Articles tagged with Natural History
Entomologists Quentin Wheeler and Kelly Miller named three slime-mold beetle species after former US leaders Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. The decision was made to pay homage to the U.S. leaders' commitment to freedom and democracy.
The discovery of Neuquenraptor argentinus provides the first uncontroversial evidence that raptors roamed beyond the Northern Hemisphere. The find reveals a common raptor ancestor likely existed on both Gondwana and Laurasia supercontinents before they split apart.
Norman D. Newell, a renowned geologist and paleontologist, will receive the Legendary Geoscientist Award for his groundbreaking research on fossil bivalve mollusks and modern carbonate sediments. He is also recognized for his advocacy of public understanding of evolution and science education.
Researchers compared bulk samples from five geological formations with a museum collection, finding that the diversity of mollusks is similar. The study also revealed that shells in museum collections are better preserved due to time, making them an important resource for researchers.
Eight environmental stewards have won $900,000 in biodiversity awards for their conservation efforts. The winners include Maria Marta Chavarria, Graham Harris, and Mengistu Wondafrash, who were recognized for their work protecting endangered species and habitats in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Ethiopia.
Research by Barker and colleagues revealed that all songbirds, including robins and crows, share a common origin in Australasia and New Guinea. The Passerida group, comprising 3,477 species, made it out of Australasia onto the Asian mainland before the Corvida group did, about 20 million years ago.
Researchers found that eastern chipmunks in Illinois and Wisconsin descend from ancestors who survived the last North American ice age in isolated forest pockets. These chipmunks migrated south, merging with warmer east and south populations, challenging long-held assumptions about glacier-driven population migrations.
A new study published by the Mayo Clinic research team found that many MS patients experience mild disability over time, with 71 of 99 walking unassisted in 1991 still doing so in 2001. The study also showed that only 20% of patients who didn't need a wheelchair in 1991 required one 10 years later.
The Canadian Medical Association Journal published a comprehensive review of peanut allergy prevalence, highlighting its severity and early onset. Self-injectable epinephrine remains a cornerstone of peanut allergy management, while new therapies are being developed to address this condition.
A new study by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute uses a large sample of live caterpillars to analyze tropical insect community composition. The research finds that there is indeed a predictable structure in caterpillar communities, allowing for more accurate measurements and applications in various studies.
A team of scientists from Smithsonian and other institutions sequenced bird genetic material found in the 1917 collection, comparing it with the 1918 pandemic virus HA gene sequence. The comparison suggests that the pandemic viral HA gene was not derived directly from an avian source.
Recent claims of fossil life on Earth over 3.8 billion years ago are called into question by researchers from The George Washington University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. A new study suggests that carbon in ancient rocks may have formed non-biotically, rather than through biological processes.
Researchers predict that global climate change will cause substantial changes in the distribution of Mexican bird, mammal, and butterfly species. The study found that changing climate is predicted to bring about great instability, with some local communities losing up to 40% of their species.
Natural history museums are critical forces for understanding and conserving the world's biological diversity. They must focus on conservation, make collections accessible, collect and disseminate information faster, engage local communities, and promote science-based advocacy to advance conservation goals.
Kevin krajick's winning entry, 'The Crystal Fuel', reported on the discovery of methane hydrate crystals and their potential to contain twice the energy of Earth's coal, oil, and gas reserves. The article sparked significant interest in this relatively new area of research.