Articles tagged with Animal Science
Scientists discovered giant deep-sea single-celled organisms leaving complex tracks on the ocean floor near the Bahamas. The finding questions the fossil record and suggests that single-celled protists may have been the precursors to bilateral symmetry in animals.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have documented early separate-sex evolution in a wild strawberry species still transitioning from hermaphroditism. This finding provides evidence for the theory that males and females developed from hermaphroditic ancestors, with plants serving as models for understanding early evolution.
A team of scientists discovered that novel genes are responsible for morphological differences between two closely related species of freshwater polyps called Hydra. The study found that a secreted protein encoded by one such gene controls the pattern in which the tentacles develop, leading to species-specific traits.
A new model demonstrates that functional hierarchy in the brain is linked to both time and space, contradicting previous literature. The study uses humanoid robots to show how neural activity can self-organize through multiple timescales, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of neural systems.
Researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center found that an individual's underlying odor signature persists regardless of diet, providing a potential method for identifying individuals. This discovery could lead to the development of electronic sensors for early disease detection and diagnosis.
Researchers have discovered a crucial mechanism behind the formation of sea urchin spicules, which can inform the development of new superhard materials and microelectronics. The study reveals how amorphous calcium carbonate transforms into calcite through an unusual process involving crystallinity propagation.
A comprehensive assessment of the world's 5,487 wild mammal species reveals that one in four is threatened with extinction. The study, led by the IUCN, utilizes the Field Museum's extensive collection to track population trends and habitat destruction.
The sandfish lizard's unique movement pattern through sand, characterized by a fixed leg motion at 3 Hz frequency, has been studied using MRI scans. This efficient locomotion allows the animal to move quickly and with minimal energy, inspiring new technological approaches for handling granular materials.
A billion-year-old history of microRNAs has been discovered in ancient animal lineages, including sponges and starlet sea anemones. This finding suggests that these tiny molecules have evolved rapidly across various species, potentially playing a key role in the emergence of multicellular life.
Researchers found that beta-catenin plays a crucial role in solidifying fear memories in the brains of adult animals. The protein acts like a Velcro strap, fastening cells' internal skeletons to proteins on their external membranes.
The Trichoplax genome sequence provides a 'Rosetta Stone' for understanding the origins of animal-specific pathways. It shares over 80% of its genes with humans and defines Trichoplax as a branching point of animal evolution.
A new study suggests that grazing animals in the Arctic can reduce the expected expansion of shrub growth, which would otherwise help mitigate climate change by absorbing more carbon dioxide. The researchers found that muskoxen and caribou reduced shrub growth by 19-46% in plots with increased temperatures.
The Leptotyphlops carlae is the world's smallest known snake species, with adults measuring just under four inches in length. This tiny threadsnake was discovered by Blair Hedges in a forest fragment on Barbados and is believed to be rare due to habitat destruction.
Researchers discovered that mammalian clock proteins respond directly to light, similar to plant cryptochromes. In humans and animals, this response affects circadian rhythms differently than in mice, where missing cryptochromes lead to complete loss of rhythm behaviors.
A new microfluidic device developed by Georgia Tech engineers can automatically position, image, determine the phenotype of and sort small animals such as Caenorhabditis elegans for genetic studies. The device achieves high accuracy at a rate of several hundred animals per hour, greatly reducing processing time and increasing throughput.
Paleontologists have discovered fossilized burrows of tetrapods in Antarctica, dating back to the Early Triassic epoch. The burrows were created when sand poured into animal dens and hardened, preserving track marks and scratch marks from the animals' initial excavation.
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have discovered the structure of plutonium nanoclusters, which are responsible for contaminating groundwater. The clusters, made up of 38 plutonium atoms, can spread contamination further than expected and are difficult to remove.
Researchers and volunteers have intensified the search for wolverine evidence in the Tahoe National Forest after a recent photograph was captured. Genetic analysis of scat and hair samples is underway to determine the animal's origin and sex, with potential implications for conservation efforts.
A MU study found that salamanders and frogs evacuated clearcut areas more often than entered, suggesting a behavioral response to habitat changes. This response could improve the chances of amphibian survival in forestry practices.
A new study reveals that some snakes have evolved super-resistance to the toxic newt's poison, rendering it ineffective. This rare exception highlights a previously unknown aspect of co-evolutionary arms races and challenges our understanding of species interactions.
A photograph taken by a wildlife biology student in 2008 may depict a California wolverine, sparking further analysis and investigation. The animal's presence has not been confirmed since the 1920s, but forest service scientists believe it is a rare sighting.
A Brown-led study uses genomics tools to reorganize the animal phylogenomic research project, clarifying relationships between major groups and offering surprises. Comb jellyfish diverged from other animals even before sponges, questioning the root of the animal tree.
Researchers argue that autistic savants' exceptional skills come at a cost in other aspects of processing, while animals process sensory inputs according to rules. This shared processing method is thought to be a specialized feature of the left hemisphere, common to both humans and nonhuman animals.
A Harvard University scientist has synthesized four key differences in human and animal cognition into a hypothesis on what exactly differentiates human and animal thought. The theory of
A newly sequenced genome reveals insights into the evolution from single-celled life forms to multicellular animals. Choanoflagellates, tiny planktonic organisms, are the closest living relatives of animals and hold key information about human history and the origins of life.
Scientists used detection dog teams to study a Pacific fisher population in the Sierra National Forest, finding dogs three and a half times more successful than cameras. The method also only needed one visit per site, aiding land management decisions by providing insights into ecosystem health.
A Northwestern University study quantifies the volumes of movement and sensation in animals, defining three modes - collision, reactive, and deliberative. The findings apply to understanding behavioral control strategies in animals and can aid in designing autonomous robots and improving cockpit information systems.
Scientists have quantified and compared the 3D volumes for sensation and movement in electric fish, finding a restricted sensory space due to energetic constraints. This overlap between sensory and movement volumes can provide insight into optimal control strategies for guiding behavior.
Mice rely on a highly specialised set of proteins in their urine to recognise different individuals, suggesting this may also be true for other animals. The team found that female mice distinguish between dominant and weaker males by the freshness of male scent-marks.
UCSB researchers have discovered a key milestone in the evolution of animal vision, finding evidence of light-sensitive genes in ancient aquatic animals. The study, published in PLoS ONE, suggests that animal vision emerged around 600 million years ago.
Researchers find that bdelloid rotifers, an asexual organism, have evolved different gene functions to protect themselves during dehydration. This discovery provides insight into the benefits of asexuality and challenges the assumption that sexual reproduction is always necessary for survival.
Scientists have demonstrated that fossils can be used to effectively understand complex branching in the evolutionary tree of life. By comparing morphological datasets of living and extinct species, researchers found no difference in the impact on the family tree when fossil data is included or removed.
A three-way mating struggle observed in North American lizards has been discovered in a distant European relative, the European common lizard. The species share behavioral and reproductive details, including gaudy colors of males, indicating a potential universal evolutionary pattern among social animals.
Researchers at Rice University successfully detected carbon nanotubes in living fruit flies using a technique called near-infrared fluorescent imaging. The study found that only a small percentage of the nanotubes were incorporated into the flies' organs, suggesting potential for early disease detection and monitoring.
A six-week survey of the Yangtze River found no Yangtze River dolphins, a species considered one of the world's most endangered. The baiji's decline is attributed to fishing nets and habitat degradation, raising concerns about human-caused extinctions of marine mammals worldwide.
The Peters' elephantnose fish uses its electric sense to detect the capacitative properties of objects, allowing it to distinguish between living and dead organisms. It can also measure distances with a precision of several millimeters and perceive complex images of its surroundings.
The discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary process, suggesting that the coelacanth's fin pattern is similar to that of paddlefishes, sturgeons, and sharks. The fossil sheds light on the developmental evolution of limbs in tetrapods, challenging the conventional understanding of primitive fish models.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield found that pterosaurs were not adapted for 'skimming', contrary to previous studies. Instead, they likely used conventional feeding methods. The study's findings provide new insight into the lifestyle of these prehistoric flying reptiles.
Rats who received help in the past were more likely to help another unknown partner, demonstrating generalized reciprocal cooperation. This finding suggests that evolutionary explanations for cooperation in animals may be broader than previously thought, potentially involving cultural and anonymous experiences.
A team of researchers analyzed fruit fly behavior and found it to be non-randomly generated by the brain, suggesting a mechanism for free will in animals. This discovery could lead to the development of robots with spontaneous behavior and help combat human disorders related to compromised spontaneity.
A comprehensive global survey reveals that island populations have significantly higher densities of lizards and other animals compared to mainland ecosystems. This study highlights the increased vulnerability of island species to biological invasions, sea level rise, and storm activity due to climate change.
A new study reveals that Western scrub-jays can anticipate their future needs independently of their current motivation. The birds store food in places where they will be hungry and recover it at a later date. This innovative behavior demonstrates the birds' ability to plan ahead, a feature previously thought to be uniquely human.
University of Alberta researchers discovered that individual animal movements can influence the entire group, producing complex collective behaviors such as swarm formation and zig-zag group movements. By analyzing communication patterns, they found simple rules could produce intricate designs.
Researchers have identified a growth-factor antibody that may treat chronic lung disease affecting premature infants. The treatment, which inhibits transforming growth factor-beta activity, improved lung development and body growth in animal models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Researchers have discovered two species of arthropods that use distinct methods to combat the cold: Onychiurus arcticus loses water through dehydration, while Cryptopygus antarcticus accumulates anti-freeze compounds to lower its freezing point. These findings provide insight into the evolutionary adaptations of these animals.
Honeybees can learn to associate toxic odors with food and retain this ability for up to 24 hours. Researchers found that both sugar content and toxin levels affect a honeybee's memory for learned odours, suggesting they may have an innate ability to react to toxins.
A recent study published in The Journal of Experimental Biology suggests that longer legs are more efficient due to reduced force production and lower energy cost. According to the LiMB model developed by Herman Pontzer, this is because longer limbs require less force to move, resulting in decreased energy expenditure.
Researchers have confirmed that cuttlefish employ night camouflage to adapt quickly to microhabitats on temperate rock reefs. The ability is key to their nighttime predator/prey interactions and fine-tuned visual system, allowing them to dominate the dark environment.
Researchers at UGA show rats can think about their own thinking, knowing when they don't know an answer. The study opens new areas of research on animal cognition and memory, challenging previous beliefs that only primates possess metacognition.
Researchers discovered that ants in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, have adapted to higher temperatures. The findings suggest a link between urban heat islands and the physiological adjustments of species.
Researchers at UC Davis have made a groundbreaking discovery about the body's temperature sensing capabilities. By reassembling subunits from different ion channels, they found that there are more than six channel types responsible for sensing temperature, which could help solve the mystery of thermosensitivity in animals.
David H. Baker, a renowned expert in animal and nutritional sciences, will be honored with the Charles A. Black Award for his outstanding achievements in the field. His research has led to significant discoveries about amino acid metabolism, toxicology, and nutrient needs of humans and animals.
A new theory proposes that cold, ice-containing climates created by strong algal growth in the oceans led to the rise of multicellular animals. This climate-biosphere interaction mechanism may have facilitated complex life around more massive and short-lived stars.
Land plants have evolved microscopic pores called stomata to conserve water and regulate CO2 uptake. The discovery of genes Speechless and Mute sheds light on this process, allowing for better understanding of plant growth and development.
A team of international scientists has discovered a new group of microscopic organisms in the Arctic Ocean, which have diverged from known organisms more than land plants and animals. These 'picobiliphytes' are highly fluorescent and transform light into biomass, highlighting the ocean's complex biodiversity.
A new study reveals that birds with larger brains relative to their body size have a lower mortality rate than those with smaller brains. The research supports the cognitive buffer hypothesis, which suggests that large brains enable animals to better cope with environmental challenges such as climate change and habitat destruction.
The complexity of tooth surfaces reveals a species' diet, with carnivores and rodents having similar complexity despite differing diets. The MorphoBrowser database provides publicly available information on phenotypes, enabling scientists to study extinct animals' diets.
Researchers have visualized alternative splicing in a living mammal, providing new insights into the genetic process that creates unique proteins. This discovery sheds light on how different tissues and organs produce varied proteins, which dictate their function, and may offer clues to diseases such as cancer.
Genetic analysis of Xenoturbella, a worm-like creature, reveals its unique characteristics and confirms the common ancestry between humans and other chordates. The discovery provides insight into the evolution of brains in animals.
In a study published in PNAS, researchers found that female pronghorns prioritize male vigor over ornamentation when choosing a mate. This leads to the survival advantage of offspring sired by these vigorous males, as they exhibit faster growth rates and increased survival up to five years.