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Sitting on top of the world

A team led by James Liebherr discovered 14 new species of predatory carabid beetles in the Society Islands, expanding the known distribution of the genus Mecyclothorax. The new species have limited geographic distributions and are found at high elevations, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts to maintain biodiversity.

SourcePensoft Publishers·JournalZooKeys·DateOct 10, 2012

No ordinary forget-me-nots

Two new species of rare forget-me-nots have been added to Flora of New Zealand, found in the mountains of the South Island. These uncommon species are Nationally Critical due to their low population numbers and habitat specificity.

SourcePensoft Publishers·JournalPhytoKeys·DateAug 21, 2012

Dynamic earth processes across time and space

The article discusses new research on dynamic earth processes, including the link between wildfires and sediment transport in coastal watersheds, as well as high-pressure metamorphism in northwest China. Additionally, studies on the Gold Hill shear zone and magma-filled fractures in the Appalachian mountain belt are also presented.

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalGeological Society of America Bulletin·DateApr 24, 2012

Scorpio rising

Researchers have discovered a new species of scorpion in Death Valley National Park, California. The species, Wernerius inyoensis, is small and closely related to other species found in Joshua Tree National Park and along the lower Colorado River.

SourcePensoft Publishers·JournalZooKeys·DateMar 23, 2012

An early spring drives butterfly population declines

A study published in Ecology Letters found that early snow melt in the Colorado Rocky Mountains leads to lower flower availability, negatively affecting the growth rate of the Mormon Fritillary butterfly. Reduced flower availability per butterfly explained most of the observed variation in population growth rate.

SourceBurns McClellan·JournalEcology Letters·DateMar 15, 2012

Next stop, Mount Everest

A UC Riverside Ph.D. candidate will attempt to summit Mount Everest for the second time, this time as part of his dissertation research on Himalayan mountaineering communities. His research focuses on the types of communities climbers create and the transformation of Sherpa society after decades of aiding international climbers.

Rethinking the social structure of ancient Eurasian nomads: Current Anthropology research

Recent studies suggest that prehistoric pastoralist societies in Eurasia developed distinct economies and triggered the formation of extensive networks of interaction. These 'nonuniform institutional complexity' models describe how small-scale institutions impact wider-scale political economies and shape the growth of great empires.

SourceUniversity of Chicago Press Journals·JournalCurrent Anthropology·DateFeb 24, 2012

LITHOSPHERE Highlights: February 2012

New studies reveal mantle-driven uplift in the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau, while also documenting extensional fault systems in the Aegean Sea. Additionally, researchers examine the impact of fault-enhanced irregularities on groundwater flow paths, with implications for nuclear waste repositories.

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalLithosphere·DateJan 26, 2012

Lithosphere highlights for Dec. 2011

Research highlights the age of continental crust, with over 60% originating in the Archean, 2.5 billion years ago. A new paleomagnetic pole for chron 32 corrects for spreading-rate dependence, improving skewness data accuracy. Seismic ambient noise analysis reveals structural alignments in the Chile Ridge Subduction Region.

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalLithosphere·DateNov 30, 2011

A tale of (more than) 2 butterflies

Researchers studied the genetic basis of species formation in the Appalachian tiger swallowtail butterfly, a rare hybrid of Eastern and Canadian tiger swallowtails. The study reveals that hybrid speciation can create new combinations of life history and morphological traits, allowing colonization of novel environments.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalPLOS Genetics·DateSep 12, 2011

GSA Bulletin highlights: New research posted June 24, 2011

Two studies highlight the relationship between neotectonic activity and rockslide failures, with a third investigation into salinity control on parasequence development in ancient carbonate platforms. Researchers found that rock fracturing due to neotectonic activity is a major conditioning factor for failures, while changes in coastal...

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalGeological Society of America Bulletin·DateJun 28, 2011

Where have all the flowers gone?

Scientists have found a mid-season decline in wildflowers at high-altitude meadows, affecting pollinator populations. This shift is attributed to climate change, which alters moisture availability and flowering timing, leading to ecosystem-wide impacts on animals that feed on pollen and nectar.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalJournal of Ecology·DateJun 16, 2011