Antarctic flies protect fragile eggs with 'antifreeze'

Antarctic flies protect fragile eggs with 'antifreeze'

The good thing about the short Antarctic summer is it's a lot like a Midwest winter.

But for wingless flies, that's also the bad thing about Antarctic summers. The flies and their eggs must contend with an unpredictable pattern of alternating mild and bitterly cold days.

University of Cincinnati biologist Joshua Benoit traveled to this land of the Midnight Sun to learn how Antarctica's only true insect can survive constant freezing and thawing. He found that the midges have surprising adaptations for life wintry realm.

Benoit and his students presented their findings in January at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology conference in Tampa, Florida.

At some point in their evolution the little midge lost their wings -- possibly to cope with notorious Antarctic winds. Since they eat abundant algae and never travel far from where they're hatched the flies don't need to fly.

Dead Humpback Whale Found in Amazon Jungle!

Dead Humpback Whale Found in Amazon Jungle! Scientists are Figuring How it got there

Dead humpback whales washing ashore the beaches is not something novel but it is a definite mystery when a 36 feet whale was found in the middle of Amazon jungle. About 15 feet away from its natural habitat in the ocean, scientists too are shocked at how the dead mammal ended up in the jungle. What is even more mysterious is the massive creature also did not have any wounds. The massive mammal was discovered when vultures were seen flying above the jungle areas. A video then started circulating online which showed the dead humpback mammal in the middle of the Amazon. Dead Sperm Whale with 6 kg Plastic Waste Inside Stomach including cups, flip-flops and bottles found in Indonesia National Park.

The deep-sea marine animal was near the island of Marajo off the Araruna Beach, at the mouth of the Amazon River. Soon a group of 10 biologists from Brazil's Bic ho D'agua Institute headed there to study more and trace how did it come in the jungle in the first place. The only explanation that is given right now is that a high tide must have thrown the whale into the woods. 145 Whales found dead on Steward Island in New Zealand;What is Whale Stranding?

Great white shark genome decoded

Great white shark genome decoded

The great white shark is one  of the most recognized  marine creatures on Earth, generating widespread public fascination and media attention, including spawning one  of the most successful movies in Hollywood history. This shark possesses notable characteristics, including its massive size and diving to nearly 4,000 foot depths. Great whites are also a big conservation concern given their relatively low numbers in the world's oceans.

In a major scientific step to understand the biology of this iconic apex predator and sharks in general, the entire genome of the white shark has now been decoded in detail.

Hubble helps uncover origin of Neptune's smallest moon Hippo camp

Hubble helps uncover origin of Neptune's smallest moon Hippo camp

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, along with order data from the Voyager 2 probe, have revealed more about the origin of Neptune's smallest moon. The moon, which was discovered in 2013 and has now received the official name Hippo camp, is believed to be a fragment of its larger neighbor Proteus.

A team of astronomers, led by Mark Show alter of the SETI Institute, have used the NASA/ESA Hubble space Telescope to study the origin of the smallest known moon orbiting the planet Neptune, discovered in 2013.

Ecosystem changes following loss of great white sharks

Ecosystem changes following loss of great white sharks

A new study has documented unexpected consequence following the decline of great white sharks from an area off South Africa. The study found that the disappearance of great whites has led to the emergence of seven sharks, a top predator from a different habitat. A living fossil, seven gill sharks closely resemble relatives from the Jurassic period, unique for having seven gills instead of the typical five in most other sharks.

These findings are part of a long-term collaborative study between shark researcher Neil Hammerstein from the University of Miami. Rosenstial School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and wildlife naturalist Chris Fallows from Apex Shark Expeditions.

Bali volcano eruption: Agung and Batur are connected

Bali volcano eruption: Agung and Batur are CONNECTED-scientists warn of huge eruption 

TWO volcano's in Bali are connected by the same 'plumbing' system, scientists have discovered, and there are fears it could cause a MAJOR eruption in the future.

Experts from the University of Bristol found that Bali's deadly Mt Agung is connected to the nearby volcano, Batur. They were analyzing Mt Agung after it erupted in 2017, forcing 100,000 people to leave their homes. Two months prior to this eruption, there was a sharp uptake in earthquake activity in the region. This was also the case when Agung previously erupted in 1963, killing almost 2,000 people.

How the brain enables us to rapidly focus attention

How the brain enables us to rapidly focus attention

University of Queensland researchers have discovered a key mechanism in the brain that may underlie our ability to rapidly focus attention.

Our brains are continuously bombarded with information from the senses, yet our level of vigilance to such input varies, allowing us to selectively focus on one conversation and not another. 

Professor Stephen Williams of the Queensland Brain Institute at explains, "If we want to give our full concentration, something happens in the brain to enable us to focus and filter out distractions."