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Could A Giant Sea Snail Species Help Save The Great Barrier Reef?

September 20, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

crown of thorns starfish food for giant sea snail

The giant sea snail might start being used to stop the spread of crown of thorns starfish across the Great Barrier Reef.

When people think of a hero, the first image conjure is very rarely that of an invertebrate. However, one species of giant sea snail might change that perception, at least in Australia. The giant Triton sea snail, a species which can grow over half a meter in length, is currently being closely studied by the Australian government. This believes that the species might help stem the growth of the crown-of-thorns starfish. These latter are threatening and might contribute to the destruction of the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

Giant Sea Snail to Combat Coral-Eating Starfish?

The starfish has seen its numbers swell to unsustainable levels in recent years due to a variety of ecological factors. This species is known to feed on living corals. Their actual impact, however, was largely overlooked until a 2012 study of the Great Barrier Reef. This found that not only had coral growth halved in recent years, but that crown-of-thorns starfish may actually be responsible for nearly 42 percent of the damage.

So here enter this giant sea snail species. These massive mollusks, it seems, have quite an appetite for the ravenous starfish. The sea snails are seemingly capable of hunting them down on scent alone. According to reports, this gave the Australian government an idea. Rather than attempt to release human-made measures like poisons or hunters to eliminate the starfish, they decided it might be more ecologically sound to „encourage” and let the snails save the reef.

Unfortunately, however, it appears that giant sea snails are so rare that relatively little is known about them. The biologists conducting and part of the study are really only guessing and hoping that their plan will work.

Whether or not the giant triton sea snail can actually do the job assigned to them remains to be seen. Still, ecologists around the world remain hopeful. Saving the Great Barrier Reef is one of the top priorities for marine ecologists across the globe and especially in Australia.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Filed Under: Nature

500 Million Years Old Fossils Reveal Important New Piece Of The Evolution Theory

September 12, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

500 million years old fossils on a geological evolution scale

Scientists discovered over 500 million years old fossils which could change the ecological evolution scale.

A team of paleontologists discovered over 500 million years old fossils which revealed themselves to be the first creatures capable of moving around on their own. This makes them an important piece in the theory of the human and animal evolution timeline.

The 500 Million Years Old Fossils are the Remains of Almost Microscopic Creatures

The University of Manchester group of researchers behind the discovery revealed that they found these fossils in Brazil. Dating the fossilized remains showed them to go back to the period known as the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. During this meeting point period, science considers that there was an ‘explosion’ of life on Earth as a great variety of creatures emerged at once.

The oldest examples of bilaterian animals also go back to this same transition point. Bilaterians are animals which have a body that can be divided into a top and a bottom. Also, in a left and a right side, a front and back one.

These recently discovered over 500 million years old fossils were noted to trace back to even earlier than any of the currently known bilaterians.

The creatures were discovered thanks to the burrowed traces they left in the rocks. According to reports, these were just ‘a fraction of an inch in diameter’ or somewhere between 0.002 and 0.0024 inches. Based on this, the university team determined that the creatures to leave these tracks “were similar in size to a human hair”.

They consider that these organisms left behind the burrows as they dug through the sediment layers. The creatures were likely comparable to the present-day roundworms, believes the team.

Such organisms would have propelled themselves through undulating locomotion or the wave-like movement of their body. This also places them in the complex animals class, as they were able to move themselves.

“Our new fossils show that complex animals with muscle control were around approximately 550 million years ago, and they may have been overlooked previously because they are so tiny,” states Luke Parry, the study lead author, part of the University of Bristol.

The team studied the fossils by creating a 3D model of the rocks containing them through X-ray images. This way, they were able to take a closer look at the creatures without damaging them.

Study findings are available in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Filed Under: Nature

The Aggressive Southern Pine Beetles May Soon Expand Their Territory

August 31, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

southern pine beetles illustration

Southern pine beetles may soon expand their territory because of the warmer weather.

According to a new study, the southern pine beetle, one of the most aggressive tree-killing insects in the world, may soon extend its territory because of the climate changes and their temperature increases.

Their range may earlier than expected come to include large portions of the northern United States as well as southern Canada, says the new study.

The Aggressive Southern Pine Beetles and Its Effects on Nature

This new study was led by Corey Lesk, a Columbia University graduate student of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Southern pine beetles used to be live only in Central America and the southeastern United States. However, over the past few years, they were spotted in the Northeast and even in Long Island in New York and Connecticut.

This beetle’s range is limited by the weather, more precisely, the annual extreme temperature lows. The study team points out that now, these extreme lows are rising even faster than the average temperatures. If this trend continues, the beetle might have few to no problems in spreading and extending its territory.

Research also points to this possibly resulting in quite serious problems for the environment as it could affect a “vast ecosystem” and make it “vulnerable”.

“We could see loss of biodiversity and iconic regional forests. There would be damage to tourism and forestry industries in already struggling rural areas,” state the researchers.

Radley Horton, a study co-author and Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory researcher points out some of the consequences of the southern pine beetle on a forest.

According to him, infected trees could begin drying out, which would also increase their risks of more easily catching fire and burning. In turn, this would endanger all of their surrounding areas, be it ecosystem or even properties. Large forest fires would also release significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect.

The study projects that, by 2020, if this trend continues, the southern pine beetles would have spread and established themselves along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and up to Nova Scotia.

Imgae Source: Wikimedia

Filed Under: Nature

Who Is Going to Die on Game of Thrones This Sunday?

August 26, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

game of thrones Cersei and Jamie Lannister

Plenty of fans are pointing towards Cersei as the most likely main character to die in episode 7.

Critics have not been as kind to season seven of “Game of Thrones” as they have to previous seasons as accusations of pandering to the happiness of fans and Internet message boards have been leveled against showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The question many dedicated fans of the HBO show are now asking is will there be a surprise cliffhanger to season seven featuring the death of a beloved character.

Surprises Usually Arrive In “Game of Thrones” Finale Episodes

The history of “Game of Thrones” is littered with the corpses of major characters who died in shocking circumstances at unexpected times during previous seasons. The writers of the show have failed to kill off any of the characters who were expected to play a key role in the coming final season of the show; critics have voiced concerns the show responsible for shocking scenes, such as The Red Wedding has begun to play it safe and pander to the hopes of fans.

via GIPHY

One of the major problems facing “Game of Thrones” in season seven has been the fact the show has moved beyond the novels of author George R.R. Martin and appears to be looking to drag the majority of the cast along to the final season. Fans and critics are hoping the feeling of safety and comfort felt for all the major players in the “Game of Thrones” will be thrown out of the window during the finale of season seven.

Plot twists have been the currency of “Game of Thrones” throughout the first six seasons, from the beheading of Ned Stark to the use of wildfire by Cersei Lannister at the close of season six the show has always shocked and annoyed viewers. The latest finale is heralded by critics as offering the opportunity to throw open any shocking conclusion to the story that may come in season eight.

Game of Thrones is currently the most popular TV show in history, fans generating theories about its hidden meanings faster than the producers are able to kill off major characters.

Filed Under: Entertainment

Dakota Access Pipeline Developer Now In Legal Battle With Greenpeace Activists

August 23, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

Dakota Access Pipeline protest

Tensions over the Dakota Access Pipeline are still brewing

The Dakota Access Pipeline development attracted several thousand environmentally-conscious activists to protest against the project. The tensions are still strong as the Energy Transfer Group, that is behind the pipeline project, filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace and affiliated nonprofits on Tuesday.

Energy Transfer Group accuses Greenpeace of “Criminal Activity”

Energy Transfer Group filed a racketeering lawsuit in the federal court over the claims that Greenpeace and other environmental groups involved in the protests have made damages of billions of dollars due to their “criminal activity”. Moreover, the group accuses Greenpeace of having spread false information about the project. EarthFirst! and BankTrack

EarthFirst! and BankTrack are the two other groups that have joined Greenpeace in protest of the pipeline. Energy Transfer Group believes they are “rogue eco-terrorist groups”. Moreover, they have engaged in campaigns of misinformation about the impact of the project on the environment and the sites of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Due to their racketeering and efforts at defamation, the costs of the project have increased by at least $300 million. The developer wants the federal court to establish the full extent of the damage.

Lawsuit “Meritless” according to Greenpeace

The law firm that has Marc Kasowitz, President Trump’s attorney, as managing partner represents the Dakota Access Pipeline Developer. Tom Wetterer, General Counsel at Greenpeace USA, said that it is the second consecutive year that the Kasowitz law firm filed a “meritless” law suit against Greenpeace. Wetterer has harsh words about the suit:

It is yet another classic ‘Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation’ (SLAPP), not designed to seek justice but to silence free speech through expensive, time-consuming litigation. This has now become a pattern of harassment by corporate bullies, with Trump’s attorneys leading the way.

The controversy regarding this project is that it would disturb the sacred sites of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota and threaten its water sources. The tribe managed to halt the construction of the pipeline during the last months of the Obama administration. However, President Trump quickly reversed the policy.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Filed Under: Business

NASA Captures Stunning Clouds On Mars With The Navcam

August 17, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

stunning clouds on mars

NASA recently captured some amazing photos of the stunning clouds on Mars.

NASA’s Curiosity rover, still operating long after its planned mission end date, recently took photographs of some stunning clouds on Mars with its Navcam system.

They were cirrus clouds, similar to those found on Earth. While these are amazing pictures, they are also extremely rarely noticed on modern Mars. Likely, they were more common in the past, and this view of them might give science a clearer glimpse as to what this neighboring planet was once like.

animated stunning clouds
A Ghost Like Image of the Stunning Clouds

The photos are rough, grainy, and in black and white. Still, they provide some of the eeriest images of atmospheric condensation NASA has received from the Red Planet until now.

They were taken on July 17, 2017, when the Navcam was pointed at the sky. This took eight snapshots as the clouds passed overhead. It then lowered its camera several degrees and took eight more photos as the ice vapor passed over a pair of rock outcroppings in the distance.

Photos taken later in the day showed no more clouds. Presently, these are the clearest images of such stunning clouds on Mars ever taken by Curiosity.

“It is likely that the clouds are composed of crystals of water ice that condense out onto dust grains where it is cold in the atmosphere,” stated John Moores of York University in Toronto, Canada.

 

Moores then explained that these “wisps” as the crystals fall and start evaporating is patterns that came to be known as “mare’s tails” or “fall streaks”.

 

“While the rover does not have a way to ascertain the altitude of these clouds, on Earth such clouds form at high altitude.”

Scientists believe that some billions of years ago, Mars had more water on its surface. It might have also had a thicker atmosphere. At that time, these clouds would have been far more widespread a sight as they were floating above the plains and mountains of the Red Planet.

Image Source: JPL/NASA

Filed Under: Tech & Science

A Massive Toothy Fish Chomped Its Food Just Like A Shark

August 7, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

massive toothy fish fossil

The fossil of a massive toothy fish is offering a new look at marine predators and their evolution.

Scientists recently started analyzing the fossil of a previously unknown fish species, one whose specimens were massive toothy fish with eating habits and an appearance resembling modern-day sharks.

The fossil was detected in northeastern Nevada and is some 5.9 feet long. This bony fish had long jaws filled with sharp teeth. Its dentures suggest that the species could quite easily chomp down on its prey and then swallow it whole, just like sharks are known for doing.

Massive Toothy Fish Offers New Look at the Evolution of Predators

A team of Swiss and US researchers studied this strange fish fossil discovered in Elko County, Nevada. Belonging to a previously unknown species, this was then named the Birgeria americana. This fish is believed to have swum in the waters of the sea that once covered our modern-day Nevada and the surrounding states for about 1 million years following the mass extinction event from 252 million years ago.

“The surprising find from Elko County in northeastern Nevada is one of the most completely preserved vertebrate remains from this time period ever discovered in the United States,” states Carlo Romano of the University of Zurich, the lead author.

The discovered fossil is just 0.85 feet and is a partial skull fragment. This displays three parallel rows of teeth on the exterior and a smaller set on the interior. The outer teeth are up to 2 centimeters long.

According to the study team, this massive toothy fish probably hunted prey just like a shark. It possibly pursued its prey before chomping down on it and swallowing it whole.

The species is also believed to predate the famed Ichthyosaur by more than 30 million years. Discovering this fish fossil was deemed crucial by the researchers as it offers a new look at the evolution of large predators after the mass extinction event mentioned above.

A paper released in the Journal of Paleontology holds further details on the matter. For example, the study showed that a massive fish was capable of surviving in waters previously deemed to have been too warm for it.

The mass extinction event from 252 million years ago is estimated to have wiped out around 90 percent of all marine animals.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Filed Under: Nature

18 Years-Old Girl Dies From Snakebite While Under Chhaupadi

July 10, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

women doing the chhaupadi dance

An 18 years old girl died after being bitten by a snake as was under chhaupadi.

An 18 years old girl original from a remote area of Nepal died after being bitten by a snake but not treated on time as she was under chhaupadi.

This is a tradition linked to Hinduism which holds that, while menstruating, women are impure. They are also believed to be a bad omen. As such, menstruating females are forced to leave their homes and go to a “menstruating hut” during this period of the month.

While it lasts, they are not allowed to enter their homes or even their courtyards. They also cannot take part in usual family activities.

Tulasi Shahi, the 18 years old girl in question, followed this tradition every month, as she went to stay in the shed in which her uncle tied up his cows. This time though, the young woman was bitten by a poisonous snake on Thursday night. Early Friday morning, she died as a result of the snakebite.

“She survived for seven hours after the snake bite but died because medical treatment was delayed” stated Surya Bahadur Shahi, the local mayor.

Reports state that, after being discovered, the girl was first taken to a shaman that failed to remove the poison. The delayed and possibly lacking help at a medical clinic came too late for Tulasi Shahi.

Chhaupadi Led to the Death of Other Two Girls and Is Already Officially Prohibited

This latest unfortunate event tied to chhaupadi occurred in Dailekh, a district of Nepal. Another young woman because of the very same reason some six weeks ago. A 15 years old, living in another part of the country, is believed to have died because of smoke inhalation as she was in trying to light a fire in the menstruation hut.

The Supreme Court of Nepal already ordered an end to this tradition since back in 2005. However, this is still respected in some remote villages, reportedly particularly in the west of the country. A bill, still pending in the Parliament, is looking to formally criminalize the custom. International organizations are also trying to abolish the practice.

As they practice chhaupadi, women are exposed to a number of risks. These include the heat or cold, wild animals or intruders in the hut.

Image Source: Flickr

Filed Under: World

Coconut Oil is not Good for your Cholesterol Level

June 25, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

coconut oil is not good

The AHA has found that coconut oil is not good for your cholesterol level

The American Heart Association has said that coconut oil is not good, because it raises the “bad” cholesterol just like other alimentary items do (butter, beef). The AHA has concluded that coconut oil is 82% richer in saturated fat compared with 63% in the case of butter and 50% for beef fat.

Coconut Oil is not Good for Cholesterol Levels

This is on the account that butter and beef drippings have a smaller level of saturated fat, which, in turn, increases the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This is the type of cholesterol that builds up in the blood vessels which, then, can lead to clot formation and heart attacks.

As such, coconut oil is not good for cooking, the AHA warns, recommending consumers to switch this type of oil with the polyunsaturated fats, such as corn, soybean, and peanut oils.

In a quote, Dr. Frank Sacks, a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, said that:

“Replacing saturated with polyunsaturated has a two-fold effect because a fat that causes heart disease is lowered and a fat that prevents heart disease is increased”.

Moreover, in 7 out of 7 studies that the AHA has reviewed for its advisory published in the journal Circulation, they have found that coconut oil raises the LDL levels as much as other ingredients (butter, beef, palm oil). They suggest that replacing the saturated fats found coconut oil with vegetable oil reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%.

This is as means to fight against cardiovascular disease, which is one of the leading death causes worldwide. So much so, it leads to 17.3m fatalities per year. Because coconut oil is not good, the AHA recommends either a Mediterranean-style diet or the ‘Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet’.

Dr. Lennert Veerman, of the Cancer Council NSW in Sydney, states that

“(…) a small reduction of risk every day adds up, so replacing coconut oil with olive oil may be an easy way to reduce risk a bit”.

Image Source: Pixabay

Filed Under: Health

New Study Offers New Statistics For Young People With ADHD

June 14, 2017 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

young people behind the wheel

Young people with ADHD present a higher risk of car crashes, but this can be managed through some simple steps.

The most recent research on the matter returned some new statistics regarding young people with ADHD and their performances behind the wheel. This study found that such drivers present a 36 percent higher risk of crashing when compared to other newly licensed youth. However, this value is significantly lower when compared to the previous report on the matter.

Young People with ADHD Present Manageable Crash Risks

The new survey was conducted by specialists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Research results are available in a paper in the JAMA Pediatrics.  

The CHOP research is based on data gathered from 18,500 electronic health records. These target children born in between 1987 to 1997. Almost 2,500 among them have been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“Our results indicate that newly licensed adolescents with ADHD have a greater risk of crashing than other young drivers, but that this is a manageable risk,” said Allison E. Curry.

She is the principal investigator of the CHOP study. According to Curry, the study results indicate that while the crash risk is higher than in general, it is also a manageable situation. Namely, the team considers that the situation can be turned around. Special program for youth diagnosed with ADHD that want to drive could be created.

Namely, they could receive an evidence-based training. They could also be instructed as to the risks and additional requirements of such an activity.

The study team was also reportedly surprised to note the low number of young drivers with ADHD which were prescribed medication, namely, just 12 percent. Previous studies claimed that such a treatment could help reduce crash risks. Still, this method can only be useful if people also take the prescribed medication.

A treatment plan can also be therapeutic and doesn’t necessarily have to depend on medicine. However, researchers consider that youth with ADHD interested in getting behind the wheel should follow one such therapy. Also, they should be informed about the seriousness of operating a car and of the extra attention it requires.

Image Source: Flickr

Filed Under: Life

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