science news 17.10.2019

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 in italics in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about. My own thoughts appear without italics if I have any.


astrobiology

Cascades of gas around young star indicate early stages of planet formation


evolution

New study shows huge dinosaurs evolved different cooling systems to combat heat stroke


behaviour

The moon determines when migratory birds head south

World's fastest ant hits recording breaking speed of 855mm/s
Desert ants are incredibly fast for their size, but now a team of researchers led by Harald Wolf from the University of Ulm, Germany, has discovered that Saharan silver ants are the world champions, hitting a record breaking top speed of 855mm/s (108 times their body length per second), twice as fast for their size as their larger cousins (Cataglyphis fortis, 50 body lengths/s) by swinging their legs at speeds of up to 1,300mm/s.



These are Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) workers in the desert at Douz, Tunisia.
Credit: Harald Wolf


conservation

Study helps pinpoint what makes species vulnerable to environmental change
a bird species' ability to adapt to seasonal temperature changes may be one factor in whether it can better withstand environmental disruption. The researchers studied 135 bird species in the Himalayas and found that species living in the seasonal western Himalayas adapted to the conversion of forests to agricultural land better than birds native to the tropical eastern Himalayas. Results such as these could help conservationists better determine where to focus their efforts.

3D-printed coral could help endangered reefs


bio-inspired

What gives a 3-meter-long Amazonian fish some of the toughest scales on Earth
Arapaima gigas is a big fish in a bigger river full of piranhas, but that doesn't mean it's an easy meal. It's evolved armor-like scales that deform, but don't tear or crack, when a piranha -- which has one of the animal kingdom's most powerful bites -- attacks. Researchers from UC San Diego and UC Berkeley describe the unique properties of the Amazonian Arapaima skin and its potential for man-made materials Oct. 16 in the journal Matter.

Clingfish biology inspires better suction cup


sustainable tech

Computer models show clear advantages in new types of wind turbines
Researchers from Aarhus University and Durham University have modelled the fluid dynamics of multi-rotor wind turbines via high-resolution numerical simulations. The simulations demonstrate a clear advantage for a turbine model with four rotors. The researchers found, that the wind turbine wake recovers much faster with multi-rotor turbines, that multi-rotor turbines produce slightly more energy than single-rotor turbines, and that a turbine with four rotors as far apart as possible is the optimal construction.


humans

Scientists find early humans moved through Mediterranean earlier than believed
An international research team led by scientists from McMaster University has unearthed new evidence in Greece proving that the island of Naxos was inhabited by Neanderthals and earlier humans at least 200,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years earlier than previously believed.

Surveying solar storms by ancient Assyrian astronomers
University of Tsukuba researcher finds evidence of ancient solar magnetic storms based on cuneiform astrological records and carbon-14 dating. This work may help with our understanding of intense solar activity that can threaten modern electronics.


Exploring the link between daily stress, depression, and Facebook addiction disorder


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From the news media:

The Guardian has a video of the fast-running ants.