Τετάρτη 20 Νοεμβρίου 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


Neanderthal viruses found in modern humans

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:04 PM PST

Ancient viruses from Neanderthals have been found in modern human DNA. Researchers compared genetic data from fossils of Neanderthals and another group of ancient human ancestors called Denisovans to data from modern-day cancer patients. They found evidence of Neanderthal and Denisovan viruses in the modern human DNA, suggesting that the viruses originated in our common ancestors more than half a million years ago.

Peering into the future: How cities grow

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST

How cities will grow in the future depends on fundamental laws, which have now been uncovered.

Evidence of ancient human history encoded in music's complex patterns

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:28 PM PST

Just as fragments of ancient pottery and bones offer valuable information about human history, music can also reveal clues about the past, according to new research.

Monkeys can point to objects they do not report seeing

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:14 AM PST

Are monkeys, like humans, able to ascertain where objects are located without much more than a sideways glance? Quite likely, says the lead author of a new study. The study finds that monkeys are able to localize stimuli they do not perceive.

More accurate method to date tropical glacier moraines

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:12 AM PST

Scientists have found a more accurate method to determine the ages of boulders deposited by tropical glaciers, findings that will likely influence previous research of how climate change has impacted ice masses around the equator.

Origin of species: Protein imbalances doom hybrids

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:25 AM PST

Why do crosses between closely related species fail to produce fertile hybrids? A new study shows that differences in the levels - not necessarily the sequences - of certain key proteins are crucial in mediating reproductive isolation. Two individuals are defined as belonging to the same biological species, if matings between them give rise to viable and fertile offspring. Crosses between closely related, but already distinct, species produce hybrid offspring that are either inviable or sterile, and thus cannot give rise to a self-propagating hybrid lineage.

Effects of LEDs on leaf lettuce: Mixture of blue and red lights recommended to enhance lettuce quality, yield

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:11 AM PST

Scientists determined the effects of blue and red LED ratios on leaf shape, plant growth, and the accumulation of antioxidant phenolic compounds of a red leaf lettuce and a green leaf lettuce cultivar. They determined that red LED light promoted growth and that blue LED light was good for phenolics accumulation rather than growth, thus concluding that a combination of red and blue light is essential for cultivation of leafy vegetables like lettuce.

Recreating the history of life through the genome

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:10 AM PST

One of the most important processes in the life of cells is genome replication. In most organisms genome replication follows a set plan, in which certain regions of the genome replicate before others; alterations in the late replication phases had previously been related to cancer and aging. Now, scientists have, for the first time related this process to evolution of life.

Genome scale view of great white shark uncovers unexpected and distinctive features

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:29 AM PST

A new study undertakes the first large-scale exploration of the great white shark's genetic repertoire, and comes up with unexpected findings.

New species of crustacean discovered on coast of California

Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:28 AM PST

A recent study describes a new species of marine crustacean found on the coast of California.

Biologists find an evolutionary Facebook for monkeys and apes

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PST

Why do the faces of primates contain so many different colors, including black, blue, red, orange and white, mixed in all kinds of combinations, and often striking patterns? Biologists report on the faces of 139 African and Asian primate species that have been diversifying over some 25 million years.

Coal continues to dominate global carbon emissions

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST

Despite explosive growth in renewable energy consumption, continued strong growth in coal consumption has further consolidated coal as the dominate source of carbon dioxide emissions.

Global carbon emissions set to reach record 36 billion tons in 2013

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels are set to rise again in 2013, reaching a record high of 36 billion tons - according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project. The biggest contributors to fossil fuel emissions in 2012 were China (27 per cent), the United States (14 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent), and India (6 per cent). The projected rise for 2013 comes after a similar rise of 2.2 per cent in 2012.

Underwater 'tree rings' show 650 years of sea ice change

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 12:59 PM PST

Almost 650 years of annual change in sea-ice cover can been seen in the calcite crust growth layers of seafloor algae, says a new study.

Poultry probiotic's coat clues to ability to battle bugs

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:01 AM PST

Researchers have characterized the coat of potential poultry probiotic bacteria, giving the first clues of how this may be used to exclude pathogenic bacteria from chickens, and so reduce the use of antibiotics to control food poisoning bacteria.

Bacteria use lethal cytotoxins to evade antibiotic treatment

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:17 AM PST

Bacteria that cause infectious diseases produce a number of cytotoxins, and an international research team has now found the mechanism behind one of these toxins. The new results could make it possible in future to develop new treatment methods to impair the cytotoxic activity and thereby reduce the severity of infectious diseases.

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