New findings reconfirm toxicity of Pfiesteria cultures
... The P. shumwayae strain had been grown with algal prey for two years. In previous research, all but four of the 400 toxic strains examined by Burkholder and other specialists on toxic Pfiesteria had rapidly lost their ability to make toxin when they were not grown with live fish. Therefore, the team led ...Bloodworm's way with copper likely provides paradigm for new materials
...The jaws at the end of the proboscis grab and bite prey the way four-pronged devices at the end of long po...y, explains Waite. "The worm is going to miss its prey a fair number of times," he said. "And that means that its jaws are being abraded by gravel. So th...Study reveals clues to brain development
...ogs, humans, and many other animals--predators and prey alike--are best at detecting moving objects. Therefore, a moving visual stimulus is optimal for stimulating the cells in the frog retina.) Time-lapse images of single optic tectal neurons were captured during both four hour periods and compared. The ...Stanford researchers teach old owls new tricks
...mals use this map with deadly accuracy to pinpoint prey when hunting at night. In young barn owls, Knudsen has been able to alter the auditory map of the world by having the owls wear lenses that shift their visual world to the left or right. Over time, the young owl's brain compensates so that the...Ecological significance of tool-use in the woodpecker finch Cactospiza pallida
... foraging techniques. Although it takes more time, prey obtained with the help of tools is larger and contains more energy....Men are faster than women. but does that mean bets should always be placed on colts?
...onclusions Given the evolution of the horse as a prey species and the ancestors of the dog as a predatory species, both dependent on running, it is tempting to speculate that natural selection operated on the running ability of both males and females of these species. In contrast, archeological evidenc...Why the hammerhead shark's head is in the shape it's in
...er hypothesis is that the cephalofoil functions in prey manipulation. Other hypotheses involve potential a...search area, which may increase the probability of prey encounter, and enhanced maneuverability, which may aid in prey capture....Marine biodiversity essential to preserving species
...ility of food. Other than the interaction between prey and predator, Hixon said, there is also an important role for competitors two or more species that fight for the same resources. The competing species have negative effects on each other's population, and distracted competitors can be more vulnerabl...Deer flies a biting problem? Oddly, 'trolling' may be just the ticket
...lies are so-called ambush predators: They wait for prey to walk by rather than actively searching for it, so they are highly attracted to movement.With this in mind, Mizell and his son decided the best way to snare deer flies likely was to "troll" for them from a slow-moving vehicle. Working in the sprin...New threat to commercial fishing
...ollution and human induced changes to predator and prey populations," he says. Adcock points to recent assertions that ocean warming is suspected of causing recruitment failure of cold-adapted North Sea cod. "Until now nobody suspected that any loss of diversity was happening as it was thought that even i...U of C researcher tracks path of flying snake
...t glide do so to travel more efficiently, to chase prey or to escape a predator....Without blue crabs, southern salt marshes wash away, study finds
... disappeared from a salt marsh, one of their chief prey periwinkle snails flourished. Once free of predation from blue crabs, the periwinkles ate all of the cordgrass in a marsh. Cordgrass dominates the southern marsh, anchoring it and providing its animals with habitat. Without the plants to bind sedim...Just one bite at a time: Researchers find snake with unusual feeding habit
...o the mouth which is an adaptation for holding the prey inside the mouth. Fordonia, on the other hand, has no stereotypical behavior for pulling its crab prey apart, although they do occasionally break the legs off hard-shelled crabs. "When fed soft-shell cra...Unique feeding behavior discovered for snakes
CHICAGO Snakes are known to swallow their prey whole, which limits the size of what they can eat....da prevostiana is the only snake to tear oversized prey apart, yet you could not have predicted this on the basis of its morphology [form and structure]. It...Snail venom heralds new era of pain treatment
...ealm, using a modified mouth-part to harpoon their prey and inject into them a paralyzing toxin. About 30 humans have died from their sting. Despite this potential deadly characteristic, shell collectors have been known to pay more than $1,000 for a good specimen. "Not all species will kill a human. Th...UC study links parasites in freshwater runoff to sea otter deaths
...f they reached the ocean. In addition, many of the prey species that otters feed on could potentially concentrate pathogenic bacteria, protozoa and viruses present in contaminated water. In California, surface water runoff is conducted to coastal streams or directly to the sea from lawns, streets and open...Physics tip sheet #18 June 19, 2002
...e: June 2002) Sharks use electrosensors to enhance prey detection, to orient themselves in external magnetic fields and to detect mates. However, the process of the electrical sensing is poorly understood. Some areas of a shark's body, such as the "cheeks" contain a high density of gel-filled bulbs that c...Studies of spider's silk reveal unusual strength
... that lets spiders drop and helps the web to catch prey is what interests the researchers. The molecules are designed to be pulled; they are elastic and very strong. The silk can be extended 30 to 50 percent of its length before it breaks. It is stronger than steel and comparable in strength to Kevlar. "T...Death by color: Spiny spiders' bright stripes attract prey
...r 2002) , in an article, "Colouration attracts prey to a stationary predator." Bright colors and cont...or to attract mates. In this case, the color lures prey to the web. Perhaps the color itself may look like flowers to the insects that eventually become ent......es are generalist feeders; they eat many different prey or food types over their lifetime. These animals i..."The very complexity of their connections to other prey species is paradoxically what allows this major simplification," said Murdoch. "They eat so many spe...