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living world archive: Jan-Mar
2008
Living world news archive: January-March 2008
Dolphin woos with wood and grass
(Mar 30, 2008)
A South American river dolphin uses branches, weeds and lumps
of clay to woo the opposite sex and frighten off rivals, scientists
have discovered. Researchers observed adult male botos carrying
these objects while surrounded by females, and thrashing them
on the water surface aggressively. Writing in the journal Biology
Letters, they say such behaviour has never before been seen in
any marine mammal.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
'Bizarre' new mammal discovered
(Feb 1, 2008)
A new species of mammal has been discovered in the mountains of
Tanzania, scientists report. The bizarre-looking creature, dubbed
Rhynochocyon udzungwensis, is a type of giant elephant shrew,
or sengi. The cat-sized animal, which is reported in the Journal
of Zoology, looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and
a small ant eater.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Chameleons' colourful flashes are social
signals
(Jan 28, 2008)
Chameleons are famed for changing colour to blend in with their
surroundings and hide from predators – but new research
on chameleons in their native habitat shows some of their colour
changes evolved for exactly the opposite purpose – attracting
attention.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Synthetic life 'advance' reported
(Jan 25, 2008)
An important step has been taken in the quest to create a synthetic
lifeform. A US team reports in Science magazine how it replicated
the entire DNA code from a common bacterium in the laboratory.
The group hopes eventually to use engineered genomes to make organisms
that can produce clean fuels and take carbon dioxide out of the
atmosphere.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Giant palm tree puzzles botanists
(Jan 17, 2008)
Botanists have discovered a new species of giant self-destructing
palm in Madagascar which is so large that it can be seen in satellite
photos. The plant, which only exists in the remote north-west
of the island, is unlike anything else ever found on the island
before. Although villagers had known about it for many years none
had seen it flower.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
'Laughs' not exclusive to humans
(Jan 4, 2008)
The basis for laughter may have originated in an ancient primate
ancestral to both humans and modern apes, a study suggests. Scientists
found that orang-utans had a sense of empathy and mimicry which
forms an essential part of laughter. Facial expressions, such
as the open, gaping mouth resembling laughter, were picked up
and copied by orang-utans.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
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