Tags: PLOS ONE

Can Dinosaur Skulls Tell Us Just What They Ate and How?

With recent archaeological findings proving that researchers may not know as much about prehistoric life as they once thought, researchers with the American Museum of Natural History are taking another look at interpreting the diets of long-extinct animals, and what they’re finding points to finding the source of a prehistoric diet. Though teeth shape has been used for decades as a primary indicator as to the dietary habits of a fossilized subject, in a new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers are now saying that skull shape and ancestral lineages, both before and after extinction events, may serve as a proxy for what these animals truly once ate.

Holding Clinical Researchers Accountable—WHO Puts New Timelines on Publishing

Ever think that the cure to a disease or the answer to one of modern medicine’s questions must already be out there, and that some physician or pharma company is keeping it under wraps until they need to release it? Well in some cases you may be right, but now the World Health Organization is looking to change that. In a new statement recently released by WHO, the organization seeks to hold researchers and regulatory bodies accountable for keeping the public abreast to the findings of their recent research. And now their taking the opportunity in this month’s issue of the journal PLOS Medicine to say something about it.

Bringing Ancient White Seashells Back to Colorful Life

Searching through museum archives can often be quite a lifeless task, especially when you’re sorting through tons of tons of samples of faded white seashells that went extinct millions of years ago. But with a little bit of ingenuity, and whole heap of incentive, some researchers with San Jose State University are bringing life back to these ancient species and giving us a technicolor look as what the seas may have been like 6.6 million years ago.

Polar Bears May Be Solving Their Own Problems—But Not For Long

While researchers and diplomats all over the world are attempting to deal with the issues of climate change, the United Nations in particular who are trying to unite all nations in a collective effort, it’s the animal species at the Earth’s poles that are facing this change on the front line. And though the valiant efforts made in recent summits have yet to amount to much change, it appears that animals in the Arctic are finding a solution of their own— well, a temporary one at least.

Polar Bears May Be Solving Their Own Problems—But Not For Long

While researchers and diplomats all over the world are attempting to deal with the issues of climate change, the United Nations in particular who are trying to unite all nations in a collective effort, it's the animal species at the Earth's poles that are facing this change on the front line. And though the valiant efforts made in recent summits have yet to amount to much change, it appears that animals in the Arctic are finding a solution of their own- well, a temporary one at least.

What One Discovery May Mean For Conservation Efforts in Southeast Asia

Now, while conservation efforts have sought out to stop this practice that ruins tropical ecosystems, many have failed as national and international agencies refuse to step in unless something else causes a pressing concern. And in that hope, the forests of Indonesian island Sulawesi may soon find their deforestation coming to a close; all thanks to strange-breeding frog species.

Chatty Zebra Finches May Slur Their Speech When Drunk, But Then Again Who Doesn’t?

Well, they may not be the normal bar hoppers you’re likely to spot out on New Year’s Eve, but a new study shows that when zebra finches imbibe even just a bit, they won’t likely pass a sobriety test no matter how high their tolerance. Spiking the drinks of the small Darwinian subjects, researchers with the Oregon Health & Science University found that after drinking even small amounts of liquor the birds were less inclined to fly around but certainly slurred their songs and chirps with a distinct drunken vibe.

Plastic Pollution Causes ‘Tons’ of Problems as New Estimates Reveal Litter on the Rise

While the biochemistry of the world’s oceans may be a complex study, with a myriad of variants, researchers are certain of one simple fact—man-made plastics do not belong in the oceans. And the pollution of our oceans is far more vast than the world would like to admit. But in a new study recently published in this week’s issue of the journal PLOS ONE researchers are saying that the Earth’s oceans may contain more than 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic particulates, weighing nearly 270,000 tons combined which is far larger than previous studies ever estimated the pollution to be.

Crytptic New Species of Leopard Frog Found in New York City

For a field-based ecologist, the continental United States is pretty much a textbook of well-known organisms. The thrilling new species often making front-page news are more likely to found in the tropics or open-oceans, than in the plains of the Midwest or the large metropolis cities of the East and West coasts. With such well-defined niche habitats, the species in the United States aren’t too surprising to the experienced biologist, however, sometimes new life can be found where you’d least expect it. No, we’re not talking about the mutant turtles in the sewers of New York City, but it does appear the jam-packed hub may be home to another unique amphibian, colloquially known as the “Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog”.

How Ancient Kangaroos Walked Off the Face of the Earth and Hopped into Future Generations

An island nation, entirely secluded from the spread of traditional species found worldwide, Australia is home to a unique form of mammals known for their maternal instincts, classified as “marsupials”. The term may encompass many species, however, when the notable pouches of marsupials are often thought of, the species most easily recognized is the jumping species of kangaroos. But new research published this week in the journal PLOS ONE reveals that kangaroo species may not have always had that famous skip in their step.

How A Parasite Became a Power House—The Tale of Mitochondria

Through the use of simple components, sugar, oxygen and transfer molecules, the mitochondria are able to create and store energy through the simple movement of electrons from one bond to another. And in spite of conflicting theories describing their possible origins, a new study at the University of Virginia is proving that the energy creators weren’t always self-sustaining components.
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