Fire: friend or foe?
July 8, 2009
The control of fire was such a significant step in the evolution of man that is easy to forget that it existed long before any man-like creature took shape. In fact, fire existed ever since the first land plants evolved — or more than 400 millions years ago. In a recent post on her blog The Wild Side, Olivia Judson raises some interesting questions about the ways in which plants have evolved to deal with naturally-caused fires, or even start them. Yes, start them. There are indeed many species of plants that need fires for their existence. Many plants also have flammable oils, resins, and gums inside their leaves and branches. So the question is: Are these flammable materials an adaptation for the promotion of forest fires? Are these plants also evolving the ability to survive such events of mass destruction and then “setting” fires to spread their seeds and burn out their competition? The one piece of evidence in support of this spiteful theory — that of fire resistant plants encouraging the initiation and propagation of natural fires — comes from pines, in which those that retain their dead branches longer, and are therefore more flammable, also have fire-triggered seed release. As Judson points out, this is hardly proof of arson, but the question remains: are the trees evolving to start fires?
Blissfully ignorant?
June 10, 2009
“My experience is what I agree to attend to.” ~William James (1842-1910)
Can we really pick and choose what we experience? Can we ever really ignore the bad and focus on the good? Behavioral science writer Winifred Gallagher argues just that in her new book, Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life. Robert Desimone, a neuroscientist at MIT, studies the concepts raised in Rapt. Through his work on macaque monkeys and humans, Desimone has found that it is indeed possible for controlled, top-down processing to win the battle over the brain’s attention. A noisy environment can hinder one’s ability to ignore strong signals, but eventually it may be possible to hone one’s concentration skills, Desimone told the New York Times.
This obviously has its benefits, such as dealing with tragedy or hardship. But if no one recognizes the bad in this world, who will there be to attend to it? What would happen if we all suddenly become blissfully unaware?
Top 10 new species
May 26, 2009
With so much attention given to the dwindling species of the world, the new ones often get overlooked. In a much more uplifting report than the endangered and threatened species list, the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists announce the top 10 new species described in 2008. Among the winners are the oldest known viviparous vertebrate and, my personal favorite, a tiny seahorse that’s just a half an inch tall.
Every organism has something new to teach us — something innovative about the way it thrives in its environment that can deepen our understanding of survival and evolution — and the rate at which new species are being discovered is testament to the diversity of life on Earth. What new species will we discover this year, and what will we learn from them? Be sure to vote for your favorites to make next year’s top 10.
The Validity of Voodoo
April 6, 2009
As an aspiring science writer, I am extremely interested the ways (and in particular, the rates) that science news is released. For most new findings published in peer-reviewed journals, press releases summarizing the results are available before the publish date, and an embargo is set such that no one is to release anything before a set date. This evens the playing field for all the journalists who want to write a story about the new findings. Knowing scientists is a great way to get a heads up that a great paper is coming and gives you more lead time to prepare your story, but still, you are restricted to the embargo set by the publication in which the paper is being published.
But what if the scientists who did the research decide to release their paper early? In the fantastic age of the internet, a secret told to one person can quickly become millions as the social networks light up like a wild fire. In some ways, this is good: stirring up scientific interest and conversation has long been a goal of the science writing community. But in other ways, it is easy to see how this clearly violates the system to which journalists have become accustomed. So which is it? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? A recent case study in the field of neuroscience has ignited a discussion about just that. What’s your opinion?
A Polar adventure!
April 4, 2009
Join Carin Ashjian of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and a team of scientists an adventure to the Arctic! No really, you can go with them…virtually. Follow their adventures through videos and photo essays on the Polar Discovery Website as they embark on a 38-day expedition in the Arctic’s Bering Sea upon the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy. And hurry…they leave today!
The Bering Sea is thriving with life. Melting sea ice transports nutrients that fertilize the algae that is the primary food source of zooplankton, which in turn feed the countless numbers of larger animals that call these waters home, from fish to whales to seabirds. The researchers are setting out to learn more about how global climate change will affect the ecosystem of the Arctic.
In addition to its ecological significance, the economic importance of this region is also worthy of notice. Hoards of US and Russian fisherman make a living on these seas, pulling hundreds of millions of pounds of fish and crab each year. In an effort to preserve the biodiversity of the Arctic, this mission will look at all parts of the biological web to try to predict exactly how the warming conditions will affect this ecosystem.
Animal birth control
March 5, 2009
Scientists are supposed to save the animals, right? But what about those populations that become so abundant, they actually become a nuisance? When is it time to take action to limit their grow, say, through the use of birth control?
Take Canada geese for example. Once nearly extricated from parts of North America, human restoration efforts have led to population explosions, totaling 3.5 million in 2002. In addition to the unruly amount of droppings they leave wherever they go (which can pose serious health risks, especially in areas of leisure swimming), territorial nest defense behavior, detrimental effects on certain agricultural fields, and other problems stemming from their overabundance have become more than a mere annoyance. Just this past January, the FAA reported that a flock of geese was responsible for the crash of US Airways flight 1549 into the Hudson river. While all passengers and crew survived this terrible disaster, next time we might not be so lucky.
Whitetail deer are another example of a species that has become extremely populous, with current estimates reaching 17 million deer in the United States alone. Deer certainly pose threats to our gardens, but the more serious danger is automobile accidents that result from a deer suddenly dashing across the road. From the first recorded deer-vehicle collision in 1969, the numbers rose to a staggering 300 incidents each year in the mid 1980s. While those statistics have since dwindled thanks to the hunting efforts in the more affected areas, these animals still regularly raise concern about driving those country roads after dark.
Given the extent of the problems these animals have caused, wildlife researchers have decided to do something to do something about it: stunt their population growth. A one-time shot for deer has just been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a once-a-day pill is already available for geese and pigeons. Read more about these proposed population control methods…
Notes
To read more about the US Airways plane crash…
Congrats to the Wade lab!
March 2, 2009
Congratulations to my advisor, Mike Wade, the students in our lab working on this project, and their collaborators at the University of Texas Arlington for their recent NIH grant! Over $2 million will be put to use studying specations of flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum), with implications for the study of human disease. For more information on this work and the other research that goes on in our lab, visit our lab website.
Lazy bacteria
February 19, 2009
Evolutionists have long argued that all organisms, from bugs to birds, are inherently selfish. If presented with an opportunity to escape responsibility without suffering retribution, most (if not all) organisms will do so. Bacteria are no exception. Many strains of bacteria require the cooperation of the entire group to communicate efficiently for the purposes of reproduction or toxicity within a host.
Such an environment is ripe for cheaters, individuals who do not participate in the costly communication but who benefit from all the work the rest of the group is doing. Indeed, cheating bacteria have been identified in many different bacterial strains and have been the focus of much theoretical work on the evolution of social behavior. But recently, scientists have proposed a practical application for these selfish bacteria…treating disease.
Unhappy birthday?
February 11, 2009
Tomorrow marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, father of evolutionary biology and inspiration to scientists worldwide. While others before him had similar speculations about the change of species over time, it was Darwin who boldly put forth a cohesive theory of evolution: descent with modification. Slowly, we are realizing that our acceptance of the once radical idea takes a similar path: each generation builds on the beliefs of those that came before while trying to incorporate the new knowledge amassed during its reign. And the process may be just as slow as the natural evolution of species. Now, 150 years after the formal introduction of evolutionary theory, a majority of U.S. adults (55%) still do not think that humans evolved from another species, according to a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,000 Americans. To Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education in Oakland, Calif, this is not a cause for celebration.
A gift from man?
February 8, 2009
A recent genetic analysis published in the Feb. 5 issues of Science Express revealed that the black coat color found in some North American and European gray wolf populations may have a domestic origin. Researchers believe that the dominant gene for dark coat most likely arose as a result of artificial selection on domesticated dog breeds. Interbreeding between the common pets and the less-tame wolves then introduced the trait to these wild populations. Finally, scientists speculate, the diminishing snow-covered habitat set the stage for the selection and spread of the darker coloration. If their theory is true, this would be the first example of a human-selected trait becoming an adaptation when reintroduced to nature.
