Ecology & Zoology

Rooted in place, plants can't run from herbivores—but they can fight back. Sensing attack, plants frequently generate toxins, emit volatile chemicals to attract the pest's natural enemies, or launch other defensive tactics. Researchers have ident ...

Article - News Staff - May 10 2007 - 12:34am

Species Thrive Due To Sexual Dimorphism

The presence of ecologically distinct males and females greatly increases a species' niche, say researchers. Some Caribbean lizards' strong sexual dimorphism allows them to colonize much larger niches and habitats than they might otherwise occupy ...

Article - News Staff - May 10 2007 - 12:43am

The Origin Of The Potato- Solved

Molecular studies recently revealed new genetic information concerning the long-disputed origin of the “European potato.” Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of La Laguna, and the International Potato Center used genetic mar ...

Article - News Staff - May 15 2007 - 10:49am

Scientists Seek Useful Traits In Wild Cottons

If you have Mom's smile, Dad's eyes and Grandpa's laugh, you might wonder what other traits you picked up from the genealogic fabric of the ol' family tree. Scientists at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Ext ...

Article - News Staff - May 16 2007 - 7:41pm

Scientists Discover New Life In The Antarctic Deep Sea

Scientists have found hundreds of new marine creatures in the vast, dark deep-sea surrounding Antarctica. Carnivorous sponges, free-swimming worms, crustaceans, and molluscs living in the Weddell Sea provide new insights into the evolution of ocean life. T ...

Article - News Staff - May 16 2007 - 7:56pm

B-12 Also Essential For Marine Life

B12 is an essential vitamin for and also turns out to be an essential ingredient for growing marine plants that are critical to the ocean food web and Earth's climate, scientists have found. The presence or absence of B12 in the ocean plays a vital an ...

Article - News Staff - May 18 2007 - 11:53am

Scientists Reconstruct The Prehistoric Behavior And Ecology Of Northern Fur Seals

A team of researchers has documented major changes in the behavior, ecology, and geographic range of the northern fur seal over the past 1,500 years using a combination of techniques from archaeology, biochemistry, and ecology. Among their findings is evid ...

Article - News Staff - May 21 2007 - 4:54pm

Australian Couple Find Floating Gold

Continuing on the whale theme today, an Australian couple has had an extraordinary windfall: walking along a remote beach they found 32-pounds of sperm whale puke, for which the proper scientific word is ambergris and the technical details are that amber ...

Article - Sarda Sahney - Nov 5 2010 - 2:31pm

Tropical Birds Have A Slower Pace Of Life

In the tropics, even the birds know how to relax better than those in the north. Tropical birds expend less energy at rest than do birds living in more northern climates, according to a study published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Ac ...

Article - News Staff - May 23 2007 - 2:00pm

Study Focuses On Only Carnivore With 'Fingerprints'

A new study in the May issue of the Journal of Wildlife Management reports that scientists from the New York State Museum, Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have teamed up with the New York State Department of Criminal Justice to developed a n ...

Article - News Staff - May 23 2007 - 10:45am