SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
A long-term study of copperhead snakes in a forest near Meriden, Connecticut, revealed that five consecutive years of drought effectively ended the snakes’ reproductive output. Not one of the dozens of female snakes in the closely monitored population became pregnant the year after the drought ended, researchers found. The year before that, only one female … Read more
Some types of bacteria have the ability to punch holes into other cells and kill them. They do this by releasing specialized proteins called “pore-forming toxins” (PFTs) that latch onto the cell’s membrane and form a tube-like channel that goes through it. This hole (structure?) across the membrane is called a pore. Punctured by multiple … Read more
Migratory sandpipers breeding in Greenland who choose to spend the winter in West Africa instead of elsewhere along the East Atlantic coast have a lower chance of survival, are more likely to skip their first breeding season and arrive later at their breeding grounds. An article in the Journal of Animal Ecology, spearheaded by researcher Jeroen … Read more
A study of human activity within thousands of conservation spaces in over 150 countries suggests that – on average across the world – protected areas are not reducing the “anthropogenic pressure” on our most precious natural habitats. Protected areas are vital to preserving diverse life on Earth, as well as mitigating climate change by conserving … Read more
The combined toxicity of 22 of the most common pesticides found in waterways flowing into the Great Barrier Reef is in many cases not meeting pollution reduction targets. University of Queensland researchers, along with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, reached the conclusion after devising a new method to estimate the percentage of species … Read more
A first-of-its-kind citizen science project will put amateur butterfly-watchers at the forefront of research and conservation for the insect. The Butterflies Australia Project is led by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU). Budding butterfly chasers won’t even need a net. As part of the project they can download an app to record and upload … Read more
Birds come in an astounding array of shapes and colours. But it’s their physical prowess—like a bald eagle’s incredible ability to soar—that captivates human imagination. An enduring mystery is why bird species with similar flight styles or body sizes don’t have consistent wing shapes. All hummingbirds, and some species of falcons, hawks, kingfishers and passerines … Read more
An online mapping and knowledge platform prototype could soon offer free and easily accessible information on the migratory patterns of endangered species in the ocean. The Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) system has been launched by The University of Queensland’s Dr Daniel Dunn. The international collaboration included Duke University, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre, … Read more
A quick, cost-effective, cloud-based platform, which could solve one of fish farming’s biggest challenges, has received a US $100,000 grant for concept development and testing. The University of Queensland’s Dr Andrew Barnes is helping bring together years of fish pathogen data, combining it with new pathogen DNA sequences from infected fish, aiming to build a … Read more
The timing of spring migration is vital for birds. Returning too late comes at a cost. In 1981, German ornithologist Eberhard Gwinner demonstrated how an internal circannual clock is responsible for the correct timing of flycatchers’ migration. Replicating this experiment more than twenty years later, Barbara Helm, University of Groningen Associate Professor of Biological Rhythms … Read more