Showing posts with label species. Show all posts
Showing posts with label species. Show all posts

Scientists Find Three Viruses to Control Cane Toads

Cane toads are a pest in Australia. They were introduced to kill beetles attacking sugar cane. Unfortunately, they were not interested in the beetle. They ate just about everything else. Native species have been greatly depopulated. Now, their DNA has been sequences. Furthermore, three viruses that destroy only cane toads have been identified.

virus discovery offers means controlling queensland's cane toad virus discovery offers means controlling queensland's cane toad skip sections navigation skip content skip footer network log open menu brisbane times brisbane times close search site sections network home brisbane queensland politics hide subsections federal queensland nsw victoria act western australia business show subsections economy markets companies banking finance business consumer affairs workplace world show subsections north america europe asia middle east oceania central america south america africa national show subsections nsw victoria act western australia opinion property sport show subsections nrl afl rugby union soccer cricket racing golf basketball cycling motorsport tennis athletics swimming boxing sailing netball nfl entertainment show subsections movies tv radio music celebrity books comedy dance musicals opera theatre art design tv guide lifestyle show subsections life relationships health wellness fashion beauty horoscopes money show subsections super retirement investing banking borrowing saving tax planning budgeting insurance education healthcare environment

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advertisement virologist project leader peter white professor microbiology molecular biology unsw viruses converted laboratory turn tables pest found three viruses toad’s genetics potentially used bio-control agents control population professor white finding viruses step towards controlling cane toad population virus cane toads cause chaos delicate ecosystems spreading disease destroying habitats causing food chain instability toads poison native species northern quoll freshwater crocodiles several species lizards snakes professor white virus developed laboratory would field-tested full-scale release ensure impacts native animals genome blueprint animal exact amino acid sequence protein body enzymes work you’ve got ‘deeds house’ bioagent would potentially cull cane toads laboratory-created myxomatosis haemorrhagic virus affecting rabbits culled rabbit population 80 per cent.

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Cane toad
LUSTY CANIBALS
| ★ images

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Canine is Given Odd Dog Food

This mutt has another little doggy. Is their something sinister in the owner presenting the pet with such a gift? it could be a new friend just to keep him company. Maybe it could be dinner. Yes, that is it. I have to eat the scrawny snack. Well I could do with more calcium. No, I can't eat it. The morsel is not on a plate. % Corn cobs, plastic toys among objects that get stuck. "People tend to throw corn cobs in the compost bin and, while most other things the dog can digest, a corn cob is like wood and it will often get stuck, especially when they're cut in half or thirds," Dr Archinal said. Pica explained: Why dogs eat things that aren't food, and what you can do to stop them "If you give a dog spaghetti bolognaise, it can smell every single ingredient in the whole spaghetti bolognaise. Changes in typical behaviour (eg becomes mopey or depressed) Pica explained: Why dogs eat things that aren't food, and what you can do to stop them. If your dog has been unwell and an X-ray shows an object is already stuck in the stomach or intestines, an endoscopy or surgery is usually needed. What to do if your dog swallows something odd. Put your clothes away, do not leave rubbish lying around, store chemicals and pesticides out of reach, and cover compost bins.
Boredom and loneliness can also leave dogs looking for something to do. If you suspect your dog's pica is caused by loneliness or boredom, try increasing the animal's physical activity and mental stimulation."Labradors, from the day they're born to the day they die, want to eat something," Dr Archinal said.
"Genetically they've got three genes that don't switch off when they've had a meal, so they're constantly hungry and will eat anything given the chance." Dogs love to chew all manner of things, from shoes and toys to sticks and plastic cups.
"A dog's sense of smell is up to 10,000 times better than ours, so they're just attracted to everything," Canberra veterinarian Michael Archinal said. Dr Archinal said in some cases, such as when a dog had eaten socks or underwear, they could support the animal with ipain relief and fluids to pass the object. Plastic toys can also easily get stuck. Vomiting. And if your dog has suddenly developed a taste for something odd, take it along to your vet as there may be a metabolic cause that needs addressing.
Dr Archinal said anything that did not typically dissolve in a dog's stomach could cause a blockage.
The best way to keep your dog from ingesting foreign objects is to take preventative measures. If you know your dog is prone to eating certain items, then eliminate access. Lethargy. The eating of substances that have no nutritional value is a disorder known as pica, and it is common among puppies and certain dog breeds such as labradors and dachshunds. How to prevent your dog from eating foreign objects Lack of appetite. Topics: animals, animal-behaviour, offbeat, australia, act, canberra-2600 Painful abdomen
"We had a dachshund come in one day that got into a bag of concrete powder," Dr Archinal said. He said plastic bags used to defrost meat and corn cobs were common causes.
Signs your dog has eaten a foreign object. In the case of a dog ingesting poisons or pesticides such as snail bait, the vet may be able to induce vomiting if the animal receives treatment within two hours. Hormonal issues such as overactive adrenal glands or diabetes can also dramatically increase a dog's appetite and cause pica. "I had a rottweiler once who swallowed a golf ball, and it would intermittently block the intestine and then roll back into the stomach, so every few days [the dog] would vomit," Dr Archinal said.
What causes pica? "These dogs will find anything, anywhere. Prevention is the only option," Dr Archinal said.
If you know your dog has eaten something it should not have, take it to your veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss treatment options. But when they start to ingest non-edible items such as socks, underwear or even rocks, something can inevitably become stuck.
For puppies, chewing and eating all sorts of things is part of their neurosensory exploration and they will usually grow out of it.
"How are you going to stop that? Well this dog, unfortunately when it was outside the house, had to wear a little basket muzzle."
"We had a dog that would continually go in the backyard, dig up rocks and eat them; it would have 20 or 30 rocks in its stomach at one time. But some dogs are just perpetually hungry. Changes in bowel movements (eg diarrhoea, constipation) "Whatever they're detecting in whatever they're eating — socks, underwear, shoes — there's a smell that they're attracted to." % || "Is this dinner or what?" ||
Skeleton dog
"Is this dinner or what?"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HOLD DESERT!
wik the wor

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Thylacines Not Extinct From El Nino

Mercury pollution

Aussie

Thylacinus cynocephalus disappeared from the Aussie mainland. A new theory of why it happened is suggested. oct gallery mainland telegraph follow tasmania news tiger dna thylacines extinction years tasmanian premium comment weather creatures rewards storm time pictures register drought climate dogs australia hunting ancient australian credit mystery wiped solved finally shop content attack 52am free white germany study theresa 24am government tells october day 03:00:00 latest trump donald tourist eyes afghanistan 55am year 33am instagram twitter facebook home state survived money log show fill change evidence search led sightings unconfirmed population diversity genetic university 1700s images getty afp blackwood torsten thylacine introduced wild extinct science business sport video oct a gallery a mainland a telegraph a follow a tasmania a news a tiger a dna a thylacines a extinction a years a tasmanian a premium a comment a weather a creatures a rewards a storm a time a pictures a register a drought a climate a dogs a australia a hunting a ancient a australian a credit a mystery a wiped a solved a finally a shop a content a attack a 52am a free a white a germany a study a theresa a 24am a government a tells a october a day a 03:00:00 a latest a trump a donald a tourist a eyes a afghanistan a 55am a year a 33am a instagram a twitter a facebook a home a state a survived a money a log a show a fill a change a evidence a search a led a sightings a unconfirmed a population a diversity a genetic a university a 1700s a images a getty a afp a blackwood a torsten a thylacine a introduced a wild a extinct a science a business a sport a video oct c gallery c mainland c telegraph c follow c tasmania c news c tiger c dna c thylacines c extinction c years c tasmanian c premium c comment c weather c creatures c rewards c storm c time c pictures c register c drought c climate c dogs c australia c hunting c ancient c australian c credit c mystery c wiped c solved c finally c shop oct k gallery k mainland k telegraph k follow k tasmania k news k tiger k dna k thylacines k extinction k years k tasmanian k premium k comment k weather k creatures oct m gallery m mainland m telegraph m follow m tasmania m news m tiger m dna m thylacines m extinction m years m tasmanian oct d gallery d mainland d telegraph d follow d tasmania d news d tiger oct p gallery p mainland oct or gallery th oct
Thylacine extinction
SAD END


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There are 100 Million Unnamed Species


Biology - 100 million unnamed species exist on the planet.
We know that many species on the planet are dying out. Apparently, we have nothing to fear. Though 2 million species have been named, a massive 100 million more are out there. This does not include currently unnamed bacteria.

Using clear categories will never be an adequate way to name species. Like human gene pools that are blurred across the world it seems that animals are also on a graduated scale, looking alike while being genetically different.

Each living creature is placed in a species category because it has independent evolutionary lineage. A horse and donkey for example are different species, but they both have a common ancestor. If they do breed their offspring are infertile. There is debate about this with claims that some mules have had young. This gets into the argument about Neanderthals breeding with humans when they have a different number of chromosomes. Interbreeding should not be possible.
Brewer's Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
The problem with naming is that animals from two species can look virtually identical. The African elephant is a misnomer. There are actually two species: the bush elephant and the forest elephant. One is genetically distinct from the other.
Clay-colored Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Using clear categories will never be an adequate way to name species. Like human gene pools that are blurred across the world it seems that animals are also on a graduated scale, looking alike while being genetically different.
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Conservation of Fish is a Losing Battle

Conservation: Overfishing is just as toxic as pollution. G+
We are already running out of food.  If carbon dioxide doesn't kill us diminishing fish stocks will.  Soon, the humble fish and chips will cost too much for most people.  When the crunch comes the decline will be sudden over a period of five years.  It will not be possible to increase fish stocks in the medium term and some fish species will disappear forever.
Overfishing
People must eat and in Asia in particular daily fishing is part of everyday life.  There will be little chance of a freeze on fishing.  It they are allowed to keep fishing and Western countries stop they will export to the lucrative fishing markets and nothing will change.

Manufacturers like Birds Eye are alreading putting "rubbish" fish in their food products rather than the old reliable species.  When you get a fishy taste that is the second rate fish formally called baitfish.  It is so bad that major predators have fallen by 90 percent over the last 50 years.  There is not enough out there for them to eat and sustain themselves.

It is not only fishing that is reducing available stocks, pollution such as plastic bags is also killing fish.  Human control their environment,  they also destroy it.  Soon you will be able to swim safely on beaches because there will not be any sharks left.  Or there could be the odd one looking for his last dinner which could be you!
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Science Discovers Extrovert-Introvert Continuum

Science: Extroverts and introverts are on a continuum.
Do you mix with others easily?  Are you a loner?  Human beings can be categorized as extrovert or introvert.  There appears not to be a continuum to give variety to the species.  You are either one or the other.
Extrovert versus introvert
Don't get me wrong here.  Introverts can rise to the occasion and mix in a group.  Oddly, many introverts become entertainers to bring themselves out and beat their fears.  Clearly though, extroverts love other people and get lonely quickly, whereas introverts thrive doing things on their own.

After a noisy party where alcohol has temporarily changed introverts into extroverts.  The basically quieter type starts worrying about what he/she said at the bash.  The mixers just get on with life and don't fear anything.

Wait on.  Research has shown the people do fit on a continuum.  We cannot all be divided into either mixer or loner, not totally.  To make it simpler scientists have coined the phrase "ambiverts" for those in the middle.  This is very simplistic and smacks of keeping an established system alive.  No, we all different.  We are human aren't we?
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New Fish Species by the Dozen in the Kimberley

Scientists know everything! Unfortunately, they don't. Much is still being discovered. The Kimberley in Western Australia should be called the place of the unknown because new species are being found there all the time.
New species of gudgeon kimberley
New Gudgeon Species
Forays into the Kimberley rivers area have brought to light 16 new species of grunter (Terapontidae), three gudgeons (Electridae) and a hardyhead (Atherinidae). Twelve were found during the first three weeks.
New hardyhead species kimberley
Hardyhead from the Kimberley
Famous people become more famous because they are - well, famous it seems: one of the new species is to be named after the writer Tim Winton. The rest will be given Aboriginal names, after all, there is the little thing about them being the first on this continent.
New grunter species kimberley
Kimberley Grunter
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New Ankylosaur Identified in Australia - Kinbarrasaurus ieversi

Australia has a new dinosaur and a handsome devil he is. He has the necessary accouterments such as spiny tail, armour with spines and size. Unfortunately, he has a beak not teeth. Well, you can't have everything.
kunbarrasaurus kunbarrasaurus ieversi dinosaus ankylosaur
Kinbarrasaurus ieversi is a member of the ankylosaur family, an early type, a new genus. The animal foraged for leafy material and grass. The fossil specimen remained on the shelf from 1989 until now. It is complete showing fossilized skin texture and stomach contents.

Though ankylosaur, kunbarrasaurus has features unlike any other animal. Its ear and nasal structure is unique, though it is similar to the tuatara reptile. apparently, it helped to keep the creature cool. The skull was easy to study because there was no armour covering it. Dinosaurs usually have armour fused to the skull.
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Animal Biodiversity is the Highest Ever

Despite extinctions the number of animal types in the world is at an all-time high. This is due to a proliferation over the last 200 million years. It seems as time goes on the number of species increases. This seems to be a law on this planet and maybe the universe.
Animal biodiversity on the planet world
There are indications that humans could be changing this by causing extinctions. However, it will be a long time before the variation of species declines significantly. With the poles melting a tipping point could be reached where even humans are under threat of disappearing. This is just a theory at this time. Perhaps, changing the way we live will make things better for all creatures.

Human knowledge is going on a pace. There are new discoveries minute to minute. Indeed, it is difficult for specialists to keep up with all the reading that is necessary. Even general practitioners say there are not enough hours in the day to keep abreast of the latest breakthroughs.
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HIGHEST NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE WORLD NOW!
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Blue Bastard Caught!

A mystery fish is caught time-to-time in northern Australia. It was enthused about then thrown back to be forgotten until another recreational fisherman snagged an example. The fish was nicknamed the blue bastard in the usual Aussie way. Serious scientists who wanted to catch it couldn't, no matter how hard they tried.
Blue Bastard fish Plectorhinchus caeruleonothus
Jeff Johnson, an ichthyologist, decided to take the case into his own hands. He hired Ben Bight a Weipa fishing guide to go out and catch the freaker. Specimens were caught and sent to Brisbane where Johnson and geneticist Jessica Worthington got to work on them. The fish already had a name: Plectorhinchus caeruleonothus. Little was known about it, however.

The Blue Bastard grows to a meter in length. Juveniles have black and white stripes with a yellow tinge. Adults change to a pleasant gray-blue. They are territorial, showing aggression by rushing at each other then locking jaws in a struggle.

Living in the shallows it would be thought that they are easy to catch. This is not the case. They are picky and seldom bite a baited hook or spinner. A new tourist industry could develop: apparently, they are successfully caught by presenting a "fly" to them. As they are not endangered this is a serious proposition.
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Spiders Go Ballooning

Things have been falling from the sky for centuries. The usual things are frogs and fish. However, some odd things fell to earth in times past. A Roman era pillar was seen to settle gently on the ground. Unfortunately, this was not proven as fact. It could have happened, though.
Balloning spiders babies of larger species
Apparently, spiders covered farms in the Southern Tablelands. They have been appearing there for some time now. The occurrence has only just been announced. Threads from the webs is what people usually see, not so much the spiders themselves. You have to look closer to see the tiny spiders floating along with the webs.

This happens all over the world. We just don't notice the arachnids sticking up their rear ends, pumping out silk and floating off into the blue yonder. It has a name: ballooning.  Spiders do this as a group taking off from an isolated spot and landing in another. The weather has to be in a specific condition for this to take place.

Small spiders and babies of larger species partake in ballooning usually in autumn and spring in Australia. Some scientists say that it is possible for an involuntary exodus to another place to happen. The arachnids are so small a strong gust of winds could sweep them up.
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