Zoology – Page 3 – PossibleThreat Articles

Squid-inspired robots might have environmental, propulsion applications

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Biology, Engineering, Evolutionary Biology, Extreme Survival, Nature of Water, Robotics Research, Thermodynamics, Zoology

Inspired by cephalopods, scientists developed an aquatic robot that mimics their form of propulsion. These high-speed, squidlike robots are made of smart materials, which make them hard to detect, while maintaining a low environmental footprint. Physicists used numerical simulations to illustrate the physical mechanisms and fluid mechanics of a squid's swimming method. By using this form of locomotion, the new device can achieve impressive speeds, just like its animal inspiration.

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Collapse of desert bird populations likely due to heat stress from climate change

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Bird Flu Research, Birds, Climate, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Nature, Water, Zoology

Last year, biologists discovered that bird populations in the Mojave Desert had crashed over the past 100 years. The biologists now have evidence that heat stress is a key cause. Simulations with a computerized 'virtual bird' suggest that with higher temperatures, birds need more water to keep cool. Larger insectivores or carnivores should be most affected, and small seed-eaters less so if drinking water is available: just as the biologists reported last year.

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Jackdaws learn from each other about 'dangerous' humans

September 25, 2019 0 Comments Behavioral Science, Biochemistry Research, Biology, Birds, Insects (including Butterflies), Nature, Wild Animals, Zoology

Jackdaws can learn from each other to identify 'dangerous' humans, new research shows.

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Bird droppings defy expectations

September 24, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Bird Flu Research, Birds, Engineering, Forensic Research, New Species, Organic Chemistry, Zoology

Prevailing wisdom ranks uric acid as the primary ingredient in bird excrement which is comprised mostly of urine. (Birds release both solid and liquid waste at the same time. The white substance is the urine). But according to new research, uric acid can't be the answer. That's because there is no uric acid in excreted bird urine.

News Science

Diving birds follow each other when fishing

September 23, 2019 0 Comments animals, Birds, Endangered Animals, Fish, Marine Biology, Nature, Wild Animals, Zoology

Diving seabirds watch each other to work out when to dive, new research shows.

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Onion and garlic consumption may reduce breast cancer risk

September 23, 2019 0 Comments Breast Cancer, Cancer, Colon Cancer, Food, mice, Soil Types, Women's Health, Zoology

In the first population-based study to examine the association between onion and garlic consumption and breast cancer in Puerto Rico, researchers found that women who ate sofrito more than once per day had a 67% decreased breast cancer risk.

News Science

Genetically tailored instruction improves songbird learning

September 18, 2019 0 Comments Behavioral Science, Birds, Child Development, Educational Psychology, Learning Disorders, music, Nature, Zoology

A new study conducted in songbirds demonstrates that what at first appear to be genetic constraints on birds' song learning abilities could be largely eliminated by tailoring instruction to better match the birds' inborn predispositions.

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Tortillas tell the story of folate deficiency in Mexico

September 18, 2019 0 Comments Children's Health, Food, Food and Agriculture, Health Policy, Nutrition, Soil Types, Vitamin D, Zoology

A new study hat accounts for folic acid fortification in staple foods made from wheat and corn, such as bakery bread and tortillas, found that large proportion of women of childbearing age have FA intake below levels recommended by the World Health Organization, potentially raising the risk for neural tube defects in their offspring. The study is one of a few to investigate FA intake after fortification.

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Elephant seal 'supermoms' produce most of the population, study finds

September 17, 2019 0 Comments animals, Endangered Animals, Fish, Mammals, Marine Biology, Sea Life, Wild Animals, Zoology

Most of the pups born in an elephant seal colony in California over a span of five decades were produced by a relatively small number of long-lived 'supermoms,' according to a new study.