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4 million years at Africa's salad bar

A study found that most major mammal groups in Africa tried grazing on grass around 2 million years ago, but some animals switched to browsing trees and shrubs or became extinct. The bovids, including cattle and antelopes, are the only group still mostly grazing on grass today.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 3, 2015

Conservation looks good too

A recent study by Washington State University researchers found that adding more natural buffers to farm landscapes can not only slow soil erosion but also create more visually appealing fields and valleys. The study surveyed residents in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State, who preferred landscapes with more nature and fewe...

SourceWashington State University·JournalLandscape and Urban Planning·DateFeb 5, 2015

10,000 years on the Bering land bridge

Scientists suggest ancestors of Native Americans lived in shrub-tundra refugia on Bering land bridge for 10,000 years. The environment provided resources such as wood for construction and fires, allowing people to persist during the last glacial maximum.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalScience·DateFeb 27, 2014

Poorly camouflaged insects can kick off a cascade of ecological impacts, new CU-Boulder study finds

A CU-Boulder study finds that poorly camouflaged insects can affect their broader ecological community when the appearance of the bug is mismatched with the plant it's living on. This can lead to a cascade of ecological impacts, including increased predation by birds and a subsequent decrease in arthropod populations.

SourceUniversity of Colorado at Boulder·JournalCurrent Biology·DateOct 21, 2013

'Walking droplets'

A team of researchers at MIT has successfully created walking droplets that exhibit pilot-wave dynamics in action. These droplets are reminiscent of the pilot-wave theory proposed by Louis de Broglie and were previously thought to be exclusive to the microscopic quantum realm.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalPhysics of Fluids·DateOct 1, 2013

Researchers predict greener Greenland

Researchers predict significant growth of trees and bushes in large parts of ice-free Greenland by 2100, with southern regions likely to become greener. The analysis identifies over 400,000 square kilometers suitable for forest flora, offering new opportunities for activities such as hunting and commercial exploitation.

SourceAarhus University·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (B )·DateAug 28, 2013

Shrubs lend an insight into a glacier's past

Scientists have discovered a method using shrubs to create historical climate data on glaciers, providing more accurate predictions of future changes. The method allows researchers to extend the current record of glacier melting back by many decades, giving them a better understanding of how glaciers behave in the summer.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateNov 26, 2012

Arctic getting greener

Research reveals Arctic plants are adapting to rising temperatures by growing taller and expanding, particularly evergreen shrubs, with vascular species like shrubs and plants becoming more widespread

SourceUniversity of Gothenburg·JournalNature Climate Change·DateJun 11, 2012