Ecology & Zoology

Elevated CO2 In Atmosphere Weakens Defenses Of Soybeans

At the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists in Chicago, Dr. Jorge Zavala, Sr. of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois, and colleagues showed that elevated CO2 may negatively impact the relationship between s ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 6 2007 - 2:43pm

Birds And Bees- Why Flowers Have Pretty Colors

Unlike moths and butterflies that are often brilliantly colored to warn potential predators that they carry toxins, flowers and the fruits they produce have brilliant colors to attract the attention of pollinators and frugivores who will disperse their pol ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 9 2007 - 1:44am

Even American Horses Are Getting Obese

First the obesity problem in humans alarmed physicians and then veterinarians worried about fat cags (and dogs) but now a team of researchers in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and Virginia Tech has determined that horses are ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 9 2007 - 1:48am

Why Are Brightly Colored Birds Most Affected By Chernobyl Radiation: Antioxidants

Brightly colored birds are among the species most adversely affected by the high levels of radiation around the Chernobyl nuclear plant, ecologists have discovered. The findings help explain why some species are harder hit by ionising radiation than others ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 10 2007 - 11:11pm

PIF 4 And PIF 5 Regulate The Cycle Of Plants

Most plants and animals show changes in activity over a 24-hour cycle. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown how a plant combines signals from its internal clock with those from the environment to show a daily rhythm of growth. Using time-lapse p ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 9 2007 - 11:47pm

Saving Koalas From Chlamydia

Who knew the cute koala bears were so promiscuous? Professor Peter Timms from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation said chlamydia in koalas was a significant cause of infertility, urinary tract infections, and inflammation in the lining ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 16 2007 - 1:09pm

What Determines The Speed At Which Birds Fly? It's Not What You Think

You're thinking flying speed is just size and strength. Not so, say researchers from the University of Lund in Sweden. It's also a behavior issue and it's related to evolution. Aerodynamic scaling rules that explain how flight varies accordi ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 16 2007 - 8:40pm

Mushrooms Secrets May Combat Carbon And Find Better Biofuels

Researchers at the University of Warwick are co-ordinating a global effort to sequence the genome of one of the World’s most important mushrooms- Agaricus bisporus. The secrets of its genetic make up could assist the creation of biofuels, support the effor ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 17 2007 - 9:49am

Did CO2 Send Creeping Vines Growth Up 10X In Two Decades?

A new study of bottomland hardwood forests in the southeastern United States suggests that the increased growth of vines may change the landscape of these forests. Researchers charting the growth of vines in two forests in South Carolina found up to a 10-f ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 17 2007 - 5:55pm

Plant Hormone De-Represses Genes, Aids Defense And Reproduction

To many people, the scent of jasmine flowers suggests a romantic interlude in an exotic locale. But jasmonate, the main component of the lush scent, carries far different meanings for plants. It is a hormone they use to regulate reproductive development, i ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 19 2007 - 12:44pm