Animals

Jan 30, 2019 08:58 AM EST

Road proximity may boost songbird nest success in tropics

In the world's temperate regions, proximity to roads usually reduces the reproductive success of birds, thanks to predators that gravitate toward habitat edges. However, the factors affecting bird nest success are much less studied in the tropics--so does this pattern hold true?

Jan 28, 2019 06:39 PM EST

For endangered lemurs, internet fame has a dark side

A new study of Twitter activity shows that viral videos of seemingly cuddly exotic animals can have a dark side too -- by fueling demand for them as pets.

Hens that Lay Human Proteins in their Eggs Offer Future therapy Hope

Jan 27, 2019 09:08 PM EST

Hens that lay human proteins in eggs offer future therapy hope

Chickens that are genetically modified to produce human proteins in their eggs can offer a cost-effective method of producing certain types of drugs, research suggests.

Jan 26, 2019 07:52 AM EST

Drier mountains pose a double whammy for cold-adapted amphibians

A species of frog endemic to the Pacific Northwest faces a 50 per cent increase in the probability of extinction by the 2080s due to climate change, according to a new study published by SFU researchers in the Ecological Society of America.

The largest specimen of Berry Cave Salamander measures 9.3 inches.

Jan 26, 2019 07:48 AM EST

Researchers discover record-breaking salamander

Researchers at UT have discovered the largest individual of any cave salamander in North America, a 9.3-inch specimen of Berry Cave salamander. The finding was published in Subterranean Biology.

Jan 25, 2019 03:58 PM EST

Why some mites are mightier than others: The evolution of lethal fighting in a spider mite

While fighting over females for the right to breed is common among male animals in the wild, these fights rarely result in death. You can't pass on your genes when you're dead, or badly injured. So why do the males in some colonies of the tiny spider mite display aggressive, and sometimes deadly, behavior against rival males, while the males in other colonies do not, and how did this behavior evolve?

Jan 25, 2019 03:53 PM EST

How sponges undermine coral reefs from within

Scientists from the Royal NIOZ Netherlands Institute for Sea Research have uncovered how the sponges hollow out and take over reef skeletons

Jan 25, 2019 03:52 PM EST

Listeria in the feed: A dangerous hygiene problem in fattening pigs

The present case investigated at Vetmeduni Vienna is the first clinical report on this form of listeriosis in fattening pigs.

Jan 25, 2019 08:18 AM EST

Envisioned 'octopus farms' would have far-reaching and detrimental environmental impact

Commercial octopus farming, currently in developmental stages on multiple continents, would have a negative ripple effect on sustainability and animal welfare, concludes a team of researchers in a newly published analysis.

Jan 24, 2019 10:57 AM EST

A reptile platypus from the early Triassic

No animal alive today looks quite like a duckbilled platypus, but about 250 million years ago something very similar swam the shallow seas in what is now China, finding prey by touch with a cartilaginous bill.

Jan 24, 2019 10:55 AM EST

It's a bird-eat-bird world

Baby birds and eggs are on the menu for at least 94 species of animals in Australia's forests and woodlands, according to new research from The University of Queensland.

Jan 24, 2019 10:44 AM EST

What it takes to be a giant shark

Have you ever wondered why the Megalodon shark became to be so big? Or wondered why some other sharks are much smaller?

A ringed seal pup, still covered in its white baby fur, lies exposed on the sea ice.

Jan 23, 2019 03:57 PM EST

An icy forecast for ringed seal populations

New mathematical model shows dramatic decreases in ringed seal populations due to projected low snow conditions

Humpback Whales' Songs Associated with Subarctic Feeding Areas Are Complex, Progressive

Jan 23, 2019 10:15 AM EST

Humpback whales' songs at subarctic feeding areas are complex, progressive

Humpback whales overwintering in feeding areas may sing complex, progressive songs which closely resemble those associated with breeding grounds, according to a study published January 23, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Edda E. Magnúsdóttir and Rangyn Lim from the University of Iceland.

Bite by an Aedes mosquito. This species transmits dengue and Zika.

Jan 22, 2019 03:21 PM EST

Dengue immunity may be protective against symptomatic Zika, study finds

Children with a history of prior dengue virus infection had a significantly lower risk of being symptomatic when infected by Zika virus, according to a study in Nicaragua of more than 3,000 children aged 2 to 14 years.