News+Headlines

__​__ News Headlines 1.  Tiny insect brains capable of huge feats · Biology news net · June 12, 2010 Ø Description: Although insects’ heads are tiny, the latest research shows that the tiny animals have extra mechanisms within their brains that help them calculate the speed of moving objects. 2.  Incidence of malaria jumps when Amazon forests are cut · Biology news net · June 16, 2010 Ø Description: Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made a link between environmental change and human disease, which had always previously been tagged an ‘iffy proposition. The clearing of tropical forest creates conditions that favor malaria's primary carrier in the Amazon, the mosquito Anopheles darlingi, which transmits the malaria parasite if it draws its blood meals from infected humans. 3.  Gut-residing Bacteria trigger arthritis in generally susceptible individuals · Science Daily · June 17, 2010 Ø Description: A single species of bacteria that lives in the gut is able to trigger a cascade of immune responses that can ultimately result in the development of arthritis. 4.  Cougar caught near Carrot River · Tisdale Recorder · March 3, 2010 Ø Description: A whopping 160 pound cougar was accidently trapped close to Carrot River Saskatchewan. This shows that the cougar is the top predator in this region and has more than enough food supply, either through higher biodiversity in the area or from less competition. 5.  Oil spill in gulf could threaten Florida · TampaBay.com · April 27, 2010 Ø Description: A oil rig sank in the gulf of Florida, releasing 42 000 gallons of oil a day into the ocean. This spill is causing harm to many ocean species and also danger to many land birds if the oil makes it to the coast of Florida. This disaster threatens to change the environment around Florida drastically and make it hard for animals to re-inhabit this area again.