
- 05:36 PM
- 530 views
Are Irish badgers a distinct subspecies
by Denise O'Meara in Denise O'Meara
I recently got the opportunity to contribute to an article with Allan McDevitt about the species status of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in Ireland. In this article, we examine media claims that the Irish badger warrants subspecies status. We present and examine the best available evidence to which we find no support for such claims. Check out the full story over at Ireland's Wildlife.... Read more »
Byrne, A., Paddy Sleeman, D., O'Keeffe, J., & Davenport, J. (2012) The ecology of the European badger (Meles meles) in Ireland: a review. Biology , 112(1), 105-132. DOI: 10.3318/BIOE.2012.02
Frantz, A., McDevitt, A., Pope, L., Kochan, J., Davison, J., Clements, C., Elmeros, M., Molina-Vacas, G., Ruiz-Gonzalez, A., Balestrieri, A.... (2014) Revisiting the phylogeography and demography of European badgers (Meles meles) based on broad sampling, multiple markers and simulations. Heredity. DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.45
O'MEARA, D., EDWARDS, C., SLEEMAN, D., CROSS, T., STATHAM, M., MCDOWELL, J., DILLANE, E., COUGHLAN, J., O'LEARY, D., O'REILLY, C.... (2012) Genetic structure of Eurasian badgers Meles meles (Carnivora: Mustelidae) and the colonization history of Ireland. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 106(4), 893-909. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01927.x
Zachos, F., Apollonio, M., Bärmann, E., Festa-Bianchet, M., Göhlich, U., Habel, J., Haring, E., Kruckenhauser, L., Lovari, S., McDevitt, A.... (2013) Species inflation and taxonomic artefacts—A critical comment on recent trends in mammalian classification. Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 78(1), 1-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2012.07.083
- May 28, 2014
- 12:44 PM
- 331 views
Oil, Natural Gas Development Affects Forest Songbirds
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Conventional oil and gas development in northern Pennsylvania altered bird communities, and the current massive build-out of shale-gas infrastructure may accelerate these changes, according to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.... Read more »
Thomas, E., Brittingham, M., & Stoleson, S. (2014) Conventional oil and gas development alters forest songbird communities. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 78(2), 293-306. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.662
- May 28, 2014
- 08:00 AM
- 507 views
Cold Receptors Come In From The Cold
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
TRPM8 is a cool sensing ion channel. It acts in thermoregulation and nasal resistance, but new research is showing some impressive functions outside of temperature sensing. Sperm maturation is inhibited by TRPM8 signaling until the egg is reached and CRISP4 levels rise to the point of TRPM8 inhibition. Then TRPV1 can initiate the acrosome reaction.
In addition, morphine action and opiate withdrawal have related to TRPM8. Morphine in the presence of a TRPM8 inhibitor is much less analgesic. O........ Read more »
Gibbs GM, Orta G, Reddy T, Koppers AJ, Martínez-López P, de la Vega-Beltràn JL, Lo JC, Veldhuis N, Jamsai D, McIntyre P.... (2011) Cysteine-rich secretory protein 4 is an inhibitor of transient receptor potential M8 with a role in establishing sperm function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(17), 7034-9. PMID: 21482758
Shapovalov G, Gkika D, Devilliers M, Kondratskyi A, Gordienko D, Busserolles J, Bokhobza A, Eschalier A, Skryma R, & Prevarskaya N. (2013) Opiates modulate thermosensation by internalizing cold receptor TRPM8. Cell reports, 4(3), 504-15. PMID: 23911290
Medic N, Desai A, Komarow H, Burch LH, Bandara G, Beaven MA, Metcalfe DD, & Gilfillan AM. (2011) Examination of the role of TRPM8 in human mast cell activation and its relevance to the etiology of cold-induced urticaria. Cell calcium, 50(5), 473-80. PMID: 21906810
Cho Y, Jang Y, Yang YD, Lee CH, Lee Y, & Oh U. (2010) TRPM8 mediates cold and menthol allergies associated with mast cell activation. Cell calcium, 48(4), 202-8. PMID: 20934218
- May 25, 2014
- 03:05 PM
- 728 views
Bigfin squids: Aliens from the deep
by beredim in Strange Animals
A long-arm squid filmed by DSV Alvin,possibly an adult bigfin squidKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: CephalopodaOrder: TeuthidaFamily: MagnapinnidaeGenus: MagnapinnaSpecies: 5 (scroll down for full list)Common name(s): Long-arm squid, Bigfin squidThe Bigfin squid is a poorly understood group of cephalopods of the Magnapinnidae family. For now, the little knowledge we have about them, comes from larval, paralarval, and juvenile specimens, as researche........ Read more »
Vecchione, M., & Young, R. (1998) The Magnapinnidae, a newly discovered family of oceanic squid (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida). South African Journal of Marine Science, 20(1), 429-437. DOI: 10.2989/025776198784126340
Vecchione, M., & Young, R. (2006) The squid family Magnapinnidae (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) in the Atlantic Ocean, with a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 119(3), 365-372. DOI: 10.2988/0006-324X(2006)119[365:TSFMMC]2.0.CO;2
Hardy, A.C. (1967) The Open Sea, Its Natural History Alister Hardy. The American Biology Teacher, 29(4), 314-315. DOI: 10.2307/4441722
Guerra, A., González, A., Rocha, F., Segonzac, M., & Gracia, J. (2002) Observations from submersibles of rare long-arm bathypelagic squids. Sarsia: North Atlantic Marine Science, 87(2), 189-192. DOI: 10.1080/003648202320205274
- May 21, 2014
- 08:30 AM
- 816 views
Did Dogs, Cats and Cows Predict the M9 Earthquake in Japan in 2011?
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Is it possible that animals had advance warning of the Tohoku earthquake?Photo: Paul Atkinson / ShutterstockThere have long been reports of animals behaving strangely before large quakes, including an account of snakes, weasels and rats leaving home prior to an earthquake in Greece in 373BC. But there is still a lack of scientific evidence. A new study in Japan investigates pet owners’ reports of cat and dog behaviour, and changes in dairy milk production, before the magnitude 9 earthqua........ Read more »
Yamauchi, H., Uchiyama, H., Ohtani, N., & Ohta, M. (4) Unusual animal behaviour preceding the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, Japan: A way to predict the approach of large earthquakes. Animals, 131-145. info:/
- May 21, 2014
- 08:20 AM
- 382 views
The Cold Cure All
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Having a cold is no fun. But exercise is excellent for decreasing nasal resistance so you aren’t so stuffed up. Vicks VapoRub has been a staple for children’s colds since the 1890’s, but it wasn’t until 2008 that research showed that the menthol effect on TRPM8 does not have any effect at all on nasal resistance and the brain just interprets TRPM8 cool sensing as a signal that your nose is open and passing air freely.
However, Vicks is effective as an anti-tussive age........ Read more »
Lindemann J, Tsakiropoulou E, Scheithauer MO, Konstantinidis I, & Wiesmiller KM. (2008) Impact of menthol inhalation on nasal mucosal temperature and nasal patency. American journal of rhinology, 22(4), 402-5. PMID: 18702906
Buday T, Brozmanova M, Biringerova Z, Gavliakova S, Poliacek I, Calkovsky V, Shetthalli MV, & Plevkova J. (2012) Modulation of cough response by sensory inputs from the nose - role of trigeminal TRPA1 versus TRPM8 channels. Cough (London, England), 8(1), 11. PMID: 23199233
Plevkova J, Kollarik M, Poliacek I, Brozmanova M, Surdenikova L, Tatar M, Mori N, & Canning BJ. (2013) The role of trigeminal nasal TRPM8-expressing afferent neurons in the antitussive effects of menthol. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 115(2), 268-74. PMID: 23640596
- May 19, 2014
- 08:00 AM
- 646 views
Turtle Activity: Living the Life in the Sun –-Guest Post–-
by David Steen in Living Alongside Wildlife
Hello, our names are Sara Bresse and Nadeen Masarweh, and we are 5th year biology students at San Diego State University in California. This is our first time writing a blog post, and as a research assignment for our experimental ecology course, we observed turtle activity at our turtle pond on campus. Throughout the course of this semester we have conducted a few ecological class research ... Read more »
Boyer, D. (1965) Ecology of the Basking Habit in Turtles. Ecology, 46(1/2), 99. DOI: 10.2307/1935262
- May 17, 2014
- 12:00 PM
- 313 views
When Octopuses and Spaghetti Collide: why octopus’s arms don’t catch themselves
by Bernadeta Dadonaite in The Question Gene
There are animals that do have quite a few hands and not just any hands but hands full of suckers that will stick and hold on to anything in their path. Yes, I am talking about cephalopods, which include octopuses, squids, cuttlefishes and others. Just how and do these animals manage to distinguish between their own hands and other objects and prevent the suckers from catching the limbs of their own?... Read more »
Nesher, N., Levy, G., Grasso, F., & Hochner, B. (2014) Self-Recognition Mechanism between Skin and Suckers Prevents Octopus Arms from Interfering with Each Other. Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.024
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