The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Saturday, January 14, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Saturday, January 14, 2012

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Evolution is written all over your face (January 13, 2012) -- Why are the faces of primates so dramatically different from one another? Biologists serving as "evolutionary detectives" studied the faces of 129 adult male primates from Central and South America, and offer answers. These faces evolved over at least 24 million years. ... > full story

Novel chemical route to form organic molecules (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a novel chemical route to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- complex organic molecules such as naphthalene carrying fused benzene rings -- in ultra-cold regions of interstellar space. ... > full story

Discovery of plant 'nourishing gene' brings hope for increased crop seed yield and food security (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a "nourishing gene" which controls the transfer of nutrients from plant to seed -- a significant step which could help increase global food production. ... > full story

Blame your taste buds for liking fat: Receptor for tasting fat identified in humans (January 13, 2012) -- Why do we like fatty foods so much? We can blame our taste buds. In the first study to identify a human receptor that can taste fat, researchers report that our tongues recognize and have an affinity for fat and that variations in a gene can make people more or less sensitive to the taste of fat in foods. ... > full story

European mountain vegetation shows effects of warmer climate (January 13, 2012) -- Researchers from 13 countries report clear and statistically significant evidence of a continent-wide warming effect on mountain plant communities in Europe. ... > full story

Offsetting global warming: Molecule in Earth's atmosphere could 'cool the planet' (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have shown that a newly discovered molecule in Earth's atmosphere has the potential to play a significant role in offsetting global warming by cooling the planet. ... > full story

The microbiome and disease: Gut bacteria influence the severity of heart attacks in rats (January 13, 2012) -- New research suggests the types and levels of intestinal bacteria may be used to predict a person's likelihood of having a heart attack, and manipulating these organisms may help reduce risk. This discovery may lead to new tests and therapies that physicians use to prevent and treat heart attacks. In addition, this research suggests probiotics may be able to protect the heart in patients undergoing heart surgery and angioplasty. ... > full story

Wandering albatross alters its foraging due to climate change (January 13, 2012) -- Wandering albatrosses have altered their foraging due to changes in wind fields in the southern hemisphere during the last decades. Since winds have increased in intensity and moved to the south, the flight speed of albatrosses increased and they spend less time foraging. As a consequence, breeding success has improved and birds have gained 1 kilogram. ... > full story

The case of the dying aspens (January 12, 2012) -- Over the past 10 years, the death of forest trees due to drought and increased temperatures has been documented on all continents except Antarctica. This can in turn drive global warming by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by trees and by releasing carbon locked up in their wood. New research offers evidence for the physiological mechanism governing tree death in a drought. ... > full story

Some 'low-gluten' beer contains high levels of gluten (January 12, 2012) -- Beer tested in a new study, including some brands labeled "low-gluten," contains levels of hordein, the form of gluten present in barley, that could cause symptoms in patients with celiac disease, the autoimmune condition treated with a life-long gluten-free diet, scientists are reporting. ... > full story

Diet rich in slowly digested carbs reduces markers of inflammation in overweight and obese adults (January 12, 2012) -- Among overweight and obese adults, a diet rich in slowly digested carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and other high-fiber foods, significantly reduces markers of inflammation associated with chronic disease, according to a new study. Such a "low-glycemic-load" diet, which does not cause blood-glucose levels to spike, also increases a hormone that helps regulate the metabolism of fat and sugar. ... > full story

In ancient Pompeii, trash and tombs went hand in hand (January 12, 2012) -- Trash and tombs went hand in hand in ancient Pompeii. That's according to research that provides new insights into daily life of that city before the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. ... > full story