ScienceAlert - Life Science

Some sheep are fussy

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:21:03 +0100

Some sheep are consistently more fussy about what they eat than others, and the trait runs in families, according to research from New Zealand.

Agriculture stops insect sex

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:54:40 +0100

Agricultural environments drive insects to reproduce without sex but may provide methods for controlling their damaging effects, according to research.

Koala chlamydia vaccine

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:47:35 +0100

A vaccine has been developed to protect koalas from chlamydia, a disease devastating the wild koala population, and has been preliminarily successful.

Shifting species as fast as climate

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:13:14 +0100

Moving species may be the only way to save some plants and animals from the impacts of climate change on their habitats, according to a group of researchers.

Sex tells best diet, but not tastes

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:00:32 +0100

Male and female crickets do better with different diets, though they are genetically programmed to have the same compromised tastes, research found.

Marsupials share our gene process

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:17:32 +0100

Genetic imprinting, a process involved in fetal development, is identical in marsupials and humans and evolved 150 million years ago, according to research.

Gene test breeds pedigree abalone

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:23:16 +0100

Researchers have found a way to breed faster-growing abalone, using genetic testing to find individuals with the best genes.

Opinion: Medical technology: prospects for the 21st century

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0100

'Small technologies' such as nanobiotechnology will lead to important developments in medical science, according to Graeme Clark.

Feature: In the eye of the dragonfly

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:08:58 +0100

Australian researchers are studying the amazing dragonfly in order to provide new insights into visual control of flight.

Competition favours big only child

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Researchers have developed a model that predicts which size offspring will be favoured by evolution, and explains why humans favour one large child over many.

Warming could disrupt coral's sex

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Climate change could alter coral reproduction by disrupting the signals that prompt a reef's simultaneous mass-orgasm, research has warned.

Oceans more acid than expected

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:53:21 +0100

New coral evidence has suggested that ocean acidification is occurring faster than scientists expected, which could mean time is running out for many marine species.

Birds identify eggs by colour

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Birds can use colour to identify the eggs of 'parasite' birds, such as cuckoos, from their own and eject them from their nests, new research has discovered.

Warming threatens 'living fossils'

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:13:41 +0100

Global warming could ensure the extinction of a prehistoric reptile, the threatened tuatara, by causing females to produce only male offspring, research has found.

Rare shark's genome mapped

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:48:07 +0100

Australian scientists have mapped the genome of a threatened shark genus, a breakthrough that will hopefully help ensure its survival.

Introduced plants 'weeds in waiting'

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Many introduced plants could become weeds, according to a new database that helps gardeners identify both 'weeds in waiting' and safe non-native species.

Protection to slow dolphin's decline

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Research has found that new protection measures to be put in place in New Zealand will slow, but not stop, the decline of Hector's dolphin.

Landslide crushes climate theory

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Discovery of an ancient landslide could destroy key evidence that climate change is happening simultaneously around the world.

Opinion: Cows and coal

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

William York points out that a dietary contribution can be made to limit climate change.

Crowds hide fearful looks from brain

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:22:29 +0100

Facial expressions showing fear are harder for the brain to detect in crowds than individually or in small groups, according to research.

'Fingerprinting' to catch coral killer

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

A new technique is being used to uncover which fish species are eating the few corals that have survived bleaching, and whether they will survive if the reef disappears.

Helping agriculture adapt to warming

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Farmers can no longer avoid the reality of global warming, according to a new report that will help Australian agriculture adapt to climate change.

Dinosaur bone in New Zealand

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:27:55 +0100

A fossil hunter has discovered that one of the largest known dinosaurs, a titanosaurid, almost certainly roamed New Zealand about 80 million years ago.

Tropical habitats disappearing fast

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:03:18 +0100

A new literature review has shown that tropical habitats are quickly disappearing, a loss that could result in ecological disasters such as flooding and famine.

Coral shape affects response to warmth

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:18:25 +0100

A study has found that coral size and shape affect its response to warming, which could help predict how different reefs will cope with rising sea temperatures.

Feature: Whale of a time at Ningaloo

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:58:41 +0100

Marine biologist Rob McCauley believes the ocean’s largest creatures have much to tell us – but understanding their language is a whale-sized challenge.

Bacteria could be coral's killer

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:10:07 +0100

Researchers have found the first clues that the mysterious coral disease devastating reefs around the world could be caused by bacteria.

Why some plants prefer tropics

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

Australian scientists have developed two theories to explain why plants that work with nitrogen converting bacteria prefer the tropics over higher latitudes.

Oceans warming faster than thought

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

An international team of researchers have found that the world's oceans have actually been warming 50 per cent faster than previously thought.

Test tells foot-and-mouth from vaccine

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0100

A world-first test has been developed that can cheaply tell animals infected with foot-and mouth disease from those vaccinated against it.