Baby sea turtles work together to dig their way out of sandy nests, and the more of them there are, the less energy they use doing it. We knew of this group-digging behaviour, called social facilitation, for a long time, but the reasons for teamwork were unclear. Possible explanations included speeding up nest escape or […]
ecology
Smallest perching bird’s long-lost family revealed by genetics
The pygmy bushtit’s diminutive size makes it a superlative species, and it has a genus all to itself. But now genetics is showing that it’s not so special after all. The pygmy bushtit isn’t much to look at. It’s an inconspicuous dull grey, but it is absolutely tiny. So small in fact, that it is […]
Trees share vital goodies through a secret underground network
Call it the wood wide web. Although we think of trees as competing with each other for resources, we know from lab studies that they share information and nutrients underground.Trees of the same species growing close together will sometimes fuse their roots and exchange materials. And seedlings of different species can share nutrients via mycorrhiza, […]
Eyeless cave shrimp senses light and can live frozen in ice
Deep in the ice caves of the Shawangunk Ridge in New York state lives a tiny crustacean with unique abilities. Despite being eyeless, it can still detect some wavelengths of visible light. And it has no problem with being frozen solid during the frigid winters. Read more in New Scientist.
Orangutan population in Sumatra more than doubles after census
There are more than twice as many orangutans on the Indonesian island of Sumatra as we thought, according to a new survey. But deforestation and development could still see their numbers plummet over the next decade. A team led by Serge Wich, a primatologist at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, scoured the Sumatran […]
Alligators help protect bird nests – but still snack on chicks
It’s raining food for alligators in the Everglades – those that act as bodyguards for nesting birds get paid in chicks. It’s not uncommon for one animal to gain protection from a neighbour. In Florida’s Everglades, wading birds like storks and egrets preferentially build their nests where alligators live, because the presence of the big […]
White shark’s diet may include biggest fish of all: whale shark
White sharks are voracious predators, and it seems they even set their sights on the biggest fish in the sea. Two vertebrae recovered from the stomach of a 4.5-metre-long white shark caught 50 years ago show that it had been feeding on a whale shark, and a big one at that. It was around 8.5 […]
A Fishy Plan
Canada’s new government says it’s going to expand the country’s marine protected areas. Scientists worry the government is cutting corners to hit its goal. Canada has a long way to go in protecting its oceans. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity wants 10 percent of the world’s marine and coastal environments protected by 2020. […]
Oil Sands Dilbit Causes Developmental Problems in Fish
Scientists have very little idea what the environmental effects of an oil sands “dilbit” spill would be. The oil that flows in pipes away from Canada’s oil sands is not the same as conventional crude oil. Known as diluted bitumen, or “dilbit,” this proprietary blend of oil and chemicals behaves differently in the event of […]
Pharmaceuticals in the environment: a growing problem
Drugs taken by humans and animals find their way into rivers, lakes and even drinking water, and can have devastating effects on the environment. When Rebecca Klaper searched for signs of pharmaceuticals in Lake Michigan, she got a surprise. The most common drug she found was one she hadn’t even considered looking for — metformin, […]