science news 16.7.2019

Today's selection of science news. Links are normally to press releases on EurekAlert (at the bottom end I may also add a couple of newspaper stories). I include quotes from the summary (using quotation marks) in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about. My own thoughts appear without quotation marks, if I have any.


astrobiology

A material way to make Mars habitable
"New research suggest that regions of the Martian surface could be made habitable with a material -- silica aerogel -- that mimics Earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect. Through modeling and experiments, the researchers show that a 2 to 3-centimeter-thick shield of silica aerogel could transmit enough visible light for photosynthesis, block hazardous ultraviolet radiation, and raise temperatures underneath permanently above the melting point of water, all without the need for any internal heat source."


evolution

Strange new species of duck-billed dinosaur identified
How to combine an eagle-shaped nose with a duck bill:



An illustration: Aquilarhinus palimentus.
Credit: ICRA Art

Fossil of smallest old world monkey species discovered in Kenya


ecology

Sex, lies and crustaceans: New study highlights peculiar reproductive strategies of Daphnia


sustainability

More farmers, more problems: How smallholder agriculture is threatening the western Amazon

Meet the six-legged superfoods: Grasshoppers top insect antioxidant-rich list
"For the first time, a study has measured antioxidant levels in commercially available edible insects. For open-minded health freaks, it's good news: crickets pack 75% the antioxidant power of fresh OJ, and silkworm fat twice that of olive oil. And while even ladybirds fart, insects have a tiny land, water and carbon footprint compared with livestock -- so anything that encourages insect eating is good news for the planet, too."


climate change

Study bolsters case that climate change is driving many California wildfires

Thirty years of unique data reveal what's really killing coral reefs
"Coral bleaching is not just due to a warming planet, but also a planet that is simultaneously being enriched with reactive nitrogen from sources like improperly treated sewage, and fertilizers. Nitrogen loading from the Florida Keys and greater Everglades ecosystem caused by humans is the primary driver of coral reef degradation in Looe Key. These coral reefs were dying off long before they were impacted by rising water temperatures. Elevated nitrogen levels cause phosphorus starvation in corals, reducing their temperature threshold for bleaching."

The rush to air conditioning in Europe pushed by urbanization and climate change
producing a positive feedback loop ...


humans

Extinct human species likely breast fed for a year after birth

Out of Africa and into an archaic human melting pot
"Genetic analysis has revealed that the ancestors of modern humans interbred with at least five different archaic human groups as they moved out of Africa and across Eurasia."


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from the news media:

Extinction Rebellion actions happening in London all this week - here's today's report in the Guardian.

And finally:
“At least at the level of neural activity … the brains of men and women respond the same way to porn.” - a study in PNAS, reported in the Guardian.