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Scientists Urge New Approaches to Plant Research

By Guest PostJune 30, 2012Nature, Sciencearms race, Environment, evolution, genetic engineering, kurt stepnitz, metabolic pathway, metabolic reaction, michigan state university, molecular biology, new approach, nonrenewable energy, plant metabolism, plant research, robert last, ron milo, satellite image, therapeutic properties, weizmann institute

EAST LANSING, Mich. — You’d be amazed at how much you can learn from a plant.

In a paper published this week in the journal Science, a Michigan State University professor and a colleague discuss why if humans are to survive as a species, we must turn more to plants for any number of valuable lessons.

“Metabolism of plants provides humans with fiber, fuel, food and therapeutics,” said Robert Last, an MSU professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. “As the human population grows and nonrenewable energy sources diminish, we need to rely increasingly on plants and to increase the sustainability of agriculture.” (more…)

New Findings of Endangered Birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Give Hope to Recovery Efforts

By Guest PostJune 27, 2012Naturebirds, endangered birds, habitat destruction, hakalau forest, hawaiian forest

HAWAI’I ISLAND, Hawai‘’— Three of Hawai’i Island’s rarest endangered forest birds have been detected at lower elevations of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in 30 years. (more…)

From the Mouths of Monkeys: New Technique Detects TB

By Guest PostJune 23, 2012Natureagents of tb, detecting tuberculosis, mouths of monkeys, tests for tb, tuberculosis, tuberculosis bacteria

Tuberculosis can be a serious threat to monkeys and apes. A new technique for detecting the tuberculosis -causing bacteria could help in protecting the health of primate populations. The method can spot TB even among infected primates that show no outward sign of disease, but are still capable of spreading infection to others of their kind. (more…)

Crocodilian Evolution

By Guest PostJune 15, 2012Nature, Scienceadam thomas, alligators, birds, canr, carl schmidt, colin kern, crocodile, crocodilian evolution, crocodilian family, crocodilian native, danielle quigley, david ray, dna sequence, evolution research, extinction, gene, genetic evolution, genome, genomic change, gharials, indian subcontinent, university of delaware, wetlands

UD’s Schmidt studies genome of crocodile family in evolution research

University of Delaware scientist Carl Schmidt is working to identify genes in crocodiles, alligators and gharials as he searches for links between the creatures that could give clues as to how they evolved over the years in relation to one another.

Schmidt’s effort is part of a National Science Foundation-funded project being conducted by a team of researchers assembled by David Ray, an evolutionary biologist at Mississippi State University. (more…)

Vampire Bat Study May Lead to Better Rabies-Control Strategies

By Guest PostJune 14, 2012Nature, ScienceAmazon rainforest, badgers, bat colonies, blood samples, bovine, cattle, charles rupprecht, culling bats, daniel streicker, ebola, genetic studies, immune, infectious diseases, ivan vargas, joel montgomery, jorge gomez benavides, marburg hemorrhagic fevers, mathematical modelling, nipah encephalitis, pejman rohani, peru, rabies, rabies in peru, rabies infections, rabies virus, sars, sergio recuenco, south america, tuberculosis, united states, university of michigan, vacuum effect, vampire bats, vampiricide, víctor pacheco, wildlife disease, zoonotic diseases

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— A new study of rabies in vampire bats in Peru has found that culling bats—a common rabies control strategy—does not reduce rates of rabies exposure in bat colonies, and may even be counterproductive.

The findings may eventually help public health and agriculture officials in Peru develop more effective methods for preventing rabies infections in humans and livestock, according to a team of scientists from the United States and Peru led by Daniel Streicker, a postdoctoral associate at the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology.

The study was published online this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The research team includes University of Michigan population ecologist Pejman Rohani. (more…)

Woolly Mammoth Extinction Has Lessons for Modern Climate Change

By Guest PostJune 13, 2012Natureclimate warming, extinction, human settlements, mammoth extinction, woolly mammoth

Although humans and woolly mammoths co-existed for millennia, the shaggy giants disappeared from the globe between 4,000 and 10,000 years ago, and scientists couldn’t explain until recently exactly how the Flintstonian behemoths went extinct. (more…)

Female Butterflies Learn When It Comes To Wings, Flashier is Better in A Mate

By Guest PostJune 12, 2012Natureevolutionary mystery, female butterflies, identify males, ultraviolet reflecting spots, wing patterns

If female butterflies are programmed to identify males of their species by the patterns of spots on their wings, how can new wing patterns evolve in males? (more…)

20 Years after Rio Earth Summit: Ecologists Call for Preservation of Planet’s Remaining Biological Diversity

By Guest PostJune 9, 2012Naturebiodiversity loss, biological diversity, natural ecosystem, rio earth summit

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Twenty years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 17 prominent ecologists are calling for renewed international efforts to curb the loss of biological diversity, which is compromising nature’s ability to provide goods and services essential for human well-being. (more…)

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