All posts; Tags Include "Zoology"
- September 28, 2014
- 04:54 AM
- 362 views
Andinobates Geminisae: New Fingernail Sized Poison Dart Frog from Panama
by beredim in Strange Animals
This is the hololotype specimen that the researchers used to describe the newly discovered Andinobates geminisaeCredit: Cesar Jaramillo, STRIA team of scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí in Panama, and the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia recently announced the discovery of a new bright orange poison dart frog. The new species is so small that it can fit on a fingernail and was found in a rain forest near the Caribbean coast, Do........ Read more »
BATISTA, A., JARAMILLO, C., PONCE, M., & CRAWFORD, A. (2014) A new species of Andinobates (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatidae) from west central Panama. Zootaxa, 3866(3), 333. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3866.3.2
- September 24, 2014
- 06:00 AM
- 483 views
Chase The Good, Evade The Bad
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
New research has found a bacterium that is spherical, yet has flagella all over its surface (peritrichous). This bacterium is also the only magnetotactic organism discovered that has both magnetite and Greigite crystals. Other research is showing that changing fields can turn magnetotactic bacteria on command. With some bacteria able to generate electrical circuits and others being able to open and close circuits on command, can bacterial computers be far away?... Read more »
Gao B, Lara-Tejero M, Lefebre M, Goodman AL, & Galán JE. (2014) Novel components of the flagellar system in epsilonproteobacteria. mBio, 5(3). PMID: 24961693
Zhang R, Chen YR, Du HJ, Zhang WY, Pan HM, Xiao T, & Wu LF. (2014) Characterization and phylogenetic identification of a species of spherical multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes that produces both magnetite and greigite crystals. Research in microbiology. PMID: 25086260
Brennan CA, Hunt JR, Kremer N, Krasity BC, Apicella MA, McFall-Ngai MJ, & Ruby EG. (2014) A model symbiosis reveals a role for sheathed-flagellum rotation in the release of immunogenic lipopolysaccharide. eLife. PMID: 24596150
Khalil, I., & Misra, S. (2014) Control Characteristics of Magnetotactic Bacteria: Magnetospirillum Magnetotacticum Strain MS-1 and Magnetospirillum Magneticum Strain AMB-1. IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 50(4), 1-11. DOI: 10.1109/TMAG.2013.2287495
- September 22, 2014
- 09:00 AM
- 392 views
Creating The Master Breed
by Mark E. Lasbury in The 'Scope
The German nationalistic sentiment before and during World War II led to some bizarre selective breeding experiments. Two brothers, Heinz and Luke Heck tried to resurrect extinct large animals that once roamed the European forests, and they also tried to breed the perfect German hunting dog – a purely German hunting dog, of course. Whether a good idea or not, the Jadgterrier is one of the few truly healthy pure bred dogs.... Read more »
Lemay P, Knowler SP, Bouasker S, Nédélec Y, Platt S, Freeman C, Child G, Barreiro LB, Rouleau GA, Rusbridge C.... (2014) Quantitative trait loci (QTL) study identifies novel genomic regions associated to Chiari-like malformation in Griffon Bruxellois dogs. PloS one, 9(4). PMID: 24740420
Zeyland J, Wolko L, Bocianowski J, Szalata M, Słomski R, Dzieduszycki AM, Ryba M, Przystałowska H, & Lipiński D. (2013) Complete mitochondrial genome of wild aurochs (Bos primigenius) reconstructed from ancient DNA. Polish journal of veterinary sciences, 16(2), 265-73. PMID: 23971194
- September 18, 2014
- 08:00 AM
- 386 views
Pythons and the Land - The Bangladesh Python Project Part IV --Guest Post--
by David Steen in Living Alongside Wildlife
By Jon Hakim
Make sure to start at Part I.
“Snake call! It's the python. Are you up? We got a call for the python.”
The words were almost the same, but I woke up to see that
Caesar's face held a grimace. The
call he feared had come.
Let's back up to the night before.
In the last post I left you in a moment of triumph. Kanai had led four of us right to our
target species... Read more »
Rahman, Shahriar Caesar, & et al. (2013) Monsoon does matter: annual activity patterns in a snake assemblage from Bangladesh. The Herpetological Journal, 203-208. info:/
- September 15, 2014
- 08:00 AM
- 428 views
Sweating Is The Pits
by Mark E. Lasbury in The 'Scope
New research is delving into the possible negative aspects of antiperspirants and deodorants. A 2014 study indicates that bacterial fauna is altered by the use of antiperspirants and can lead to overgrowth of bacteria that actually produce more foul smelling chemicals. On a more important note, research is showing that aluminum from antiperspirants may contribute to breast cancer growth, including promotion of estrogen hormone production, altered iron metabolism, and increased oxygen radical for........ Read more »
Callewaert C, Hutapea P, Van de Wiele T, & Boon N. (2014) Deodorants and antiperspirants affect the axillary bacterial community. Archives of dermatological research. PMID: 25077920
Watson LC, Gies D, Thompson E, & Thomas B. (2012) Randomized control trial: evaluating aluminum-based antiperspirant use, axilla skin toxicity, and reported quality of life in women receiving external beam radiotherapy for treatment of Stage 0, I, and II breast cancer. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, 83(1). PMID: 22516385
Darbre PD, Mannello F, & Exley C. (2013) Aluminium and breast cancer: Sources of exposure, tissue measurements and mechanisms of toxicological actions on breast biology. Journal of inorganic biochemistry, 257-61. PMID: 23899626
Rodrigues-Peres RM, Cadore S, Febraio S, Heinrich JK, Serra KP, Derchain SF, Vassallo J, & Sarian LO. (2013) Aluminum concentrations in central and peripheral areas of malignant breast lesions do not differ from those in normal breast tissues. BMC cancer, 104. PMID: 23496847
- September 15, 2014
- 05:57 AM
- 591 views
Turritopsis Dohrnii - Is It Really Immortal?
by beredim in Strange Animals
The "Immortal" JellyfishCredit: Peter Schuchert/The Hydrozoa DirectoryKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: CnidariaClass: HydrozoaOrder: AnthoathecataFamily: OceaniidaeGenus: TurritopsisSpecies: Turritopsis dohrnii (formerly classified as T. nutricula.)Common Name: The immortal jellyfishMost of the animals featured on the site are chosen based on their unusual looks. However, this not the case with Turritopsis dohrnii, which seemingly has no notable morphological characteristics. On the outside, i........ Read more »
Martínez DE. (1998) Mortality patterns suggest lack of senescence in hydra. Experimental gerontology, 33(3), 217-25. PMID: 9615920
- September 10, 2014
- 07:42 AM
- 424 views
Indian Purple Frog (Pignosed Frog)
by beredim in Strange Animals
Indian Purple FrogCredit: Karthickbala at ta.wikipedia (CC-BY-SA-3.0)via Wikimedia CommonsKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: AmphibiaOrder: AnuraFamily: SooglossidaeGenus: NasikabatrachusSpecies: Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensisConservation Status: EndageredCommon name(s): Indian purple frog, Pignosed frog, Indian purple frogMeet the Indian puple frog, an endangered and odd-looking species of frog from the mountains of India’s Western Ghats.The species was formally described o........ Read more »
Biju SD, & Bossuyt F. (2003) New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles. Nature, 425(6959), 711-4. PMID: 14562102
Thomas A, Suyesh R, Biju SD, & Bee MA. (2014) Vocal behavior of the elusive purple frog of India (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), a fossorial species endemic to the Western Ghats. PloS one, 9(2). PMID: 24516517
- September 1, 2014
- 07:56 AM
- 335 views
New Clues Revealed about the Longevity of Naked Mole Rats
by beredim in Strange Animals
Naked Mole RatCredit: UT Health Science Center at San AntonioThe hairless, odd-looking creature in the photo is a naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber).Among many weird traits, the species also holds the record for longest living rodent. For comparison, the house mouse (Mus musculus) has a maximum lifespan of just 2-3 years, whereas naked mole rats have been recorded to live as much as 32 years!The exact mechanisms behind the species remarkable longevity have yet to be clearly unveiled, ho........ Read more »
Rodriguez KA, Osmulski PA, Pierce A, Weintraub ST, Gaczynska M, & Buffenstein R. (2014) A cytosolic protein factor from the naked mole-rat activates proteasomes of other species and protects these from inhibition. Biochimica et biophysica acta. PMID: 25018089
- August 29, 2014
- 06:38 AM
- 319 views
Fish with Lungs Gives Clues to the Origin of Tetrapods
by beredim in Strange Animals
Juvenile Polypterus senegalusAbout 400 million years ago, fish left the water and began to evolve into land-living creatures. But how did this transition happen? In a new and unusual study, researchers from the McGill University took a fish species known to be able to occasionally walk using its fins and raised it on land. The scientists found that when raised on land, this primitive strange fish with lungs, walks much better than its water-raised friends. The experiment could she........ Read more »
Standen EM, Du TY, & Larsson HC. (2014) Developmental plasticity and the origin of tetrapods. Nature. PMID: 25162530
- August 25, 2014
- 08:28 AM
- 597 views
Chinese Food And The One Hour Dilemma
by Mark E. Lasbury in The 'Scope
Everyone thinks they have the answer to why you get hungry soon after eating a plate of Chinese food, but it may be more complex than a simple answer. Some people blame MSG, others say it is the higher glycemic index of rice and noodles, while others claim it is the low fat, low protein aspects of Chinese food. New studies shows that MSG, high glycemic index foods and vegetable protein diets do not alter satiety and hunger hormone levels as compared to other meal types. It may be that the satiet........ Read more »
Neacsu M, Fyfe C, Horgan G, & Johnstone AM. (2014) Appetite control and biomarkers of satiety with vegetarian (soy) and meat-based high-protein diets for weight loss in obese men: a randomized crossover trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 100(2), 548-558. PMID: 24944057
Geliebter A, Lee MI, Abdillahi M, & Jones J. (2013) Satiety following intake of potatoes and other carbohydrate test meals. Annals of nutrition , 62(1), 37-43. PMID: 23221259
Boutry C, Matsumoto H, Airinei G, Benamouzig R, Tomé D, Blachier F, & Bos C. (2011) Monosodium glutamate raises antral distension and plasma amino acid after a standard meal in humans. American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology, 300(1). PMID: 21030612
- August 20, 2014
- 08:00 AM
- 384 views
Because He Is The One
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Swatting a fly is hard. They always seem to know you’re coming, and even if you do surprise them, they often avoid your assassination attempts. New research is showing how they do it. A 2014 paper indicates that animals with faster metabolic rates actually process information and react quicker than larger animals. This, along with recent data showing how flies can jump away from a visual stimulus before taking flight and how they can coordinate a 0.03 second banking turn with incoming visu........ Read more »
Muijres FT, Elzinga MJ, Melis JM, & Dickinson MH. (2014) Flies evade looming targets by executing rapid visually directed banked turns. Science (New York, N.Y.), 344(6180), 172-7. PMID: 24723606
Healy K, McNally L, Ruxton GD, Cooper N, & Jackson AL. (2013) Metabolic rate and body size are linked with perception of temporal information. Animal behaviour, 86(4), 685-696. PMID: 24109147
Jumpertz R, Hanson RL, Sievers ML, Bennett PH, Nelson RG, & Krakoff J. (2011) Higher energy expenditure in humans predicts natural mortality. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 96(6). PMID: 21450984
- August 16, 2014
- 06:27 AM
- 627 views
True facts about anglerfish | @GrrlScientist
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
To the female anglerfish, the human male is a very loud, annoying and unnecessarily complicated pair of gonads. Continue reading...... Read more »
Miya Masaki, James W Orr, Rachel J Arnold, Takashi P Satoh, Andrew M Shedlock, Hsuan-Ching Ho, Mitsuomi Shimazaki, Mamoru Yabe, & Mutsumi Nishida. (2010) Evolutionary history of anglerfishes (Teleostei: Lophiiformes): a mitogenomic perspective. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 10(1), 58. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-10-58
Widder E. A. (2010) Bioluminescence in the Ocean: Origins of Biological, Chemical, and Ecological Diversity. Science, 328(5979), 704-708. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1174269
- August 16, 2014
- 06:08 AM
- 547 views
The Mata mata turtle
by beredim in Strange Animals
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ReptiliaOrder: TestudinesFamily: ChelidaeGenus: ChelusSpecies: Chelus fimbriataConservation Status: Least ConcernCommon Name(s): Mata mata, Mata mata turtle, Matamata and other similar variationsMata mata, a strange name for what is sure one of the world's strangest turtles! This large, South American river turtle is the only surviving species of the genus Chelus and is easily one of the most unusual creatures you are likely to encounter in the Amazon........ Read more »
Lombardini ED, Desoutter AV, Montali RJ, & Del Piero F. (2013) Esophageal adenocarcinoma in a 53-year-old mata mata turtle (Chelus fimbriatus). Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, 44(3), 773-6. PMID: 24063112
Wang L, Zhou X, Nie L, Xia X, Liu L, Jiang Y, Huang Z, & Jing W. (2012) The complete mitochondrial genome sequences of Chelodina rugosa and Chelus fimbriata (Pleurodira: Chelidae): implications of a common absence of initiation sites (O(L)) in pleurodiran turtles. Molecular biology reports, 39(3), 2097-107. PMID: 21655955
- August 14, 2014
- 01:55 PM
- 412 views
Getting High On Life
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Living organisms can survive and thrive in all kinds of rough environments. This would include the edges of space. There are bird species that can fly at almost 40,000 ft., as high as the highest clouds. New research is showing just how the bar headed goose is able to fly when the air is thin and the oxygen is scarce. But more impressive are the bacteria. They can actually live their whole lives in the air, dividing and growing nearly 25 miles (41 km) above the surface of the Earth. A study from........ Read more »
Pawar SP, Dhotre DP, Shetty SA, Chowdhury SP, Chaudhari BL, & Shouche YS. (2012) Genome sequence of Janibacter hoylei MTCC8307, isolated from the stratospheric air. Journal of bacteriology, 194(23), 6629-30. PMID: 23144385
Dillon ME, & Dudley R. (2014) Surpassing Mt. Everest: extreme flight performance of alpine bumble-bees. Biology letters, 10(2), 20130922. PMID: 24501268
Hawkes LA, Balachandran S, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Douglas DC, Frappell PB, Hou Y, Milsom WK, Newman SH.... (2013) The paradox of extreme high-altitude migration in bar-headed geese Anser indicus. Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, 280(1750), 20122114. PMID: 23118436
- August 14, 2014
- 09:30 AM
- 515 views
Competition for ecological niches limits evolution of new species | @GrrlScientist
by GrrlScientist in GrrlScientist
A recently published study finds that competition for ecological niches limits the evolution of new species. Further, this study finds that speciation rate slows or even stops as available ecological niches fill up. Continue reading...... Read more »
Price Trevor D., Hooper Daniel M., Buchanan Caitlyn D., Johansson Ulf S., Tietze D. Thomas, Alström Per, Olsson Urban, Ghosh-Harihar Mousumi, Ishtiaq Farah, & Gupta Sandeep K. (2014) Niche filling slows the diversification of Himalayan songbirds. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature13272
FJELDSÅ Jon. (2013) The global diversification of songbirds (Oscines) and the build-up of the Sino-Himalayan diversity hotspot. Chinese Birds, 4(2), 132-143. DOI: 10.5122/cbirds.2013.0014
Richman Adam D. , & Price Trevor. (1992) Evolution of ecological differences in the Old World leaf warblers. Nature, 817-821. DOI: 10.1038/355817a0
Kennedy Jonathan D., Weir Jason T., Hooper Daniel M. , Tietze D. Thomas, Martens Jochen, & Price Trevor D. (2012) Ecological limits on diversification of the Himalayan core Corvoidea. Evolution, 66(8), 2599-2613. DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01618.x
Harmon Luke J., Schulte James A., Larson Allan, & Losos Jonathan B. (2003) Tempo and Mode of Evolutionary Radiation in Iguanian Lizards. Science, 301(5635), 961-964. DOI: 10.1126/science.1084786
- August 13, 2014
- 08:00 AM
- 377 views
Getting High On Life
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Living organisms can survive and thrive in all kinds of rough environments. This would include the edges of space. There are bird species that can fly at almost 40,000 ft., as high as the highest clouds. New research is showing just how the bar headed goose is able to fly when the air is thin and the oxygen is scarce. But more impressive are the bacteria. They can actually live their whole lives in the air, dividing and growing nearly 25 miles (41 km) above the surface of the Earth. A study from........ Read more »
Pawar SP, Dhotre DP, Shetty SA, Chowdhury SP, Chaudhari BL, & Shouche YS. (2012) Genome sequence of Janibacter hoylei MTCC8307, isolated from the stratospheric air. Journal of bacteriology, 194(23), 6629-30. PMID: 23144385
Dillon ME, & Dudley R. (2014) Surpassing Mt. Everest: extreme flight performance of alpine bumble-bees. Biology letters, 10(2), 20130922. PMID: 24501268
Hawkes LA, Balachandran S, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Douglas DC, Frappell PB, Hou Y, Milsom WK, Newman SH.... (2013) The paradox of extreme high-altitude migration in bar-headed geese Anser indicus. Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, 280(1750), 20122114. PMID: 23118436
- August 7, 2014
- 06:58 AM
- 307 views
http://dailyfusion.net/2014/07/wind-turbines-feeding-opportunities-30753/
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Scientists at the University of St Andrews have discovered that offshore pipelines and wind turbines can provide new feeding opportunities for the wildlife population in the area.... Read more »
Russell, D., Brasseur, S., Thompson, D., Hastie, G., Janik, V., Aarts, G., McClintock, B., Matthiopoulos, J., Moss, S., & McConnell, B. (2014) Marine mammals trace anthropogenic structures at sea. Current Biology, 24(14). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.06.033
- August 6, 2014
- 08:15 AM
- 398 views
Fall Leaves And Orange Flamingos
by Mark Lasbury in As Many Exceptions As Rules
Flamingos are pink because of their diet, but greater and lesser flamingos eat different things – and neither food is pink. The spirulina food of the lesser flamingo is a cyanobacterium called Arthospira fusiformis. Unforunately, there have been large die offs in lesser flamingos. Recent research has shown that this may be due to toxic alga blooms and production of toxins even by A. fusiformis. In addition, a newer study has shown that a bacteriophage is responsible for large die offs of A........ Read more »
Anderson MJ, & Williams SA. (2010) Why do flamingos stand on one leg?. Zoo biology, 29(3), 365-74. PMID: 19637281
Peduzzi P, Gruber M, Gruber M, Schagerl M. (2014) The virus's tooth: cyanophages affect an African flamingo population in a bottom-up cascade. ISME J. , 8(6), 1346-1351. info:/
Kotut K, Ballot A, & Krienitz L. (2006) Toxic cyanobacteria and their toxins in standing waters of Kenya: implications for water resource use. Journal of water and health, 4(2), 233-45. PMID: 16813016
- August 1, 2014
- 03:11 AM
- 519 views
Floating Fried Eggs
by beredim in Strange Animals
Fried Egg JellyfishCotylorhiza tuberculataThe common name says it all. This weird-looking jellyfish literally looks like a fried egg! Scientifically known as Cotylorhiza tuberculata, it is one of the two jellyfish species that resemble a fried egg. The other one is Phacellophora camtschatica. Not surprisingly, it also goes by the same name.They may look tasty, but you probably don't want to have one for breakfast! However, you can have a lot of fun with C. tuberculata. This jellyfish has a ........ Read more »
Reum, J., Hunsicker, M., & Paulsen, C. (2010) Species Composition and Relative Abundance of Large Medusae in Puget Sound, Washington. Northwest Science, 84(2), 131-140. DOI: 10.3955/046.084.0202
Widmer, C. (2006) Life cycle of Phacellophora camtschatica (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa). Invertebrate Biology, 125(2), 83-90. DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2006.00043.x
Towanda, T., & Thuesen, E. (2006) Ectosymbiotic behavior of Cancer gracilis and its trophic relationships with its host Phacellophora camtschatica and the parasitoid Hyperia medusarum. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 221-236. DOI: 10.3354/meps315221
- July 31, 2014
- 08:10 AM
- 487 views
Tough Talking Apes
by Mark E. Lasbury in The 'Scope
The new Planet of the Apes movie has talking apes! In the old Charleton Heston versions, the apes had thousands of years to evolve speech capabilities, but Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place only 10 years after their escape from the lab. Anatomical differences between human and ape hyoid position, rib musculature and tongue show us why speech is not possible for Cesar and his friends. In addition, new research points out the importance of the foxp2 protein for speech and auditory functio........ Read more »
Ackermann H, Hage SR, & Ziegler W. (2014) Brain mechanisms of acoustic communication in humans and nonhuman primates: An evolutionary perspective. The Behavioral and brain sciences, 1-84. PMID: 24827156
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