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Friday 31 January 2014

Neanderthals gave us disease genes

Tabun NeanderthalGene types that influence disease in people today were picked up through interbreeding with Neanderthals, a major study in Nature journal suggests.
They passed on variants involved in type 2 diabetes, Crohn's disease and - curiously - smoking addiction.
Genome studies reveal that our species (Homo sapiens) mated with Neanderthals after leaving Africa.
But it was previously unclear what this Neanderthal DNA did and whether there were any implications for human health.

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When Neanderthals and modern humans met and mixed, they were at the very edge of being biological compatible”
Prof David ReichHarvard Medical School
Between 2% and 4% of the genetic blueprint of present-day non-Africans came from Neanderthals.
By screening the genomes of 1,004 modern humans, Sriram Sankararaman and his colleagues identified regions bearing the Neanderthal versions of different genes.
That a gene variant associated with a difficulty in stopping smoking should be found to have a Neanderthal origin is a surprise.
It goes without saying that there is no suggestion our evolutionary cousins were puffing away in their caves.read more

Climate change is 'killing Argentina's Magellanic penguin chicks'

penguinsPenguin chicks in Argentina are dying as a direct consequence of climate change, according to new research.
Drenching rainstorms and extreme heat are killing the young birds in significant numbers.
The study, conducted over 27 years, looked at climate impacts on the world's biggest colony of Magellanic penguins, which live on the arid Punta Tombo peninsula.
The research has been published in the journal Plos One.

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They are turning their nests into swimming pools and they really don't like to be wet”
Prof Dee BoersmaUniversity of Washington
About 200,000 pairs of these penguins make their nests on the peninsula every year.
They reside there, in desert-like conditions, from September until February to hatch their young.
However, the life of a newborn chick is perilous, to say the least.read more

Project targets 2016 for Asian vultures release

Oriental white-backed vultures (Image: Guy Shorrock/rspb-images.com)  After the devastation wrought by a drug on Asian vulture populations, a project hopes to begin releasing captive-bred birds into the wild by 2016.
The Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction (Save) programme says it plans to release up to 25 birds into a 30,000-sq-km drug-free "safe zone".
Diclofenac - used by vets on cattle - was identified as causing a crash in vulture numbers and banned by India.
But, says Save, the version for human use is still given illegally to cattle.
Diclofenac was banned for use by vets and farmers in 2006 because of its effect on vultures that feed on livestock carcasses.
The link between the anti-inflammatory drug, used to reduce swelling in injured or diseased animals, and the devastating demise of Asia's vulture populations was firmly established in 2004.
Long-billed vulture chicks (Image: Chris Bowden/RSPB)Until the breeding programme, the threatened species of vulture had not been bred in captivity
Tests on captive vultures fed carcass flesh traced with the drug produced symptoms that were strikingly similar to those witnessed in sick birds in the wild.read more

Saturday 25 January 2014

BARN OWLS -AFECTS OF RAT POISON

MYSTERY DOG VIRUS

THE PARANORMAL CALLS

DEVON AND CORWALL POLICE recieved 7 calls relating to paranormal or extraterrestial activity since 2010.IN 2013 -3 CALLS -CALLER reporting a spiked stick which they said could only decribe as witchcraft-ILFARCOMBE.IN HOLSWORTHY AREA AUGUEST 2013 A 999 call reported being burggled by a paranormal beings,the caller assumed witches.A large white globe in the sky emanating light down over nearby forest in  BIDEFORD ,possible rave rather than u.f.o.APRIL 2012 - HOLSWORTHY the caller said a man was using witchcraft Lon her ,JULY 2012 HOLSWORTHY A caller said neighbours were witches  coven ,running around outside screaming in tongues. NORTHDEVONGAZETTE -PAGE 3 -22.01.2014

BAT FIRST RECORDED CROSSING MAINLAND

A NATHUSIUS PIPISETTE BAT  found in the NETHERLANDS flew from BLAGDON NEAR BRISTOL to a farm building in FRIESLAND-370 MILES.-part of resarch into the ecology of BRITISH BATS led by  DR FIANA MATHEWS,UNIVERISITY OF EXETER.Sadly the bat died but the discoverery is proof that thier successfully migrate across NORTH SEA-WESTERNMORNINGNEWS -PAGE 14 .