Please join us for an upcoming webinar on: “What Does a Changing Climate Mean for Georgia’s Ecosystems?” on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020, from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm EST.
To register, visit this link.
The Georgia Climate Project is a statewide network launched by the University of Georgia, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology to help Georgia reduce risks and maximize opportunities related to a changing climate. This webinar is part of an ongoing monthly series discussing climate change impacts across a variety of themes in Georgia. Next month, the topic will be climate change and Georgia’s water resources.
Here are this weeks FINE Things:
Duck-billed platypus fluoresces under UV light: A NYTimes piece here. If you can't get access to the NYT article, you can find better pictures in the original open access paper here.
Harvesting Cranberries and producing juice.
"Monarch butterflies-an iconic flagship species for grassland ecosystems and pollinator conservation-- are widespread, yet both the eastern North American and western United States populations have declined by approximately 80 percent since 2010.
In response, U.S. Geological Survey scientists, academia, and other government scientists, managers, and conservation organizations from Mexico, the United States, and Canada formed the Trinational Monarch Conservation Science Partnership (MCSP), which identifies, performs, and translates science for Monarch conservation.
This collaborative research entity, led by USGS, edited a compendium of 34 research articles in a special issue entitled North American Monarch Butterfly Ecology and Conservation in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, which has been released as a publicly available ebook."
Half Male-Half Female Songbird Captured In Pennsylvania. An extremely rare bird with half its body looking like a male and the other half like a female was captured recently at a nature reserve in southwestern Pennsylvania. Another link, in case there is a paywall:
Rising from the Ashes is a feature article in Science about breeding resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer. (If you follow the link you will just get a summary; the full article is behind a paywall.
Understanding COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. A Science article that is not behind a paywall.
The Human Pangenome: In 2003, biologists created the first ever human genome sequence. The 3 billion DNA letter sequence, called the reference genome, was mostly made up of DNA donated from people in the city of Buffalo, New York. So far, when clinicians and researchers study an individual's genome, they compare it to the reference genome to identify differences. But can you compare all of humanity to one genome? No, because one reference genome does not convey the genomic diversity of the human species. We need many reference genomes--a pangenome. This monumental undertaking is already taking place and is poised to redefine the future of genomic research and human health.
This short video explains it all.
Breaking the barrier: the world of the slime mold, A slime mold changes its mind: an interview with slime mold scientist Audrey Dussutour,
The twelve year old in me couldn't resist this one: "Anuses can have teeth, farts can be weapons, butts can be homes: an interview with a farts expert." How could I resist? {There is also a book available.)
Escaping through a predator's butt is a common strategy for prey. -- Dare I say, "The end is in sight?"
Sexual rivalries are how you evolve antlers, pincers, and tusks , (There is an 8min recording of the article on the same page, if you would prefer listening.)
How an interloper snake decimated Guam's delicious wild chilies,
Brood parasites like cowbirds are quite picky about who they offload their kids on, depending on the climate. Climate patterns may have driven parental decision-making for birds that lay their eggs in other species' nests,
Why Plant Relationships Matter for Caterpillars
