Ecology & Zoology

And The New Winner For The Animal Kingdom's Highest-Pitch Love Call Is...

In the rainforests of South America, scientists have discovered a new genus and three new species of katydid with the highest ultrasonic calling songs ever recorded in the animal kingdom. Katydids (bushcrickets) are insects known for their acoustic communi ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 7 2014 - 11:00am

Downside To Diversity: How Grey Squirrels Invade So Easily

The first genotyping of grey squirrels shows a direct link between their genetic diversity and their ability to invade new environments. Grey squirrels are an invasive species introduced from North America. While they are common throughout most of the UK a ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 7 2014 - 10:44pm

Mating Plugs: Male Dwarf Spiders Create Their Own Chastity Belts For Females

People may associate the concept of the chastity belt with medieval Europe but other parts of the animal kingdom used them long before that. Male dwarf spiders, for instance, have evolved a mechanical safeguard to ensure their paternity- mating plugs to bl ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 10 2014 - 8:47am

Fire Ant Engineers- Using No Leaders, They Are Both Bricklayers And Bricks

Three years ago, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers took a close look at a connectivity phenomenon- how fire ants work together to build waterproof rafts to stay alive. After examining the edges and tops of rafts, they discovered that ants grip e ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 11 2014 - 9:04pm

White Sharks In The Northwest Atlantic Looking Good

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are among the largest, most widespread apex predators in the ocean so there have been concerns about their vulnerability. The most comprehensive study undertaken on seasonal distribution patterns and historic trends i ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 12 2014 - 9:02am

Climate Change Has Had Antarctic Winners Too

Throughout Earth's geological history, there have been numerous warming and cooling phases. The last Ice Age only ended 11-12,000 years ago The Antarctic Peninsula, the northern most region of Antarctica, is experiencing some dramatic changes, includ ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 15 2014 - 12:11pm

The bee's knees question: What do the years of 992, 1443, 1853, and 1903 have in common?

Honeycomb of European honey bees (Apis mellifera) with eggs and larvae. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) It’s time once again for everyone’s favorite game show: Environmental Whack-a-Mole! ...

Blog Post - Norm Benson - Jul 17 2019 - 9:45am

Semi-Aquatic Spiders Prey On Fish

Spiders are traditionally viewed as predators of insects but zoologists have published a study that finds spiders all over the world also prey on fish.  That spiders are not exclusively insectivorous and larger-sized species supplement their diet by occas ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 18 2014 - 9:21pm

Qiyia Jurassica: Bizarre Parasite From The Jurassic Period

Around 165 million years ago, a bizarre parasite lived in the freshwater lakes of present-day Inner Mongolia- fly larva with a thorax formed entirely like a sucking plate. With this odd thorax, the animal could adhere to salamanders and suck their blood w ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 24 2014 - 12:06pm

When Snow Melts, Arctic Birds Start Getting It On

A new study finds that migratory birds that breed in Arctic Alaska are initiating nests earlier in the spring, and that snow melt occurring earlier in the season is a big reason for it.   The researchers looked in nearly 2,500 nests of four shorebird spec ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 25 2014 - 4:36pm