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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The Top Furry Superstars of 2013

Pet owners are well-aware of how interesting a pet or a mélange of pets can be, at times even more interesting than hanging out with human beings.

With 2013 now well behind us all, we’re taking the time to look back and see who of the internet’s furry superstars proved to be at the top last year – furry superstars who’ve consistently captured the fancies of different pet and animal lovers from all parts of the globe.

From the grumpiest cat to the cat with the longest hair, each of the pets we’re featuring from here on hail from different pasts and backgrounds – with one even born before the heydays of the internet and cyberspace, dating back to the pre-1950s.

Though the odds of you already being familiar with the furry critters we’re featuring here stands to be a likely possibility – that’s, simply put, how popular they are – it’s a sure thing that you’ll find what we’ve gathered about Maru, Colonel Meow, Grumpy Cat and Hachiko sure to be of interest.

To be clear, Maru, Colonel Meow, Grumpy Cat and Hachiko are not the only furry superstars of cyberspace, but the four of them have accomplished a feat in successfully grabbing the world’s attention without having to do with shoddy advertising or marketing tricks.

“Featured” in countless memes and “epic fail” photos, it’s difficult to doubt their respective standings as superstars in the world of pets and all things furry.

So, to start things off this year, ladies and gentlemen, Animal Theory presents, the Top Furry Superstars of 2013.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

New large population of chimpanzees discovered

(Phys.org) —With great ape populations in fast decline, it is crucial to obtain a global picture of their distribution and abundance, in order to channel and direct conservation activities to where they are most needed. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands conducted hundreds of kilometers of chimpanzee surveys at multiple sites in the Central Uele region of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo and discovered a large, continuous population of Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). The population in the remote Bili-Gangu forest was surveyed in 2005 with line transects and again in 2012, and appears to have remained stable. The total area surveyed, which encompasses about 50,000 square kilometers, is home to several thousands of chimpanzees and, according to the researchers, should be considered a priority site for conservation of the eastern subspecies.

Over the past two decades the African great apes have experienced a steep population decline, up to 90 percent in some regions. This has been a result of expanding agriculture in many African countries, as well as logging and the uncontrolled extraction of natural resources. Furthermore, chimpanzees often fall victim to poachers and are killed by human diseases. "In order to monitor chimpanzee population trends and to decide where to best allocate conservation resources, it is crucial that we develop the means to accurately map the species' distribution and make precise estimates of abundance", says Hjalmar Kuehl of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. In order to determine the chimpanzee population size in an area the researchers traverse it at regular intervals along parallel line transects. From the existing number of chimpanzee sleeping nests they can then estimate the total number of chimpanzees in this area.

Source: Here

New Crocodile Species Discovered in West Africa

Studying crocodiles in some of the world’s most remote and inaccessible places isn’t easy, but it’s all in a day’s work for researcher Matthew Shirley. It is also, as he says, a “crazy amount of fun”—even on the days when catching and studying crocodiles leaves him covered in his own blood. “I love cruising through these often very remote waterways at night with a hundred billion stars overhead and seeing these ecosystems through a new light—or really just my spotlight!”

Shirley, who recently completed his doctorate at the University of Florida’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, has spent the past few years studying crocodiles in several African countries. His research has resulted in a major new discovery: a new species of crocodile that has been hiding in plain sight for thousands of years.

Source: Here

Pacific salmon migrate with a 'magnetic map'

There is more evidence that salmon use the Earth's magnetic field to perform extraordinary feats of navigation.

A study suggests that Pacific salmon are born with an in-built "magnetic map" that helps them to migrate over thousands of kilometres.

Source: Here

Falcon feathers pop up during dive

Similar to wings and fins with self-adaptive flaps, the feathers on a diving peregrine falcon's feathers may pop up during high speed dives, according to a study published in PLOS ONE on February 5, 2014 by Benjamin Ponitz from the Institute of Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics in Germany and colleagues.

Peregrine falcons are one of the world's fastest birds and may reach up to 200 miles per hour when diving. Scientists studying the body shape and wing contour of the bird want to better understand how they reach these high diving speeds while maintaining maneuverability. Researchers trained peregrine falcons to dive in front of a 200 foot dam, and scientists captured 35 dives with a stereo high-speed camera system and hi-res camera. The images allowed researchers to reconstruct the flight path and body shape of the falcon during certain flight phases, and to build a life size model of the falcons. They then analyzed the aerodynamics of the model bird in a wind tunnel.

Source: Here

Mysterious Giant Jellyfish Washes Up In Australia

Scientists were on Thursday working to classify a new species of giant jellyfish that washed up on an Australian beach, describing it as a "whopper" that took their breath away.

The 1.5-metre (4 foot 11 inch) specimen was found by a family in the southern state of Tasmania, who contacted a local marine biologist.

Source: Here

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Mexican Gray Wolf Population on a Rise in Southwestern Region

The Mexican gray wolf population in the Southwest has continued to soar recording a 10 percent annual growth highlighting the positive impact of management actions and reintroduction efforts.

The annual year-end population survey by the Mexican World Interagency Field Team (IFT) revealed that there are currently 83 wolves roaming in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico. The population strength indicates a 10 percent rise in the Mexican wolves' population when compared to the population that existed in 2012, which was 75.

Source: Here

New Species of Ancient "Swamp Monster" Discovered; Lived in Once-Tropical Texas

Scientists say the fossils of an ancient "swamp monster" that roamed the wilds of West Texas are those of a new species.

Two crocodile-like reptiles called phytosaurs died about 205 million years ago in an oxbow lake, where they were entombed for centuries.

Source: Here

Scientists Discover New Species of Freshwater Sculpin in Rivers of Idaho and Montana

Scientists have discovered a new type of freshwater sculpin in the mountain rivers of Idaho and Montana. The fish has larger head and usually grow no longer than six inches. The fish is a rare one and has been named by scientists as the cedar sculpin for the Western red cedars being found near the Idaho rivers.

Michael Young is co-author of the paper naming the creature, published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. He said, "The discovery of a new fish is something I never thought would happen in my career, because it's very rare in the United State". He added that this can be expected in more remote parts of the world, but not in the US.

Source: Here

Australia to dump dredged sand in Great Barrier Reef Park

(CNN) -- The Australian federal government has approved a plan to dump 3 million cubic meters of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Park. The dredged material will come from the proposed expansion of the coal port at Abbot Point, south of Townsville on the Queensland coast.

Final approval came from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and is subject to "strict conditions." The proposal, while controversial and opposed by environmental groups including Greenpeace, had already been approved by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt last month.

Source: Here