Fundamental bioscience
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FacebookOld albatrosses give parenting last push
Wandering albatrosses, famed for their massive wingspans and long lives, now have another distinctive characteristic. University Of Edinburgh researchers have discovered that, despite a general decline in old age, these remarkable seabirds are more likely to successfully raise a chick when they breed for the last time.
Scientists from the university and the British Antarctic Survey say that like many animals, wandering albatrosses get better at rearing offspring as they gain experience…
Bioscience to battle ash dieback
BBSRC has launched a bioscience response to ash dieback (Chalara fraxinea), a devastating fungus that threatens our third most common broadleaf tree (after oak and birch). £2.4M of fast-track research funding has been awarded to gather an in-depth understanding of the ash dieback fungus and to provide genetic clues about some ash trees' natural resistance to attack. Computer models will also be built to develop monitoring plans for the distribution and spread of the fungus, as well as charting how the disease might progress…
Research suggests meerkat predator-scanning behaviour is altruistic
In order to spot potential predators, adult meerkats often climb to a higher vantage point or stand on their hind legs. If a predator is detected, they use several different alarm calls to warn the rest of the group. New Cambridge research shows that they are more likely to exhibit this behaviour when there are young pups present, suggesting that the predator-scanning behaviour is for the benefit of the group rather than the individual. Meerkats are a cooperatively breeding species, with a dominant breeding pair…
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