Yearly Archives: 2018

Controlling fire ants with natural compounds

New research published in eNeuro has identified natural, plant-derived that repel fire ants. These compounds, including one found in cinnamon, work by activating a type of ion channel highly expressed in the antennae and leg of one of the world's most invasive insect species.

Native to South America, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) has...

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Cichlids: Paler in the face of the enemy

Male cichlids that are constantly threatened by predators grow faster and postpone the full expression of conspicuous breeding coloration for longer. This is shown by a study by biologists from the University of Bonn. Thereby, the animals reduce their risk of becoming prey. However, at the peak of their sexual maturity the animals give up...

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Polar bears finding it harder to catch enough seals to meet energy demands

A new study finds polar bears in the wild have higher metabolic rates than previously thought, and as climate change alters their environment a growing number of bears are unable to catch enough prey to meet their energy needs.

The study, published February 2 in Science, reveals the physiological mechanisms behind observed declines in polar bear...

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Even small changes within an ecosystem can have detrimental effects

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A mutualistic relationship between species in an ecosystem allows for the ecosystem to thrive, but the lack of this relationship could lead to the collapse of the entire system. New research reveals that interactions between relatively small organisms are crucial to mutualistic relationships in an ecosystem dominated by much larger organisms,...
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Norway rats trade different commodities

Researchers of the University of Bern have shown for the first time in an experiment that also non-human animals exchange different kind of favours. Humans commonly trade different commodities, which is considered a core competence of our species. However, this capacity is not exclusively human as Norway rats exchange different commodities, too. They strictly follow...

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Comprehensive study on Atlantic Forest mammals

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Atlantic Forest, the second most biodiverse forest system in South America (after the Amazon), once covered roughly 463,000 square miles of habitat. Today, only 8-12 percent of this original habitat space remains. Ninety-six co-authors compiled trait information on 39,850 individuals from 279 different mammal species and 388 separate populations into...
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