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Science News for January 5, 2014


Population stability 'hope' in species' response to climate change

A new study finds that butterflies can expand their ranges in northern England and Scotland as the climate warms. However, this expansion is only possible for species with stable or increasing population trends, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts to boost abundances within current ranges.

SourceUniversity of York·JournalNature Climate Change·DateJan 5, 2014
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After a 49-million-year hiatus, a cockroach reappears in North America

A new species of cockroach discovered in Colorado's Green River Formation reveals that the genus Ectobius originated in the New World over 49 million years ago. The finding challenges a long-held assumption about the cockroach's evolutionary history, instead suggesting a complex migration history between the Old and New Worlds.

SourceEntomological Society of America·JournalAnnals of the Entomological Society of America·DateJan 5, 2014

Yeast's lifestyle couples mating with meiosis

Researchers found that Candida lusitaniae fuses its mating and meiosis programs, expressing genes associated with both processes during each. This 'coupling' offers the yeast an efficient way to split diploid products of mating, maintaining its haploid lifestyle. The discovery challenges understanding of fungal reproduction and evolution.

SourceBrown University·JournalNature·DateJan 5, 2014

Supervolcano eruptions are triggered by melt buoyancy

Researchers at ETH Zurich and ESRF have identified a trigger for supereruptions, finding that the overpressure generated by density differences in the magma chamber alone can trigger an eruption. The study suggests that supervolcanos are not triggered solely by overpressure due to magma recharge.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJan 5, 2014

Mine landslide triggered quakes

Researchers discovered that a record-breaking landslide at a Utah copper mine triggered 16 small earthquakes due to two massive rock avalanches. The slide was the largest nonvolcanic landslide in modern North American history, covering New York's Central Park with about 20 meters of debris.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalGSA Today·DateJan 5, 2014

Ground-breaking work sheds new light on volcanic activity

An international team of experts has identified conditions for various-sized volcanic eruptions using numerical modelling and statistical techniques. Small, frequent eruptions are triggered by magma replenishment, while larger, less frequent eruptions are driven by magma buoyancy.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJan 5, 2014
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Pulsar in stellar triple system makes unique gravitational laboratory

Astronomers have found a rare stellar system featuring a neutron star, two white dwarf stars, in an incredibly close orbit. By measuring the gravitational perturbations in this system, scientists can gain insights into the nature of gravity and potentially detect problems with General Relativity.

SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalNature·DateJan 5, 2014