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Cheetahs Are Like Race Cars.
Cheetahs, commonly acknowledged as the fastest land animals, can reach speeds of 70 mph. Researchers from Yamaguchi University, Honda R&D Co Ltd, and the Akiyoshidai Wild Animal Park, set out to find out which of the animal’s muscles produce that great speed. The cheetah employs three different muscle types, one for stability, one for endurance and one for raw power. It turns out that the cheetah’s muscles act something like a rear-wheel automobile. The hind legs of the cheetah have mostly the raw power type, and that means that they accelerate the cheetah to its prodigious speeds.
More at Red Orbit.
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Biomimicry Looks to the Albatross.
Biomimicry occurs when industry borrows techniques from the natural world to improve design. For years, aircraft designers have looked to the most logical source for inspiration about the best way to fly — birds. With the increasing importance of drone aircraft that relies upon gliding, the albatross has become a bird of interest for military and commercial designers. With a tendon in its shoulders that allows it to lock its wings in place, the albatross flies into the wind to gain loft and uses the wind to stay aloft for long periods of time. Other examples of aircraft biomimicry include the use of v-shaped formations for multiple aircraft, a design also borrowed from birds, that uses significantly less fuel because of its efficiency, and upturned wing tips, like those of an eagle, that increase aircraft lift.
More at National Geographic.
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Early Mammals Were No Speedsters.
When the dinosaurs went extinct 60 million years ago, their absence left numerous ecological niches for mammals. A newly found skeleton of one of those mammals, named Ernanodon, is revealing some of the secrets of these early mammals. Ernanodon appears to have clawed the ground for its food, possibly in search of insects. Its stout shape and flatfooted limbs suggest that it was not a runner, probably because the exit of the dinosaurs meant that it did not require that skill. Distant relatives of Ernanodon still exist today in Africa in the form of “scaly eaters” which are today also becoming endangered.
More at National Geographic.
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In an Emergency, the Cockroach May Be Your BFF.
Taking advantage of their small size and maneuverability, scientists have implanted electronics inside cockroaches so that they can remotely steer these “biobots.” These cockroach biobots can be sent into disaster areas, such as earthquake damaged buildings, to search for survivors. Included in the cockroach biobot kit are electronic beacons and microphones to listen for cries for help. The use of cockroaches for these purposes is a perfect marriage of technology and biology — the electronics give rescuers the information they need and the cockroach’s natural survival skills ensures that they will stay alive to complete the mission.
More at National Geographic.
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Sea Otters Take a Bite Out of Global Warming.
Today, the sea urchin is no friend of the environment. These spiny sea creatures are known to devour acres of kelp, a sea plant that traps carbon dioxide. Kelp forms forests undersea, and the health of these kelp forests depends in large part upon keeping the ravenous sea urchins in check. Enter the sea otter. Not only are they adorable, but they love to dine on sea urchins. They usually beat the urchins against rocks, which they place on their chest, to open them. The result is that kelp forests, when assisted by the sea otters, lock up many times more carbon dioxide than kelp that is left to the mercies of the sea urchin.
More from National Geographic.
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Pigs Busy Brewing New Viruses.
It is well established that birds, pigs and people continually swap viruses. Pigs are often the vessels for the kind of viral genetic swapping that make the transition to other species possible. Research out of Korea shows a new ominous development in swine flu — the flu virus that caused the 2009 outbreak. Tests show that a new reassortment of viral genes that has occurred in Korean pigs is able to make ferrets (a surrogate measure for human infection potential) sick and is easily transmissible between ferrets. The new genetic mutation is not yet a threat to humans, but it is a wake up call that future transmissible pig-derived flu viruses are just a mutation or two away.
More at Science News.
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When It Comes to Smell, Ants Are Giants.
Ants live in complex social systems and their carefully scripted social roles have long fascinated entomologists. New research shows that ants also have the most discerning sense of smell of any insect. Compared to mosquitoes, bees, fruit flies and other insects, ants have four times the number of olfactory-related genes. Scientists think that this ties into the complex social structure of ants because chemical communication via smell is essential for information to be shared by the many individuals who make up an ant colony.
More at Red Orbit.
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Scrub Jay “Funerals.”
Scrub jays are not particularly social birds and rather than mingle with their peers, they tend to be highly territorial. However, observations of scrub jay behavior in the presence of a dead scrub jay raises some questions as to their social dynamics. When a scrub jay notices a dead scrub jay, it emits a mournful screech that tends to attract other scrub jays in the area. In fact, the calls cause a number of scrub jays in the area to perch on fences and trees near the body, reminiscent of a funeral. While we are far from being able to decipher exactly what this behavior means to the jays, it is clear that something of social significance is going on.
More at Treehugger.
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Rock Sparrows Wail When Jilted.
A study of rock sparrows from the French Alps has documented an interesting response when one of the birds loses his mate to another male. The jilted sparrow sings it normal song, but at a much increased volume. This adds to observations that older rock sparrows, who sing a more practised and measured song, are more successful at mating then younger and possibly fitter males. Most likely, jilted sparrows are raising their voices in frustration, but it is also possible that the high amplitude screeching is a “desperate attempt to call back his partner—the rock sparrow version of the late-night drink-and-dial.”
More at Scientific American.
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When Snakes Obliterate Birds, Spiders Multiply.
An invasive snake, the brown treesnake, was introduced to the island of Guam in the 1940’s. Since then, the snake has obliterated the forest bird population of the island. Consequently, today, there are as many as 40 times more spiders on the island than are normal. Scientists believe that Guam may be the only place in the world that has lost all of its insect feeding birds. In the wake of this ecological disruption, scientists are focused on learning what other impacts the absence of a bird population has had on Guam’s ecosystem.
More at Science Daily.
“The Dirt: This Week in Nature” curated and written by Robert Raciti.