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POPSDinosaur find linked to giant plant eaters The Aardonyx celestae species dates back to the early Jurassic period. Dr. Yates said the creature found in South Africa stood nearly 6 feet high at the hip and weighed about 1,100 pounds. It was about 10 years old when it died, and its death may have been caused by drought. The species shares many characteristics with the plant-eating herbivores that walked on two legs, Dr. Yates said. But the new species also has similar attributes to dinosaurs that grew to massive sizes and went about on all fours with long necks and whip-like tails. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09316/1012833-115.stm#ixzz0Wf3ge1Qc Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09316/1012833-115.stm#ixzz0Wf3ge1Qc
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POPSSpecialized insects face extinction One of the top five hotspots where these extinctions are forecast to be highest is in the tropical Andes, a region where coffee is also grown. Encouraging shade coffee from the Colombian Andes in particular, in a country where sun coffee has been promoted, is especially important.
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POPSParallel ecological networks in ecosystems Han Olff, David Alonso, Matty P. Berg, B. Klemens Eriksson, Michel Loreau, Theunis Piersma and Neil Rooney Phil Trans R Soc B (2009) 364, 1755-1779 A look at ecosystems (and perhaps their analogs) as something more than a simple trophic pyramid.
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POPSFarming And Chemical Warfare: A Day In The Life Of An Ant The bacteria produce antifungal compounds that stop the microfungal pathogen from attacking the garden. This discovery was the first clearly demonstrated example of an animal, other than humans, that uses bacteria to produce antibiotics to deal with pathogens. "Interestingly, the tight association between ant, bacteria and pathogen will sometimes result in the pathogen winning. This interplay has been described as a chemical 'arms race' between the bacteria and fungus, with one side beating the other as new compounds are evolved," said Professor Currie. "At the moment, we are beginning to understand the chemical warfare at the genetic level, and it is likely that these types of interactions are more prevalent in nature than previously thought." So how exactly does an ant go about forming partnerships with a fungus and a bacterium? No one really knows.
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