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First North American co-occurrence of Hadrosaur and Therizinosaur tracks found in Alaska

A team of paleontologists discovered dozens of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks in Denali National Park's lower Cantwell Formation, providing evidence that Alaska served as a gateway for dinosaur migration between Asia and North America during the Late Cretaceous period. The co-occurrence of these dinosaurs in Alaska challenges previ...

SourcePerot Museum of Nature and Science·JournalScientific Reports·DateAug 6, 2018

Peste des petits ruminants: a model for use in eradicating the disease

Researchers developed a dynamic model to simulate virus spread and conducted a national serological study to assess transmission levels and vaccine coverage required. The results suggest that certain pastoral production systems act as virus reservoirs, emphasizing the need for adapted vaccination strategies in high-risk populations.

SourceCirad·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 30, 2018

Barley heads east

A new study reveals the ancient migration routes of barley cultivation across Eurasia, with distinct routes for different types of barley populations. The research uses genetic analysis of living crops to track the spread of barley, which was domesticated around 10,500 years ago in the Near East.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJul 18, 2018

Solar activities can affect the East Asian winter monsoon at the multidecadal time scale

The study found that solar irradiance strengthens the Siberian high and low-level East Asian winter circulation, resulting in lower surface air temperatures in East Asia. This mechanism helps explain the variability of the East Asian winter monsoon at decadal and longer time scales.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAdvances in Atmospheric Sciences·DateJun 27, 2018

Relational mobility may influence your interpersonal behaviors

A large-scale analysis found higher relational mobility in North America, Europe, and Latin America compared to Asia and the Middle East, associated with increased personal self-esteem, closeness in friendship, and proactive behavior. Societal threats and subsistence style also influenced relational mobility scores.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 26, 2018

Annual southeast Asia haze linked to increased respiratory problems

A new study in Respirology reveals that Southeast Asia's annual haze is associated with increased hospital admissions for respiratory problems. Respiratory admissions at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre were significantly higher during haze periods, with 27.6 cases per week versus 15.7 cases per week.

SourceWiley·JournalRespirology·DateJun 20, 2018

Rhino horn used to comfort the terminally ill in Vietnam

A new Danish-Vietnamese study has found that Vietnamese consumers buy rhino horn for symbolic gestures to console terminally ill family members, rather than traditional medical reasons. The study suggests that a legal trade of farmed rhino horn is unlikely to reduce poaching, and that other strategies are needed to address the problem.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalHuman Dimensions of Wildlife·DateMay 14, 2018

Classification of tropical forests

Researchers used phylogenetic analysis to classify tropical forests into two major regions: an American-African combined region and an Indo-Pacific region. The study also identified a dry region encompassing areas in America, Africa, India, and Madagascar, as well as a subtropical region with parts of America and Asia.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 5, 2018

Reflective surfaces alleviate heatwaves

Researchers developed a practical approach combining clever land use and urban radiation management to cool extreme summer temperatures locally. The measures can lower temperatures in agricultural regions and densely populated areas by up to two degrees Celsius.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Geoscience·DateJan 30, 2018

Trees on fire

A new computational framework simulates each stage of tree combustion, capturing detailed geometry and effects on branches and leaves. The method efficiently models the kinetic behavior of plants and their reaction to heat release in the combustion process.