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ScienceDaily -- Alternative Medicine News - Science
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First ancient genomes from the Green Sahara deciphered | ScienceDaily
An international team has sequenced the first ancient genomes from the so-called Green Sahara, a period when the largest desert in the world temporarily turned into a humid savanna-like environment. By analyzing the DNA of two 7,000-year-old naturally mummified individuals excavated in the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya, the team showed that they belonged to a long-isolated and now extinct North African human lineage.
If native plants are going to survive climate change, they need our help to move -- here's how to do it safely | ScienceDaily
Many native plants in the U.S. cannot possibly move themselves fast enough to avoid climate-change driven extinction. If these native plants are going to have any chance of surviving into the future, they'll need human help to move into adjacent areas, a process known as 'managed relocation.' And yet, there's no guarantee that a plant will thrive in a new area. Furthermore, movement of introduced plants, albeit over much larger distances, is exactly how the problem of invasive species began -- think of kudzu-choked forests, wetlands taken over by purple loosestrife or fields ringed by Japanese honeysuckle. Thanks to new research from a pair of ecologists, we now have a detailed sense of which plant characteristics will help ensure successful relocation while minimizing the risk that the plant causes unwanted ecological harm.
'She loves me, she loves me not': Physical forces encouraged evolution of multicellular life, scientists propose | ScienceDaily
A study presents a striking example of cooperative organization among cells as a potential force in the evolution of multicellular life. The study is based on the fluid dynamics of cooperative feeding by Stentor, a relatively giant unicellular organism.
New warnings of a 'Butterfly Effect' -- in reverse | ScienceDaily
A new study warns that global climate change may have a devastating effect on butterflies, turning their species-rich, mountain habitats from refuges into traps. Think of it as the 'butterfly effect' -- the idea that something as small as the flapping of a butterfly's wings can eventually lead to a major event such as a hurricane -- in reverse. The new study also suggests that a lack of comprehensive global data about insects may leave conservationists and policymakers ill-prepared to mitigate biodiversity loss from climate change for a wide range of insect species.
Coral diseases and water quality play a key role for coral restoration and survival efforts | ScienceDaily
Coral diseases, particularly in the Caribbean, have caused major declines in coral populations, especially affecting staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and Elkhorn (A. palmata) corals, which play a crucial role in reef ecosystems. Despite efforts to identify the pathogens that cause diseases like White Band Disease (WBD), and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), the specific agents remain largely unknown. Coral restoration programs aim to restore these once abundant coral species, but the effectiveness is threatened by multiple stressors, including increases in disease frequency and nutrient pollution caused from runoff from land-based activities.
Biologists discover ancient neurohormone that controls appetite | ScienceDaily
Biologists have discovered that bombesin, a neurohormone controlling appetite in humans, also regulates feeding in starfish, revealing its ancient evolutionary origin dating back over 500 million years. The study not only sheds light on the deep evolutionary roots of appetite regulation but also suggests potential applications for managing starfish invasions in shellfish farms impacted by climate change. Alongside weight-loss inducing drugs, compounds that mimic the action of bombesin are in development for treatment of obesity.
Global patterns in seed plant distribution over millions of years | ScienceDaily
Why do some plants thrive in specific regions but not in others? A study explores the factors shaping plant distributions and how these patterns have changed over millions of years. Analyzing nearly 270,000 seed plant species worldwide, the research highlights the roles of environmental conditions and dispersal barriers in influencing global plant diversity.
Ecologists document Utah's bee species and say beehive state is rich in bee diversity | ScienceDaily
Understanding bee distributions is essential to protecting these vital pollinators. Since conservation efforts and policies are often made at the state level, maintaining state-specific bee species lists can aid conservationists and policy makers. Ecologists have documented 1,167 bee species in the state of Utah.
Earliest days of Earth's formation | ScienceDaily
New research sheds light on the earliest days of the earth's formation and potentially calls into question some earlier assumptions in planetary science about the early years of rocky planets. Establishing a direct link between the Earth's interior dynamics occurring within the first 100 million years of its history and its present-day structure, the work is one of the first in the field to combine fluid mechanics with chemistry to better understand the Earth's early evolution.
Ecosystem disrupted following the disappearance of Great white sharks | ScienceDaily
A new study has uncovered evidence of far-reaching ecosystem consequences following the disappearance of Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) from False Bay, South Africa. The research spans over two decades and documents cascading ecological disruptions, underscoring the crucial role apex predators play in maintaining ocean health.
The evolution of low-temperature adapted enzymes | ScienceDaily
Enzymes originally evolved in high-temperature environments and later adapted to lower temperatures as Earth cooled. Scientists discovered that a key shift in enzyme function occurred over evolutionary time due to amino acid changes distant from the active site. These mutations lowered activation energy, enhancing catalytic efficiency at low temperatures. Their findings highlight how global cooling events influenced enzyme evolution.
The devastating human impact on biodiversity | ScienceDaily
Humans are having a highly detrimental impact on biodiversity worldwide. Not only is the number of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. This is one of the largest studies ever conducted on this topic.
Satellite image analysis delivers new insight into the functional diversity of tropical forests | ScienceDaily
Satellite images from space are allowing scientists to delve deeper into the individual functions of different tropical forest canopies with new and surprising results. Understanding tree traits and functional diversity in the tropics is crucial for biodiversity, ecosystem modelling, and conservation.
Fragment of a human face aged over one million years discovered | ScienceDaily
The discovery of a human facial fragment aged over one million years represents the oldest known face in western Europe and confirms the region was inhabited by two species of human during the early Pleistocene, finds a new study.
From dinosaurs to birds: the origins of feather formation | ScienceDaily
Feathers, essential for thermoregulation, flight, and communication in birds, originate from simple appendages known as proto-feathers, which were present in certain dinosaurs.By studying embryonic development of the chicken, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have uncovered a key role of a molecular signalling pathway (the Shh pathway) in their formation. This research provides new insights into the morphogenetic mechanisms that led to feather diversification throughout evolution.
Good Sphagnum moss layer growth improves carbon sequestration in restored peatlands | ScienceDaily
Researchers measured post-restoration Sphagnum moss layer growth on 18 peatland sites in Finland 10 years after restoration. According to the study, a thick Sphagnum moss layer forms rapidly during the first 10 years after successful restoration, with carbon sequestration rates commonly exceeding those of pristine bogs.
Red coral colonies survive a decade after being transplanted in the Medes Islands | ScienceDaily
The red coral colonies that were transplanted a decade ago on the seabed of the Medes Islands have survived successfully. They are very similar to the original communities and have contributed to the recovery of the functioning of the coral reef, a habitat where species usually grow very slowly. Thus, these colonies, seized years ago from illegal fishing, have found a second chance to survive, thanks to restoration actions to transplant seized corals and mitigate the impact of poaching.
Iguanas floated one-fifth of the way around the world to colonize Fiji | ScienceDaily
The only iguanas outside the Americas, Fiji iguanas are an enigma. A new genetic analysis shows that they are most closely related to the North American desert iguana, having separated about 34 million years ago, around the same time that the islands emerged from the sea. This suggests that the iguanas rafted 5,000 miles across the Pacific from western North America to reach Fiji -- the longest known transoceanic dispersal of any land animal.
The long wait for bees to return to restored grasslands | ScienceDaily
Recovered grasslands need more than 75 years of continuous management to regain their biodiversity because specialized pollinators are slow to return. A new finding underscores the importance of preserving old grasslands as reservoirs of biodiversity, even if it is just as ski slopes.
New name for one of the world's rarest rhinoceroses | ScienceDaily
A recent study has reclassified the species commonly known as the Javan rhinoceros, proposing a more precise scientific name: Eurhinoceros sondaicus. The research highlights key differences in body structure and ecology that set this species apart from the Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). Recognizing it as a separate genus not only improves scientific understanding but also has important implications for conservation efforts.
Want to preserve biodiversity? Go big | ScienceDaily
Large, undisturbed forests are better for harboring biodiversity than fragmented landscapes, according to recent research. Ecologists agree that habitat loss and the fragmentation of forests reduces biodiversity in the remaining fragments. But ecologists don't agree whether it's better to focus on preserving many smaller, fragmented tracts of land or larger, continuous landscapes. The study comes to a clear conclusion.
The yucca and the moth: How extreme weather impacts the timing of biological events | ScienceDaily
A study sheds light on how extreme weather events impact phenological processes, specifically the flight period of butterflies and moths and the flowering time of plants, with implications for food security in the wake of climate change.
Evolution of plant network: 600 million years of stress | ScienceDaily
Without plants on land, humans could not live on Earth. From mosses to ferns to grasses to trees, plants are our food, fodder and timber. All this diversity emerged from an algal ancestor that conquered land long ago. The success of land plants is surprising because it is a challenging habitat. On land, rapid shifts in environmental conditions lead to stress, and plants have developed an elaborate molecular machinery for sensing and responding. Now, a research team has compared algae and plants that span 600 million years of independent evolution and pinpointed a shared stress response network using advanced bioinformatic methods.
Adaptability of some coral reef fish to rising temperatures | ScienceDaily
Researchers have found that reef fish from the Arabian Gulf, the world's hottest sea, exhibit a higher tolerance to temperature fluctuations compared to those from more thermally stable coral reefs. However, the Arabian Gulf hosts fewer fish species overall, indicating that only certain fishes can withstand rising global temperatures.
Scientists develop advanced forest monitoring systems: Will forests monitor themselves in the future? | ScienceDaily
'Forests are among the most important ecosystems in nature, constantly evolving, yet their monitoring is often delayed,' says an expert. Climate change, pests, and human activity are transforming forests faster than we can track them -- some changes become apparent only when the damage is already irreversible.
Plants struggled for millions of years after the world's worst climate catastrophe | ScienceDaily
Scientists have uncovered how plants responded to catastrophic climate changes 250 million years ago. Their findings reveal the long, drawn-out process of ecosystem recovery following one of the most extreme periods of warming in Earth's history: the 'End-Permian Event'.
The unforseen effects of melting glaciers on Arctic coastal ecosystems | ScienceDaily
Researchers found that climate change induced glacial melt increases the heavy metal content and changes the microbiome of habitat-forming brown algae in Arctic fjords. As algae are at the basis of the food web, this will likely have cascading ecological and economic consequences.