ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Sunday, February 14, 2010
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Beyond the abyss: Deep sea creatures build their homes from materials that sink from near the ocean surface (February 14, 2010) -- Evidence from the Challenger Deep -- the deepest surveyed point in the world's oceans -- suggests that tiny single-celled creatures called foraminifera living at extreme depths of more than ten kilometers build their homes using material that sinks down from near the ocean surface. ... > full story
Link between exploration well and Lusi mud volcano, strongest evidence to date shows (February 14, 2010) -- Nearly four years ago, a volcano of mud erupted in the middle of an Indonesian suburb, eventually inundating four villages, displacing 30,000 people and causing a gas line explosion that killed 13. The mud volcano continues to erupt today. A new report blames a drilling company that was drilling a gas exploration well, not a relatively mild and distant earthquake. ... > full story
Genetic secrets to jumping the species barrier (February 13, 2010) -- Scientists have pinpointed specific mutations that allow a common plant virus to infect new species. Understanding the genetics of the key interactions between viruses and hosts could provide insight to how some viruses manage to jump the species barrier and even give us a better idea of how animal diseases are generated. ... > full story
New picture of ancient ocean chemistry argues for chemically layered water (February 13, 2010) -- Biogeochemists have developed a dynamic three-dimensional model of Earth's early ocean chemistry that can significantly advance our understanding of how early animal life evolved on the planet. Working on rock samples from the Doushantuo Formation, South China, the research team is the first to show that Earth's early ocean chemistry during a large portion of the Ediacaran Period was far more complex than previously imagined. ... > full story
The biggest loser: Maternal obesity puts a load on her offspring that lasts a lifetime (February 13, 2010) -- As if there are not enough reasons for obese people to lose weight, a new research report adds several more. In a study involving rats, researchers found that obesity in mothers causes cellular programming in utero that predisposes offspring to inflammation-related disorders (such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and more) from birth, regardless of whether or not the offspring are obese themselves. ... > full story
Long-distance migration shapes butterfly wings (February 13, 2010) -- Monarch butterflies that migrate long distances have evolved significantly larger and more elongated wings than their stationary cousins, differences that are consistent with traits known to enhance flight ability in other migratory species. ... > full story
Sustainable fisheries needed for global food security (February 13, 2010) -- Increased aid from developed countries, earmarked specifically for sustainable seafood infrastructure in developing countries, could improve global food security, according to a new policy paper. ... > full story
Epigenetic signals differ across alleles (February 13, 2010) -- Researchers have identified numerous novel regions of the genome where the chemical modifications involved in controlling gene expression are influenced by either genetic variation or the parental origin of that particular stretch of DNA. This contradicts previous assumptions that epigenetic signals are generally equal across both copies of a given region of the genome, except at a small number of known imprinted genes. ... > full story
Human gait adapted for efficient walking at the cost of efficient running (February 12, 2010) -- Humans, other great apes and bears are among the few animals that step first on the heel when walking, and then roll onto the ball of the foot and toes. Now, a new study shows the advantage: Compared with heel-first walking, it takes 53 percent more energy to walk on the balls of your feet, and 83 percent more energy to walk on your toes. ... > full story
Herbal medicines can be lethal, pathologist warns (February 12, 2010) -- A forensic pathologist has sounded a worldwide warning of the potential lethal dangers of herbal medicines if taken in large quantities, injected, or combined with prescription drugs. ... > full story
Cholera and related diseases: Grasping bacterial 'friending' paves the way to disrupt biofilm creation (February 12, 2010) -- Finding a biological mechanism much like an online social network, scientists have identified the bacterial protein VpsT as the master regulator in Vibrio, the cause of cholera and other enteric diseases. This discovery provides a major tool to combat enteric disease. ... > full story
Dramatic changes in agriculture needed as world warms and grows (February 12, 2010) -- Scientists are urging dramatically changed ideas about sustainable agriculture to prevent a major starvation catastrophe by the end of this century among more than 3 billion people who live in the tropics. ... > full story
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