A Flamingo’s One-legged Stab at Temperature Regulation

Zoo Biology Volume 29, Issue 3, pages 365–374, May/June 2010 Why do flamingos stand on one leg? A series of observational studies of captive Caribbean flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber were conducted to determine why flamingos rest on one leg. While frequently asked by the general public, this basic question has remained unanswered by the scientific community.…

Fluvastatin May Protect DNA from cholesterol-induced damage

DOI: 10.1002/cbf.2903 Different responses of fluvastatin to cholesterol-induced oxidative modifications in rabbits: evidence for preventive effect against DNA damage Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and related occlusive vascular diseases. We investigated the effect of low-dose fluvastatin (2 mg kg−1 day−1) on antioxidant enzyme activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase], vascular reactivity changes and oxidatively…

Why Very High Incentives Reduce Performance

High incentives don’t lead to high performance. Neuron, Volume 74, Issue 3, 582-594 OPEN ACCESS Neural Mechanisms Underlying Paradoxical Performance for Monetary Incentives Are Driven by Loss Aversion Employers often make payment contingent on performance in order to motivate workers. We used fMRI with a novel incentivized skill task to examine the neural processes underlying behavioral…

The Great Amphibian Killer

In this study, the authors implicate the global amphibian trade in the emergence and spread of Bd-GPL. Molecular Ecology Volume 21, Issue 21, pages 5162–5177, November 2012 Novel, panzootic and hybrid genotypes of amphibian chytridiomycosis associated with the bullfrog trade Global amphibian declines are linked with the presence of specific, highly virulent genotypes of the…

Taste Phenotype Predicts Who’s the Boss

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0046606 Eaton JM, Dess NK, Chapman CD (2012) Sweet Success, Bitter Defeat: A Taste Phenotype Predicts Social Status in Selectively Bred Rats. PLoS ONE 7(10): e46606. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046606 Sweet Success, Bitter Defeat: A Taste Phenotype Predicts Social Status in Selectively Bred Rats Abstract For social omnivores such as rats and humans, taste is far more than…