Chemical communication is widely used in the animal kingdom to convey social information. For example, animals use olfactory cues to recognize group or family members, or to choose genetically suitable mates. In contrast to most other mammals, however, primates have traditionally been regarded as "microsmatic" -- having a poor sense of smell. Although research on...
Rewilding landscapes can help to solve more than one problem
Urbanisation, biodiversity loss, climate change: just some of the worldwide problems 'rewilding' -- i.e. restoring food chains by returning 'missing' species to the landscape -- can help tackle. Researcher Liesbeth Bakker (NIOO-KNAW) has edited a theme issue of the world's oldest life sciences journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, on rewilding, together with...
Yes, your pet can tell time
Are you taking your time when feeding your pet? Fluffy and Fido are on to you -- and they can tell when you are dawdling.
A new study from Northwestern University has found some of the clearest evidence yet that animals can judge time. By examining the brain's medial entorhinal cortex, the researchers discovered a previously...
Invasive species in an ecosystem harm native organisms but aid other invasive species
The presence of an invasive species in an ecosystem makes native organisms more susceptible to pollutants and may encourage the spread of additional invasive species, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University at New York.
Binghamton faculty, along with graduate and undergraduate students, examined the effects of native vs. invasive plant leaf litter and...
Biodiversity for the birds
Human-dominated landscapes are one of the most rapidly expanding and least-understood ecosystems on Earth. Historically, in urban areas, landowners convert native plant communities into habitats dominated by non-native species. While less susceptible to pest damage and demanding less maintenance, non-native plants are extremely poor at supporting insects -- critical food for higher order consumers like...
Roadkill in the world's largest wetland, Pantanal region, Brazil
Having systematically monitored wild animals killed on the Brazilian federal highway BR-262, which passes through the Pantanal region, a research team from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, published their data concerning birds and reptiles in the open access journal Check List.
Apart from information crucial for future conservation activities, the paper provides...