Showing posts with label breeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breeding. Show all posts

Humble Bee Company in NZ Disrupts the Plastics Industry



The plastics industry could be challenged by new product developed from an Australian masked bee. The insect creates a cellophane-like substance when making its nest. A company named the Humble bee in Wellington, NZ is researching the material to determine if it can be mass produced.
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Solitary masked bee
HONEYLESS
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Science Says Jellyfish Do Not Grow a Backbone - Spineless

Jellyfish could be real-world monsters out to take over the planet. They readily breed in their millions. Many have taken up residence under buildings constructed by Man off the shoreline. Jellies do not need a backbone to strut there stuff. They are dominant without one. A diver attaches sensor giant echizen jellyfish coast Japan. TIM FLANNERY Are jellyfish taking world’s oceans? number recent books documentaries argue are, moreover, they’re doing so our help. In Spineless: Science Jellyfish Art Growing Backbone, self-styled jellyfish journalist Juli Berwald sets discover scientists claims. Yet six-year quest morphs something else, prompting deep introspective life people meets way. For an Austin, Texas-based motthree wife banker, negotiating time family funding various expeditions become significant threats tale. As sets out, Berwald puts questions jellyfish expert Jennifer Purcell. Purcell’s response complex nuanced follows saying: “If dare, kind story … real story.” Berwald researcher, having given up career marine biology become contracted writer scientific textbooks turning jellyfish journalism. But Purcell’s challenge tell full, scientifically complex story jellyfish becomes mantra. world’s oceans being overrun jellyfish given mighty fillip 21st century series events floppy sea creatures triumphed humans. USS Ronald Reagan, mightiest warship US Navy, visiting Brisbane jellyfish clogged cooling systems, bringing nuclear-powered aircraft carrier halt. weekend northern Australia, swimmers stung jellyfish in jellyfish killed 10,000 captive salmon Northern ireland $US2 million loss. crippled power plants, stalled desalination systems wreaked havoc cooling systems. jellyfish crippled entire ecosystems. Black Sea taken comb jelly had carried from North America. outbreak probably started individuals conveyed ballast water ships. Hermaphrodites can produce 10,000 eggs per day, jellified vast areas Black Sea, value anchovy fishery there reduced per cent milli fishermen became unemployed. Black Sea’s fisheries saved accidental introduction another kind jelly had an ample mouth can engulfl comb jellies: consuming six per cent Black Sea’s comb jelly population a day. Monty Graham researchers struggling make sense data jellyfish numbers being collected worldwide. grant US National Centre Ecological Analysis Synthesis, collating reports covering 70 year period. Berwald if jellyfish fact taking over, he says: ‘‘have an answer couple years.’’ I really concerned getting answer … f..king what?” Before Berwald Other avenues open. Berwald discovers Australian jellyfish expert Rob Cond posted poll asking experts comment jellyfish numbers increasing. Berwald checked results, two yes, onr no, seven undecided — says much number jellyfish experts existence question. As pursues quest, Berwald uncovers fascinating aspects jellyfish behaviour, including fact efficient swimmers ever dicovered. Most their forward motion created pushing water (creating low pressure behind) sucked forward far efficient water push it, marine engineers believe future, vessels advantage method. New understandings jellyfish biology opening huge advances medical science, species promise filled pinhead-sized ‘‘immortal jellyfish’’. dies decomposes, cells escape corpse create jellyfish, extraordinary biology stumbled across student collected Genoa, Italy, forgot put refrigerator weekend. When he returned Monday, jellyfish had decomposed, in place stolons (stalks baby jellyfish bud) creature had reversed life cycle. It recently discovered moon jellyfish (larger common species) also immortal. Chinese student Juntu He neglected room full aquariums containing moon jellyfish. died, sank bottom aquariums disintegrated. But months detritus began re-form itself: ‘‘Tentacles emerged. A mouth formed.” healthy polyp formed from detritus corpses. Most cells, (muscle cell instance), cannot reverse themselves become stem cell. jellyfish cells ‘‘can hit ­rewind button’’. might lead ­variety treatments conditions arise our cells go awry, including Parkinson’s disease cancers. If all sounds fantastical, encouraging hear researchers investigating genes switched on immortal jellyfish rejuvenates itself. Jellyfish play unique role ocean’s ecosystems. big enough be eaten fish, small enough stingers eat tiny plankton, so form direct bridge smallest largest creatures ocean. They are ‘‘keystone species’ appropriate numbers keep ecosystems healthy. humans influencing jellyfish abundance, pier built Hiroshima harbour. size three-bedroom house, underside monitored camera polyps moon jellyfish. appeared four months, month later entire underside of structure coated polyps, released 23 million baby jellyfish into bay. Our impacts on marine ecosystems now pervasive. large predatory fish taken entire ecosystems disrupted, plastic pollution oceans offers ever places jellyfish reproduce. Towards end project, Berwald got an answer initial question researchers jellyfish sighting database, including Graham, published results their research. Basically, found there evidence jellyfish numbers increasing if all data included. better-quality data used is evidence of increase. Graham question not right ask. ocean full ecosystems, response each unique. In severely affecteds land, jellyfish may well be increasing dramatically courtesy human disturbance. But truth global jellyfish take seems be tale world not prepared. Tim Flannery scientist writer. Science Says Jellyfish do Not Grow a Backbone - Spineless
The immortal jellyfish
DALEK THINGY
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Food Sourcing and Reproductive Success Improve Magpie Cognition

Lost handwriting skills
New research has shows that getting higher nutritional intake raises the energy level of magpies which leads to improved reproduction skills. Greater intelligence means females produce more chicks. Being in a complex grouping is still the primary cause of cognitive development. ~ food if sourcing for reproductive too success up improve no Magpie out Cognition at food are sourcing it reproductive the success if improve oil Magpie add Cognition day food see sourcing do reproductive hey success run improve can Magpie get Cognition so food go sourcing me reproductive in success be improve fit Magpie say Cognition pay ~ % magpies social birds groups complex species intelligent smart evolution study | eat sustenance energetic feeding | study evolution smart intelligent species complex groups birds social magpies % ⦿ read plants news magpies endangered images videos animals social plant snap earth.com university groups group australian species store growing large intelligent birds western australia complex evolution living study related topics smarter scientists exeter natural size wild tested connor ertz task thornton transparent tube showed sponsored content job industry superfunds larger environment play staff smart ⦿ The feathers got all of the bread ∎ smart staff play environment larger superfunds industry job content sponsored showed tube transparent thornton task development ertz connor tested wild size natural exeter scientists smarter topics related study intelligence living cognitive evolution complex australia western birds intelligent large growing store species australian group groups university earth.com plant snap social animals videos images endangered magpies news plants read ∎ || flock, nesting, breeding, avians, scavenge, pet, bowl, dinner, ate, tea, grub, take, ||
Clever magpies
CLEVER FEATHERS
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Number of Offspring Determined by DNA

Plants destroyed in australia
| Kids Number and when, is down to genetics number to offspring jo determined ax dna um children as proposed cells noticed examined nondisjunction knew lab pea maintained scientists Understand be offspring ow determined ka family oh walter fertilized extra saltwater biologist full fact exception information number ah offspring mm dna ar family up parent cell drosophila thomas division gregor chromosome females forms inherit number ho offspring qi determined if summary protein basis mendel white-eye inheritance flemming function german team number ha charles observation science women genetic male expression red drawings didn number oh offspring xi determined mu dna ma children connection female meiotic gamete structure ideas egg work trait linked color number by offspring two ox determined ki dna op children on family ah principles early laboratory carried traits morgan speculated evidence transmission called research prev words generations researchers darwin red-eyed scientific figure sperm close successive years fruit white-eyed learncast plants unit inherited organism wasn page communication decades began appearance contained eventually concept experimental discoveries males physical cycles boveri original matters key rooms eyes denoted meiosis carry scitable green form mitosis browse rule material elementen characteristics unusual follow seed topic generation scientist gemmules connections century behavior sexual microscopes heredity pairs room period theory gametes elements gene twentieth 1860s genes idea recognized theodor observations experiments flies sutton fly next exceptional substance researcher passed showed resulting specific exists chromosomes single hereditary walther multiple white | fertilized parent inherit genetic generation hereditary genes couple |  |
Many children in family
SO MANY
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Sexy Deer

Do I look sexy in this deer?
"Do I look sexy in this?"
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HANDSOME IS!
#deer #attractive #good #looking #impress #male #female #hide
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Genetic Improvement of Honey Bee Output

The worldwide threat to the survival of honey bees is still here, but work on improving honey production continues. Selection of the best queen bees ironically has not been done in the past. If breeding queens only of the highest yielding hives is done, output per hive could increase by a kilogram a year.
Genetic improvement to honey bee output by selection of only the best queen bees
Genetic improvement in cattle has not been a one-off. The gain is cumulative each year. For this gain to be achieved small producers will have to come on board so old poor stock will not be "kept alive". Tests show that the queen bee is the main depository of better genes. Input from males is relatively stable with little change.

External factors such as hive location and length of season do affect the quantity of honey, but gene selection would raise output overall. The Genetic Evaluation of Australian Honeybee report recommends the method of data collection and evaluation. Breeders must get into the habit of keeping data. The industry needs to be reformed away from small ad hoc production toward uniform management.
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Little Penguin of Australia and New Zealand are Different species

Animals may look alike and are asumed for decades as being one and the same, but scientists are often wrong. Australian and New Zealand little penguins (Eudyptula minor) look identical, However, new reseach shows that they are different species.  The cute little penguin is the smallest of all penguins. It is only 30cm tall. It lives along the southern coast of Australia and coastal New Zealand.
Little penguin of Australian and New Zealand
Many scientists find it surprising that two different species inhabit the same region and look very much alike. The answer lies in the nature of the niche. Animals evolve to take advantage of a particular niche, so to a large degree the niche shapes the animal.

There is strong opinion that the Australian little penguin should be given a name. A name has been put forward: Eudyptula novaehollandiae. There is a problem as the Australia species is also found in Otago on the southernmost tip of New Zealand: how they got there is a mystery.
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Australia's Bird the Emu

Early European settlers were amazed by the emu.  Governor Lachlan Macquarie was so impressed that, in 1822, he sent two emus as gifts to the Governor-General of India, the Marquis of Hastings.  When Macquarie set sail from Australia back to England on the ship Surry, he wrote that voyaging with the passengers were "pets" that included six emus, travelling in roomy well aired pens  well-aired pens. The animals were to be given as gifts to friends and patrons of Governor Macquarie back in England. Unfortunately many of the pets, including one of the largest emus died on the trip.
Emu with young chicks
In l791 John Harris, who arrived in the new colony as a surgeon, wrote that emus were swifter than the fleetest of greyhounds. Emu eggs were described as dark Green with little black specks the of pins.  It is a little larger than goose eggs.  The emu is Australia’s largest bird standing up to 2 metres high. lt has wings but it can°t fly. lt can run really quickly around 50 kilometres per hour. The legs are also yery powerful and used for fighting, especially if males are fighting over females. Emus are common throughout mainland Australia but not in dense rainforest and urbanised areas. They are highly nomadic, which means they must move as they need in search of food, water and shelter.

An emu°s courtship is a boisterous affair. There ISs lots of bobbing up and down, weaying and dipping, throat drumming, grunting and fluffing of feathers.  Mating begins late in December: The female flattens a platform of grass into a large nest and lays her clutch of between 7 and 11 dark green eggs lthough it could be as high as 20.  lf it is a good season and there is plenty of rain she might lay one or two more clutches with different males.

After laying her eggs she leaves. The male has the sole responsibility for parenting.  When the eggs are laid, the male gets broody and begins incubation before the clutch is completed. The female stops mating with the male but might continue to lay eggs in the nest. which are fertilised by other males. It takes 56 days of incubation before the eggs hatch and striped chicks appear, usually in early spring. During this time the male emu sits on the eggs. rarely leaying the nest and only standing to turn the eggs every few hours.  He doesn't eat or drink. Drawing on fat reserves, he looses about eight kilograms.
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emu australian bird
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Report Saying Little Gain from BDA Work on Sheep is Wrong

A group investigating Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) genetic modification of sheep finds the pay-off for investment is poor.  It gives only benefit of $1.5 million for the period 2010 to 2013.  The return of only $0.45 for each dollar invested does pay for operating costs, it says.
A group investigating Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) genetic modification of sheep
The Australian Wool Innovation body which carried out the research disputes this.  It says the consultancy has not done its job.  Indeed, the money paid to them was wasted.  The report said that MERINOSELECT did make a profit, but  overall the project ran at a loss to woolgrowers.  How can one sector be okay while the rest is rubbish?

Professor Julius van der Werf of the Sheep CRC program said that the estimates were wrong.  The total gross genetic gain needs to be valued at ten times what the BDA group determined.  Tremendous gains lay in the future because genetic improvement is cumulative.  Net present value should be $6.4 M not $0.7M.  This is what you get when investigators do not fully understand the field of research.

Closing the study off in 2013 was clearly a mistake.  Future benefits will definitely accrue from the basic investment.  Gain is geometric (2,4,6...), not arithmetic (1,2,3...).  The whole analysis is based on a false premise.  Obviously the money given to the investigating body needs to be refunded.
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Magic of the Bowerbird

The bower bird is seen as a very common bird in Australia. However, in many ways it is special, particularly the satin bowerbird. The males of this species has dazzlingly bright blue eyes. This contrasts with the dark black body which has a sheen.
Male bowerbird with female at bower
They are very intelligent and have a complex courting ritual. The color blue controls their life. The male builds an archway comprising two pillars out of twigs, fruit, feathers and flora on the ground. It is decorated by sticking bright objects onto it with saliva, even things made by humans.

When a female is within range the male struts his stuff, offering her all sorts of pretty trinkets that he has gathered. He makes chattering and hissing sounds while she examines his "things". If she likes what he displays mating will take place in the bower.

The male is so obsessed with bower making that the female has to build the nest on her own. After laying precisely three eggs she will raise the young alone.
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Another Use for Fish Sperm

Pollution is a big problem, particularly from industry which pumps unwanted metals into the soil just about everywhere in the world. Getting rid of this had been an issue looking for a solution for decades. The answer could be at hand from a very weird source.

Fish sperm has a property making it ideal for the purpose. It literally hoovers up the metal particles. The sperm contains high amounts of DNA. This contains phosphate which strongly attracts metals. The metal/phosphate compound can be taken out with neodymium magnets consisting of trivalent iron, dysprosium and neodymium.

In Italy herring sperm was first identified as being useful in cleaning up the environment. With salmon being bred commercially, it is seen as a better source of fish sperm. The substance has been thrown away as waste until now.
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Angus Cattle Carry a Dangerous Recessive Gene

There are serious problems involved in breeding top class cattle for the market. Like in breeding budgerigars recessive genes coming together can cause some young to be victims of early death.

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In creating the "perfect" animal, weaknesses have been seen in Angus cattle. The disease is call Development Duplication (DD). Its general name is polymelia. Embryos are dying and some are born with extra limbs.

The disease is common in all cattle, but selective breeding has increase its prominence in Angus cattle. Some affected animals have had operations to remove extra limbs. This is complicating the issue particularly if they are used for breeding.

Tests are available to identify the recessive gene causing the problem. It occurs at a rate of 3 per cent in the Angus breed. Pairing a sire with the recessive to a dam without it produces a normal calf. The recessive gene is passed on, however, not eliminated. It is believed that the presence of the gene has improved growth and fertility. This is a dangerous path to follow. Keeping something deleterious for perceived market benefits.
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Conservation
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Australian Birds Change Breeding Times to Suite the Harsh Climate

Human beings may be having problems with variable weather in Australia, but animals are coping well. Zebra finches, pelicans and woodswallows seem to know when the weather changes. If the Spring comes early they nest early. If it is too dry to breed they hold off until times are better. They change their breeding point by months either way.

When glaciation was at its peak the woodswallow population actually boomed. In boom times there is a larger pool of gene carriers ideal for genetic selection when times become harder. More of the birds die off. Yet, the survivors have traits that suite the changed environment.

Australia has the harshest of climates with long periods of drought. Consequently, birds such as pelicans live a longtime on a meagre diet so they can wait for good times to breed. Zebra finches seem to do well even when times are very hard.
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Conservation
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Artificial Insemination of Budgies

Artificial insemination is common these days particularly to produce better animals for meat in the market. Cattle, sheep and even horse insemination could be said to a be the norm. Higher quality animals is the goal. Should artificial insemination be used to improve animals kept as a hobby?

Breeding show budgies is taken very seriously by many people, so much so that widespread "cheating" takes place. Clipping of cheek patches is not allowed but it is still sneakily done. High quality show winners are usually produced by putting fertile eggs from good birds under "sitters", common budgies with a better breeding instinct.

Michael Pace went to extremes to breed his prizewinner in the opaline class at the Australian National Budgerigar Championships. He practiced artificial insemination in his own way. A capillary tube was used to extract sperm from the male which was then inserted into the female within six hours. A lot of hit-and-miss took place. It took four years to breed the show winner.
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Conservation
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