//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/mammals/ Mammals in the news, wild mammals, mammal conservation efforts, and domesticated mammals. en-us Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:52:14 EDT Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:52:14 EDT 60 //www.koonmotors.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/mammals/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230907130427.htm New research explores the historical shifts in mammal traits and biodiversity loss in eastern Africa. The study reveals how environmental changes disrupted mammal communities and highlights the urgent need for targeted conservation efforts to protect vulnerable species. Thu, 07 Sep 2023 13:04:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230907130427.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230907130404.htm An international consortium of scientists is using an unprecedentedly large database of canine DNA to take an unbiased look at how our furry friends evolved into the various breeds we know and love. Thu, 07 Sep 2023 13:04:04 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230907130404.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230907130350.htm Researchers have successfully created chimeric embryos containing a combination of human and pig cells. When transferred into surrogate pig mothers, the developing humanized kidneys had normal structure and tubule formation after 28 days. This is the first time that scientists have been able to grow a solid humanized organ inside another species, though previous studies have used similar methods to generate human tissues such as blood or skeletal muscle in pigs. Thu, 07 Sep 2023 13:03:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230907130350.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230905124952.htm Elephants, buffaloes and other heavy herbivores are effective against invasive plants. This is the conclusion of a new study that used Indian data, including data from the world's largest survey of wildlife based on camera traps. But smaller animals can do the same: you don't need elephants to get the same effect, the researchers point out. Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:49:52 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/09/230905124952.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831142901.htm An international team of marine scientists has studied the DNA of family groups from four different whale species to estimate their mutation rates. Using the newly determined rates, the group found that the number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic before whaling was 86 percent lower than earlier studies suggested. Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:29:01 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230831142901.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230830131130.htm While the contamination of deer and roe deer decreased over time as expected, the measured levels of radioactivity in the meat of wild boar remained surprisingly high -- higher than the half-life of cesium would suggest. For many years, this 'wild boar paradox' was considered unsolved. Now an explanation has been found: It is a late aftermath of the nuclear weapons tests from the 1960s. Wed, 30 Aug 2023 13:11:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230830131130.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230829125809.htm 布鲁氏菌病是一种疾病,由成员造成的bacterial Brucella family, that mainly infects cattle, goats and sheep, leading to pregnancy loss, which has caused billions of dollars in economic losses for livestock producers worldwide. The disease can also jump from animals to humans, mainly through consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or inhaling the spores from the tissues of infected animals. While the disease can cause arthritis, inflammation of the heart and flu-like symptoms in humans, the bacteria can also enter the brain and cause neurobrucellosis, which can lead to long-term neurological complications, headaches, nausea, disorientation, swelling of the brain and sometimes death. Now, a new study has highlighted the protective power of both innate lymphoid cells and specific signaling proteins, known as interferons, in reducing the harmful neurological effects of Brucella. Tue, 29 Aug 2023 12:58:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230829125809.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230829124431.htm In northern Yellowstone National Park, saplings of quaking aspen, an ecologically important tree in the American West, are being broken by a historically large bison herd, affecting the comeback of aspen from decades of over-browsing by elk. Tue, 29 Aug 2023 12:44:31 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230829124431.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230828105530.htm A new article describes the 266 fossil species as one of the richest and most diverse groups of three-million-year-old fauna ever found in New Zealand. At least ten previously unknown species will be described and named in future research. Fossils of the world's oldest known flax snails, an extinct sawshark spine, and great white shark teeth have all been found in a mound of sand excavated from beneath Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2020. Mon, 28 Aug 2023 10:55:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230828105530.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230825122009.htm Pythons have huge appetites, but which snake would win an eating contest? Surprisingly, it's a harmless little African snake that consumes eggs whole like an amuse-bouche. Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:20:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230825122009.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230823165402.htm In a groundbreaking endeavor, researchers have successfully transferred a longevity gene from naked mole rats to mice, resulting in improved health and an extension of the mouse's lifespan. The research opens exciting possibilities for unlocking the secrets of aging and extending human lifespan. Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:54:02 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230823165402.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230823122553.htm The near extinction of the North American bison in the late 1800s caused a devastating, lasting economic shock to Indigenous peoples whose lives depended on the animals, an economic study finds. Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:25:53 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230823122553.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230822111709.htm New research has revealed Australia's iconic grasstrees -- known as 'yaccas' -- play a critical role in protecting wildlife from deadly weather extremes, thereby ensuring their survival. But the grasses themselves are under threat due to back burning, clearing and disease. Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:17:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230822111709.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230822111421.htm Researchers demonstrate that a vast multitude of birds and mammals can be detected by simply swabbing the DNA left behind by animals from leaves. They showcased the power of this approach in an ecosystem that hosts a ton of wildlife and where detecting animals has historically proven extremely challenging -- the tropical rainforest. Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:14:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230822111421.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230821153210.htm 当剑齿虎老虎喊道:噪声做了什么it make -- a mighty roar or a throaty purr? A new study examined the data behind the arguments for each vocalization and found that the answer was more nuanced than they thought -- and that it could depend on the shape of a few small bones. Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:32:10 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230821153210.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230818135141.htm Archaeologists have long been drawing conclusions about how ancient tools were used by the people who crafted them based on written records and context clues. But with dietary practices, they have had to make assumptions about what was eaten and how it was prepared. A new study analyzed protein residues from ancient cooking cauldrons and found that the people of Caucasus ate deer, sheep, goats, and members of the cow family during the Maykop period (3700--2900 BCE). Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:51:41 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230818135141.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230818004744.htm Radiocarbon dating on bones in the La Brea Tar Pits lead archaeologists to warn that history may be repeating itself. Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:47:44 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230818004744.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230816114148.htm Bats gather to feast as nocturnal insects fly through mountain passes in the Pyrenees each autumn, new research shows. Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:41:48 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230816114148.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230815131832.htm Humans like to discover. Presented with something we've never seen before, most of us will be compelled to explore and learn more about it. The same can't exactly be said for our closest living relatives--the great apes. Although decades of studies have shown that captive chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans will eagerly explore unfamiliar objects in a laboratory, great apes have rarely been observed in these encounters in the wild. Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:18:32 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230815131832.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230814122337.htm A researcher is creating the first model to plot on a map the coexistence of humans and bears in a national park in Italy. Designed as a tool to be used in practice, the model identifies measures and areas that are priorities for promoting human-bear coexistence. The model is being applied to the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national parks, but can also be used for other regions and large carnivores. Mon, 14 Aug 2023 12:23:37 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230814122337.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230811115510.htm An international team of scientists has for the first time identified two new underground mammals that could have been living, undetected, in eastern Turkey for up to 3 million years. They say it is rare to find new species of mammals today, and evidence that the true nature of biodiversity can be under-estimated. Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:55:10 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230811115510.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230810180115.htm 微小的塑料粒子中发现了the fats and lungs of two-thirds of the marine mammals in a graduate student's study of ocean microplastics. The presence of polymer particles and fibers in these animals suggests that microplastics can travel out of the digestive tract and lodge in the tissues. Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:01:15 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230810180115.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230810141041.htm An international research team details changes in DNA that researchers found are shared by humans and other mammals throughout history and are associated with life span and numerous other traits. Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:10:41 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230810141041.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230808110928.htm A remarkable new fossil from China reveals for the first time that a group of reptiles were already using whale-like filter feeding 250 million years ago. Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:09:28 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230808110928.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230804123704.htm Poaching of two Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffes per year could result in extinction in just 15 years within Cameroon's Bénoué National Park without intervention. Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:37:04 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230804123704.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230801163248.htm A newly published study describes the response to sea level rise by the silver rice rat, an endangered species only found in the Florida Keys. Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:32:48 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230801163248.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230731170156.htm Researchers looked at the effects of declawing on larger cat species and found that declawing disproportionately impacts their muscular capabilities as compared to their smaller brethren. Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:01:56 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230731170156.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230731110729.htm The smallest member of the filter-feeding family is one of the only whale species not to embark on seasonal migrations, new research finds. Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:07:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230731110729.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230727144204.htm Over 60 animal species in three days. That is how many mammals, birds and amphibians researchers found DNA traces from in the air in a Danish forest. The results can pave the way for a new and innovative way of mapping biodiversity. Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:42:04 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230727144204.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720124857.htm Female killer whales live up to ninety years in the wild, and most live an average of twenty-two years after menopause. Scientists have long wondered why humans and some whale species spend a significant portion of their life not reproducing. Previous studies show that, even after having their last calf, killer whale mothers take care of their families by sharing the fish they catch. Now, researchers note that these mothers can also provide social support to their sons by protecting them from being injured by other orcas. Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:48:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720124857.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230718164250.htm Scientists have described an unusual fossil from around 125 million years ago in China that shows a dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a larger plant-eating dinosaur. The two animals are locked in mortal combat, and it's among the first evidence to show actual predatory behavior by a mammal on a dinosaur. The fossil's presence challenges the view that dinosaurs had few threats from their mammal contemporaries during the Cretaceous, when dinosaurs were the dominant animals. Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:42:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230718164250.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230718164231.htm Researchers analyzed more than 500,000 motion-sensor camera trap images taken at a Northern California reserve in the years before and after the Mendocino Complex Fire to understand how the blaze impacted small- and medium-sized mammals. The study is one of the first to compare wildlife observations made before and after a megafire, and is also one of a limited number of studies to focus on the impacts of megafires on California's oak woodlands. Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:42:31 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230718164231.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230718164226.htm Researchers applied genetic and isotopic analyses to jaguar scat to investigate the habitat needs of the big cats in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Preserve of Belize in Central America. The study demonstrates a novel and noninvasive technique for identifying the landscape use and conservation needs of elusive wildlife. Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:42:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230718164226.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712165150.htm Ice Age saber-tooth cats and dire wolves experienced a high incidence of bone disease in their joints, according to new research. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:51:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712165150.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712165127.htm Being smart pays off, as it allows for more balanced decision-making. However, the origins of these abilities during evolution remain largely unexplored. Only if smarter individuals enjoy better survival and have higher reproductive rates than their conspecifics, improved cognitive abilities can evolve. Researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) -- Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have recently examined the link between cognitive abilities and survival in gray mouse lemurs. The study involved capturing the animals, subjecting them to various cognition and personality tests, measuring their weight, and subsequently releasing them. The findings revealed that the animals that performed best in the cognition tests lived for longer. Additionally, those that were heavier and displayed more exploratory behavior also experienced an increased lifespan. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:51:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712165127.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230710180527.htm Researchers have finally settled a decades-long dispute about the evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale. Mon, 10 Jul 2023 18:05:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230710180527.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230707153844.htm A new study finds that ticks can harbor transmissible amounts of the protein particle that causes Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), implicating the parasites as possible agents in the disease's spread between deer in Wisconsin. Fri, 07 Jul 2023 15:38:44 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230707153844.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230707153831.htm Extinct dwarf hippos that once roamed Madagascar lived in forests rather than open grasslands preferred by common hippos on mainland Africa. The findings suggest grasslands that now cover much of the enormous island off the eastern coast of southern Africa were a relatively recent change facilitated by people rather than a natural habitat sustained in part by these famously large vegetarians. Fri, 07 Jul 2023 15:38:31 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230707153831.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230706152402.htm Researchers are using a new model to clarify why millions of years ago more animal species from Asia made the leap to the Australian continent than vice versa. The climate in which the species evolved played an important role. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:24:02 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230706152402.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230706124603.htm We humans can be a scary acquaintance for whales in the wild. This includes marine biologists tagging them with measuring devices to understand them better. These experiences can make whales behave erratically for a while. Such behaviour can affect research quality and highlights an animal ethics dilemma. Now, researchers have figured out how to solve the problems with math. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 12:46:03 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230706124603.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230704211024.htm A detailed analysis of the dietary habits of elephants showed surprising variation from meal to meal, which could have important ramifications for wildlife protection and conservation strategies. Tue, 04 Jul 2023 21:10:24 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230704211024.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133021.htm Amazon river dolphins are under threat from fishing and proposed new dams and dredging, research shows. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:30:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133021.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133018.htm Increasing opportunities for up-close encounters with sharks and other animals are making wildlife tourism one of the fastest growing tourism sectors -- leading ecology experts to venture to one of the world's main sites to investigate the effects of tourism on endangered whale sharks. At Oslob in the Philippines, Flinders University's Southern Shark Ecology Group and Global Ecology Lab joined local Filipino researchers to measure how the daily feeding regimes for resident whale shark population might have affected their behaviour and physiology by assessing their activity and metabolic requirements. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:30:18 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133018.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133012.htm Bluetongue virus, an incurable cattle and sheep-killing disease, is spread by tiny flies once thought to disappear in winter. New research demonstrates that though they are harder to find when it's cold, they remain active. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:30:12 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230703133012.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230630123229.htm Exploding populations of wild pigs and macaque monkeys in Southeast Asia are threatening native forests and disease outbreaks in livestock and people, according to new research. Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:32:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230630123229.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230628201430.htm Using unoccupied aerial system, or drone, photographs, researchers are now able to determine the age-structure of free-ranging dolphin groups. This work will aid monitoring the health of dolphin populations and inform timely conservation efforts. Wed, 28 Jun 2023 20:14:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230628201430.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627225225.htm The lower jaws of lizards, birds, fish and even dinosaurs are comprised of multiple bones per side. Yet mammals diverged from all other vertebrates and settled on just one bone, repurposing the extra bones into a more elaborate inner ear, perhaps the better to hear. The single bone per side, fused in primates into one jawbone, makes the jaw more rigid. A paleontologist asks, Did the stiffer, rigid jaw make mammals more successful? Tue, 27 Jun 2023 22:52:25 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627225225.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627224821.htm The specialization in sheep in the early Neolithic populations of Dalmatia, Croatia, may have been related to the rapid expansion of these communities and the spread of agriculture throughout the central and western Mediterranean. Tue, 27 Jun 2023 22:48:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627224821.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627123015.htm A Cretaceous origin for placental mammals, the group that includes humans, dogs and bats, has been revealed by in-depth analysis of the fossil record, showing they co-existed with dinosaurs for a short time before the dinosaurs went extinct. Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:30:15 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627123015.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230626164244.htm In hyena societies, demographic processes -- not status seeking -- account for the majority of hierarchy dynamics and cause an on-average lifetime decline in social hierarchy position. Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:42:44 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230626164244.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230621003057.htm Researchers detected elevated PFAS levels in the blood of pet dogs and horses from Gray's Creek, N.C. -- including dogs that only drank bottled water. Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:30:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230621003057.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230620113815.htm Researchers have used an unprecedented stem cell zoo to compare six different mammalian species and their developmental time. Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:38:15 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230620113815.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230620113813.htm Some animals release chemical pheromones which can trigger behavioral or hormonal changes in other animals. It is known that calm rats can reduce the fear of nearby rats, but the exact mechanism was unknown. Researchers have found the pheromone responsible and demonstrated its effect both on lab rats and rats in the human environment. Their findings could lead to a new kind of humane pest control. Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:38:13 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230620113813.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230613190754.htm Extinct kangaroos used alternative methods to their famous hop according to comprehensive analysis. Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:07:54 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230613190754.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230613110050.htm Researchers tested a new method of diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing in dogs using a neckband developed for human sleep apnea diagnostics. The study revealed that sleep-disordered breathing is more prevalent among short-snouted dogs than those with longer snouts. Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:00:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230613110050.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230612114657.htm Giraffes in the East African savannahs are adapting surprisingly well to the rising temperatures caused by climate change. However, they are threatened by increasingly heavy rainfall, as researchers have shown. Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:46:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230612114657.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230609125712.htm Researchers have shed light on the life of the ancient reptile Rhynchosaur, which walked the earth between 250-225 million years ago, before being replaced by the dinosaurs. Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:57:12 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230609125712.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230607123521.htm Researchers have developed a method for cheaply producing heart valves in the span of minutes that are functional immediately after being implanted into sheep. The scientists call their method 'Focused Rotary Jet Spinning,' which they describe as 'a cotton-candy machine with a hair dryer behind it.' Though long-term in vivo studies are needed to test the valves' endurance, they effectively controlled blood flow for an hour in sheep. Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:35:21 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230607123521.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181347.htm Do whales increase the removal of carbon from the atmosphere? Despite some hope that this would be the case, a new study has found the amount of potential carbon capture by whales is too little to meaningfully alter the course of climate change. The team found the amount potentially sequestered by the whales was too minimal to make significant impact on the trajectory of climate change. Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:13:47 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181347.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181317.htm Researchers have identified significant differences in the gut microbiome of female southern white rhinos who are reproducing successfully in captivity, as compared to females who have not reproduced successfully in captivity. The work raises questions about the role that a particular genus of gut microbes may be playing in limiting captive breeding of this rhinoceros species. Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:13:17 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181317.htm