https://phys.org/biology-news/plants-animals en-us The latest science news on plants and animals Northern muriquis, which live in the Atlantic forest of Brazil, are one of the most endangered species of monkey in the world. Choosing good mates and rearing thriving offspring are key to the species' long-term survival. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-monkey-poop-endangered-species.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Aug 2023 03:54:13 EDT news610253635 When you are driving through a rain storm, traction is key. If your tires lack sufficient tread, your vehicle will slip and slide, and you won't have the grip needed to maneuver safely. When torrential rains hit near-shore, shallow water ecosystems, sea urchins experience a similar challenge. Heavy precipitation can alter the concentration of salt in the ocean waters, causing lower salinity levels. Even a slight change in salinity can affect the ability of sea urchins to securely attach their tube feet to their surroundings—like tires gripping the road. This becomes a matter of life and death for the small spiny creatures, as they rely on their adhesive structures to move in the wave-battered rocky area near the seashore. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-sea-urchins-struggling-climate-ecosystems.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 16:09:13 EDT news610211348 Interest in local bird feeding appears to have ramped up in countries all over the world during the pandemic lockdowns, even in countries not historically noted for bird feeding practices, according to a study published August 2, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jacqueline Doremus from California Polytechnic State University and Liqing Li from Texas A&M University College Station, US, and Darryl Jones from Griffith University, Australia. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-bird-surged-countries-worldwide-covid-.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:00:01 EDT news610189622 It's a hot day at a Santa Monica beach, and the children splashing each other aren't the only youngsters in the water. Somewhere not far from the shore swims a group of five or more juvenile white sharks. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-attention-beachgoers-sharks-wrong.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:00:01 EDT news610199025 Contributing to the pursuit of sustainable farming, especially sugarcane growing, Brazilian researchers have shown that water bodies such as ponds and even puddles can maintain ecosystem services, provided there are tolerant animals in the vicinity to replace those most sensitive to agricultural practices. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-substitution-tolerant-sensitive-species-ecosystems.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:23:07 EDT news610194183 Otodus megalodon, the biggest shark of all time, has long captured the imaginations of paleontologists and the public alike. Scientific fascination spawns from the sheer enormity of their fossilized teeth. As big as human hands and serrated like kitchen knives, they were used for cutting down whales unlucky enough to encounter these sharks. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-meg-truth-extinct-mega-shark.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:20:01 EDT news610193287 There could be a new contender for heaviest animal to ever live. While today's blue whale has long held the title, scientists have dug up fossils from an ancient giant that could tip the scales. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-heaviest-animal-ancient-whale-peruvian.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:12:55 EDT news610193569 Humans have trained domestic animals for thousands of years, to help with farming, transport, or hunting. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-unique-wild-predators-alien-species.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:09:25 EDT news610193360 Owing to human activities and climate change, many animal species have invaded new habitats. Such biological invasion comes with devastating impacts on the local biodiversity and ecosystems. The red swamp crayfish—known to the scientific world as Procambarus clarkii (P. clarkii)—is no exception. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-tropical-red-swamp-crayfish-successfully.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:44:47 EDT news610191882 Humans typically reserve their practices of mourning for loved ones. But extending these rituals of grief and loss to non-human animals (and our shared habitats) can also help us appreciate being part of the natural world, not separate from it. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-huia-nz-bird-century-contest.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:28:43 EDT news610190870 As part of an international team, St Petersburg University biologists have for the first time described the genome of the Baikal seal or nerpa, the only mammal inhabiting Lake Baikal. The research is published in the journal Genes. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-scientists-sequence-genome-baikal.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:23:13 EDT news610190588 A new invasive insect, the elm zigzag sawfly, has arrived in North Carolina. This sawfly, Aproceros leucopoda, is native to East Asia, was first seen in the U.S. in 2021, and it has been detected in five eastern states so far. The insect feeds on the leaves of elm trees, but long-term impacts on tree health and the best ways to manage the insect's spread are still unknown, according to a North Carolina State University forest health researcher. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-qa-track-invasive-insect-elm.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:36:29 EDT news610184150 A study led by The University of Western Australia has revealed a tool used by prey to conceal 3D body shapes in nature, providing a different perspective on how camouflage works. The findings have been detailed in, " Camouflage using three-dimensional surface disruption," and published in Biology Letters. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-depth-camouflage.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:51:35 EDT news610181489 The silver rice rat, an endangered species endemic to the Florida Keys, makes its home as close to the shoreline as possible for easy access to its low-tide marine species diet. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-sea-shifts-habitat-endangered-florida.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:01:40 EDT news610128095 Seeds are important in seedling establishment, community renewal and restoration of degraded vegetation in sandy grassland ecosystems. Understanding how temperature and precipitation changes affect physiological characters of desert plant seeds is essential for seed development. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-reveals-physiological-characters-seeds-drought.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:51:03 EDT news610123861 With mighty jaws and plate-like teeth, the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) can pretty much crunch on anything. In fact, hard clam farmers in Florida's Indian River Lagoon have considered this species a threat to their production efforts and profit margin. This assumption, however, is mostly anecdotal. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-dna-decodes-dining-shell-shucking-whitespotted.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:10:12 EDT news610121401 A toxic red tide has returned to San Francisco Bay, raising fears of a reprise of last summer's unusually large fish die-off. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-red-tide-san-francisco-bay.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:51:03 EDT news610120261 Birds can be electrocuted if they come into contact with two energized parts of a power line at once—which can happen when they spread their wings to take off from or land on a power pole. Because of this, energy companies invest substantial time and money into making sure power lines are avian safe, installing safe perches and insulating energized elements. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-illegal-responsible-birds-dead-power.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:00:01 EDT news610100853 There are now more golden lion tamarins bounding between branches in the Brazilian rainforest than at any time since efforts to save the species started in the 1970s, a new survey reveals. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-brazil-endangered-golden-monkeys-recovered.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:51:48 EDT news610098705 Oat is among the top ten cereal crop species in terms of global production. It can adapt to different climates, and farmers can grow it successfully even in harsh environments where other crops such as rice and corn fail. However, not all oat plants are the same. Based on their grains, two major oat varieties can easily be distinguished: hulled, grains that are covered in a non-edible husk, and naked, grains that have a soft outer casing that easily separates from the edible grain during threshing. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-genome-rewrite-story-oat-domestication.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:00:02 EDT news610035671 Declawing house cats to keep them from scratching people and furniture is controversial—and even banned in some countries and areas in the U.S.—but the practice is not limited to house cats. In a new study, researchers looked at the effects of declawing on larger cat species and found that declawing disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-shouldnt-declaw-tigers-big-cats.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:51:27 EDT news610041083 A majestic rain tree has lived through 100 years of nasty weather, surviving torrential flooding, fierce storms and powerful hurricanes. But some worry the landmark tree won't survive its latest test, a journey of 50 feet that moved it closer to the New River to make way for two new high-rise apartment towers. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-prized-ton-tree-homecritics-wont.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:16:03 EDT news610038962 The invasive Old World Climbing Fern was introduced to Florida's ecosystem from southeast Asia around 1965. It soon dominated the state's native vegetation, infesting more than 100,000 acres in a short amount of time. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-moths-invasive-fern.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:25:08 EDT news610035905 O wolverine, where art thou? https://phys.org/news/2023-07-wolverine-mystery-scour-california-high.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:20:06 EDT news610035602 The dry summer of 2018 hit Swedish forests hard—and hardest affected were the managed secondary forests. This according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-swedish-secondary-forests-sensitive-drought.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:15:03 EDT news610031701 Wildfire threatens the survival of endangered purple-crowned fairy-wrens living along the rivers and creeks of northern Australia, our new research has found. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-northern-australia-tropical-savanna-threat.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:00:01 EDT news610029278 Over the past few decades, Skomer Island off the south coast of Wales has witnessed a remarkable resurgence in its guillemot population. Before 1930, Skomer was home to over 100,000 common guillemots. But by the end of the second world war, this number had plummeted by about 95% and continued to decline for the next few decades. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-years-seabird-colony-extinction-threats.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:50:01 EDT news610029629 Open ocean sharks are elusive and mysterious. They undertake vast journeys that span hundreds to thousands of kilometers across immense ocean basins. We know very little about the secret lives of ocean sharks, where they live and why they are there. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-secret-silky-sharks-unveiling-whereabouts.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:40:01 EDT news610028939 A new computer program allows scientists to observe the behavior of multiple animals simultaneously and over extended periods, while automatically analyzing their motion. What may seem obvious marks a significant milestone, and paves the way for robust and accessible standardization and evaluation of such complex observations. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-machine-behavioral-neuroscience-precise-phenotyping.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:24:57 EDT news610028694 Tropical mountain ecosystems, including montane forests, are relatively little studied, yet they are home to significant biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services, such as water supply and participation in regulation of temperature and regional and global climate. The data available on mountain vegetation and its dynamics falls far short of what is needed to simulate with confidence its interaction with the atmosphere in response to climate change. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-refinement-ecosystem-montane-forests.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:12:04 EDT news610027921