Preserving endangered languages as 3D shapes
Half of the world's languages are endangered and more than a thousand are expected to be lost in coming decades. A team at UCL is using animation software to preserve these languages in an entirely new way......»»
Researchers uncover how jelly sea creatures might shape modern robotics
Scientists at the University of Oregon have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an unusual kind of locomotion that could inspire new designs for efficie.....»»
Most dangerous areas for whale shark-shipping vessel collisions revealed
Researchers have found that heavily used shipping lanes pass through crucial whale shark feeding grounds, posing a threat to this endangered species......»»
Critically endangered bird at a greater risk of being taken for captivity than harmed through loss of habitat
Research by Royal Holloway, University of London and ZSL has found that a critically endangered bird's biggest threat is being taken from its habitat to be used as a caged bird for its beauty......»»
Evolutionary history shapes variation of wood density: Study
Ecology and evolutionary biology suggest that closely related species are more likely to exhibit morphological and functional similarities compared to distantly related species. Each tree species represents a unique genetic reservoir and is a product.....»»
Researchers complete mitochondrial genome analysis of endangered plant Primulina hunanensis
Primulina hunanensis is a perennial herb in the genus Primulina Hance of the family Gesneriaceae. It is very adaptable to low-light and barren cave environments, and is unique in its species evolution and environmental adaptation. P. hunanensis has b.....»»
Researchers develop algorithms to understand how humans form body part vocabularies
Human bodies have similar designs. However, languages differ in the way they divide the body into parts and name them. For example, English speakers have two words for foot and leg, whereas other languages express the concepts foot and leg in one wor.....»»
Saturday Citations: Dietary habits of humans; dietary habits of supermassive black holes; saving endangered bilbies
The onset of solar maximum has resulted in severe geomagnetic storms, with the possibility of aurora borealis events this weekend as far south as the northern United States. Do not be alarmed if you see awesome displays of light over your neighborhoo.....»»
Nepal"s nature threatened by new development push: conservationists
Nepali conservationists condemned on Thursday new regulations permitting hydropower and hotel projects in protected nature reserves, saying they threatened to damage the habitats of tigers and other endangered animals......»»
Scientists find ancient, endangered lamprey fish in Queensland, 1400 km north of its previous known range
The Australian brook lamprey (Mordacia praecox) is part of a group of primitive jawless fish. It's up to 15 cm long, with rows of sharp teeth. Surprisingly, it doesn't use these teeth to suck blood like most lamprey species—it's non-parasitic......»»
Saving the Mary River turtle: How the people of Tiaro rallied behind an iconic species
Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered......»»
A "conservation conundrum"—when rat control to conserve one species threatens another
When pest rats and mice decimate populations of native species, pest control is a no-brainer. But what if baiting rats protects threatened songbirds, while poisoning critically endangered owls?.....»»
Rising mercury levels may contribute to declining Steller sea lion populations
A team of researchers from Texas A&M University and other institutions has made a surprising discovery about rising mercury levels in Steller sea lion pups that may have detrimental effects on the endangered species......»»
How mantle movements shape Earth"s surface
The movement of tectonic plates shapes the rocky features of Earth's surface. Plates' convergence can form mountain ranges or ocean trenches, and their divergence can form oceanic ridges. But it's not just the plates themselves that influence Earth's.....»»
Researchers say nature recovery must be integrated across all sectors to bend the curve of biodiversity loss
The alarming rates of biodiversity loss worldwide have made clear that the classical way of governing biodiversity recovery based on protected areas and programs for the protection of endangered species is not enough. To tackle this, almost 200 count.....»»
US Republicans vote to remove wolf protections
The Republican-majority US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would remove endangered species protections for the gray wolf across much of the country, sparking outrage among conservationists......»»
Organic electrochemical transistors: Scientists solve chemical mystery at the interface of biology and technology
Researchers who want to bridge the divide between biology and technology spend a lot of time thinking about translating between the two different "languages" of those realms......»»
How the plant world shapes the climate cycle
In order to understand the Earth's resilience, researchers at ETH Zurich are modeling climate changes from times long past. And they show that plants are not simply victims of circumstances, but have helped to shape climate conditions on Earth......»»
Study sheds light on the diversity of carnivore skull shapes and their function
In a study published in Nature Communications, a team of international researchers led by Gabriele Sansalone and Carmelo Fruciano has made a significant discovery about the diversity of skull shapes in carnivores......»»
The real reason so many laptops have moved to soldered RAM
Soldered RAM is becoming very common in laptops of all shapes and sizes -- but is that a good thing?.....»»
A new way to study and help prevent landslides
Landslides are one of the most destructive natural disasters on the planet, causing billions of dollars of damage and devastating loss of life every year. By introducing a new paradigm for studying landslide shapes and failure types, a global team of.....»»