EN News aggregated by NLBIF from various external sources http://www.nlbif.nl/ Yahoo! News: Science News LiveScience.com - The giants that migrate farther than any other mammal on Earth, humpback whales, do so with mysterious, extraordinary accuracy, veering off course by less than 1 degree over hundreds of miles, scientists find. [Yahoo! News: Science News] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110420/sc_livescience/amazingnavigationskillsseeninhumpbackwhales http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110420/sc_livescience/amazingnavigationskillsseeninhumpbackwhales ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News Scientists studying the fossils of tiny ocean-dwelling plankton, called foraminifera, have uncovered another piece in the puzzle of why species evolve or become extinct. [ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419212311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419212311.htm NYT > Environment More than 40 species of fish are threatened or face extinction from overfishing, pollution or degradation of their habitat, according to a report from a global conservation group. [NYT > Environment] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=c247b2343e29d3c136a7920135784e5e http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=c247b2343e29d3c136a7920135784e5e ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News Britain's soil bacteria have been mapped for the first time in the most comprehensive study of a country's soil biodiversity to date. To complete the map the scientific team analyzed over 1,000 soil cores from England, Scotland and Wales, examining microbial DNA sequences in the laboratory to map bacterial biodiversity. [ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419205530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419205530.htm Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times The bacterial ecosystems in Britain's soil have been mapped in a worldwide first. The soil microbe map gives us a unique baseline to measure environmental change. The research took four years to complete between 2007 and 2011. Far from being randomly distributed in soil these bacterial communities or biomes are organised according to their associated plant communities above [Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/FmPP01A75W8/ http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/FmPP01A75W8/ United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Better scientific information and closer supervision of captive breeding facilities are crucial for addressing the conservation and sustainability aspects of the Asian snake trade, according to participants at a major workshop in China. [United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=2637&ArticleID=8708&l=en&WT.rss_f=pr&WT.rss_a=2637-8708 http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=2637&ArticleID=8708&l=en&WT.rss_f=pr&WT.rss_a=2637-8708 AllAfrica News: Environment Kenya's main water resources are under serious threat due to ecological degradation. Consequently, comprehensive rescue packages are required to avert possible extinction. [AllAfrica News: Environment] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104191150.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104191150.html New Scientist - Life Chimeras – animals formed when two or more individuals fuse – have been found for the first time in a free-living sexual organism [New Scientist - Life] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10904/s/144e8736/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn20A3930Ezoologger0Esea0Eanemones0Espawn0Emixedup0Ekids0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Flife/story01.htm http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10904/s/144e8736/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn20A3930Ezoologger0Esea0Eanemones0Espawn0Emixedup0Ekids0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Flife/story01.htm The Independent - Environment RSS Feed An epic traveller and spectacular high-jumper, the Atlantic salmon is one of Europe's most enduring creatures. For thousands of years they have roamed free across the Atlantic Ocean and spawned in the rivers and streams that flow out into the North Atlantic. Yet this remarkable animal – given the regal nickname of the 'king of fish' – faces an uncertain future. [The Independent - Environment RSS Feed] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/salmon-theres-trouble-upstream-2269988.html http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/salmon-theres-trouble-upstream-2269988.html Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times In a first for conservationists seeking to help the beleaguered loggerhead sea turtle, scientists making use of satellite transmitters have been able to accurately track how the turtle's movements expose them to a range of man-made chemicals. And it seems that those turtles that are Floridan stay-at-homes fare better than those ranging along the eastern US seaboard. [Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/O_19qCm5Q0c/ http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/O_19qCm5Q0c/ NYT > Environment Richard Branson's plan to save the ring-tailed lemurs by importing them to the British Virgin Islands has not been met with wholesale support by scientists and environmentalists. [NYT > Environment] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=cd8156116d918d6839b199e945b6ee75 http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=cd8156116d918d6839b199e945b6ee75 Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk This insectivorous mystery bird species prefers the high woodlands of east Africa whilst a very similar species prefers low-lying woodland areas Rüppell's robin-chat, Cossypha semirufa (protonym, Petrocincla semirufa), also known as the lesser or black-tailed robin-chat, photographed at Hora Kilole Hayk' (Hora Crater Lake), Ethiopia (Africa). Image: Dan Logen, 26 January 2011 [velociraptorize].Nikon D300s, 600 mm lens, ISO 640, f/4, 1/125 sec Question: This is a very challenging Ethiopian mystery bird to identify to species unless you are in the field and can watch it for awhile or you have it in your hand for a close look. The best way to identify this species is based on range and habitat. However, that said, I do think you can identify this bird's taxonomic family, since it is one that all of you (Old World and New) are quite familiar with. I'll let you work on this one for 24 hours or so, and then if none of you are close, I'll post a few clues (or re-iterate clues that others have mentioned in comments). On the other hand, I'll also be pleased if you can name this species and its African sister species that looks nearly identical to it.Response: This is an adult male Rüppell's robin-chat, Cossypha semirufa, a member of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. As with some other muscicapids, the robin-chats were formerly placed in the thrush family, Turdidae. This insectivorous species and the closely-related white-browed robin-chat, C. heuglini, are not distinguishable from this photograph, but habitat and range are both diagnostic. Although not visible in this image, Rüppell's robin-chat is smaller than the white-browed robin-chat and has black central tail feathers in contrast to the latter's olive-brown central tail feathers. Rüppell's robin-chat is also darker on its back. You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page. If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration. . twitter: @GrrlScientistGrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds [Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk] Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/apr/19/4 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/apr/19/4 msnbc.com: Environment Millions of people living along the Mekong River face a crisis that could destroy their lifeline and kill off whole species of fish: construction of a hydropower dam in Laos. [msnbc.com: Environment] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42649686/ns/world_news-asiapacific/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42649686/ns/world_news-asiapacific/ National Geographic News Though predictions of mass bird die-offs in the Gulf never materialized, crude is still oozing into some bird habitats, experts say. [National Geographic News] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=270c00658902d2d9090c2a127932b703 http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=270c00658902d2d9090c2a127932b703 National Geographic News From the pancake batfish to the manatee, see what what's happening to animals in the Gulf a year later. [National Geographic News] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=e7b19190af3ece45ec898739b39c4744 http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=e7b19190af3ece45ec898739b39c4744 AllAfrica News: Wildlife The report indicating that the giraffe is in danger of extinction must be shocking indeed to wildlife conservationists in the country and beyond. [AllAfrica News: Wildlife] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104190875.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104190875.html Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk Comparing every newly discovered dinosaur with sharp teeth to T. rex perpetuates a cycle of ignorance, argues Brian SwitekI wonder if Henry Fairfield Osborn created a self-fulfilling prophecy when he named Tyrannosaurus rex. The tyrant king is the most beloved and celebrated of all dinosaurs, and when the first specimen was put on display in 1906 – nothing more than the hips and legs – The New York Times declared Tyrannosaurus to be the 'prize fighter of antiquity'. It has held onto that top spot ever since.But our love for Tyrannosaurus can be unhealthy. You don't need to look further than the headlines to see that the great Cretaceous predator has become the standard by which almost all of prehistory is judged. Dunkleosteus – a Devonian armoured fish – 'had [a] bite stronger than a T. rex'; the invertebrate Hurdia was heralded as the 'T. rex of the Cambrian period'; and, despite having a different shape, Colombia's fossil snake Titanoboa was said to be 'as big as T. rex'. I'm almost convinced that there is a journalism guide that advises: 'If a catchy headline doesn't readily present itself for a new fossil discovery, a reference to T. rex will do at a pinch.'Granted, such references to Tyrannosaurus are quick and easy ways to invoke the ferocity of extinct organisms, but our reliance on the tyrant becomes more problematic in stories about its dinosaurian kin. Upon making its debut last January, the early dinosaur Eodromaeus was dubbed the 'earliest known T. rex relative', and, a few weeks later, the bizarre dinosaur Linhenykus was presented as a 'one-fingered T. rex relative'. Then, just last month, the dinosaur Zhuchengtyrannus was announced to be 'T. rex's new cousin'.The phrases 'T. rex relative' and 'T. rex cousin' are thrown around so often that they have nearly lost their meaning. Citing the news of Zhuchengtyrannus as a 'T. rex cousin', NPR blogger Bill Chappell wrote 'It's exciting news, but doesn't it seem like we've heard something similar recently?' He wondered why both Linhenykus and the small tyrannosaur Raptorex had been given the same honorary title.Dinosaurs have become victims of their own success. The pace of dinosaur discoveries is so rapid – and requires so much context – that journalists simply can't keep up. Only the truly exceptional, eye-grabbing stories make it to press, and when they do the stories are typically along the lines of 'New dinosaur discovered. Cousin of [famous dinosaur]. Ooooh.'The tyrannosaurs themselves provide perfect examples. For decades Tyrannosaurus, Albertosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and other tyrants were considered to be 'Carnosaurs' – a grab-bag group of giant predators that also included Allosaurus, Spinosaurus, and others. Palaeontologists have since split up this dinosaurian mish-mash into a branching tree of theropod dinosaurs.As is now understood, tyrannosaurs fit inside a highly diverse theropod subgroup called coelurosaurs, which also encompass small, sickle-clawed hunters (Velociraptor); long-necked herbivores with Freddy Krueger claws (Therizinosaurus); ostrich-mimics (Gallimimus); and birds, among others. Even better, within the past 10 years palaeontologists have found a wealth of tyrannosaurs that document the group's evolution from small, feather-covered creatures to some of the largest predators of all time. Zhuchengtyrannus is only the latest tyrannosaur to be welcomed into the family.Both Eodromaeus and Linhenykus were only distant relatives of Tyrannosaurus. Eodromaeus preceded tyrannosaurs by over 165m years, and was about as closely related to the tyrants as to any other giant, badass theropod you care to name. Linhenykus, on the other claw, belonged to a coelurosaur lineage called alvarezsaurs which were not notably close to the tyrants.The true 'T. rex cousins' were found among the tyrannosauroids – a group that included everything from the pint-sized, fuzzy-feathered Dilong to large, deep-snouted apex predators such as Tyrannosaurus and the recently described Teratophoneus. In a review of tyrannosaurs published last September, a team of theropod experts noted that at least six new tyrants had been named within a year of their paper's debut, and two more have been named since then. (More are on the way – attendees at last year's Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Pittsburgh got a preview of a new, as-yet-unnamed tyrant.)Yet the flock of new tyrants does not give us a complete explanation for the confusion about these dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus – along with Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus and Edmontosaurus – represents one of the primary dinosaur archetypes that have been popularised for over a century. They are THE dinosaurs, and their long shadows obscure recently discovered species that have led palaeontologists to revise our understanding of dinosaur evolution and relationships.Take Linhenykus, for example. Who – other than palaeontologists – knows what an alvarezsaur is? From a writer's perspective, it is easier to play up its tenuous connection to Tyrannosaurus than spend a paragraph explaining the dinosaur's unique nature. It doesn't fit in the already established set of familiar dinosaur shapes, so a well-known dinosaur is used to make the introduction.As science writers, we face the difficult task of condensing technical details into compelling, easily accessible stories that will hopefully catch the eyes of readers before they click over to another webpage. That doesn't mean that we should shrink from accuracy. We are not doing our jobs if we simply refer every sharp-toothed dinosaur to the tyrant family because Tyrannosaurus provides a solid hook. If we fall victim to this trope, we perpetuate a cycle in which no one will understand what an alvarezsaur is because we never explain it and we never explain it because we don't think anyone will understand.There will always be more dinosaur discoveries than available media space to disseminate their details. That is true of any scientific discipline, and it is why context has become so vital. Our reliance on Tyrannosaurus as an attention-grabbing anchor is just one symptom of a more pervasive affliction in which brevity and page views are valued over placing news in context.Palaeontologists are not exempt, either. Too often – from grant applications to press releases – we have relied upon the cultural cachet of Tyrannosaurus to get attention.There is more to palaeontology than Tyrannosaurus rex. Just as the tyrant king was just one member of a rich and diverse dinosaurian family, so are new scientific discoveries intimately connected to the ongoing interrogation of nature. We would do well to remember that.Brian Switek is the author of Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature. He writes for the WIRED Science blog Laelaps and Smithsonian magazine's Dinosaur TrackingReferencesBrusatte, SL et al (2010). Tyrannosaur Paleobiology: New Research on Ancient Exemplar Organisms. Science (New York, N.Y.); 329 (5998): 1481-1485. DOI: 10.1126/science.1193304Hone, D et al (2011). A new tyrannosaurine theropod, Zhuchengtyrannus magnus is named based on a maxilla and dentary. Cretaceous Research (in press). DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2011.03.005Martinez, R et al (2011). A Basal Dinosaur from the Dawn of the Dinosaur Era in Southwestern Pangaea. Science; 331 (6014): 206-210. DOI: 10.1126/science.1198467Nesbitt, S et al (2011). A small alvarezsaurid from the eastern Gobi Desert offers insight into evolutionary patterns in the Alvarezsauroidea. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology; 31 (1): 144-153. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2011.540053DinosaursFossilsTaxonomyZoologyBrian Switekguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds [Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/apr/19/everybody-loves-tyrannosaurus-rex http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/apr/19/everybody-loves-tyrannosaurus-rex Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk A great crime against pedantry is in progress and it's time for someone to draw a lineThere are monkeys, and then there are apes. They are two different things, like dogs and bears, or pants and socks, or homeopathy and functioning medicine. Monkeys, apes. Apes, monkeys. If you're not getting this, here's a handy visual guide to cut out of your monitor and keep:There are many obvious differences between monkeys and apes. Apes are bigger, lack tails, have larger brains and more human-like shoulder joints. Monkeys leap around in trees and crap on your head from a great height. If an ape is crapping on your head, the chances are your head is planted in the ground with 450lbs of ape on top of it. While both are primates, apes and monkeys are in different families. Simians are divided into New World monkeys and Old World simians, with Old World creatures further divided into Old World monkeys and apes. Humans are members of the ape family, distinguished by weediness, lack of hair, technological development and widespread ironic denial of their ape heritage. These differences are important. Other writers are preoccupied with trivia like the NHS reforms or education funding, but a great crime against pedantry is in progress and it's time for someone to draw a line. Like many of today's problems, this one is epitomized by a Daily Mail headline: 'Fans go bananas for new Planet Of The Apes trailer which takes humanised monkey effects to a whole new level.'Really? Really? Only actually, as 'humanised monkeys' go they look a bit rubbish to me, because they don't really look like monkeys at all, they look more like apes, what with the film being 'Planet of the Apes' and all.Of course the original film is problematic as well, as you can see from the fatally-flawed premise: 'An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species.'The irony here is that intelligent talking apes already are the dominant species on Earth. John F. Kennedy was an intelligent talking ape. Gandhi was an intelligent talking ape. Jesus and the Prophet Mohammed were intelligent talking apes. David Cameron is an... a talking ape. Somehow though, whether through overt denial or just poor education, we've wandered into a perverse reality where people think that they aren't apes but that apes are monkeys. In terms of biological heritage this confusion is like believing your Mum is actually your distant cousin - feel free to make up your own joke about inbreeding and creationists here. Apparently these subtle nuances are beyond a lot of entertainment journalists covering 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes':Andy Serkis Knocked About With Monkeys!No, he knocked about with apes. 'Trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes Promises Monkey Invasion'No it doesn't. The monkeys aren't invading. The monkeys aren't really a big part of the film, certainly not in a speaking role. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - James Franco talks monkeys No, he talks apes, because he is making a film about apes. Monkey BusinessAPE business.''Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Concept Art: The Monkeys Shall Inherit The Earth'The monkeys shall do bugger all. The most significant change to occur in the lives of monkeys after the events of this film will be a direct result of the discovery that poo flung at furrier overlords is more likely to stick. I know that entertainment journalists aren't all morons. Some of them are able to achieve remarkable feats of intellect and empathy, like sitting through The Last Airbender all the way to the end without having a brain aneurysm, or making up all those combo-names for celebrity couples like 'Angelad', or remembering the names of all 42 Kardashian sisters and then actually giving a crap about what they do. So come on - apes, not bloody monkeys, apes. Is it really so hard?layscience@googlemail.com | Twitter: @mjrobbinsZoologyTaxonomyScience fiction and fantasyMartin Robbinsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds [Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2011/apr/19/1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2011/apr/19/1 EurekAlert! - Breaking News This study shows that just three ecological factors -- rainfall, predator diversity and island size and shape -- can account for nearly all the differences in infection rates between the eight islands. The study also provides some of the first evidence to support a recent hypothesis that predators play an important ecological role in regulating disease -- sometimes known as the 'predators are good for your health' hypothesis. [EurekAlert! - Breaking News] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/nsf-sod041911.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/nsf-sod041911.php AllAfrica News: Environment A British University has denied claims it carrying out a research in Lake Bogoria for commercial gain. The University of Leicester, in a statement yesterday, rejected claims by the Endorois community who alleged that the university is extracting minerals at the lake disguised as research. 'The university has been involved in research work at Lake Bogoria, and other Rift Valley Lakes in Kenya, focussing on conservation of flamingos as well as other environmental management projects,' the university's press office said. The statement said the university has conducted research about mass flamingo deaths in Lake Bogoria. [AllAfrica News: Environment] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104190111.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104190111.html Reuters: Environment GENEVA (Reuters) - Some of the most prized fish on the menus of prestigious European restaurants are faced with extinction because too many are being caught, according to a report issued Tuesday. [Reuters: Environment] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/ALcatfjazU8/us-fish-idUSTRE73I01U20110419 http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/ALcatfjazU8/us-fish-idUSTRE73I01U20110419 CBD News Headlines SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson plans to create a colony of lemurs on an undeveloped island he owns in the Caribbean, saying Monday it's a 'radical idea' to save an endangered primate that is disappearing from its native African habitat. [CBD News Headlines] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gNcsn96KiPMqi9Jj-MMc2Kc_otWQ?docId=6602589 http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gNcsn96KiPMqi9Jj-MMc2Kc_otWQ?docId=6602589 AP Top Science News At 9:21 p.m. EDT SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson plans to create a colony of lemurs on an undeveloped island he owns in the Caribbean, saying Monday it's a 'radical idea' to save an endangered primate that is disappearing from its native African habitat.... [AP Top Science News At 9:21 p.m. EDT] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_BRITISH_VIRGIN_ISLANDS_BRANSON_LEMURS?SITE=TXCN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_BRITISH_VIRGIN_ISLANDS_BRANSON_LEMURS?SITE=TXCN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Yahoo! News: Science News AP - Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson plans to create a colony of lemurs on an undeveloped island he owns in the Caribbean, saying Monday it's a 'radical idea' to save an endangered primate that is disappearing from its native African habitat. [Yahoo! News: Science News] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110418/ap_on_sc/cb_british_virgin_islands_branson_lemurs http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110418/ap_on_sc/cb_british_virgin_islands_branson_lemurs National Geographic News From the 'Yoda bat' to a 'walking' shark—see 20 new and rare species spotted during two decades of 'ecological SWAT team' expeditions. [National Geographic News] Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=b10921ad049168e8a4ea9bf53efce55c http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=b10921ad049168e8a4ea9bf53efce55c Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk This Ethiopian mystery bird uses duet singing to form and maintain its pair bond Rosy-patched bush-shrike, Rhodophoneus cruentus (synonym; Telophorus cruentus, formerly; Tchagra cruenta, protonym; Lanius cruentus), also known as the Rosy-patched Bushshrike or the Rosy-patched Shrike, photographed at Awash National Park, Ethiopia (Africa). Image: Dan Logen, 27 January 2011 [velociraptorize].Nikon D300s, 600 mm lens, ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/640 sec Question: This Ethiopian mystery bird is a duet-singing species that cannot be confused with any other bird. Can you identify this bird?Response: This is a rosy-patched bush-shrike, Rhodophoneus cruentus, an insectivorous songbird of east Africa's desert lowlands. These birds use duet singing to form and maintain their pair bond. When two males vie for the attentions of one female, they will sing as a trio, the female (presumably) choosing her mate based on the one whose song best matches her own. Males and females of the species can be distinguished by the presence of either a black (female) or rosy (male) patch on their throat, atop a rosy patch on their chest and belly. You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page. If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.ZoologyBirdsGrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds [Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/apr/18/5 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/apr/18/5 Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times Tropical forests need our help – can the summit in Congo halt deforestation? The objective of the summit is to ensure sustainable management of forest ecosystems and to contribute to climate regulation. To achieve this, the summit aims to establish a formal agreement between the three tropical forest basins, which will encourage them to share conservation strategies. [Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/JJmWog940uI/ http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/JJmWog940uI/ ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News Active efforts are required to preserve biodiversity in the seas, most agree. But in our enthusiasm to save uncommon species, we sometimes miss the common species that form the basis of marine ecosystems. [ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418152330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418152330.htm Sci-Tech Today Scientists judge the overall health of the Gulf of Mexico as nearly back to normal one year after the BP oil spill, but with glaring blemishes that restrain their optimism about nature's resiliency, an Associated Press survey of researchers shows. p More than three dozen scientists grade the Gulf's big picture health a 68 on average, using a 1-to-100 scale. What's remarkable is that that's just a few points below the 71 the same researchers gave last summer when asked what grade they would give the ecosystem before the spill. And it's an improvement from the 65 given back in October. p At the same time, scientists are worried. They cite significant declines in key health indicators such as the sea floor, dolphins and oysters. In interviews, dozens of Gulf experts emphasized their concerns, pointing to the mysterious deaths of hundreds of young dolphins and turtles, strangely stained crabs and dead patches on the sea floor. p Just as it was before the April 20 accident when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, ultimately spewing 172 million gallons (651 million liters) of oil, the Gulf continues to be a place of contradictions: The surface looks as if nothing ever happened while potentially big problems are hidden deep below the surface, in hard-to-get-to marshes and in the slow-moving food web. Some may not even be known for years. p When considering the entire Gulf of Mexico, I think the natural restoration of the Gulf is back to close to where it was before the spill, said Wes Tunnell at Texas AM University, who wrote a scientific advisory report for the federal arbitrator who is awarding money to residents and businesses because of the oil spill. Tunnell's grades are typical. He says the Gulf's overall health before the spill was a 70; he gives it a 69 now. p If that pre-spill... [Sci-Tech Today] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=78175 http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=78175 ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News Oxygenation brings dead sea bottoms to life. This creates the necessary conditions for the establishment of new ecosystems that enable nature itself to deal with eutrophication. By conducting pilot studies in two fjords in Sweden, researchers have demonstrated that pumping oxygen-rich surface water down to sea bottoms is effective. A large wind-driven pump is now to be tested in open water in the Baltic. [ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418141617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418141617.htm ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News Animals and plants may need extra habitats to survive the challenge of climate change, according to new research. Human activities have reduced natural habitats to isolated 'islands', making it more difficult for some species to re-locate to cooler regions in response to their existing locations growing warmer. [ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418133123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418133123.htm nzherald.co.nz - Animals A new study suggests that more than 40 fish species in the Mediterranean could vanish in the next few years.The study released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature says almost half of the species of sharks and... [nzherald.co.nz - Animals] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/animals/news/article.cfm?c_id=500834&objectid=10720366&ref=rss http://www.nzherald.co.nz/animals/news/article.cfm?c_id=500834&objectid=10720366&ref=rss NSF News Thousands of hectares of tropical dry forests in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais are now safe from logging, thanks to scientists affiliated with a project called Tropi-Dry.Using information from Tropi-Dry, the members of the Superior Court of Minas Gerais unanimously overturned a state law that altered the status of more than 16,000 square kilometers (6,000 square miles) of tropical dry forests, leaving them unprotected.Loss of these forests would have posed a serious ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=119179&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click This is an NSF News item. [NSF News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=119179&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=119179&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click World Association of Young Scientists aggregator Planting trees in dryland regions can negatively impact biodiversity, and policies must promote the practice on a smaller scale. [World Association of Young Scientists aggregator] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.scidev.net/en/sub-suharan-africa/promoting-small-scale-planting-of-trees-in-dryland-areas-1.html?utm_source=link&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=en_subsuharanafrica http://www.scidev.net/en/sub-suharan-africa/promoting-small-scale-planting-of-trees-in-dryland-areas-1.html?utm_source=link&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=en_subsuharanafrica Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk When the like-minded circle their virtual wagons around the cyber campfire, it points to a particular type of language useThe question: How should we talk about God online?How does anyone talk about God? All language, unlike God, is limited. Wittgenstein warned: 'Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.' Can anything else be said?Liam Hudson was a Cambridge educationalist. In 1966 he subjected a sample of schoolboys to a Getzels-Jackson test (including one magic question 'How many uses can you think of for a brick?'). He concluded that there were two kinds of learner. The wisdom of either, pushed to its logical extent, appeared folly to the other.Convergers, often physical scientists, deal in literal prose. Divergers, more often practitioners of the arts, lived in a world of metaphor, symbol, and poetry. To a linear converger the only proper answer to a question was direct and contingent. A diverger used questions as open springboards for surprising cognitive leaps.Convergers tend to espouse particular package deals of faiths and denials of faith. Their language is a medium for birds of a feather to flock together. Groups of the like-minded circle their virtual wagons around the cyber campfire, within a ring of words designed to reassure fellow believers (or unbelievers) they are right. Its main purpose for outsiders is to evangelise them.Discussion within convergent charmed circles is largely preaching to the choir. There is a tendency towards sarcasm, in-jokes and name-calling. The purpose of discourse is to build and fence the common ideology. An occasional heretic is flamed, but the hottest roastings are reserved for outsiders.Divergers use language use not to bolster positions but to extend them, marking multiple shades of colour and potential meaning. They prize creative active listening, along with diversity of outlook. Divergent theology (or anti-theology) is a form of poetry, drawing its power from way beyond mere words.Those who use language in these different ways can talk to each other as well as themselves, but only, of course, if they want to and are willing to expand their own bandwidth by temporarily suspending their instinctive disbelief about the other approach. Divergers may well find this easier to do for convergent logic than convergers for divergent ideas.Narrow convergers may easily fall back on that faithful old British Army standby, the Bloody Fool theory. According to this approach anything surprising, paradoxical, over-complex or foreign is evidence of a Bloody Fool at work. Since a Bloody Fool is anyone who produces material that is surprising, paradoxical, over-complex or foreign, the logic loop converges perfectly. The result is unwitting functional intolerance founded on what the Roman Catholic church used to call invincible ignorance. Whereof I cannot speak, thereof you must be silent.We are fast approaching the point at which we can communicate with anyone we want in the world. Whether they will think we have anything to say is up to us, but also up to them. We can use it to open up, or close down on other worlds as we want.ReligionInternetCommunitiesPsychologyLanguageAlan Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds [Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/apr/18/talking-about-god-converger-diverger http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/apr/18/talking-about-god-converger-diverger Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times In historic move on Friday, the US Fish and Wildlife service removed endangered species status protection from gray wolves in five US rocky mountain states. Wolf hunts are already planned in Montana and Idaho, where the animals are blamed for attacking livestock, and a decline in elk numbers. [Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/Jxdh4bD_96s/ http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/Jxdh4bD_96s/ AllAfrica News: Wildlife Tourism, one of the main drivers of East Africa's $74.5 billion economy is headed for tougher times thanks to increasing destruction of wildlife habitats. [AllAfrica News: Wildlife] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104181488.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104181488.html Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times Rainforests: Today, the conservation of this biological diversity is increasingly recognised as a major issue for our society, and through the years it has become a focus of many environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as several government authorities throughout the world. A key date in delving support to conservation was the 5th of June 1992 when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. [Covering Environmental Issues and Green News | The Earth Times] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/P2fRuWpsrW4/ http://feeds.earthtimes.org/~r/earthtimes/environment/~3/P2fRuWpsrW4/ Botanic Gardens Conservation International The full workshop documents, and the Co-Chairs Summary report (44 pages) are now published on the website of the Convention on Biological Diversity. [Botanic Gardens Conservation International] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.bgci.org/resources/news/0796/ http://www.bgci.org/resources/news/0796/ AllAfrica News: Wildlife A movie on the life of Kenya's world renowned wildlife conservationist Daphne Sheddrick has already encountered unexpected challenge over proposed use of trained animals in the screen role. [AllAfrica News: Wildlife] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104180352.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104180352.html Environment - INTER PRESS SERVICE A conservation area covering a mere 23.5 hectares has become a refuge for a unique and endangered animal species in the northeastern Peruvian region of San Martín: the Andean titi monkey. This wilderness preserve was created by a local woman who singlehandedly set out to re-establish a small area of native forest. [Environment - INTER PRESS SERVICE] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55283 http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55283 NYT > Environment Construction of the Xayaburi Dam could forever alter the natural diversity of the bountiful Mekong River. [NYT > Environment] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=4ce5c7f4da28f9f65834f42a87c46b7a http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=4ce5c7f4da28f9f65834f42a87c46b7a EurekAlert! - Breaking News A team of experts led by Brown University has a plan to advance President Obama's directive to manage the nation's waters better. In a paper in Conservation Letters, the natural and social scientists offer several recommendations based on a two-year investigation of marine management efforts by more than two-dozen local and regional groups from California to Maine. The recommendations could be integrated into the National Ocean Policy. [EurekAlert! - Breaking News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/bu-hdy041811.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/bu-hdy041811.php EurekAlert! - Breaking News Using 120 years of feathers from natural history museums in the United States, Harvard University researchers have been able to track increases in the neurotoxin methylmercury in the black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), an endangered seabird that forages extensively throughout the Pacific. [EurekAlert! - Breaking News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/hsop-mot041511.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/hsop-mot041511.php EurekAlert! - Breaking News Active efforts are required to preserve biodiversity in the seas -- that far most people are in agreement. But in our enthusiasm to save uncommon species, we sometimes miss the common species that form the basis of marine ecosystems. 'Change strategy' is the challenge to the authorities from researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. [EurekAlert! - Breaking News] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/uog-cst041811.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/uog-cst041811.php AllAfrica News: Wildlife Giraffe, the country's national emblem, is increasingly becoming an easy target for bush meat hunters, and wildlife protectors are warning that if the trend is not checked now, the towering African animal will soon be extinct.It is illegal to for anyone to kill a giraffe since it is sanctified as a national symbol and an exemption can only be granted by the President, a professional game warden with six years of experience informed The Citizen. [AllAfrica News: Wildlife] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://allafrica.com/stories/201104180267.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104180267.html CBD News Headlines Representatives from more than 30 countries are expected to hammer out a formal agreement for future discussions on forest and climate issues when they meet next month in the Republic of Congo, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). [CBD News Headlines] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0417-congo_forest_pact.html http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0417-congo_forest_pact.html CBD News Headlines HANOI - The establishment of a nature reserve in Vietnam has brought new hope for the survival of a mysterious twin-horned creature 'on the brink of extinction', conservation group WWF said. [CBD News Headlines] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jylUi0urXkdrinovESNyp_QtJrEQ?docId=CNG.56fb5187cd3c5d3cae064e25869ff3f4.9b1 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jylUi0urXkdrinovESNyp_QtJrEQ?docId=CNG.56fb5187cd3c5d3cae064e25869ff3f4.9b1 CBD News Headlines PUNE: At a time when the biodiversity is under threat from wilful politicians and industrialists, a group of youngsters from the city and Amboli taluka of Sindhudurg district have brought together schoolchildren to sensitise other children about our rich natural resources, threats posed to it and the need for conservation, planning and action. [CBD News Headlines] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Students-get-lessons-in-biodiversity/articleshow/8009309.cms http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Students-get-lessons-in-biodiversity/articleshow/8009309.cms The Independent - Environment RSS Feed Arctic coastlines are crumbling away and retreating at the rate of two metres or more a year due to the effects of climate change. In some locations, up to 30 metres of the shore has been vanishing every year. [The Independent - Environment RSS Feed] Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/arctic-coastlines-recede-by-several-metres-a-year-2269232.html http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/arctic-coastlines-recede-by-several-metres-a-year-2269232.html