Robin Ann Smith

Bird fossil sheds light on how swift and hummingbird flight came to be

admin — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:12:24 +0000

Bird fossil sheds light on how swift and hummingbird flight came to be. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. May 1, 2013. A tiny bird fossil discovered in Wyoming offers clues to the precursors of swift and hummingbird wings. The fossil is unusual in having exceptionally well-preserved feathers, which allowed the researchers to reconstruct the size and shape of the bird’s wings in ways not possible with bones alone. Picked up by Science Magazine, Science News and Discover.

Study proposes alternative way to explain life’s complexity

admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:52:56 +0000

Study proposes alternative way to explain life’s complexity. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. April 12, 2013. Evolution skeptics argue that some biological structures, like the brain or the eye, are simply too complex for natural selection to explain. Biologists have proposed various ways that so-called ‘irreducibly complex’ structures could emerge incrementally over time, bit by bit. But a new study proposes an alternative route.

DNA says lemur lookalikes are two new species

admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:41:07 +0000

DNA says lemur lookalikes are two new species. Duke University Lemur Center. March 26, 2013. Scientists have identified two new species of mouse lemur, the saucer-eyed, teacup-sized primates native to the African island of Madagascar. The new study brings the number of recognized mouse lemur species to 20, making them the most diverse group of lemurs known. Picked up by Science Magazine, Scientific American, Futurity, the Duke Chronicle and NBC News.

Uncovering Africa’s oldest known penguins

admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:19:55 +0000

Uncovering Africa’s oldest known penguins. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. March 26, 2013. Africa isn’t the kind of place you might expect to find penguins. But one species lives along Africa’s southern coast today, and newly found fossils confirm that as many as four penguin species coexisted on the continent in the past. Exactly why African penguin diversity plummeted to the one species that lives there today is still a mystery, but changing sea levels may be to blame. The fossil findings represent the oldest evidence of these iconic tuxedo-clad seabirds in Africa, predating previously described fossils by 5 to 7 million years. Picked up by Discovery, NBC news, Huffington Post, the UK Daily Mail and Scientific American.

The safer sex? For a little-known primate, a new understanding of why females outlive males

admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:13:58 +0000

The safer sex? For a little-known primate, a new understanding of why females outlive males. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. February 28, 2013. After observing an endangered lemur for more than two decades in the wild in Madagascar, Patricia Wright of Stony Brook University had a hunch that females were living longer than males. What could explain the gender gap? By taking a closer look at dispersal behavior across the lifespan, researchers think they have a clue. Picked up by Futurity.

You don’t have to be an athlete to get athlete’s foot

admin — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:21:00 +0000

You don’t have to be an athlete to get athlete’s foot (YourWildLife.org, Howard Hughes Medical Institute) From: “Invisible Life,” a series of short pieces about the most common microbes in our homes and on our bodies.

Parasites of Madagascar’s lemurs expanding with climate change

admin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:10:51 +0000

Parasites of Madagascar’s lemurs expanding with climate change. Duke Lemur Center, January 23, 2013. Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns in Madagascar could fuel the spread of lemur parasites and the diseases they carry. The results will help researchers predict where disease hotspots are likely to occur, and prepare for them before they hit. Picked up by Duke News, Futurity, and RedOrbit.

Make the most of Carolinas’ planetarium shows

admin — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:59:35 +0000

Make the most of Carolinas’ planetarium shows. Raleigh News and Observer, January 14, 2013. It may be the coldest and darkest time of year, but you don’t have to brave the elements to enjoy the winter night sky. Thanks to planetarium shows now playing across the Carolinas, you can take a virtual tour of the heavens and more — no matter what the weather — all from the cushioned comfort of your seat.

‘Hoot-dash display’ brings the chicks in

admin — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:05:43 +0000

‘Hoot-dash display’ brings the chicks in. Duke Research Blog, December 14, 2012. Deep in the scrublands of Keoladeo National Park in northwest India, one thing was hard for biologist Jessica Yorzinski to ignore: It wasn’t the heat. It wasn’t the jackals. It was the squawks of peacocks in the throes of passion. Picked up by RedOrbit.

Ethiopians and Tibetans thrive in thin air using similar physiology, but different genes

admin — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:12:58 +0000

Ethiopians and Tibetans thrive in thin air using similar physiology, but different genes. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, December 6, 2012. Scientists have pinpointed genetic changes that allow some Ethiopians to live more than a mile and a half above sea level without getting altitude sickness. The genes differ from those reported previously for high-altitude Tibetans, even though both groups cope with low-oxygen in similar physiological ways, the researchers say. The study adds to our understanding of how high-altitude populations worldwide have evolved to be different from their low-altitude ancestors. Picked up by Futurity.