Study documents African monkeys eating bats

First to report implications for animal-human disease transmission

Date: May 24, 2016

Source: Florida Atlantic University

Although Cercopithecus monkeys, a widely distributed genus in Africa, usually have a discerning palate for fruits and leaves, they are opportunistic omnivores that sometimes consume lizards, snakes, birds and mice. These forest-dwelling primates share habitat and food resources with bats, which are known reservoirs for zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and Henipa viruses as well as bacteria and parasites that can be spread between animals and humans. This has led researchers to hypothesize that primate consumption of fruits contaminated with an infected bat's saliva or feces facilitates zoonotic disease transmission. Scientists estimate that more than six out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals.

Primates and bats also may interact directly, but their behavioral and predator-prey interactions are poorly documented, and detailed reports of their interactions have been rare, until now. Researchers in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University initiated a study of Cercopithecus predation on bats after observing monkeys preying on two different bat species in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. They are the first to document monkeys consuming bats with photos and video. Observations from this study suggest an alternative pathway for bat-to-monkey disease transmission that has implications for zoonotic disease transmission to humans. The study titled, "Bat Predation by Cercopithecus Monkeys: Implications for Zoonotic Disease Transmission," is published in the current issue of the journal EcoHealth.

Continued … 

Study of fungi-insect relationships may lead to new evolutionary discoveries

Date: May 24, 2016

Source: Penn State

Zombie ants are only one of the fungi-insect relationships studied by a team of Penn State biologists in a newly compiled database of insect fungi interactions.

"I couldn't find a place with broad information about all groups of fungi that infect insects in the same study," said Joao Araujo, graduate student in biology. "When we organized the information, we started to understand things we wouldn't see before, because the literature was so spread."

From the 150 years of literature, the researchers found that about 65 percent of insect orders can be infected by fungi and Oomycetes, fungi-like organisms that also infect insects. The results were published in the May issue of Advances in Genetics.

Sap-sucking insects, such as cicadas, are the most frequently attacked by fungi. The researchers believe this is because of the way this order of insect evolved. They have specialized mouth parts for sucking sap making them susceptible to fungi that originally infect plants.

"The fungi may have found a good environment inside the insect and then they would have established in the new host by host-jumping from plants to insects," said Araujo.

Host-jumping occurs when the fungi, in this case, are able to infect new groups of hosts like insects, animals or plants and so jump from one species or groups of hosts to others.

The researchers also discovered that flies are the only order of insects that are infected at all stages of development -- from when they are eggs until they are adults. They believe flies are especially susceptible to infection because they are found all over the world and get their food in a wide variety of ways. Their larvae often occupy a wide range of breeding sites, ranging from ponds to tree trunks. This diversity within the order is a potential explanation for the susceptibility to fungal infections in all stages of flies.

Read more … 

Get Up-Close-And-Personal with Devon’s Wildlife

RSPB Press Release: Get Up-Close-And-Personal with Devon's Wildlife ** 

Media release 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

The RSPB in Devon are offering a special opportunity to join their outdoors Volunteer Work Party, which takes place every Thursday. This practical work is carried out across the RSPB’s Devon nature reserves and enables people to develop their skills, gain training, socialise and get to know their local wildlife. 

Tom Pace, Assistant Warden for the Devon reserves said: “Our volunteer work party is a great opportunity to get outdoors on a landscape that’s teeming with wildlife and make a real difference to Devon’s nature. 

“Work party activities can include hedge laying, grassland management, fence repairs, small building projects and so much more – there’s never a dull moment and volunteers will definitely be able to develop a wide range of practical skills. There’s a great feeling of teamwork amongst the team and it’s brilliant to socialise with like-minded people who are passionate about Devon’s great outdoors. 

“Our work parties also offer a very unique opportunity to explore parts of our nature reserves that are not open for public access, so our volunteers gain a special backstage pass to some of Devon’s more secretive greenspaces.” 

The RSPB Devon Volunteer Work Parties take place every Thursday from 9.00 am-4.00 pm. The group meet at the RSPB Exminster office and then travel to the various sites in RSPB vehicles. Volunteers work on the RSPB’s Exminster, Exe Estuary, Labrador Bay and Chapel Wood nature reserves. 

Tom continues: “If you’re still unsure as to whether our Volunteer Work Parties are for you, here are a few thoughts from our current Volunteers - 

“For me, I think there's no better way to really get to know the local area, its wildlife and reserves and how they work, than by volunteering on them. It's great having a day away from everyday stresses just to be outdoors in nature, doing something hands-on that really makes a difference.” 

“A small effort on my part is my way of giving nature a home, and as the advert says "every little helps!" 

“Experiencing life on the edge - of the Exe Estuary” 

“The work of an RSPB volunteer is all about delivering the good intentions of others, because without the volunteers, all there is left is just good intentions - but nothing else!” 

No previous experience is required; the RSPB will provide all the training you need. If you’re interested in joining the Work Party and helping the RSPB deliver more for Devon’s wildlife, get in touch on: exe.estuary@rspb.org.uk or call: 01392 833311

Northern invaders threaten Antarctic marine life

Date: May 24, 2016

Source: Australian National University

An international study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found evidence that marine life can easily invade Antarctic waters from the north, and could be poised to colonise the rapidly-warming Antarctic marine ecosystems.

The Antarctic Polar Front, a strong ocean front formed where cold Antarctic water meets warmer waters to the north, has historically been seen as a barrier preventing movement of marine life.

But the study has found the Antarctic Polar Front is often crossed by floating kelp that can form rafts carrying crustaceans, worms, snails and other seaweeds across hundreds of kilometres of open ocean.

"So far, the northern species don't seem to be surviving long in the cold, icy Antarctic. But with climate change and warming oceans, many non-Antarctic species could soon colonise the region," said lead researcher Dr Ceridwen Fraser, from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.

"We now know marine species from the north can easily get into Antarctic waters. The Antarctic is one of the world's fastest warming regions, and the consequences of new species establishing there could lead to drastic ecosystem changes," Dr Fraser said.

The evidence was collected by surveys of floating kelp. On three different ship voyages in 2008, 2013 and 2014, researchers counted drifting seaweed species in both sub-Antarctic and Antarctic water.

Continued …

Mucus may play vital role in dolphin echolocation

A new model suggests the mucus coating in dolphins' nasal passages is necessary to produce key characteristics of their sonar clicks

Date: May 24, 2016

Source: Acoustical Society of America

A dolphin chasing a tasty fish will produce a stream of rapid-fire echolocation clicks that help it track the speed, direction and distance to its prey. Now researchers have developed a model that could yield new insights into how the charismatic marine mammals make these clicks -- and it turns out mucus may play an important role.

The researchers will present their model at the 171st meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held May 23-27 in Salt Lake City.

"It's harder than you might think to make loud, high frequency sounds," said Aaron Thode, a research scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. "Wet, sticky surfaces could serve a purpose in this."

Most scientists believe dolphins create sound by forcing air through nasal passages located just beneath their blowholes. Within the nasal passage are lumps of tissue, called dorsal bursae, that collide and vibrate, producing the dolphin's repertoire of clicks, chirps and whistles. Yet the finer details of what happens in the nasal passages remain murky.

It's difficult to film a dolphin's working nasal passages, Thode said, and many of the motions happen as quickly as a thousand times per second, making it hard to measure them. In place of direct observation, Thode turned to a lumped element model -- commonly used by engineers and scientists to simplify complicated systems.

Read on …