Estudian a especies de anfibios que sobrevivieron a hongo letal

La presencia de una plaga devastadora para la población mundial de ranas se hizo evidente a partir de la década de los ’90, cuando miles de anfibios de distintas especies de todo el mundo comenzaron a desaparecer.

Veinte años más tarde, el hongo Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, causante de la enfermedad conocida como quitridiomicosis, sigue diezmando a las poblaciones de anfibios del planeta.

Sin embargo, en algunas regiones de Estados Unidos y Australia, varias especies parecen haberle ganado la batalla a la enfermedad, mostrando signos de recuperación.

Please Help Snake George Save The Cyprus Grass Snake from Extinction

We the undersigned request the EU and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus to take immediate action to conserve the Cyprus Grass Snake at locations in Xyliatos and Paralimni Lake and to take the necessary action to ensure conservation of this species in certain other locations in The Republic of Cyprus . We further request that the EU and the Cyprus Government provide urgently all the resources necessary (land, grants, services etc.,) for Hans-Jorg Wiedl (Snake George) to establish a captive breeding programme for the Cyprus Grass Snake in, Pafos, Cyprus. Ir a la página.

Costa Rica Investigates Mysterious Death of Sea Turtles

Scientists in Costa Rica are studying the death of at least 10 and 12 more ailing turtles in the southern zone. Universidad Nacional (UN) told the press that the environmental organization MarVia found the 22 turtles floating near Matapalo beach.

Ten of the Kemp’s Ridley turtles died within days of bringing them to shore and biologists and veterinarians have no idea of what caused their deaths.

According to Widecast Network, this occurs when creatures have been floating adrift in the water for a prolonged period.

Paleontologist Investigates Ancestors of Crocs and Birds

Patrick O’Connor is an associate professor of anatomical sciences in the department of biomedical sciences at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a member of the Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies. O’Connor was initially trained as a comparative biologist/paleontologist at a medical school.

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Meat-Eating Dinosaurs Not So Carnivorous After All

Their results challenge the conventional view that nearly all theropods hunted prey, especially those closest to the ancestors of birds. Rather, Zanno and Makovicky show that among the most bird-like dinosaurs — known as coelurosaurs — plant eating was a common way of life. «Most theropods are clearly adapted to a predatory lifestyle, but somewhere on the line to birds, predatory dinosaurs went soft,» Zanno says.

Theropods are a group of bipedal dinosaurs colloquially known as «predatory» dinosaurs. Among theropod dinosaurs, all modern birds and several groups of their closest extinct relatives belong to a subgroup known as Coelurosauria. Coelurosauria also includes the iconic hunters Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. Most coelurosaurs were feathered. The most intelligent dinosaurs and those with the smallest body sizes also belong to this group.