The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Sunday, July 10, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Sunday, July 10, 2011

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Sex -- as we know it -- works thanks to ever-evolving host-parasite relationships, biologists find (July 9, 2011) -- Biologists have found that, although sexual reproduction between two individuals is costly from an evolutionary perspective, it is favored over self-fertilization in the presence of coevolving parasites. Sex allows parents to produce offspring that are more resistant to the parasites, while self-fertilization dooms populations to extinction at the hands of their biological enemies. ... > full story

Chesapeake Bay pesticides: Some diminish, some persist (July 9, 2011) -- Scientists are identifying factors that influence pesticide levels in the Chesapeake Bay airshed, including traces of "legacy" pesticides that still linger even though they are no longer being used. ... > full story

Increased protection urgently needed for tunas, experts urge (July 9, 2011) -- For the first time, all species of scombrids (tunas, bonitos, mackerels and Spanish mackerels) and billfishes (swordfish and marlins) have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Of the 61 known species, seven are classified in a threatened category, being at serious risk of extinction. Four species are listed as Near Threatened and nearly two-thirds have been placed in the Least Concern category. ... > full story

Viruses bathe in rivers and at the beach, too, European study finds (July 9, 2011) -- European researchers have found viruses in nearly 40% of more than 1,400 bathing water samples gathered from coastal and inland areas in nine countries, including Spain. The concentrations found are low, but the scientists are calling for these microorganisms to be monitored in recreational waters, above all at times when their populations skyrocket, as is the case after heavy rains. ... > full story

Holes in fossil bones reveal dinosaur activity (July 8, 2011) -- New research has added to the debate about whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded and sluggish or warm-blooded and active. ... > full story

World War II bombing raids offer new insight into the effects of aviation on climate (July 8, 2011) -- Climate researchers have turned to the Allied bombing raids of the Second World War for a unique opportunity to study the effect thousands of aircraft had on the English climate at a time when civilian aviation remained rare. The study reveals how civilian and military records can help assess the impact of modern aviation on the climate today. ... > full story

Recycling: A new source of indispensible 'rare earth' materials mined mainly in China (July 8, 2011) -- That axiom of sustainability -- "recycle and reuse" -- could help ease concerns about a reliable supply of substances, indispensable for a modern technological society, that are produced almost exclusively in the Peoples' Republic of China. That's the conclusion of a study on these so-called "rare earth" elements. ... > full story

How memory is read out in the fly brain: MB-V2 nerve cells enable the read-out of associative memories (July 8, 2011) -- What happens if you cannot recall your memory correctly? You are able to associate and store the name and face of a person, yet you might be unable to remember them when you meet that person. In this example, the recall of the information is temporarily impaired. How such associative memories are "read out" in the brain remains one of the great mysteries of modern neurobiology. Now, scientists have taken the first step to unravel this mechanism. ... > full story

Indoor air pollution linked to cardiovascular risk (July 8, 2011) -- An estimated two billion people in the developing world heat and cook with a biomass fuel such as wood, but the practice exposes people -- especially women -- to large doses of small-particle air pollution, which can cause premature death and lung disease. ... > full story

New plant genus, species discovered in St. Johns River, Florida (July 8, 2011) -- Remarkable for their exquisite, glass-like cell walls in every imaginable 3-D shape and pattern -- and important for their role as bio-indicators of water quality -- diatoms are the predominant group of microscopic, single-celled algae at the base of the aquatic food chain. Biologists have now identified a new diatom genus and species. ... > full story

Body's natural marijuana-like chemicals make fatty foods hard to resist (July 8, 2011) -- Recent studies have revealed potato chips and french fries to be the worst contributors to weight gain -- and with good reason. Have you ever wondered why you can't eat just one chip or a single fry? It's not just the carbohydrates at fault. ... > full story

Ancestry of polar bears traced to Ireland (July 8, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that the female ancestor of all living polar bears was a brown bear that lived in the vicinity of present-day Britain and Ireland just prior to the peak of the last ice age -- 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. The research is expected to help guide future conservation efforts for polar bears, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. ... > full story