Fruit Bats Are Not 'Blind As A Bat':
The retinas of most mammals contain two types of photoreceptor cells, the cones for daylight vision and colour vision, and the more sensitive rods for night vision. Nocturnal bats were traditionally believed to possess only rods. Now scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt and at The Field Museum for Natural History in Chicago have discovered that nocturnal fruit bats (flying foxes) possess cones in addition to rods. Hence, fruit bats are also equipped for daylight vision. The researchers conclude that cone photoreceptors might be useful for spotting predators and for social interactions at periods of roosting during the day. Flying foxes often use exposed treetops as daytime roosts, where they assemble in large colonies (Brain, Behavior and Evolution, online May 2007).
Disappearing Common Birds Send Environmental Wake-up Call:
Birdsongs that filled the childhoods of countless baby-boomers are rarely heard wafting on today's spring breezes....Once-familiar avian spectacles now elude young birdwatchers...It's not your imagination... A new analysis by the National Audubon Society reveals that populations of some of America's most familiar and beloved birds have taken a nosedive over the past forty years, with some down as much as 80 percent. The dramatic declines are attributed to the loss of grasslands, healthy forests and wetlands, and other critical habitats from multiple environmental threats such as sprawl, energy development, and the spread of industrialized agriculture.
Whale Has Super-sized Big Gulp:
How does the largest animal on earth survive on a diet of the smallest of prey? By having a jaw that spans a quarter of its body length, an enormous mouth that goes from the head to the belly button, and by doing lots of "lunges," according to UBC zoology PhD candidate Jeremy Goldbogen.
Bacteria Can Hide Out In Cells For Weeks:
A major cause of human and animal infections, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria may evade the immune system's defences and dodge antibiotics by climbing into our cells and then lying low to avoid detection. New research shows how S. aureus makes itself at home in human lung cells for up to two weeks.
Single-celled Transformers: Marine Phytoplankton Changes Form To Protect Itself:
A tiny single-celled organism that plays a key role in the carbon cycle of cold-water oceans may be a lot smarter than scientists had suspected. Researchers report the first evidence that a common species of saltwater algae -- also known as phytoplankton -- can change form to protect itself against attack by predators that have very different feeding habits.
