Happy Tuesday, Aledan Merfolk! It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Science Tuesday post *coughMAYcough* but now that StO is done and I’m world building Enfields, I have time to read through all my science news emails. So here’s all the science news from October (so far).
Ceres’ bright spots, pyramid-shaped mountain focus of colorful new maps: Colorful new maps of Ceres charted by the Dawn space probe have been unveiled at the European Planetary Science Conference in France. The maps highlight the dwarf planet’s topography and composition, as well as a pyramid-shaped mountain and the Occator crater, where many mysterious bright spots can be found. Dawn scientists are also discussing three bursts of energetic electrons that have them puzzled.
Analysis suggests bones from Bronze Age Britain belonged to mummies: People who lived in Bronze Age Britain may have mummified their dead, according to a review of ancient bones. “The results demonstrate that Bronze Age populations throughout Britain practiced mummification on a proportion of their dead, although the criteria for selection are not yet certain,” researchers wrote in the study published online in Antiquity.
Worms could be answer to world’s plastic waste problem: Mealworms could be key to solving the global problem of what to do with plastic waste, which takes a very long time to biodegrade. A pair of companion studies indicate that mealworms can safely and efficiently eat Styrofoam and plastic, breaking them down in their guts and turning them into “biodegraded fragments that look similar to tiny rabbit droppings” that could be safely used in agriculture, researchers said. The plastic doesn’t seem to adversely affect the worms.
Higher sea levels, stronger storms raise NYC’s flood risk: Increasing sea levels and more powerful storms are placing New York City at a higher risk of flooding than it faced a century ago, researchers say. Flooding events such as Superstorm Sandy should occur only once in 3,000 years but have become more likely to occur once every 100 years, says researcher Michael Mann of Pennsylvania State University.
Study links specific genetic variations with reduced risk of malaria: Researchers with Wellcome Trust’s Sanger Institute and Center for Human Genetics found that genetic variation near glycophorins was associated with a 40% reduction in risk of severe malaria. The study team analyzed the DNA of 25,552 African children, 5,633 of whom had severe malaria. The findings were reported in the journal Nature.
Venus, asteroids among 5 missions chosen for development by NASA: Venus, asteroids and near-Earth objects are the focus of five missions NASA has selected to move forward for development in the Discovery program. The five teams, four of which are headed by women, will receive $3 million each to help them come up with concept designs and analyses before the space agency chooses which mission or missions will receive full funding next September. The chosen mission or missions could take off as soon as 2020.
Volcanoes, asteroid may have killed dinosaurs: Researchers studying ancient lava flows in India say volcanic eruptions, combined with an asteroid strike, caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago, according to a report in the journal Science. Lead author Paul Renne, a geochronologist at the Berkeley Geochronology Center, says the lava flow from the Deccan Traps would be large “enough to cover the entire Earth to a depth of something like a meter or so. It’s really big.”
Photos of Pluto moon Charon reveal large valleys: New high-resolution photographs of Pluto’s moon Charon has revealed interesting characteristics on its surface, including a large valley that crosses much of its crust. New Horizons scientists speculate the cracking could have been caused by frozen water that reached the surface of the moon.
Limb-enhancing genes in snakes appear to affect only genital growth: Genes that direct the growth of limbs may also play a role in the development of genitals, especially in snakes, according to new research from the University of Georgia. Researchers found limb-enhancing genes in the genomes of three species of snakes that, when placed in mice, affected the genitals but not the limbs.
Researchers find New Zealand fish jumps out of water to hunt prey: Researchers in New Zealand have discovered that the banded kokopu fish leaps from the water to hunt prey on riverbanks. Researchers became curious after finding terrestrial insects in the stomachs of the fish once thought to eat only whatever prey fell in the water, but experiments showed the fish leave the water to eat wax moth larvae left on the bank.
Study review finds 2 antidepressants ineffective for teens: A reanalysis of data from a 2001 industry-funded study found the antidepressant paroxetine is neither effective nor safe for adolescents with depression. The report in BMJ also concluded that imipramine is not effective for treating depression in teens and is linked to a higher incidence of cardiovascular events. Family physician Ken Schellhase, M.D., commented that the new report shows physicians should be cautious of industry-funded research.
Beaver-like mammal thrived after asteroid wiped out dinosaurs: The remains of a newly found species is giving researchers clues about how mammals survived and thrived after the asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs, a study in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society reports. The large, beaver-like herbivore was part of a group of mammals known as multituberculates, which lived during the Jurassic along with dinosaurs. “Then the asteroid hit … and suddenly — in geological terms — this [group of animals] started to proliferate and get bigger,” said lead researcher Stephen Brusatte.
Ancient massive tsunami caused by volcano’s collapse, study suggests: A volcano erupted and collapsed on the island of Fogo about 73,000 years ago, resulting in a huge tsunami that overtook neighboring Santiago Island, according to findings published in Science Advances. Researchers found evidence that massive marine-type boulders on Santiago Island were pushed 650 feet, or about 200 meters, above sea level by a huge wave caused by the volcano’s collapse. Further, the researchers say a similar event could happen again.
Woolly mammoth remains found in Mich. soybean field: A Michigan farmer has found the remains of a woolly mammoth in his soybean field. Paleontologists called in to excavate the ancient creature have recovered the pelvis, skull, two tusks, both shoulder blades, and several vertebrae and ribs. “We think that humans were here and may have butchered and stashed the meat so that they could come back later for it,” said dig leader Daniel Fisher.
Study looks at methods blue whales use to eat krill: Blue whales may not be the indiscriminate eaters they were once thought to be, according to a study published in Science. Researchers say the whales have a method for feeding on krill to get the maximum amount of food while conserving energy when the food source is scarce. “For blue whales, one of our main questions has been: ‘How do they eat efficiently to support that massive body size?’ Now we know that optimizing their feeding behavior is another specialization that makes the most of the food available,” said study author Elliott Hazen.
Crows gather around dead brethren to assess threats: Crows that gather around dead comrades aren’t grieving, but are likely trying to determine if there is a threat they should avoid in the future, according to a study published in Animal Behavior. The two-year study used taxidermied crows held by masked volunteers to gauge the reaction of living crows in the area. Researchers found that the crows would make an alert sound if a volunteer was holding a dead crow, but paid no attention if the volunteer was holding nothing.
Scientists develop self-propelled powder to stop bleeding: A self-propelled, gas-generating calcium carbonate powder, which could deliver clotting agents into internal bleeding sites, has been developed by researchers with the University of British Columbia. The study team revealed that the powder was effective at stopping bleeding in animal models with traumatic injuries. The findings were reported in the journal Science Advances.
2 antifungal treatments to be tested against white-nose syndrome: University of California researchers are testing two new ways to combat white-nose syndrome, the deadly fungal disease that has killed over 5.7 million bats in the US since it surfaced in 2006. An antifungal bacterium and chitosan, an antifungal substance made from insect exoskeletons, will be tested in wild bat colonies.
Hog-nosed rat found in Indonesia is new species of mammal: A rodent with big ears, a pointed face and a flat, pig-like nose found in Indonesia is a new mammal species, according to findings published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Dubbed the hog-nosed rat, Hyorhinomys stuempkei was discovered in a remote mountain forest on Sulawesi Island. “To Australians, Hyorhinomys is a bit like a rat version of a bandicoot, with long hind limbs, huge ears and a long, pointed face perfect for slurping up invertebrate prey,” said Kevin Rowe, a researcher at Museum Victoria.
Large animals returning to Chernobyl exclusion zone: Wildlife is returning to the exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, scientists say in findings published in Current Biology. Researchers have conducted a census of animals using aerial surveys and measured the amount of radioactivity in animal tracks left in snow, but did not specifically look at the health effects on the animals. The study looked only at large mammals like elk, wild boar, roe deer and wolves, which have especially thrived with no competition from human hunters in the area.
Carnivorous pitcher plant dines on ants with help from raindrops: Raindrops help the carnivorous pitcher plant gobble up ants, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows. A high-speed camera captured images of raindrops hitting the plant’s leaves, which vibrate, quickly turning the leaf into a springboard and propelling ants crawling on them into the digestive juices in the pitcher, where they drown. “Having a fast movement in a plant is unusual in itself, but having a fast movement that doesn’t require the plant to invest any energy — it just requires it to build the structure — that’s something quite surprising,” said study author Ulrike Bauer.
Scientists develop new mathematical model to weigh stars: University of Southampton scientists have developed a new way to measure stars’ mass using fluidynamics within a pulsar. Researchers created a mathematical model that uses the frequency and magnitude of an arrhythmia in young pulsars’ rotating electromagnetic radiation beams. Their findings are outlined in Science Advances.
Arthur B. McDonald, Takaaki Kajita win Nobel Physics Prize for work with neutrinos: Takaaki Kajita of the University of Tokyo and Arthur McDonald of Canada’s Queen’s University have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work with neutrinos. Kajita and McDonald each worked on teams in the late 1990s that demonstrated that neutrinos do, indeed, have mass. “This year’s prize is about changes in identity among some of the most abundant inhabitants in the universe,” the Nobel committee said in announcing the prize.
Not enough carbon deposits on Mars to account for missing atmosphere: There aren’t enough deposits of carbon on the surface of Mars to have trapped much of the Red Planet’s missing atmosphere, new research suggests. The researchers used data from several Mars missions to estimate how much carbon would be needed for a thick atmosphere. “Even if you combine all known carbon reservoirs together, it is still nowhere near enough to sequester the thick atmosphere that has been proposed for the time when there were rivers flowing on the Martian surface,” said Bethany Ehlmann, co-author of a study published in Geology.
Epic storm in Carolinas produced 11 trillion gallons of rain: The torrential rains that soaked the Carolinas from Oct. 1 through Oct. 5 and caused widespread flooding totaled about 11 trillion gallons, or about 42 trillion liters, an amount NASA said last December parched California needed to end its drought. South Carolina alone recorded 26 inches of rain, mostly in the central and coastal regions, and 16 deaths have been attributed to the flooding.
Oh, hey, I experienced something in Science Tuesday first hand! Our house stayed dry, but my yard is still wet.
Ants link themselves into rafts to survive S.C. floods: Ants are saving themselves from the massive flooding in South Carolina by tightly linking themselves together into rafts, according to observers. The insects’ collective behavior seen in South Carolina is consistent with recent studies. The ants’ rafting behavior is used to protect their queen.
Gene duplication helps spiders develop knees, study suggests: Gene duplication appears to be what gives spiders their knees, according to a new DNA study published online in Molecular Biology and Evolution. The researchers studied the Dachshund gene, which plays a role in limb development, to try to find out why some arachnids had longer legs than others. They didn’t find a difference between the two spider species for their original study, but noticed the gene had been copied in each spider. They went on to study gene expression in spider embryos to find out when and where the duplicated gene was activated.
Homo naledi walked upright, climbed trees, research indicates: The newly discovered human ancestor Homo naledi was adept at walking upright and climbing, and possibly at using tools, according to findings by two research teams published in Nature Communications. One team examined H. naledi’s foot bones and found that they were very much like those in a modern human foot. The other team studied bones from a right hand, and learned that H. naledi was adept at climbing, with a strong thumb and wrist that could have wielded tools, though no tools were found at the South African cave site, where the fossils were discovered.
New examination of Hubble photos shows light from first stars in universe: New analysis of photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed faint light from stars formed shortly after the Big Bang, and researchers say this light may come from the first galaxies ever created. The photos were taken by Hubble from 2002 to 2012, showing a vast expanse of more recent stars with seemingly empty patches in areas, which on further examination gave off a faint light. Scientists separated that light from stars and galaxies that formed later using information from the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey and the Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey.
3 researchers win Nobel for work on drugs treating parasitic diseases: The Nobel Prize for Medicine has been awarded to three scientists for work that led to new drugs to fight parasitic diseases. William Campbell and Satoshi Omura were awarded half of the prize for their discovery of avermectin, which led to treatments for river blindness and elephantiasis. The other half of the prize was given to Tu Youyou, who discovered artemisinin, a drug used to treat malaria. “These two discoveries have provided humankind with powerful new means to combat these debilitating diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually,” the Nobel panel said.
Study to explore communication at the end of life: Lisa Smartt, whose Final Words Project is a collection of final messages collected by relatives and other survivors, will take part in a study at Bryn Athyn College to record and analyze communication by patients in the final weeks of hospice care. The researchers want to examine how communication changes at the end of life, and make the dying process less scary and mysterious for medical practitioners and family.
Fast-moving waves in dust around young star baffle scientists: Strange rippling structures have been spotted by researchers studying a disk of dust around young star AU Microscopii. The scientists reviewed earlier images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and determined that the structures are moving away from the star at high speeds, but just what they are and what’s causing them are still a mystery. “One explanation for the strange structure links them to the star’s flares. AU Mic is a star with high flaring activity — it often lets off huge and sudden bursts of energy from on or near its surface,” said Steward Observatory’s Glenn Schneider, co-author of a study published in Nature.
Trio of DNA researchers awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work with DNA. Lindahl’s work focused on how cells repair damage to DNA in general, while Modrich discovered ways cells fix DNA replication mistakes when they divide. Sancar’s work mapped the way cells fix DNA damaged by ultraviolet light.
Early evidence of hunter-gatherers in Scotland dug up by pigs: Some of the earliest evidence of hunter-gatherers on the island of Islay in Scotland has been uncovered by foraging pigs released in the area to help clear away bracken. The pigs dug up an array of approximately 12,000-year-old tools, according to findings published in British Archaeology. Archaeologists examined the area and located layers of artifacts from various time periods.
Comprehensive bird family tree created: Scientists have created a comprehensive avian family tree using genome data from 198 species of birds alive today, according to a study in Nature. Researchers focused on the Neoave group, which covers almost all birds, except for some such as chickens, ostriches and ducks. “Any attempt to understand their biology at a broad scale requires an understanding of this deep historical context,” said study co-author Jacob Berv. “It’s critical to every area of bird biology. How they act, where they live, what they look like, how they communicate: it’s all linked to how they evolved in relation to each other.”
Warming sea temperatures resulting in global coral bleaching event: Coral around the world is bleaching due to warming ocean temperatures and could result in a massive loss of coral, particularly in US tropical regions such as Hawaii and possibly continuing through 2016, experts said. “This is only the third time we’ve seen what we would refer to as a global bleaching event, an event that causes mass bleaching in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic-Caribbean basin,” said Mark Eakin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Cancer exacerbated by antioxidants, mouse study finds: Taking antioxidants may exacerbate the spread of cancer, according to a new study. Researchers in Sweden found that mice engineered to be susceptible to melanoma developed more tumors in their lymph nodes when given the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine than those that hadn’t had the antioxidant. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine.
Portion of rat brain reconstructed in computer: A group of 82 neuroscientists have built a portion of a rat’s brain in a computer. The reconstruction is the work of the controversial Blue Brain Project, which hopes to complete a rat brain and move on to a human brain one day. The computerized brain section, culled from various cell data, responded like living tissue when brain activity was simulated, according to the lengthy report published in Cell.
Evidence that long-lived lakes once existed on Mars found: Mars once had long-lived freshwater lakes within Gale Crater, increasing the chance that life existed there billions of years ago, according to a new study in Science. Researchers poured over photos the rover Curiosity took throughout its journey to Mount Sharp and found lots of evidence of rivers, lakes and deltas. “If life had evolved on Mars, you now have a habitat which is perpetually wet that would allow microbes to be sustained. Those environments would have existed probably for millions, if not tens of millions of years throughout the rocks that we see,” said John Grotzinger, lead author of the study.
New image reveals Pluto has blue skies: The latest image from New Horizons’ flyby of Pluto shows that the dwarf planet has blue skies much like Earth does. Scientists say tholins, complex organic molecules in the atmosphere, create the blue color, even though the tholins are likely red or gray. “That striking blue tint tells us about the size and composition of the haze particles. A blue sky often results from scattering of sunlight by very small particles. On Earth, those particles are very tiny nitrogen molecules,” said Carly Howett, a mission team member.
Genome of 4,500-year-old African man offers clues about migration: DNA from a 4,500-year-old skull found in a cave in Ethiopia is giving scientists clues about migration to and from Africa when compared with modern African DNA, according to findings published in Science. Researchers were able to reconstruct the man’s genome, which revealed that his ancestors had never moved from Africa. When compared with modern African genomes, scientists found that the genetic makeup of Africa changed about 1,500 years after the man’s death.
Gene that suppresses cancer cells abundant in elephants: Elephants have multiple copies of a gene that suppresses cancer cells, according to a pair of independent studies. Elephants boast 20 copies of the p53 gene, compared with the single copy that exists in humans and other mammals. The gene reacts to DNA damage in cells, either repairing them or killing them off.
Researchers look for link between colony collapse disorder, bee parasite: Scientists are looking to see if there is any link between a parasitic fly that plagues bees and colony collapse disorder. Apocephalus borealis leaves its eggs in bees’ stomachs, which causes the bees to abandon their hives, flying erratically until they die, much the same way they abandon their hives in colony collapse disorder. While no link has yet been found, experts say any additional stress on already taxed bees is troubling.
Common mouthwash component in gel form may stave off infections in newborns: A gel containing a high concentration of the antibacterial chlorhexidine, an ingredient common in mouthwash, may help newborns in developing countries fight sometimes fatal infections. GlaxoSmithKline, which developed the gel, is seeking approval from the European Medicines Agency for use on umbilical cords on newborns in developing nations. The company hopes to distribute the gel at a not-for-profit price if it wins the agency’s approval.
DNA.LAND aims to make use of already gathered genome information: Researchers have established DNA.LAND, a project that hopes to persuade people who have had genetic studies done by consumer companies to share their genome information. “Millions of people have access to their genomes, and many more millions will join them in the near future. Can you get to the point that instead of paying for each study from scratch, we can use the crowd to collect and repurpose this data?” said Yaniv Erlich, a computational geneticist and one of DNA.LAND’s founders.
Test could help determine if antibiotics are necessary: A diagnostic test that uses the genetic signature of a patient’s immune response to infection could help reduce antibiotic resistance. The tool, which is set to be described at a Food and Drug Administration workshop this week, is being developed by scientists at the Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine in North Carolina. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics even though they don’t know if an infection is bacterial or viral, but the new test would help them know if antibiotics are called for.
Injection could protect people from Lyme disease: Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have developed a vaccine that neutralizes Lyme bacteria within the gut of the feeding tick before the pathogen can enter the host animal’s system. Initial tests showed people developed antibodies after vaccination, and human trials are planned. The goal is a seasonal injection that would protect against a disease that for now cannot be prevented in humans.
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