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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

DNA reveals mating patterns of critically endangered sea turtle

Feb. 4, 2013 ? New University of East Anglia research into the mating habits of a critically endangered sea turtle will help conservationists understand more about its mating patterns.

Research published February 3 in Molecular Ecology shows that female hawksbill turtles mate at the beginning of the season and store sperm for up to 75 days to use when laying multiple nests on the beach.

It also reveals that these turtles are mainly monogamous and don't tend to re-mate during the season.

Because the turtles live underwater, and often far out to sea, little has been understood about their breeding habits until now. The breakthrough was made by studying DNA samples taken from turtles on Cousine Island in the Seychelles.

The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) was listed as critically endangered in 1996 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), largely due to a dramatic reduction in their numbers driven by the international trade in tortoiseshell as a decorative material -- an activity which was banned in the same year.

The Seychelles are home to the largest remaining population of hawksbill turtles in the western Indian Ocean. Cousine Island is an important nesting ground for the hawksbill and has a long running turtle monitoring program. It is hoped that the research will help focus conservation efforts in future.

Lead researcher Dr David Richardson, from UEA's school of Biological Sciences, said: "We now know much more about the mating system of this critically endangered species. By looking at DNA samples from female turtles and their offspring, we can identify and count the number of breeding males involved. This would otherwise be impossible from observation alone because they live and mate in the water, often far out to sea.

"We now know that female turtles mate at the beginning of the season -- probably before migrating to the nesting beaches. They then store sperm from that mating to use over the next couple of months when laying multiple nests.

"Our research also shows that, unlike in many other species, the females normally mate with just one male, they rarely re-mate within a season and they do not seem to be selecting specific 'better quality' males to mate with.

"Understanding more about when and where they are mating is important because it will help conservationists target areas to focus their efforts on.

"It also lets us calculate how many different males contribute to the next generation of turtles, as well as giving an idea of how many adult males are out there, which we never see because they live out in the ocean.

"Perhaps most importantly, it gives us a measure of how genetically viable the population is -- despite all the hunting of this beautiful and enigmatic species over the last 100 years.

"The good news is that each female is pairing up with a different male -- which suggests that there are plenty of males out there. This may be why we still see high levels of genetic variation in the population, which is crucial for its long term survival .This endangered species does seem to be doing well in the Seychelles at least."

Lead author Karl Phillips, a PhD student in UEA's school of Biological Sciences, added: "This is an excellent example of how studying DNA can reveal previously unknown aspects of species' life histories."

The research was funded by UEA and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biomolecular Analysis Facility (NBAF).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of East Anglia, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

David S. Richardson, Karl P. Phillips, and Tove H.Jorgensen (all UEA) and Kevin G. Jolliffe, San-Marie Jolliffe and Jock Henwood (Cousine Island). Reconstructing paternal genotypes to infer patterns of sperm storage and sexual selection in the hawksbill turtle. Molecular Ecology, Feb 4, 2013

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/KttOog3Zo3c/130203212417.htm

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Water-Powered RC Rover: Batteries Not Included (Or Required)

Fuel-cell-powered vehicles are still a long ways off. But fuel cell-powered toys? That's an awesome reality that's about to get even better with Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies new H-Rover, which includes a wireless camera streaming live video to your smartphone/remote. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CREoRROiepU/water+powered-rc-rover-batteries-not-included-or-required

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Good Reads: Women in crime, democracy's era, digital mapping, a history in heels

War is ambiguous. Sometimes it?s easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys. But more often, players fall somewhere in between, both committing crimes and being deeply affected by them. The drug war in Mexico is no different, no matter if the participants are men ? or women.

Julie Turkewitz in The Atlantic Monthly interviews Katie Orlinsky about her project photographing female prisoners in Ciudad Ju?rez, Mexico, bringing a fresh eye to the conflict there.

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about Mexico? Take our quiz.

Turns out, writes Ms. Turkewitz ?women ? not just men ? were serving as its weary warriors, ferrying contraband and kidnapping kingpins. Between 2007 and 2011, the number of women incarcerated for federal crimes rose 400 percent.?

It was a figure that Ms. Orlinsky wanted to understand. Were these women ? mothers, sisters, teachers, and widows ? victims or perpetrators? The answer, of course, both provides insight into the drug war and highlights how complex of an issue it is.

? ?I am not ashamed. There are worse things,? says Lorena, who is in prison for drug trafficking. ?My husband is dead and I did it for my children.? ?

DEMOCRACY IN DEMAND

Contrary to popular thought, the world is ready for democracy. Arguments that poor, non-Western countries are in some way not ?ready? for democracy have been upended, writes Larry Diamond in The Wilson Quarterly.

Two mainstream theories on democracy have directed the discussion for decades: One postulated that countries had to grow rich under authoritarian rule before they would be able to sustain democracy. The other insisted that some countries were poor ?because the West had trapped them in a structural condition of economic dependence and servitude (a modern form of imperialism),? writes Mr. Diamond.

But something funny happened in the 1980s and ?90s: A number of poor countries went ahead and adopted forms of democratic government, and for well over a decade, many of them have had some success. Consider Taiwan and South Korea: ?Once they achieved democracy, South Korea and Taiwan continued to record brisk economic growth,? writes Diamond.

Although countries and regions vary widely, and many do not trust politicians, polls say people prefer democracy to authoritarianism. ?This is strikingly the case now in the Arab world, where the Arab Barometer surveys show that upward of 80 percent of the citizens of most countries name democracy as the best form of government, even if they do not define democracy in fully liberal and secular terms.?

It?s not a perfect road, of course, because systems of corruption easily undermine democratic progress. But the best way to democracy may be just to trudge through it.

IN IPHONE WE TRUST

Remember when driving to someplace new meant consulting a foldout map before you left the house? Those days are more or less gone with the advent of GPS, smart phones, and digital mapping.

Mapping the indoors could be the next frontier. Just think: You?re in Home Depot or Ikea and with a touch to your smart phone you can orient yourself, find what you are looking for, avoid congested aisles, and compare prices. But does this convenience mean we will stop thinking for ourselves?

Kat Austen in The New Scientist warns of the perils of overdependency on digital mapping. ?Apple recently misplaced an Australian town on its iPhone map, a mistake which led to the map?s users becoming lost in the outback and having to be rescued by police.?

And if your battery runs out, there?s no app for that.

MEN IN HEELS

High heels were designed for men, not women. That?s right. Another surprising news flash: They weren?t designed for walking.

?The high heel was worn for centuries throughout the near east as a form of riding footwear? for men, Elizabeth Semmelhack of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto tells William Kremer for the BBC.

Persia, with the largest cavalry in the world, was the epitome of masculinity. The shah wanted to ally with rulers in Western Europe to defeat the Ottoman Empire so he sent diplomats to Russia, Germany, and Spain. The exotic warriors wore ornate outfits and heeled boots, which helped them stay on their horse while shooting arrows.

When all things Persia (modern-day Iran) became the rage in 16th-century Europe, ?Persian style shoes were enthusiastically adopted by aristocrats, who sought to give their appearance a virile, masculine edge that, it suddenly seemed, only heeled shoes could supply,? writes Mr. Kremer.

It didn?t matter that they were completely impractical for the muddy, rutted streets of Europe. And in the following century European women adopted the trend. Men?s fashion, meanwhile, took a turn toward the more practical, dropping them completely by 1740 as ?foolish.? Some 50 years later women followed, leaving the world more or less sans heel until the mid-19th century when female fashion tottered over the sidewalk once more.

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about Mexico? Take our quiz.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Why Does the Media Go Easy on Barack Obama? (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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New archbishop of Canterbury formally takes office

LONDON (AP) ? The new archbishop of Canterbury on Monday formally took up his post as the leader of the world's 80-million-strong Anglican Communion.

The Most Rev. Justin Welby swore allegiance to the queen as he accepted the position amid prayers for him, his wife Caroline, and their five children.

The election of the 57-year-old Welby, a former oil executive, comes at a difficult time for the Anglican Communion, whose global membership includes the U.S. Episcopal Church.

The communion has been riven by bitter disagreements over female bishops and church teachings on gay relationships. Welby reiterated Monday that he backed the Church of England's opposition to government proposals to introduce gay marriage.

Welby succeeds Rowan Williams, who retired in December after a decade in office.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/archbishop-canterbury-formally-takes-office-150538670.html

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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Biden: US would hold direct talks if Iran serious

United States' Vice President Joe Biden speaks to media prior to a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, unseen, at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

US Vice President Joe Biden, right, and Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib, Syria's top opposition leader, shake hands at the Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

US Vice President Joe Biden, right, laughs as he talks to Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia, during the International Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. The Munich Security Conference started Friday afternoon with experts from 90 delegations. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, right, and Sheikh Moaz Al-Khatib, President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, shake hands during the Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. The 49th Munich Security Conference starts Friday afternoon with experts from 90 delegations including US Vice President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, right, and Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative of the Unietd Nations and the League of Arab States on Syria, shake hands during the Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. The 49th Munich Security Conference starts Friday afternoon with experts from 90 delegations Including US Vice President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

MUNICH (AP) ? The United States is prepared to hold direct talks with Iran in the standoff over its nuclear ambitions, Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday ? but he insisted that Tehran must show it is serious and Washington won't engage in such talks merely "for the exercise."

During a trip to an international security conference in Germany, Biden also addressed Syria's civil war. He met with top Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib and with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia, a longtime ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Separately, al-Khatib met with Lavrov for the first time, offering a glimmer of hope for stalled diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, though the Russian minister later sounded skeptical.

Washington has indicated in the past that it's prepared to talk directly with Iran, and talks involving all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany have made little headway while several rounds of international sanctions have cut into Iran's oil sales and financial transactions.

Last month Iran, in a defiant move ahead of new talks expected soon with the six powers, announced plans to vastly increase its pace of uranium enrichment. That can be used to make both reactor fuel and the fissile core of warheads.

Biden told an international security conference that "there is still time, there is still space for diplomacy backed by pressure to succeed." He did not specify any timeframe.

He insisted that "the ball is in the government of Iran's court" to show that it's negotiating in good faith.

Asked when Washington might hold direct talks with Tehran, Biden replied: "When the Iranian leadership, the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), is serious."

The U.S. has long made clear that it is prepared to meet directly with the Iranian leadership, he added ? "that offer stands but it must be real and tangible and there has to be an agenda that they're prepared to speak to."

"We are not just prepared to do it for the exercise," Biden told the Munich Security Conference.

Russia's Lavrov, whose country is a key player in the six-nation talks with Iran, said it was important to offer Iran clear incentives to resolve the nuclear standoff. "We have to convince Iran that it is not about the regime change," he said.

Iran insists it does not want nuclear arms and argues it has a right to enrich uranium for a civilian nuclear power program, but suspicion persists that the real aim is nuclear weapons. Iran's foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, is to address the conference Sunday.

While Russia and the U.S. have worked together on Iran, their differences over Syria were on display again at the conference in Munich, an annual gathering of top security officials.

In his speech, Biden stressed the conviction of the U.S. and many others that "President Assad ? a tyrant hell-bent on clinging to power ? is no longer fit to lead the Syrian people and he must go." He said that "the opposition continues to grow stronger."

He later held separate meetings with Lavrov, international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, and Syria's top opposition leader, Moaz al-Khatib.

On the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov in turn met for the first time with al-Khatib ? who in December rejected a previous Russian invitation for talks, Russian news agency ITAR-Tass reported.

On Friday, al-Khatib said he was willing to sit down for talks with Assad's government to "ease the pain of the Syrian people."

Lavrov welcomed that initiative, and said on his flight back to Moscow that Russia and the Syrian opposition plan to stay in regular contact, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

"This is an important step, given that the coalition was created on the platform of rejecting talks with the regime," he said. "But I think that realism will prevail. Naturally, this does not guarantee that dialogue will start, as the opposition does not have a negotiating team and there are many different groups to agree on a single delegation."

At the conference, Biden told an audience including Lavrov that despite differences, "we can all agree on the increasingly deep plight of the Syrian people and the responsibility of the international community to address that plight."

But Lavrov fired back that "there are a lot of question marks about the Western approaches to those developments," in the region, and questioning when it is "permissible to cooperate with regimes and when is it legitimate to argue for their removal."

Lavrov also suggested Biden's statement that Assad must go was counterproductive.

"The persistence of those who say that priority No. 1 is the removal of President Assad ? I think it's the single biggest reason for the continued tragedy in Syria."

Asked whether Russia might be prepared to endorse humanitarian corridors protected by air power, Lavrov bluntly replied: "No. Any threat of use of force will be unacceptable."

____

Jim Heintz contributed from Moscow.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-02-Germany-Security%20Conference/id-7b6a16a68fc34ec2891f53b79a87b41f

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How Thoughts Form, The Family That Never Heard of WWII, The BlackBerry 10 Launch Run-Down, And More

Finally, after what felt like years of lead-up, BlackBerry 10 launched this week to a little bit of applause. But that's not all. We've got the first ever footage of thoughts being formed, porn stars as memes, why Facebook is destined to fall, a family that totally missed World War II, why there's porn on Vine, and much, much more. Check it all out below. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9sDBNEGi6_w/what-it-looks-like-when-thoughts-form-the-family-that-never-heard-of-wwii-all-you-need-to-know-about-blackberry-10-and-more

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