Fragmentation of wildlife populations is increasing on a global scale, and understanding current genetic structure, genetic diversity and genetic connectivity is key to informing future wildlife management and conservation.
This is true of mountain lion -- also known as pumas or cougars -- populations in California, according to a new study conducted by a University of...
Electric fish in augmented reality reveal how animals 'actively sense' world around them
Bats and dolphins emit sound waves to sense their surroundings; like a battery, electric fish generate electricity to help them detect motion while burrowed in their refuges; and humans use tiny movements of the eyes to perceive objects in their field of vision.
Each is an example of "active sensing" -- a process found across the...
More young and other traits help mammals adapt to urban environments
Species of mammals that live in urban environments produce more young compared to other mammals. But next to this common 'winning trait', mammals deal with different strategies to successfully inhabit cities. This is what Radboud University ecologist Luca Santini and colleagues found in a study that they will publish in Ecology Letters on 21 December....
Wildlife struggle to cope with extreme weather
The mass death of flying foxes in extreme heat in North Queensland last month underscores the importance of University of Queensland wildlife research released today.
The UQ research sheds light on how various species have responded to major climate events.
A study led by UQ School of Earth and Environmental Science researcher Dr Sean Maxwell has synthesised...
Bees can count with just four 'nerve cells' in their brains
Bees can solve seemingly clever counting tasks with very small numbers of nerve cells in their brains, according to researchers at Queen Mary University of London.
In order to understand how bees count, the researchers simulated a very simple miniature 'brain' on a computer with just four nerve cells -- far fewer than a real bee...
For gait transitions, stability often trumps energy savings
A dog's gait, according to the American Kennel Club, is "the pattern of footsteps at various rates of speed, each distinguished by a particular rhythm and footfall." When dogs trot, for example, the right front leg and the left hind leg move together. This is an intermediate gait, faster than walking but slower than running.
In...