February 26, 2008, 5:25 PM CT

Family Dynamics of Yellow Jackets

Michael Goodisman could be called the Maury Povich of the yellow jacket world. In his laboratory, Goodisman determines the paternity of yellow jackets to study family dynamics within a colony. Even though only one family lives within a colony, each yellow jacket queen mates with several males, creating a complex family tree.

"Social insects such as yellow jackets have been described as one of the greatest achievements of evolution because of the incredible cooperative nature of their societies," said Goodisman, an assistant professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Biology. "I wanted to know why the females would risk this cooperative nature by having multiple partners."

Mating with multiple partners can also lead to disease and wasted time and energy, as per Goodisman. Plus, each new yellow jacket has siblings and half-siblings during the same breeding season, allowing for potential conflict and infighting between the subfamilies.

"Weird things can start happening within families, so we looked to see if there was any evidence of this kind of selfish behavior within the colony," explained Goodisman, whose projects are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Goodisman wondered if yellow jacket workers would kill new queens that had a different father or if they were more likely to turn their sister larvae into reproducing queens instead of sterile workers. Turning a worker into a queen is easier than it seems - it simply requires a comb nest with larger holes. The larger holes signal to the workers to feed the developing larvae different food, resulting in queens......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 26, 2008, 5:14 PM CT

Giant Fossil Frog from Hell

A team of researchers, led by Stony Brook University paleontologist David Krause, has discovered the remains in Madagascar of what may be the largest frog ever to exist.

The 16-inch, 10-pound ancient frog, scientifically named Beelzebufo, or devil frog, links a group of frogs that lived 65 to 70 million years ago with frogs living today in South America.

Discovery of the voracious predatory fossil frog -- reported on-line this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) -- is significant in that it may provide direct evidence of a one-time land correlation between Madagascar, the largest island off Africa's southeast coast, and South America.

To identify Beelzebufo and determine its relationship to other frogs, Krause collaborated with fossil frog experts Susan Evans, lead author of the PNAS article, and Marc Jones of the University College London. The authors concluded that the new frog represents the first known occurrence of a fossil group in Madagascar with living representatives in South America.

"Beelzebufo appears to be a very close relative of a group of South American frogs known as 'ceratophyrines,' or 'pac-man' frogs, because of their immense mouths," said Krause, whose research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The ceratophryines are known to camouflage themselves in their surroundings, then ambush predators......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 26, 2008, 4:41 PM CT

Coyote

There are several predators in the Park, including bobcats, eagles, badgers, and cougars, but the coyotes are the most easily seen.

Most research has shown that coyotes commonly feed on small mammals and birds. They do not feed heavily on livestock or larger ungulates, like elk, deer, or bison unless the animal is already dead or dying.

Little is known about the predatory behavior of wild coyotes, but a sudden hop or pounce is most often used for capturing small animals, like shrew or mice, where group effort may be used in the prairie dog towns. Coyotes depend on various senses to locate their prey, with sight, hearing, and smell being most important-commonly in that order.

Coyotes are small mammals, about the size of a medium-sized dog. They vary widely in coloration, ranging from an almost pure gray to a red-brown. The fur is generally much thicker in winter-giving the animal a heavier appearance, with the summer coat being much shorter and lighter.

A wide variety of habitats all across the United States can be called home for the coyote. They are found in both the grasslands and pine forest here in the Park. Each individual coyote or coyote pack has a home territory that is used on a regular basis, but not actively defended except during mating periods and when the coyote pups are in their dens......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more

February 25, 2008, 8:50 PM CT

Keys bonefish population census

Results are in from last years fifth annual Bonefish Population Census in the Florida Keys and the bonefish population has remained fairly steady from 2006, however, the number of volunteers participating in the annual event continues to grow. As per Jerry Ault, Ph.D., University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries, thats exactly the type of fish stock numbers and community involvement hed like to see.

As long as the numbers arent drastically different from year to year, it means that our methods for measuring the bonefish population are working, and that the resource appears to be sustainable, said Ault. This years study showed a slight decrease in the numbers of bonefish caught and released during the survey, as well as in the relative density of the bonefish population in the Keys, but this change is relatively stable.

Seventy-two teams joined the effort this year, spread out across 19 zones in four regions (Biscayne, Upper, Middle, and Lower Keys) from Key Biscayne to the Marquesas. Team participation was significantly enhanced by Gary Ellis and guides who fished in the Mercury Cheeca Redbone Tournament out of Islamorada, Fla. During the survey held in late October 2007, bonefish sightings were recorded and reported directly to Aults team at the Rosenstiel School. The 2006 census indicated a fishable population over 382,000, while this years findings point to a very slight decrease in that number estimated at 364,000 bonefish throughout the Florida Keys. The bonefish being calculated are those large enough (i.e. > 14 inches) to be targeted on the flats for catch and release sport fishing......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 24, 2008, 10:00 PM CT

Salamanders, headwater streams critical in food chain

University of Missouri scientist Ray Semlitsch studies creatures most people dont ever see. These creatures are active only at night and thrive in the shallow, cool, wet surroundings of headwater streams, an oft-overlooked biological environment.

A collaborative study, with MU graduate student Bill Peterman, recently reported in the journal Freshwater Biology, revealed the biomass (total mass of an organism in an area) of the black-bellied salamander far exceeds any prior estimates, and the contribution of the species and its habitat may be critical in the food chain. While the ecological role of the salamander is not fully understood, radio-telemetry and mark-recapture tracking methods used in the study indicate the salamanders are a critical component in the productivity of headwater streams, possibly ensuring the survival of other species of fauna.

This is important because it is the first study to uncover the hidden biomass of these salamanders, said Semlitsch, professor of biological science in the MU College of Arts and Science. Salamanders typically live underground. They live in places most people dont see, and they live in these small, headwater streams where there are no other fresh-water vertebrates. Fish cant exist in these small streams. This is where water seeps out of the rock, where all streams begin life as a stream......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 17, 2008, 10:47 PM CT

Is that sea otter stealing your luncht?

Hunted to near extinction, sea otters are making a steady comeback along the Pacific coast. Their reintroduction, however, is expected to reduce the numbers of several key species of commercially valuable shellfish dramatically, such as sea urchins and geoducks.

Despite of this potential conflict, Kai Chan, an NSERC-funded researcher at the University of British Columbia, believes there is a way to ensure Canadian First Nations fishers can benefit from the otters presence.

Efforts to restore wildlife populations should not be played out in a win-lose framework that pits conservation against the economic interests of the local people, observes Chan, who will be speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Conference in Boston, which runs from February 14 to 18.

While none of these shellfish were major sources of human food before the sea otters disappeared, they have become important to First Nations fishers over the last few hundred years. Given their fears about losing a big part of their livelihood, some of these fishers have even announced plans to hunt the rebounding otter populations.

Chan, however, believes that the impact of the otters will be multifaceted, for example with economic opportunities for local people in ecotourism......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 13, 2008, 9:32 PM CT

'Genetic corridors' are next step to saving tigers

The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Panthera Foundation announced plans to establish a 5,000 mile-long genetic corridor from Bhutan to Burma that would allow tiger populations to roam freely across landscapes. The corridor, first announced at the United Nations on January 30th, would span eight countries and represent the largest block of tiger habitat left on earth.Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, director of Science and Exploration Programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said that genetic corridors, where tigers can travel with less risk of inbreeding, are crucial for their long-term survival in Asia. The proposed corridor includes extensive areas of Bhutan, northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, along with potential connectivity to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It has already been endorsed by the new King of Bhutan, his Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who requested other heads of state to support similar efforts.
Rabinowitz, the co-director of Tigers Forever a WCS/Panthera Foundation collaboration made a clear request at the recent UN meeting that he and other tiger conservationists would be seeking additional approval and assistance from other heads of state.

While Asias economic tigers are on the rise, wild tigers in Asia are in decline, Rabinowitz said. Much like the call-out for global agreements on banning tiger parts in trade, a similar cross-border initiative for genetic corridors is key to the survival of the tiger. Tiger range states need to work together, as tigers do not observe political borders nor do they require a visa or passport to travel where habitat and prey remain......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 12, 2008, 9:23 PM CT

Sumatran tigers are being sold into extinction

Laws protecting the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger have failed to prevent tiger body parts being openly sold in Indonesia, as per a TRAFFIC report launched today.

Tiger body parts, including canine teeth, claws, skin pieces, whiskers and bones, were on sale in 10 percent of the 326 retail outlets surveyed during 2006 in 28 cities and towns across Sumatra. Outlets included goldsmiths, souvenir and traditional Chinese medicine shops, and shops selling antique and precious stones.

The survey conservatively estimates that 23 tigers were killed to supply the products seen, based on the number of canine teeth on sale.

This is down from an estimate of 52 killed per year in 19992002, said Julia Ng, program officer with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and lead author on The Tiger Trade Revisited in Sumatra, Indonesia. Sadly, the decline in availability appears to be due to the dwindling number of tigers left in the wild.

All of TRAFFICs surveys have indicated that Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, and Pancur Batu, a smaller town situated about nine miles away, are the main hubs for the trade of tiger parts.

Despite TRAFFIC providing authorities with details of traders involved it is not clear whether any serious enforcement action has been taken, apart from awareness-raising activities......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 10, 2008, 10:19 PM CT

Science, not romance

This Valentines Day, Cupid wont be making a stop at the Smithsonians National Zoo. Unlike the spontaneous attraction that most humans equate with love and romance, mating and dating at the National Zoo is planned, strategic and science-basedquite an unromantic encounter.

Successful breeding is often much more complicated than putting a male and female together and expecting nature to take its course. Animals in captivity need to be managed carefully to ensure the most genetically diverse populationwhich leads to healthier animals and a sustainable population that can safeguard a species from extinction.

The National Zoo facilitates this controlled and strategic breeding through its participation in the Species Survival Plan, a cooperative population management program among the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Species Survival Plans maintain the pedigree of each animal in a particular program and make breeding recommendations for those animals based on which is most genetically important, as well as taking into account whether the facility has space for potential offspring. Without a Species Survival Plan, animal populations are at risk of stagnation and eventual extinction. The plan ensures both a good genetic match and an environment that enables optimal breeding conditions for the animal, such as healthy diets and environmental control......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source

February 6, 2008, 8:39 PM CT

Barnacles go to great lengths to mate

Compelled to mate, yet firmly attached to the rock, barnacles have evolved the longest penis of any animal for their size - up to 8 times their body length - so they can find and fertilize distant neighbours.

Graduate student Christopher Neufeld and Dr. Richard Palmer from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta have shown that barnacles appear to have acquired the capacity to change the size and shape of their penises to closely match local wave conditions. When wave action is light, a longer (thinner) penis can reach more mates, but at times of higher wave action, a shorter (stouter) penis is more manoeuvrable in flow and therefore can reach more mates.

The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that sexual selection - competition with other males, female choice, sexual conflict between males and females - is not mandatory to explain variation in genital form. In barnacles, this variation appears to be driven largely by the hydrodynamic conditions experienced under breaking waves......... Posted by: Kelly      Read more         Source