Tag Archives: Bird

Rock and Roll Bird Enthusiast Inspires You to Explore the Sky on a Nature Walk | Podcast

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IIt’s not often that I get excited about the announcement of a new podcast, but in the past few weeks, that’s happened not once but twice. The first was the podcast debut of Gracie Nuttall, sister of the late cancer activist Laura Nuttall.
Dead Siblings Association
She’s teamed up with the founder of Sibling Support Charity to take an intimate look at what it’s like to lose a brother or sister.
Room to grieve
The show was created by two mothers who met after losing their children to cancer to help others cope with grief, and what it lacks in production value it more than makes up for with its altruism, courage, and honesty in its treatment of themes like getting through difficult anniversaries and how the experience of loss changes over time.

This week we also have a less inspiring historical analysis of toilets, which, alongside a quirky topical satire from the makers of Have I Got News for You and an immersive attempt to bring birdwatching to hipsters, is one of those films that’s more likely to leave you snorting with laughter than dampening your handkerchief.

Alexi Duggins
Deputy TV Editor

This week’s picks




Sissy Spacek co-stars with Owen Wilson and Schuyler Fisk in the film Tom Slick: Mystery Hunter. Photo: Rebecca Cabbage/InVision/AP

Tom Slick: Mystery Hunter

Widely available, with weekly episodes

Starring Owen Wilson, Sissy Spacek, and Schuyler Fisk, the story is about “the most interesting man you’ve never heard of.” Wilson relishes playing Slick, a legendary scientist, intrepid explorer, and sometime spy who recounts his many adventures. His granddaughter Liv (Fisk) and her mother Claire (Spacek) hunt for the Yeti and find hidden tapes detailing Slick’s exploits facing off against notorious bank robber Machine Gun Kelly.
Hannah Verdier

History Extra: Toilets Through the Ages

Widely available, with weekly episodes


A sponge on a stick, thunderbolts in the bum and a devil in the toilet bowl: delving deep into history’s U-curves can reveal fascinating facts. Dr. David Musgrove teams up with a team of historians to explore Roman, Medieval, Tudor, and Victorian toilet habits in a four-part series that reveals a lot about the past.
HV

This week’s news

Widely available, with weekly episodes


Is Donald Trump’s running mate interesting? And that Is there ever a photo more destined for history than Ed Miliband eating a bacon sandwich? Created by the team behind Have I Got News for You to fill the gap between the TV series, this show is predictably stimulating and full of jokes.
Alexi Duggins

Rock and Roll Birder


Widely available, with weekly episodes


In this immersive birdwatching series, hipster amateur ornithologist Matt Spracklen goes on weekly walks with bird experts. The first episode of Season 2 is a relaxed and fun listen as he visits Sherwood Forest with Springwatch wildlife experts. The bottom line? A common way to identify a bird is by its “sem” (the overall impression you get of the bird’s shape, movement, etc.).
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Pod Class

Widely available, with weekly episodes


Elizabeth Day knows a thing or two about writing a bestselling novel, but in this insightful how-to series she takes a backseat and hands the reins over to literary powerhouses novelist Sarah Collins, agent Nell Andrew, and publisher Charmaine Lovegrove. First, how to know if your idea is worth pursuing.
Holly Richardson

There is a podcast




Poseidon is one of the gods featured in “Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!” Photo: Cristiano Fronteddu/Alamy

this week, Charlie Lindler 5 best podcasts Ancient HistoryFrom comedic takes on the stories they don’t teach you in school from the star of Horrible Histories, to timeless, myth-busting adventures.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Recent Update: Professor confirms abandoned bird nest is still present

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Nest: Still abandoned

Be prepared. A neglected bird's nest still remains in the mouth of a large ancient stone sculpture of a human face, hanging high on the wall at the northern end of the outdoor garden known as the “Michelangelo's Corridor” at the National Roman Museum in Rome, reports a professor at University College London (UCL). The professor discovered the nest during a visit to the museum in April this year and reported it to a colleague who is the director of a natural history museum in the Netherlands. The colleague visited the National Roman Museum the next day and asked if he could take the nest back to the museum in Rotterdam to add it to his biological curiosities collection, rather than having the staff remove it and destroy or dispose of it. The request was greeted with enthusiastic gratitude from two staff members at the Roman Museum, but a third staff member who happened to come across the scene with a ladder when the first two climbed the ladder to remove the previously unnoticed nest from the sculpture's mouth, and warned that no twig or pebble should ever leave his museum.

Photos of the nest in question can be seen in the May 8th feedback.

In early June, the UCL professor quietly revisited the National Museum of Rome and shortly thereafter sent out a “it's still there” report to Feedback.

Feedback: We are more than happy to receive reports from future visitors to Michelangelo's Cloister observing whether the empty nest (one might call it an “amuse-bouche”) is still nestled in the statue's mouth.

Not Your Way

Reader Ashok Khushalani contributes to Feedback's collection of inspiring and admirable organizational slogans that have been replaced, supplanted, or clearly abandoned, though not always obvious to the general public (May 18). Classic examples include IBM's “THINK” and Google's “Don't be evil.”

Khushalani laments the disappearance of Burger King's slogan, “Make it your way,” from everyday life, and he suggests that its absence has meaning.

If you know of a hot slogan that was highly promoted and is now in storage, please don’t say it with any ill intent and keep it to yourself.

Instead, please send it along with the documentation as feedback to “Mourning dead slogans”.

A weak theory

North Americans' fascination with rod-shaped objects and the human habit of proposing and then rejecting theories are two factors that have led to theDoes size matter? Penis dissatisfaction and gun ownership in America” “.

Reader Matthew Hall sent a copy to Feedback.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to formally examine the association between penis size and individual gun ownership in the United States,” Terence D. Hill and colleagues from Texas and Florida wrote. “Our findings do not support the psychosexual theory of gun ownership.”

The same team will be joined by two other researchers in 2021.Sexual Dysfunction and Gun Ownership in the United States: When hard data meets unfounded theory”.

They poured cold water on the often heated public debate, saying: “Our key finding is that [sexual dysfunction] They are no more likely to own a gun than men without SD.”

BustaOr so they apparently said in their previous paper, but that didn't stop them from continuing to write about it. Busta”Ultimately, these arguments are counterproductive to society because they distract us from tangible realities like penis dissatisfaction and gun ownership.”

Smell

The June 12 article about a famous pathologist's inability to smell led reader John Adams to reflect on his own journey as a medical professional.

“As for Sir Bernard Spilsbury's anosmia, I was told as a medical student that this was common because pathologists are exposed to large amounts of formaldehyde fumes which destroy the olfactory nerves. One of the reasons I avoided this specialty is because I want my patients to have answers.”

Feedback suggests that a similar (but milder) preference for conversation leads people to choose dentistry.

Telltale Title

Ideally, the title of a scientific report clearly summarizes its entire content. To encourage this habit, Feedback has compiled a collection called “The Title Tells You Everything You Need to Know.”

Let's look at two examples.The man's fractured sternum was likely caused by the weight of the snake during the fall.” appears British Medical Journal 1997.Experimental replication reveals knife made from frozen human feces doesn't work” was decorated Journal of Archaeological Sciences: Reports 2019.

If you find similarly impressive examples, please submit them as feedback to “Telltale titles,” along with details of the citation.

Marc Abrahams is the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founder of the journal Annals of Improbable Research. He previously worked on unusual uses of computers. His website is Impossible

Do you have a story for feedback?

You can submit articles for Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week's and past Feedback can be found on our website.

Source: www.newscientist.com

A recently identified bird species found in the Lesser Sunda Islands

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A team of scientists from the Swedish Museum of Natural History has described a new species of nightjar that lives in the tropical forests of Timor Island and Wetar in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago.

Male Caprimargus ritae in Wetar, October 13, 2014. Image courtesy of James Eaton.

Nightjar It is a medium-sized, nocturnal, enterophagous bird belonging to the family. Caprimulgidae And the order Black-tailed Gulls.

These birds are found all over the world, except Antarctica and certain island groups such as the Seychelles.

Nightjars have long wings, short legs and a very short beak and usually catch flying insects at night. During the day they sleep on the ground or usually perched upright on a branch.

“Nightjars are one of the most difficult birds to study because of their discreet nocturnal behaviour and inconspicuous plumage,” said lead author Dr George Sangster and his colleagues.

In their study, the authors: Caprimargus maculus Complex.

This species complex is found from Pakistan to Australia and consists of six morphologically similar species with distinct calls.

“Field surveys on Timor Island and on Wetar Island in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago have revealed a seventh species in the complex, which we call a new species,” the researchers said.

“This species has Caprimargus maculus, Caprimargus selebensis and Caprimargus manilensis However, this species differs from these and all other species in this complex in at least 13 vocal traits.”

Named Caprimargus ritae Like the Timor nightjar or the Timor nightjar, this new species is not found in any other part of its range. Caprimargus maculus Complex.

This bird is a forest specialist and has been recorded in a wide range of tropical forests, from tall evergreen forests to dry deciduous forests, mainly at altitudes below 1,000 metres, with one record from 1,500 metres above sea level.

“Caprimargus ritae “This is the fourth bird species known to be endemic to both Timor and Wetar islands,” the scientists said.

“Other species include the Timorese giant pigeon (Ducula cineracea), Wetal ground pigeon (Pumps Sana Gallicorumba Howety) and Rainbow lorikeet (Saudareos Iris)

“Six species found on Timor and Wetar are only found on Atauro, Roti and Semau islands. Caprimargus ritae This is also true for several other bird species.”

“Wetar is closer to Timor (51km) than Alor (76km). The exclave of Atauro island is just 23km from Timor and 21km from Wetar.”

” Cyt b The Timor and Wetar sequence shows the colonization of Timor to Wetar, or vice versa probably quite recently.”

of study Published in the journal Ibis.

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Ben F. King others A new species of nightjar (Capri Margos) from Timor and Wetar, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Wallacea. Ibis Published online June 24, 2024, doi: 10.1111/ibi.13340

Source: www.sci.news

A recently found bird species in Brazil

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According to a multi-trait systematic study led by the Federal University of Pará, ornithologists Silver-cheeked anteater (Sacesphoroides cristatus) It actually represents not one but two species.

An illustration Sacesphoroides niedegidonaeImage courtesy of Eduardo Brettas.

A newly discovered species, the northern stingray (Sacesphoroides niedegidonae)teeth, CaatingaA natural area located in the interior of northeastern Brazil.

“Caatinga is the largest seasonally dry tropical forest in the Neotropics, located in northeastern Brazil, and is characterized by a predominantly deciduous forest and extreme seasonality of rainfall,” Dr. Pablo Cerqueira Emilio Goeldi from the Paraense Museum of the Federal University of Pará and his colleagues.

“Historically, this area has been treated as a biologically impoverished region, but recent studies have uncovered new diversification patterns and several new species of frogs, mammals, insects and fish.”

“The region's topography has played an important role in its biogeographical history, with altitudes ranging from sea level in the north to an average of 400-700 metres in the central states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, to over 1,000 metres on the slopes of the Sierra de Espinhaço mountain range.”

Sacesphoroides niedegidonae It is the second known species in the genus. SacesphoroidesThis also includes Sacesphoroides cristatus.

“Until recently, Sacesphoroides cristatus Classified into the genus SacesphorusHowever, new genetic and morphological data have revealed that the genus is non-monophyletic, prompting its transfer to a separate genus. Sacesphoroides” the researchers said.

In this study, a total of 1,079 Sacesphoroides cristatus Sample size (818 males, 261 females).

To investigate song variation, the researchers analyzed a total of 115 different audio recordings.

They also sequenced 58 tissue samples from across the country. Sacesphoroides cristatus The range is wide, with 39 of them belonging to the left bank of the San Francisco River and 19 on the right bank.

Of the 1,079 individuals analysed (skins and photographs), no diagnostic plumage differences could be identified among males, but two main plumage patterns were diagnosed in females, mainly across the river.

“Men Sacesphoroides niedegidonae The feathers are similar Sacesphoroides cristatus“The males are males, but the females have different colouring on the top of their heads, backs and tails than the males,” the scientists said.

“Sacesphoroides niedegidonae It is generally lighter in color (amber) rather than chestnut brown. Sacesphoroides cristatus. “

The back is olive brown Sacesphoroides niedegidonae,on the other hand, Sacesphoroides cristatus It's cinnamon brown.”

“The overall color of the tail is Sacesphoroides niedegidonae Darker than Sacesphoroides cristatusThe most noticeable difference is the black and white stripes. Sacesphoroides cristatus It has a modest dull brown and reddish stripes, and no white stripes at all.”

“Sing out loud Sacesphoroides niedegidonae The general pattern is: Sacesphoroides cristatus“However, the shape of the first note is noticeably different,” they added.

“The new species is almost exclusively restricted to the left/north bank of the São Francisco River, with one population occurring on the right bank in the “Raço da Catarina” region of Bahia.”

“This population, discovered on the right/south bank of the San Francisco River, may have 'migrated' across the river due to changes in paleotopography, as detailed in the Discussion section below.”

Sacesphoroides niedegidonae It is a common species throughout most of its range and occurs in a variety of habitats in the Caatinga, including secondary growth vegetation.

“The range of the outbreak is estimated to be 630,000 km.2not approaching the threshold Vulnerable Status according to IUCN range criteria (<20,000 km2)2),” the authors state.

“Although population data is not available, the mature population is estimated at more than 10,000 individuals, and the species Least Concern. “

“But a new approach using niche modelling for future climate scenarios shows Sacesphoroides cristatus (include Sacesphoroides niedegidonae(same as treated prior to this study).

“When we apply the IUCN criteria to these estimated future range sizes, the threatened category is Near Threatened And more Vulnerable It depends on future global change scenarios.”

Discovery Sacesphoroides niedegidonae It has been reported paper In the journal Zoological scriptor.

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Pablo Cerqueira othersA new ant shrike (Aves: Shrikeidae) endemic to Caatinga and the role of climate variability and drainage change in shaping the potential diversity of a Neotropical seasonally dry forest. Zoological scriptorpublished online June 17, 2024. Source: 10.1111/zsc.12672

Source: www.sci.news

Australia unearths remarkably intact fossil skull of extinct colossal bird

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Australian paleontologists Genyornis neutoni A species of giant flightless Mihirn that became extinct approximately 45,000 years ago.

This illustration is, Genyornis neutoni Waterside in a wetland or marsh-like environment. The scene itself was inspired by places that exist in southern South Australia today, such as the Coorong and the Narrindjeri region of the Lower Murray River. Genyornis neutoni If this type of environment were widespread across the country, many Genyornis The fossils were found in Lake Carabonna, more than a day’s drive north, which is now a dry salt lake. It was probably much wetter in the past. Image by Jacob C. Blokland.

Genyornis neutoni Belongs to Dromornithidae The Mihirung is a species of flightless bird from Australia that became extinct during the Oligocene and Pleistocene epochs.

Also known as Newton’s Mihirn, this species lived in Australia between 48,000 and 45,000 years ago.

The bird was over two metres tall, weighed 220-240 kilograms, had tiny wings and huge hind legs, and laid a melon-sized egg weighing around 1.5 kilograms.

The only previous known skull of this species was reported in 1913, and it was so badly damaged that very little of the original bone remained, meaning not much could be inferred about the skull.

The well-preserved new specimen was discovered in the dry, salty lake bed of Lake Carabonna, in a remote area of ​​inland South Australia.

As would be expected from such a large bird, its skull was far from ordinary, with an enormous cranium, large upper and lower jaws, and an unusual skull crown.

The upper beak in particular displays a remarkable morphology that distinguishes this bird even from its closest relatives, which are otherwise quite similar.

“Genyornis neutoni “It had a high, mobile upper jaw like a parrot, but was shaped more like a goose, with a wide mouth opening, powerful biting force and the roof of its mouth capable of crushing soft plants and fruit,” says American zoologist Dr Phoebe McInerney. Flinders University.

“Skull features also showed undeniable and complex affinities with early-diverging waterfowl lineages, the South American screamer and, more recently, the Australian magpie goose.”

” Genyornis “The mysteries within this group have been difficult to unravel, but with this new skull we begin to piece together the puzzle that shows this species is a giant goose.”

“we, Genyornis“For the first time we’ve been able to work out the face of this bird – it’s quite different to other birds but does resemble a goose,” said Dr Trevor Worthy, also from Flinders University.

skull Genyornis neutoniImage courtesy of McInerney others., doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212.

By assessing the morphology of the skull, the researchers were able to evaluate the muscles and movements of each joint, building a detailed picture of how the head functioned.

“Bone shape and bone structure are in part related to the soft tissues that interact with them, such as muscles and ligaments and their attachment sites and pathways,” said Flinders University researcher Jacob Blokland.

“By using modern birds as a comparison, we can put flesh on fossils and bring them back to life.”

Moreover, paleontologists Genyornis neutoni It has several unusual adaptations to adapt to its aquatic habitat, allowing it to protect its ears and throat from the influx of water when its head is submerged underwater.

These adaptations provide further support that the species was nothing more than a giant prehistoric goose, and may be linked to its extinction as the freshwater bodies of northern South Australia are now mainly salt lakes.

“Thanks to this skull, we Genyornis neutoni “We now have a much better understanding of these birds, which once roamed widely across the Australian outback, and the reasons for their eventual extinction,” the researchers concluded.

their paper Published in the journal Historical Biology.

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Phoebe L. McInerney othersMysterious skull shape Genyornis neutoni Stirling & Zeitz, 1896 (Aves, Dromornithidae), with implications for functional morphology, ecology and evolution in the Gallopodidae. Historical BiologyPublished online June 3, 2024; doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308212

Source: www.sci.news

Bird flu infecting cows and their milk – Are humans at risk next?

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A strain of avian influenza, known as H5N1 or highly pathogenic avian influenza, has sparked concerns in cattle herds across the United States in recent weeks. This development has raised significant alarm among health experts. The Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the high mortality rate associated with the virus in humans.

As of now, the virus has affected more than 20 clusters in eight states of the U.S since a surge was initially reported last month.

The states that have been impacted so far include Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and South Dakota.

Moreover, on April 1st, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the virus had spread further in Texas and had infected individuals who were exposed to dairy cows.

Experts are emphasizing the need for extreme vigilance, investigation, and situational assessment due to the rapidly changing individual risk scenarios.

Infection of cattle is unprecedented.

This virus is not new – H5N1 was initially detected in 1996 in waterfowl in southern China. A new version of the H5N1 virus became widespread in 2021 and has continued to infect both wild and domestic bird populations globally.

Spread to other animals has occurred occasionally as the virus has crossed into various mammalian populations, including foxes, seals, sea lions, and humans, according to the CDC.

While the spread to mammals is a concern and can be fatal, past cases have shown that avian influenza typically stops spreading when it reaches mammalian populations, particularly humans.

However, in October 2022, a significant shift occurred when the virus spread from mink to mink at a mink farm in Spain, deviating from the usual transmission from birds to mammals. The USDA has confirmed that cows have been infected for the first time, and cow-to-cow transmission has contributed to the recent spread of avian influenza in dairy farms.

There is still uncertainty about how the disease spreads through cattle populations, with reports suggesting that the virus may be transmitted through milk due to high concentrations of the virus being shed in milk.

Is it safe to drink milk?

Most dairy products are pasteurized, which effectively eliminates the virus, making milk consumption safe for the majority of individuals. Drinking unpasteurized milk poses some risk, but experts suggest that even unpasteurized milk may be safe if not consumed immediately after milking.

Experts recommend avoiding unpasteurized milk after high concentrations of the avian influenza virus are detected. – Image credit: Getty

The presence of the virus in milk raises questions about its transmission and impact on human health, as the virus is typically a respiratory disease.

How worried should I be?

The situation is under close monitoring by authorities, with several states implementing restrictions on dairy cow imports from affected regions. Scientists are analyzing virus sequences to identify genetic changes that could impact transmission and treatment effectiveness.

Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of biosecurity measures on farms in controlling the spread of the virus. Experts emphasize the need for increased vigilance and monitoring to prevent further transmission.

Could H5N1 cause the next pandemic?

While there is uncertainty about the future, a widespread pandemic remains unlikely at this point. Authorities are prepared with stockpiles of vaccines and antiviral drugs effective against potential influenza strains.

There are two existing vaccine candidates against H5N1 available to manufacturers, along with several FDA-approved antiviral drugs. The focus remains on combating bird flu and preparing for any potential future outbreaks.

Experts continue to monitor the situation closely and emphasize the importance of staying informed and prepared for any developments.

About our experts

Jeremy Rothman is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Virology at the University of Kent. His research focuses on infectious diseases’ pathogenesis and has been published in various scientific journals.

Matthew Hayek is an assistant professor at New York University, specializing in the impact of food production on climate change, ecological processes, and the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Researchers develop record-breaking, highly intricate bird family tree

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The latest genealogy is detailed in two supplementary papers published today. journal Nature And that Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers have uncovered patterns in the evolutionary history of birds after the massive mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The authors observed rapid increases in effective population size, replacement rate, and relative brain size in early birds, and found that new adaptive mechanisms that drove bird diversification in the aftermath of this pivotal event. Shined a light. The researchers also took a closer look at one branch of the new family tree and found that flamingos and pigeons are more distantly related than previous genome-wide analyzes had shown.

The latest bird family tree outlining 93 million years of evolutionary relationships among 363 bird species. Image credit: Jon Fjeldså / Josefin Stiller.

“Our goal is to reconstruct the entire evolutionary history of all birds,” said Professor Siavash Milarab, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego.

This work is part of that Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) ProjectThis is a multi-institutional effort led by the University of Copenhagen, Zhejiang University, and the University of California, San Diego, with the aim of producing draft genome sequences for approximately 10,500 extant bird species.

At the heart of these studies is a suite of algorithms known as ASTRAL, developed by Professor Miralove and colleagues to infer evolutionary relationships with unprecedented scalability, accuracy, and speed.

By harnessing the power of these algorithms, we integrated genomic data from over 60,000 genomic regions and provided a robust statistical foundation for our analysis.

The researchers then examined the evolutionary history of individual segments across the genome.

From there, they pieced together a mosaic of gene trees and compiled them into a comprehensive species tree.

This meticulous approach has allowed researchers to construct new and improved bird genealogies that depict complex divergence events with remarkable accuracy and detail, even in the face of historical uncertainty. I did.

“We found that our method, which adds tens of thousands of genes to the analysis, is indeed necessary to unravel the evolutionary relationships between bird species,” Professor Miralove said.

“We really need all the genomic data to reconstruct with a high degree of confidence what happened during this period of time, 65 to 67 million years ago.”

The scientists also looked at the impact of different genome sampling methods on the accuracy of the tree.

They showed that to reconstruct this evolutionary history, it is important to combine two strategies: sequence many genes in each species and sequence many species. Ta.

“Because we used both strategies in combination, we were able to test which approach has a stronger impact on phylogenetic reconstructions,” said Professor Josephine Stiller from the University of Copenhagen.

We found that it is more important to sample many gene sequences from each organism than to sample from a wider range of species, but the latter method does not allow us to determine when different groups evolved. It was helpful to know. ”

mira love other. They took a closer look at one branch of the updated bird family tree and found that groups including flamingos and pigeons are more distantly related than previous genome-wide analyzes had shown. We attributed the results to an abnormal region on chromosome 4.Image credits: Ed Braun / Daniel J. Field / Siavash Miarab

With the help of advanced computational techniques, the researchers were also able to shed light on anomalies discovered in previous studies. The theory is that a particular part of a chromosome in the bird's genome remained unchanged and blank for millions of years. Description of expected genetic recombination patterns.

“Ten years ago, we put together a family tree. Neo Avesthe group that includes the vast majority of bird species,” said Professor Edward Brown of the University of Florida.

“Based on the genomes of 48 species, we divided neoabees into two broad categories: pigeons and flamingos in one group, and all the rest in the other.”

“This year, when we repeated the same analysis with 363 species, a different family tree emerged that divided pigeons and flamingos into two distinct groups.”

“Given two mutually exclusive family trees, I looked for an explanation that would allow me to determine which family tree was correct.”

“When we looked at individual genes and which trees they supported, it suddenly dawned on us that all the genes that support old trees were all in one place. That's how it all started. “It was,” he explained.

“When we investigated this site, we realized that it was a place where sexual reproduction had been occurring for millions of years, but it wasn't as mixed.”

“Just like humans, birds combine the genes of their father and mother to create the next generation.”

“But in birds and humans alike, when creating sperm and eggs, we first mix together genes inherited from both parents.”

“This process, called recombination, maximizes the genetic diversity of a species by ensuring that no two siblings are exactly alike.”

The authors found evidence that parts of bird chromosomes suppressed this recombination process for millions of years after the dinosaurs went extinct.

It is unclear whether extinction events and genomic abnormalities are related.

They found that flamingos and pigeons resemble each other in this frozen chunk of DNA.

However, when the complete genomes were considered, it became clear that the two groups were more distantly related.

“What is surprising is that this period of recombination suppression can mislead the analysis,” says Professor Brown.

“And because that can mislead the analysis, it was actually detectable more than 60 million years in the future. That's the cool thing about it.”

“Such mysteries may also be hidden in the genomes of other organisms.”

“We discovered this misleading region of birds because we put a lot of energy into deciphering their genomes.”

“I think there are similar cases in other species that are unknown at this time.”

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J. Stiller other. 2024. The complexity of bird evolution revealed by family-level genomes. Naturein press.

Siavash Milarab other. 2024. Suppressed recombinant regions mislead neoavian phylogenomics. PNAS 121: e2319506121; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2319506121

Source: www.sci.news

Important facts about bird flu found in U.S. dairy cows

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dairy farm cows

GH Photo/Alamy

Dairy cows in several US states have reportedly contracted bird flu. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The virus has killed millions of birds around the world, but this is the first time it has been detected in cattle.

How many cows are affected by avian influenza?

As of March 25, milk samples from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas tested positive for the avian influenza subtype called H5N1. new york times. This strain is highly lethal to birds. A cow throat swab taken from a dairy farm in Texas also tested positive. So far, no cows have died from the virus.

On March 22, U.S. authorities announced a diagnosis of avian influenza in bovines after some dairy cows at farms in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico became ill and there were reports of dead wild birds on farm grounds. The inspection has started.

About 10% of the milking cows on the affected farms appear to be sick, most of them elderly. It is unclear whether avian influenza is the cause of all animal illness. U.S. authorities are moving quickly to conduct additional testing.

How did the cow become infected with the virus?

The Department of Agriculture announced that the cows appear to have contracted the virus from infected wild birds. However, it is unclear exactly how the virus was transmitted between species.

Most mammals that contract bird flu are carnivores, such as foxes and seals, who most likely contracted the virus by eating dead or infected birds.Because cows don’t eat birds, it’s difficult to explain the source of infection. Richard Webby at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee. Feces and saliva from wild birds may have contaminated the cows’ water and feed.

“The biggest question that I don’t fully understand is how do you account for transmission across the state with such geographic spread,” Webby said.

The worst-case scenario is that the virus spreads among cattle, but that’s probably unlikely, he said. This is because there is still no evidence that avian influenza can be transmitted between mammals.

Do sick cows increase the risk of avian influenza spreading to humans?

The risk of contracting bird flu remains low for most people. Initial testing of samples taken from infected cows has found no genetic changes that would suggest the virus is more transmissible to humans.

But each time a mammal gets avian influenza, Webby says, it gives the virus a chance to acquire the mutations it needs to spread between mammals. “But to put this into perspective, we still need some answers. Above all, how many cows are showing evidence of being infected with the virus?” If there are very few, the virus is likely to become a dead end again, as it did in foxes, bears, and other previously infected animals.

Is milk safe to drink?

Yes, milk is still safe to drink. The USDA already requires dairy farms to send only milk from healthy cows for processing. Milk from infected cows is also being discarded and kept out of the food supply.

Even if contaminated milk enters the supply chain, pasteurization kills bacteria and viruses, including influenza.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

The bird invites its mate into the nest with a gracious gesture

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Female titmouse flapping its wings

Toshitaka Suzuki

Great tits appear to flap their wings to signal their mates to enter the nest, suggesting that birds may use a variety of gestures to communicate.

Signals such as hand waving are common aspects of communication between humans and other great apes. To learn more about such behavior of birds, Toshitaka Suzuki Professors at the University of Tokyo installed hundreds of nest boxes in forests where great tits live (minor pulse) For the past few years, near the town of Karuizawa.

To mimic the tree cavities that great tits normally inhabit, each box had a 7.5-centimeter-wide hole, just large enough to fit one bird at a time.

During the breeding season, the researchers observed 321 nest visits by eight pairs, with great tits often carrying food to feed the hatchlings.

When the couple arrives at the nest together, each tit perches on a nearby branch before entering the nest. About 40 percent of the time, the female turned her chest toward the male and flap her wings for a few seconds. Immediately the male entered the nest first, followed by the female.

However, when neither bird was flapping, which accounted for 44 percent of nest visits, the female usually entered the nest first. Only one male was observed flapping its wings repeatedly, and then the female moved in first. No flapping of wings was observed when each bird arrived separately.

“We can conclude that this wing flapping conveys ‘after you’ and encourages the male to enter the nest first,” Suzuki says. “This study is the first to demonstrate that birds can use wing movements to convey specific meanings.”

The findings suggest that great tits, and perhaps other bird species, communicate in a much more complex way than previously thought.

“There is a hypothesis that language evolved from communication through gestures,” Suzuki says. “Thus, these studies help us understand the evolution of complex communication, including our language.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The pioneering toothless beak of the Cretaceous enantiornithine bird

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Paleontologists have described a new species of enantiornithine bird with a toothless beak from the Chinese Jehor bird family. This discovery delayed the earliest appearance of edentulism (lack of teeth) in enantiornithines by about 48 million years.

fossil skeleton of Impalavis Attenborough and bird restoration. Image credit: Ville Sinkkkonen / Wang other., doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105867.

Impalavis Attenborough They lived in what is now northeastern China about 120 million years ago (early Cretaceous period).

This bird was a member of a group called. enantiornis, or “the opposite bird.” It is named for the feature of its shoulder joint that is “opposite” to that found in modern birds.

Enantiornithines were once the most diverse group of birds, but became extinct 66 million years ago following a meteorite impact that wiped out most dinosaurs.

Paleontologists are still working to understand why enantiornithids went extinct and the birds that gave rise to modern birds survived.

“The enantiornithines are very strange. Most of them had teeth and still had clawed fingers,” said Dr. Alex Clark. student at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum.

“If you were to travel back in time to northeast China 120 million years ago and walk around, you might have seen something that looked like a robin or a cardinal. But it had an open mouth and a bunch of teeth. . When you lift your wings, you’ll notice that you have little fingers.”

“Scientists previously thought that the first record of this group without teeth was from the late Cretaceous period, about 72 million years ago.”

“This little man is Impalavis Attenborough, pushing it back about 48 to 50 million years. Therefore, the lack of teeth, or edentulism, developed much earlier in this group than we thought. “

fossilized skeleton Impalavis Attenborough It was discovered by an amateur fossil collector near the village of Toudaoyingzi in northeastern China and donated to the Tianyu Natural Museum in Shandong Province.

“I think what attracted me to this specimen was the forelimbs, not the lack of teeth,” said Dr. Jingmai O’Connor, associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Field Museum.

“It had a huge bicrest, and a bony protrusion on top of the upper arm bone that had muscles attached to it.”

“I had seen such emblems on birds from the Late Cretaceous period, but never in the Early Cretaceous period like this one. That’s when I first suspected that it might be a new species. It was.”

rare wing bones Impalavis Attenborough Muscle attachments that allowed this bird to flap its wings with extra force may have been possible.

“We’re looking at potentially very strong wingbeats,” Clark said.

“Some of the bone features are similar to those of modern birds such as puffins and murres, which can flap their wings at crazy speeds, or of birds such as quail and pheasants. Although they are small birds, they generate enough force to instantly fly almost vertically when threatened.”

On the other hand, a toothless beak Impalavis Attenborough Modern toothless birds have a wide variety of diets, so researchers aren’t necessarily sure what they ate.

Like its fellow enantiornithines, and unlike modern birds, it does not appear to have a digestive system called a gizzard or gastric mill to help grind up its food.

“Although most enantiornithines appear to have been quite arboreal, differences in forelimb structure suggest that Impalavis Attenborough Although it probably still lived in trees, it probably went down to the ground to feed, and it had a unique diet compared to other enantiornithines. This suggests that there is a possibility, and that it may also explain why they lost their teeth.” said Dr. said Connor.

In their study, the scientists also reexamined previously known bird fossils. Chiapiavisand suggests that it was also an early toothless enantiornithine.

“This discovery… Impalavis Attenborough “We show that the lack of teeth may not have been as unique in early Cretaceous enantiornithines as previously thought,” the researchers said.

The specific name is Impalavis Attenborough Attenborough’s strange bird, after the naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

Sir David Attenborough said: “It is a great honor to have your name attached to a fossil, especially one as spectacular and important as this one.”

“It seems the history of birds is more complicated than we thought.”

“All birds are dinosaurs, but not all dinosaurs fall into the special type of dinosaur known as birds. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Is the same.”

“The newly explained Impalavis Attenborough Since it’s a bird, it’s also a dinosaur.”

a paper description Impalavis Attenborough Published in an online journal Cretaceous research.

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Wang Xiaoli other. 2024. The first edentulous enantiornithines from the Early Cretaceous Jehol ornithians (Birds: Ornithorax). Cretaceous research 159: 105867; doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105867

Source: www.sci.news

First-ever photograph of a majestic yellow ibis bird captured

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First photo of Kijimozu

Matt Brady/University of Texas at El Paso

A rare bird with a spectacular yellow crown has been photographed for the first time in the tropical mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo, almost 20 years after it was last seen.

Yellow-bellied shrike (Prionops alberti)Also known as the King Albert Shrike, it is a small bird that lives in the damp forests of the Albertine Rift Mountains in Central Africa. Adults are covered in glossy black feathers, with a magnificent crown of bright golden feathers on their heads. Their eyes are surrounded by distinctive orange tissue called wattles.

After not being seen for many years, the long-eared shrike was listed as an endangered species. Find a lost bird partnership.

michael harvey Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso finally encountered this phenomenon again during a six-week expedition into the Itobwe Mountains from December 2023 to January 2024.

As team members wandered through the cloud forest, they encountered a flock of elusive birds.

“It was a shocking experience to come across these birds. I knew it might be possible here, but I wasn't prepared for how spectacular and unique it would be in my life.” ,” Harvey said in a statement.

A total of 18 Long-tailed Shrikes were spotted at three locations during the expedition. This suggests that there may be healthy populations of birds currently considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The group also developed the red-bellied mushroom frog (Articular leptis hematogaster), last seen in the 1950s.

“Now is a great time to protect these tropical forests so we don't lose species like the long-eared shrike before they are known and studied,” Harvey said. Ta.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Bird, an electric scooter company, declares bankruptcy

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bird Submitted Under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Codecapping off a turbulent year for the electric scooter company.

in press release Bird confirmed today that it has entered a “financial restructuring process aimed at strengthening its balance sheet” and that the company is continuing business as usual in pursuit of “long-term, sustainable growth.” Announced.

Founded in 2017 by former Lyft and Uber executive Travis VanderZanden, Bird is one of many startups deploying dockless micromobility platforms around the world, helping city dwellers take short-term access to electric scooters and e-bikes. You will be able to pay for access. The company went public in late 2021 through a SPAC merger, but its stock price plummeted permanently in a crowded market built on questionable economics, and its market capitalization was $2 billion at its New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) debut. It has fallen since then. Just up to $70 million 12 months later. The decline prompted the New York Stock Exchange to issue a warning that Bird’s stock price was too low.

Things didn’t improve, the stock price continued to fall, and CEO VanderZanden eventually stepped down in June. Delisted from NYSE During September.

Separately, Bird also announced a series of layoffs shortly after acquiring rival Spin for $19 million.

Bird lands on New York Stock Exchange

Bird lands on New York Stock Exchange image credits:Spencer Pratt/Getty Images

Chapter 11

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy will allow Byrd to restructure its finances without disrupting its day-to-day operations, with existing lenders MidCap Financial, a division of Apollo Global Management, providing $25 million in financing through the bankruptcy process. will be provided.

The ultimate goal is to sell Byrd’s assets, and so-called “horse racing” agreements begin a bidding process aimed at extracting as much value as possible from Byrd, with Byrd’s lenders being Set a baseline bid before starting a deal with a potential suitor. over the next four months.

Interim CEO Michael Wasinusi will continue in his role both before and after the reorganization, the statement said.

“This announcement represents an important milestone in Bird’s transformation, which began with the appointment of new leadership earlier this year,” Washinushi said. “We are making progress towards improving profitability and aim to accelerate that progress by right-sizing our capital structure through this restructuring. We remain focused on our mission to make cities more livable by reducing volume, traffic and carbon emissions.”

It’s also worth noting that Bird’s Canadian and European operations are not included in the bankruptcy filing, and the company says it will “continue to operate as usual.”

This latest news comes just one day after rival MicroMobility.com was delisted from the Nasdaq due to low stock prices, and three years after the company also went public through a SPAC merger. And in Europe, dockless scooter startup Tia recently laid off 22% of its workforce following bankruptcy proceedings for Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof.

Overall, it hasn’t been a great year for the micromobility space.

Source: techcrunch.com