ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Two Y genes can replace the entire Y chromosome for assisted reproduction in mice
• Climate change may disrupt butterfly flight seasons
• Genetic defect keeps verbal cues from hitting the mark: Gene found in human speech problems affects singing, not learning in songbirds
• The company you keep shapes what you learn, study in locusts suggests
• Oldest large body of ancient seawater identified under Chesapeake Bay
• Researchers gain fuller picture of cell protein reactions
• Insight on cell migration, movement of cancer cells
• Power boosting self-cleaning solar panels
• Captive breeding for thousands of years has impaired olfactory functions in silkmoths
• Amazon drones: The latest weapon in combatting climate change
• The last croak for Darwin's frog?
• Breakthrough for biofuel production from tiny marine algae
• Palm oil waste put to work
• The closest relatives of papaya are four species from Mexico and Guatemala
• Financial decision-makers need weather and climate information to manage risks
• Where in Europe will the next insect pest infestation occur?
• Quantifying Earth's worth to public health
• Turning problems into solutions: Land management as a key to countering butterfly declines

Two Y genes can replace the entire Y chromosome for assisted reproduction in mice Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:22 AM PST Live mouse offspring can be generated with assisted reproduction using germ cells from males with the Y chromosome contribution limited to only two genes: the testis determinant factor Sry and the spermatogonial proliferation factor Eif2s3y.

Climate change may disrupt butterfly flight seasons Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:56 AM PST The flight season timing of a wide variety of butterflies is responsive to temperature and could be altered by climate change, according to a new study that leverages more than a century's worth of museum and weather records.

Genetic defect keeps verbal cues from hitting the mark: Gene found in human speech problems affects singing, not learning in songbirds Posted: 21 Nov 2013 09:59 AM PST A genetic defect that profoundly affects speech in humans also disrupts the ability of songbirds to sing effective courtship tunes. This defect in a gene called FoxP2 renders the brain circuitry insensitive to feel-good chemicals that serve as a reward for speaking the correct syllable or hitting the right note, a recent study shows.

The company you keep shapes what you learn, study in locusts suggests Posted: 21 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST A team of scientists has shown how the environment shapes learning and memory by training locusts like Pavlov's dog to associate different smells with reward or punishment.

Oldest large body of ancient seawater identified under Chesapeake Bay Posted: 21 Nov 2013 08:49 AM PST USGS scientists have determined that high-salinity groundwater found more than 1,000 meters (0.6 mi.) deep under the Chesapeake Bay is actually remnant water from the Early Cretaceous North Atlantic Sea and is probably 100-145 million years old. This is the oldest sizeable body of seawater to be identified worldwide.

Researchers gain fuller picture of cell protein reactions Posted: 21 Nov 2013 08:18 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technique for analyzing complex enzyme activity within cells.

Insight on cell migration, movement of cancer cells Posted: 21 Nov 2013 08:18 AM PST The migration of groups of cells in order to form tissues is common during the development of an organism. Discovering how these multiple movements are achieved is not only crucial to understand the basic principles of development, but provides new information and insights for further research into processes associated with the spread of cancer.

Power boosting self-cleaning solar panels Posted: 21 Nov 2013 08:18 AM PST High-power, self-cleaning solar panels might be coming soon to a roof near you. There are two obvious problems with photovoltaic cells, solar panels. First, they are very shiny and so a lot of the incident sunlight is simply reflected back into the sky rather than being converted into electricity. Secondly, they get dirty with dust and debris caught on the wind and residues left behind by rain and birds. Now, new research suggests that it might be possible to add a nanoscopic relief pattern to the surface of solar cells that makes them non-reflective significantly boosting efficiency and at the same time making them highly non-stick and self-cleaning.

Captive breeding for thousands of years has impaired olfactory functions in silkmoths Posted: 21 Nov 2013 07:38 AM PST Domesticated silkmoths Bombyx mori have a much more limited perception of environmental odors compared to their wild relatives. A new study on silkmoths revealed that the insects' ability to perceive environmental odours has been reduced after about 5000 years of domestication by humans. Scientists compared olfactory functions in Bombyx mori and in their wild ancestors. Perception of the pheromone bombykol, however, remained highly sensitive in domesticated males.

Amazon drones: The latest weapon in combatting climate change Posted: 21 Nov 2013 06:12 AM PST A flying, insect-like robot will give an unprecedented look at Peru's tropical cloud forest, one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems and a key indicator of global climate change.

The last croak for Darwin's frog? Posted: 20 Nov 2013 04:23 PM PST Deadly amphibian disease chytridiomycosis has caused the extinction of Darwin's frogs, believe scientists.

Breakthrough for biofuel production from tiny marine algae Posted: 20 Nov 2013 04:21 PM PST Researchers have developed a method for greatly enhancing biofuel production in tiny marine algae.

Palm oil waste put to work Posted: 20 Nov 2013 07:34 AM PST A recently isolated bacterial strain converts waste from palm oil production into industrially useful lactic acid.

The closest relatives of papaya are four species from Mexico and Guatemala Posted: 20 Nov 2013 07:06 AM PST For decades, researchers thought the closest relatives of papaya were certain trees from the Andes. A study using DNA sequences from all species of the papaya family instead revealed that the closest relatives of papaya are three herbs and a small tree with stinging hairs occurring from Mexico to Guatemala and El Salvador. These plants were so little known that even their scientific names were confused.

Financial decision-makers need weather and climate information to manage risks Posted: 20 Nov 2013 07:06 AM PST Maximizing returns on financial investments depends on accurately understanding and effectively accounting for weather and climate risks, according to a new study. The purpose of the study was to assist with societal decision-making by examining the implications of climate variability and change on near-term financial investments. The study also found that weather events create and exacerbate risks to financial investments.

Where in Europe will the next insect pest infestation occur? Posted: 20 Nov 2013 05:14 AM PST Climate change means that Europe's insect pest invasion is going to get worse. Scientists have discovered factors that have an effect on the probability of insect pests taking hold in Europe.

Quantifying Earth's worth to public health Posted: 19 Nov 2013 11:19 AM PST A new paper delineates a new branch of environmental health that focuses on the public health risks of human-caused changes to Earth's natural systems.

Turning problems into solutions: Land management as a key to countering butterfly declines Posted: 18 Nov 2013 08:19 AM PST Currently, butterfly populations in many countries decline at alarming rates. Changes in farming practises and land use can therefore have far-reaching consequences for the success and persistence of the butterfly fauna. A new study focuses on systematic surveys of butterfly population trends and extinction rates in southern Swedish agricultural landscapes to review effects of land management on butterfly diversity using historical and current surveys from the last 100 years.

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