Migratory Birds In Decline Due To Human Impact

According to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA), migratory birds such as the wood warbler pictured above are in decline because of human impacts such as climate change and the loss of habitat. Those that are 'set in their ways' could be more vulnerable to environmental impacts than other migratory birds that have a more diverse range of winter locations to go to during their non breeding season.

New research published today reveals why some species are more vulnerable than others.

Human Colonization in the Pacific Resulted in the Extinction of 1300 Bird Species

The takahē is a large flightless rail (a land-based relative of our familiar coot and moorhen) from New Zealand.

Researchers found that human colonization in 41 tropical islands in the Pacific such as Hawaii and Fiji has resulted in the extinction of around 1,300 species of birds.

Human colonization has a major impact on nature. Natural habitats of birds are disturbed, extended hunting of these species and also deforestation to reclaim land are some of the factors that affect the population of birds.

The most famous of extinct species of birds is the dodo bird. It is a flightless bird found in the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It is the first species that has gone extinct that is directly attributed to humans. Because of the lack of predators of the dodo in Mauritius, the dodo is said to be easily hunted.

Aside from the dodo, countless species has gone extinct due to the expansion of human civilization. On December 28, 1973, US President Richard Nixon signed into law the Endangered Species Act. It ensures that endangered species are given protection and conservation. The law also covers and protects the ecosystems that these species depend on.

Studying the Behavior of Antifreeze Molecules For Commercial, Industrial, and Medical Applications

Scientists at New York University are studying the behavior of antifreeze molecules that one day can open up applications in the commercial, industrial, and medical fields.

Antifreeze proteins (AFP) are naturally occurring proteins that inhibit the formation of ice crystals when water temperature drops to freezing levels.

These proteins are usually found in organisms that live in subzero environments such as Antarctica. Certain vertebrates, plants, fungi and bacteria can inhibit the growth and recrystallization of ice in their bodies allowing them to survive in these temperatures.

Scientists Develop Military Camouflage Face Makeup That Shields From Bomb Blast Heat

For thousands of years, soldiers have used camouflage to escape detection and hide from their enemies. Camouflage face paint has been an iconic look for soldiers the world over.

Face paint or camo paint generally utilizes three basic colors, green, brown and black. But depending on the environment, other colors are better. For forests, the best camo colors to use are green, black, and brown. Tan, brown and light green are better for desserts and in snow, grey, green and white works well. For city and urban landscapes, brown, black and grey are usually preferred.

New era in camouflage makeup: Shielding soldiers from searing heat of bomb blasts

Camouflage face makeup for warfare is undergoing one of the most fundamental changes in thousands of years, as scientists today described a new face paint that both hides soldiers from the enemy and shields their faces from the searing heat of bomb blasts. Firefighters also could benefit from the new heat-resistant makeup, according to the report.

It was part of a broader symposium on innovations in ingredients for personal care products held during the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. The meeting, which includes almost 8,600 reports on new discoveries in science and other topics, continues through Thursday. The other reports (abstracts appear below) included new hairsprays, mousses, denture adhesives, tartar-control toothpastes, mouthwashes and personal cleansing products.

Robert Lochhead, Ph.D., who presented the report, explained that soldiers have used face paint for centuries for one kind of protection ― to help their skin blend in with the natural environment and shield them from enemies. The new material continues that tradition, but also provides protection from the searing heat of roadside bomb blasts and other explosions that have claimed a terrible toll in Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts.

"The detonation of a roadside bomb or any other powerful explosive produces two dangerous blasts," Lochhead said. "First comes a blast wave of high pressure that spreads out at supersonic speeds and can cause devastating internal injuries. A thermal blast follows almost instantaneously. It is a wave of heat that exceeds 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit. That's as hot as a burning cigarette. The thermal blast lasts only two seconds, but it can literally cook the face, hands and other exposed skin."

Air Force Office of Scientific Research Funds Lightweight and Tougher Body Armor Derived From Mantis Shrimp

The main purpose of body armor is to protect the wearer from harm. It is protective clothing specifically designed to absorb, deflect, and/or mitigate damage from slashing, bludgeoning, and penetrating attacks.

There are two types of armor; regular non-plated armor and hard-plated reinforced armor.

Non-plated armor are bullet resistant clothing (textile armor) that offers protection from firearm fired projectiles such as small caliber handguns and shotguns. It also offers protection against small fragments from explosives such as hand grenades. Hard plated reinforced armor usually used in military combat operations offer additional protection from rifle rounds and explosive shrapnel.

Armored caterpillar could inspire new body armor

Military body armor and vehicle and aircraft frames could be transformed by incorporating the unique structure of the club-like arm of a crustacean that looks like an armored caterpillar, according to findings by a team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering and elsewhere published online today, June 7, in the journal Science.

The bright orange fist-like club of the mantis shrimp, or stomatopod, a 4-inch long crustacean found in tropical waters, accelerates underwater faster than a 22-caliber bullet. Repeated blows can destroy mollusk shells and crab exoskeletons, both of which have been studied for decades for their impact-resistant qualities.

The power of the mantis shrimp is exciting, but David Kisailus, an assistant professor at the Bourns College of Engineering, and his collaborators, were interested in what enabled the club to withstand 50,000 high-velocity strikes on prey during its lifespan. Essentially, how does something withstand 50,000 bullet impacts?

Deep Sea Animals Accidentally Introduced To A New Environment In The Juan De Fuca Ridge

Caption: This is a photo of Lepetodrilus gordensis, the species recovered from the Alvin submersible. Credit: Todd Haney

Located off the coasts of the state of Washington in the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada is the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The Juan de Fuca Ridge is an underwater volcanic mountain range. It was created by the separation of the Juan de Fuca Plate and the Pacific Plate. It is a tectonic spreading center. In plate tectonics, this means that the two tectonic plates are moving away from each other.

It is also home to a diverse community of life that depends on sulfur based nutrients rather than from the sun.





Deep sea animals stowaway on submarines and reach new territory

Marine scientists studying life around deep-sea vents have discovered that some hardy species can survive the extreme change in pressure that occurs when a research submersible rises to the surface. The team's findings, published in Conservation Biology, reveal how a species can be inadvertently carried by submersibles to new areas, with potentially damaging effects on marine ecosystems.

After using the manned submersible Alvin to collect samples of species from the Juan de Fuca Ridge under the northeastern Pacific Ocean, the team discovered 38 deep-sea limpets ( Lepetodrilus gordensis) among their sample. Intriguingly this species is believed to occur only in the vents of the Gorda Ridge, which are 635 km south of the dive site.

Limpets are kinds of saltwater and freshwater snails.

24 Species of Lizards Called Skinks Newly Discovered On Caribbean Islands Face Extinction

Anguilla Bank skink
Photo Credit: Karl Questel, courtesy of Penn State University

Lizards are part of a group of squamate reptiles. Squamate reptiles are distinguished by their skins, which bear horny scales or shields.

Lizards, part of the Lacertilia suborder, is defined as all extant members of the Lepidosauria (reptiles with overlapping scales), which are neither sphenodonts (i.e., tuatara) nor snakes. Because of this, the lizard group form an evolutionary grade.

Sphenodonts are the sister group to the Squamates, the larger monophyletic group, which includes both the lizards and the snakes. An evolutionary grade is defined as a group of species united by traits that are either morphological or physiological, that has given rise to another group that differs markedly from the ancestral condition, and is not considered part of that ancestral group.

These reptiles typically have feet and external ears. Snakes do not have these features. Since lizards are excluded from the snake family, the group does not have any unique distinguishing characteristic as a group. Lizards and snakes share a movable quadrate bone, distinguishing them from the sphenodonts, which have a more primitive and solid diapsid skull.

Most lizards can detach their tails to escape from predators, an act called autotomy. Vision, including color vision, is particularly well developed in most lizards, and most communicate with body language or bright colors on their bodies as well as with pheromones.

24 new species of lizards discovered on Caribbean islands are close to extinction

In a single new scientific publication, 24 new species of lizards known as skinks, all from islands in the Caribbean, have been discovered and scientifically named. According to Blair Hedges, a professor of biology at Penn State University and the leader of the research team, half of the newly added skink species already may be extinct or close to extinction, and all of the others on the Caribbean islands are threatened with extinction. The researchers found that the loss of many skink species can be attributed primarily to predation by the mongoose -- an invasive predatory mammal that was introduced by farmers to control rats in sugarcane fields during the late nineteenth century. The research team reports on the newly discovered skinks in a 245-page article to be published on 30 April 2012 in the journal Zootaxa.

About 130 species of reptiles from all over the world are added to the global species count each year in dozens of scientific articles. However, not since the 1800s have more than 20 reptile species been added at one time. Primarily through examination of museum specimens, the team identified a total of 39 species of skinks from the Caribbean islands, including 6 species currently recognized, and another 9 named long ago but considered invalid until now. Hedges and his team also used DNA sequences, but most of the taxonomic information, such as counts and shapes of scales, came from examination of the animals themselves. "Now, one of the smallest groups of lizards in this region of the world has become one of the largest groups," Hedges said. "We were completely surprised to find what amounts to a new fauna, with co-occurring species and different ecological types." He added that some of the new species are 6 times larger in body size than other species in the new fauna.

Deepest Underwater Volcanic Vent Full of Life

Deep down in the Caribbean seafloor, around 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) is the Cayman Trough. It is the world's deepest undersea volcanic vent. Known as "black smokers", these vents eject water hot enough to melt lead.

The undersea hot springs, which lie 0.5 miles (around 0.8 kilometers) deeper than any seen before, may be hotter than 450 °C and are shooting a jet of mineral-laden water more than a kilometer (0.62 miles) into the ocean above.

Despite these extreme conditions, the vents are teeming with thousands of a new species of shrimp that has a light-sensing organ on its back. And having found yet more 'black smoker' vents on an undersea mountain nearby, the researchers suggest that deep-sea vents may be more widespread around the world than anyone thought.