Slate has this interesting report (from Independent )
Scientists Develop Nonperishable Apple
“Australian scientists have developed “the world’s best apple”–the first apple that doesn’t rot.”
11 Nov
Slate has this interesting report (from Independent )
Scientists Develop Nonperishable Apple
“Australian scientists have developed “the world’s best apple”–the first apple that doesn’t rot.”
11 Nov
New York Times has this report:
“Lover of Birds and Opera Leaves Millions to Both
By DANIEL J. WAKIN
Mona Webster, 96, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter who lived in Edinburgh, left $7.5 million to the Metropolitan Opera and a similar amount to a nature charity.”
14 Jun
Bats know individual voices of other bats – UPI.com
Posted from Diigo.
14 Jun
Chimpanzees remember where highly productive fruit trees are – UPI.com
Posted from Diigo.
13 Jun
Female ducks fight back against ‘raping’ males – life – 01 May 2007 – New Scientist
They call this arms race: the more rapacious the male of a species is, the more devious the controls that the female develops. In ducks and goose, some vaginas have spirals channels that impede sex; in other there are pouches that capture unwelcome sperm- all these impediments are developed only in the species renowned for forced sex.
Tim Birkhead at the University of Sheffield in the UK and colleagues examined vaginas and the corresponding phalluses from 16 wildfowl species. They discovered that the longer and more elaborate the male member, the longer and more elaborate its female recipient was.
Some vaginas had spiral channels that would impede sex by twisting in the opposite direction to that of the male phallus. Others had as many as eight cul-de-sac pouches en route, that could prevent fertilisation by capturing unwelcome sperm. Moreover, these features were only found in species renowned for forced sex. All other species had simple male and female genitalia.
Posted from Diigo.
13 Jun
Men prefer averagely shaped women – life – 12 June 2009 – New Scientist
Posted from Diigo.
13 Jun
unlike others of their species, the female of red-backed water strider has evolved a shield for their genitals: this means she has control over her body: in the others of her species, the males mate at will, there is no courtship- females can do nothing. But in the red backed water strider, the male has to hold her in the mating position and then tap out three consecutive songs- only then, and only when she likes it, does the shield come off and mating is allowed.
pond skater species – also known as water striders – males run the show, mating with females almost at will because they have no means to resist. Nor is there usually any form of courtship.
But the red-backed water strider, found in stationary pools beside mountain streams in Korea, Japan and China, has now proved to be the exception. Detailed experiments and anatomical analyses have now shown that females of Gerris gracilicornis have evolved a protective shield for their genitalia.
Moreover, they will only lift the shield if males go through an elaborate mating ritual lasting about 15 minutes, in which they use the tips of their mid-legs to tap out the intricate rhythms.
To win their prize, courting red-backed strider males must tap out three consecutive songs. Firstly, the males grip the female from behind and manoeuvre her into the mating position with their forelegs. During this ritual, they extend their long mid-legs forwards and begin tapping rhythms – dubbed “grasping signals” – on the water.
Next come the “mounting signals”, during which the male engages his own genitalia with the partially exposed genitalia of the female.
Finally come the most regular bouts of tapping, when the female finally yields and lifts the shield, exposing her ovipositor and allowing full mating to occur!
11 Jun
Cell Phone Brain Tumor Risk Confirmed – Associated Content
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.