Hello,
We’re well in to semester 2 now and I am hoping to receive lots of links from you all from your literature searching. You don’t have to send journal articles, any youtube clips would also be gratefully received!
In the News
- Animal testing – Nature special. Lots of interesting articles, also a podcast and transcript of an online Q&A. For those of you who don’t know the 3R’s were developed by Russell and Burch and published in a book produced by the Universities Federation of Animal Welfare (UFAW) in 1959. They stand for Refinement (using protocols that cause the least suffering), Reduction (using the lowest number of animals possible) and Replacement (using alternatives to live animals). They are used today as part of the cost/benefit analysis in Home Office project license applications for research using vertebrates and just one invertebrate, the giant octopus (Animal research in the UK is controlled by the Home Office not DEFRA, so animal are covered by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, rather than the Animal Welfare Act 2007)http://www.nature.com/news/specials/animalresearch/index.html
- Previous studies have suggested that the domestication of the wolf resulted in coevolution between dogs and humans, as dogs are able to use human communication cues such as gaze direction. However, new research suggests that wolves can follow human gaze and pointinghttp://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/wolves-can-follow-a-humans-gaze.html?ref=hp – review
- Another domesticated species, a study suggests that the purr of domestic cats has one main purpose, to manipulate human owners http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8147566.stm
- One annual phenomenon linked to seasonal climate changes is animal migration. Preparation for migration is cues by environmental triggers to ensure that animals avoid extreme weather conditions. However, environmental cues are now occurring earlier as a result of global climate change. Conservation of migrant species therefore requires an understanding of the underlying cause of behaviour. The gene controlling migration has recently been found in birds. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/the-genetics-of-long-distance-fl.html?ref=hp
- Hibernation is an alternative to migration as an adaptation to extreme winter conditions. In small hibernating mammals the reduction of body temperature to be just above the ambient temperature results in a greatly reduced metabolic rate, so the animal is able to survive without eating. A new study investigates body temperature in black bears and finds that it is as intimately linked to metabolic rate.
- Predicted changes in climate will also impact on species composition in tropical forest, where a drier climate will favour deciduous canopy species. This has implications for other species.
- A warning to untidy arachnophobes – Arachnids are attracted to smelly socks, you’d better tidy your room!http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/02/15/rsbl.2010.1233
- This BBC webpage shows a few clips from their recent series Madagascar (have a look in iPlayer). For BIOL1003 students, what type of survivorship curve would you expect for these chameleons?http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9398000/9398679.stm
- Also for BIOL1003 students, a nice example of coevolution between prehistoric pine cones and dinosaurshttp://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/dinosaur-munchies-may-have-bulke.html?ref=hp
- More dinosaurs – the Iguanodon is actually lots of species – this blogger is based in Portsmouth. 1st year PhD student Louise Fairless recently met him and highly recommends his blog to all of you:http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/11/goodbye_super-inclusive_iguanodon.php
- You all remember the story of the peppered moth from A’ Level Biology, the dominant morph changed in response to industrial melanism which killed the lichen from trees, making the peppered moth dominant to predators and giving the melanic an advantage because it was now camouflaged. Lex found an example of how climate change is having a similar effect on owlshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9401000/9401733.stm
- Using radars to track bats – weather radars can detect individual raindrops. This technology is now being used to detect bats http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12507030
- Short video showing mouse organ development in 3D http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/02/video-organ-development-in-3d.html?ref=hp
- Also worth a look, the Wellcome image awards – http://www.wellcomeimageawards.org/#
Careers
- Ben Rushbrook from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust sent me information about a student placement with the Southern Conservation team. The full advert is attached. N.B. the closing date is 18th March.
- HIWWT is also advertising a marine placementhttp://www.southampton.ac.uk/careers/news/newsrelease/20110117b.shtml N.B. the closing date is 11th March
- Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – Butterfly transects at the Rotherfield Park Project: The Rotherfield Park Project is the latest in a series of demonstration projects run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to demonstrate the impact of management for gamebirds on wildlife. At Rotherfield Park we have taken two distinct areas of the estate, farmland and woodland, and begun a series of habitat improvements to increase the holding capacities of wild gamebirds, pheasants, grey partridge and red-legged partridge. Also a programme of predator control has been started to improve nesting success and chick survival. Alongside the game monitoring, wildlife counts are being carried out and so far songbirds, bats, brown hare and other birds (woodcock) are being surveyed but we would like to quantify changes to butterflies. We need weekly censuses carried out along fixed transects over woodland and farmland habitats using the standard transects or pollard walks. For further details please contact Dr Francis Buner, the Project’s Scientific Officer, fbuner@gmct.org.uk
- River Hamble Partnership Student Research Fund – The River Hamble Harbour Authority will fund up to £200 for research carried out on a number of topics listed on their website:http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hambleharbour/hamble-environment/student-research-fund.htm The Harbour Authority is not able to offer any supervision or training but can offer support and advice when needed. Therefore if you are interested in any of their potential topics you must first discuss it with a potential 3rd year project supervisor, in order to come up with a study hypothesis and design. The costings part of the application does not have to be very detailed but include things like transport costs and sample analysis costs (so you should know how many times you would be sampling, hence why you should talk to a member of staff). The successful applicants will also have to present their findings to the Hamble Estuary Partnership.
Free textbooks!
- Oxford University Press are currently accepting applicants for their Biosciences student panel. Successful applicants will be given £150 of textbooks published by Oxford University Press. In return you will complete 4-5 inline surveys each year and review new publishing ideas.
Species of the week
- Rob Gloyns (first year Biology) thought you would all be interested to see this amazing imagehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8152950/Stunning-image-of-flamingos-gathered-as-one-flamingo-the-holy-grail-of-wildlife-photography.html
In tribute, flamingos are the species of the week.
Send in your links!
Judith
Posted By : Judith Lock