Abra Science

             A male rock hyrax in the Ein Gedi Natural Reserve singing. Credit: Amiyaal Ilany A behavioral study published in the  Journal of Animal Ecology  has linked reproductive success in male rock hyraxes to their ability to maintain rhythm during courtship songs.  You only need to take a look at the adoring fans of famous musicians to realize being rhythmically skilled is a desirable trait. In male rock hyraxes,  singing  frequency and  rhythm  could be seen as indicators of individual quality by potential mates  signaling  information about their health and suitability as a partner. "We have been studying hyraxes for the past 20 years and have previously found several patterns in their songs that are common features of human language and music," said Dr. Vlad Demartsev, now a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biology at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Beha...

  Reconstruction of A. nikolovi sp. nov. from Bulgaria. Artwork by Velizar Simeonovski, Chicago. Credit: © Velizar Simeonovski, Chicago Fossilized teeth originally found in the 1970s actually belong to a new, sizeable close relative of the modern giant panda. A new species of panda has been uncovered by scientists who state it is currently the last known and “most evolved” European giant panda. It lumbered through the forested wetlands of Bulgaria around six million years ago. Unearthed from the bowels of the Bulgarian National Museum of Natural History, two fossils of teeth originally discovered in the eastern European nation in the late 1970s, provide new evidence of a sizable relative of the modern giant panda. Unlike today’s iconic black and white bear, however, it was not purely reliant on bamboo for sustenance. “Although not a direct ancestor of the modern genus of the giant panda, it is its close relative,” explains the Museum’s Professor Nikolai Spassov, whose findings are ...

  Researchers have described 12 gecko species from the Western Ghats mountain range in India, ten of which are found nowhere else. The geckos were given some creative names, including a quick and nimble species named after martial arts superstar Jackie Chan, a couple named after fictional dragons, and one named after the cosmos. The quest to find geckos was part of a larger survey to document the diversity of the frogs, lizards and snakes of the Western Ghats and to search for critically endangered species in the diverse region. The Western Ghats have been identified as a biodiversity hotspot and there are many protected areas in the region, but a growing human population is putting pressure on the unprotected habitats through expanding urban areas, logging, dams, and the spread of agriculture. Researchers have described 12 new gecko species from India’s Western Ghats mountains, 10 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. One particularly stealth gecko, described as “nearl...

When hives of the African lowland honeybee (Apis mellifera scutella) collapse, they do so because of an invisible inner threat: the growing, immortal clone army of a rival bee subspecies. That army is possible because the female workers of the rival subspecies – the South African Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis) – can create perfect copies of themselves, with one individual found to have done so millions of times in the past three decades. With this perpetual-cloning ability, the Cape honeybees sneak into the hives of their lowland honeybee rivals and churn out copy after copy (no need for a queen). Even worse, these clones are freeloaders, refusing to do any work. Now, a new study has revealed the genetic foundations of the strange and formidable adaptation. Unlike most animals, and even their own queen, the female workers do not reshuffle the DNA of the eggs they lay. This enables the workers to consistently recreate a perfect copy of themselves – a clone – each time t...