Tasting the rainbow: The ants whose multi-coloured abdomens show exactly what they've been eating Read about it here (August 5, 2011) Giant fungus discovered in China Read about it here (August 1, 2011) Growing Body Parts... Morley Safer Reports On The Amazing Science Of Regenerative Medicine Growing Body Parts. Read about it here (July 25, 2010) Thousands of Strange Sea Creatures Discovered Read about them here (November 22, 2009) Botanists discover new rat-eating plant Read about it here (August 19, 2009) OLD NEWS SUMMARIES: Illegal Fungus-Carrying Frogs Captured... 119 Illegal Fungus-Carrying Frogs were seized by State Wildlife Officials in Nevada. African clawed frogs grow about as large as American Bullfrogs and can destroy entire ecosystems by spreading deadly fungus and eating local fish, amphibians, small mammals, and insects. Because of the danger these frogs pose, people who knowingly possess and refuse to turn them in can face up to six months in jail and a $500 fine. African clawed frogs were commonly used in hospitals during the 1940s and 1950s as a way to detect pregnancy in women. Female frogs produce eggs when injected with the urine of a pregnant woman. However, because of better technology and the risks associated with the release of these frogs, they are no longer used for this purpose.

Six-Legged Octopus Found... Marine Biologists in England have found the world's first Hexapus, or six-legged octopus. While every octopus discovered to date has eight legs, this unique creature has two fewer limbs than normal. Scientists believe this is the result of a birth defect.

People With Blue Eyes May All Be Related... "Researchers in Denmark have found that every person with blue eyes descends from just one "founder," an ancestor whose genes mutated 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Before then, everyone had brown eyes. Blue eyes are actually what happens when the human default - brown eyes - is turned off. Brown eyes are caused by the pigment melanin, which also gives color to hair and skin, building up in the eyes. It's why many light-skinned babies are born with blue eyes but gradually develop brown eyes as their body produces melanin in their irises. The blue-eye mutation turned off the gene that produces melanin in the eyes. When the original mutation occurred, the person who carried it would still have had brown eyes, says Eiberg. But in the generations that followed, a man and a woman who each had one blue-eye gene mated, producing the world's first blue-eyed baby." read more of this article

Panda Bears are forced to migrate in search of food... Chinese Pandas obtain most of their nutrition from arrow bamboo plants. However, the bamboo of Sichuan province in China is going through a once-in-60-year cycle of flowering and dying before regenerating and producing new plants. This is a problem because pandas will not touch the plants once they have began flowering. The bamboo produces its flowers and seeds before dying, then take 10 to 20 years to grow back. Currently, pandas are migrating to other areas of China in search of food to avoid starvation.

New species discovered... far from human civilization in the highlands of South America. Expecting to discover new insect species, scientists were pleasantly surprised to also discover several new species of fish and amphibians. One interesting discovery was the black frog with fluorescent purple markings. However, this area is unprotected and many worry that these newly-found creatures may become threatened by illegal gold-mining occurring in the area.

Shark Deaths Affecting Ocean Life... Sharks are one of the biggest predators in the ocean and serve an important role in their food web. However, recent overfishing has caused a drop in the shark population, resulting in a rise in skates and rays. Skates and rays prey on scallops, so the increase in the skate and ray population has caused a major shift in the food chain. Scallops used to be so abundant, people were encouraged to go out and catch up to a bushel a day, but that will be changing if this continues. It's always been known that reducing the key species on land affect an entire ecosystem, and now this is also being proven with reducing species in the ocean as well. It is best stated by Robert E. Hueter, director of shark research at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, "If we take out whole segments of ecosystems, especially top predators like sharks, the balance among species is toppled, and the effects cascade throughout the system."

Colorful new bird species discovered... A bright yellow bird with a red crown was discovered on October 9, 2006 in a previously unexplored area of Columbia. The bird species was named Yariguies brush-finch after the indigenous tribe that once inhabited the Andean Cloud Forest in which the bird was found. Scientists believe that this newly-discovered bird is in danger of extinction so with the help of conservationists, the government has been persuaded to protect the bird and the 500 acres where it can be found.

Australia’s ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin died in a horrible accident Monday morning while filming on the Great Barrier Reef. Irwin was swimming overtop a stingray when its barb popped up and punctured his chest. The barb went through his heart and despite all efforts to save him, he was pronouced dead on the scene. The 44 year-old icon leaves behind his widow and two children aged eight and three. While Irwin's death was a rare tragedy, there is comfort knowing he died doing what he loved. more related articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Three new mouse lemur species identified ... Madagascar is famous for its lemurs and now scientists have found three small lemur species that were previously not known to exist. Scientists believe the discovery of these species displays how little we know about our natural world and how vital it is to protect it. All three species were named after individuals working to protect these cute little critters.

Color changing snake... The ability to change skin color is common in reptiles such as a chameleon, but scientists were surprised when they discovered a new species of snake that has the same ability. Researchers captured the 1.6 foot-long, reddish-brown snake in Borneo and put it into a bucket, however within a few minutes the snake turned white. This is just one of 361 new discoveries in Borneo since their search began ten years ago.

Half grizzly, half polar bear found in wild... Scientists have believed for some time that polar bears and grizzly bears could successfully reproduce but it was never thought possible in the natural habitat of the animals. However, recent DNA tests confirm that a bear hunted in Canada had a polar bear for a mother and a grizzly bear for a father.

Three New Species Of Lemurs Identified... Scientists have recently discovered three new species of lemurs on the island of Madagascar. The lemurs were found to have different gene sequences and different geographic distribution from other lemur species. Scientists are excited about the findings and hope to use their new discoveries to help protect these endangered animals.

Polar Bears at risk... Environmental activists plan to sue the U.S. government in order to protect our polar bear population. As a result of greenhouse gas emissions and increased global warming, Artic sea ice is slowly melting away. Polar bears depend on the frozen ice as their primary habitat and without it they will not survive. Polar bear reproduction has already decreased as a result of the melting ice and if carbon dioxide emissions continue to increase it is feared that polar bears will face extinction. World conservationists urge Polar Bears be added to the "red list" for vulverable species that are at high risk for extinction and that steps be taken to protect extinction from happening.

Scientists clone dog... Since the cloning of the sheep Dolly, scientists have cloned cats, goats, cows, mice, pigs, rabbits, horses, deer, mules and gaur, a large wild ox of Southeast Asia. Scientists in South Korea have now successfully cloned a dog, the first in the world. This is a great accomplishment since dogs are one of the most difficult animals to clone because of their unique reproductive biology. The cloned dog, named Snuppy, was one of three produced from a male Afghan hound and delivered by C-section from its surrogate mother, a yellow Labrador. Of the three pregnancies that resulted, there was one miscarried fetus and one puppy that died of pneumonia 22 days after birth.

Amphibian decline is worsening... Frogs, newts, and other amphibians have become threatened worldwide, and their rapid decline appears to be worsening. Because amphibians have porous skin and particular environmental requirements, their decline is a possible indication that something problematic is occurring in the environment. 32.5 percent of the known species of amphibians, are “globally threatened,” meaning their numbers are considered vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. By comparison, 12 percent of bird species and 23 percent of mammal species are threatened.

Francis Crick dies... 1962 Nobel Prize winner died Wednesday July 28th 2004 at the age of 88. Most famous for the "Watson and Crick DNA Model", Crick helped decipher the code of DNA. However, his work has opened the door to all biotechnology that exists today and in the future. This great scientist has made the term 'DNA' a common phrase today. His contribution to the sciences will live on as biotechnology continues to develop and benefit the human race.

Koalas face extinction... The Australian Koala Foundation is warning that koalas along the eastern seaboard of Australia could be extinct within 15 years. Koalas are protected by law but the eucalyptus trees to which they call home and which provide their only source of food are not protected. As the decline of this species increases, it is vital that action is taken or koalas may become extinct during our life time.

Bald Eagle To Be Removed from Endangered Species List... The Bald Eagle, our national symbol and one of the first species on the Endangered Species list, will be removed from the list later this year with the approval of the Bush administration. In 1963, there were only 417 known breeding pairs of Bald Eagles in the United States. However, the most recent counts show that there are at least 7,678 breeding pairs in the wild.

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