science news 18.3.2020

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.


evolution

One of Darwin's evolution theories finally proved by Cambridge researcher
Specifically: In Chapter 3 of On the Origin of Species Darwin said animal lineages with more species should also contain more 'varieties'. Subspecies is the modern definition.

Mysterious ancient sea-worm pegged as new genus after half-century in 'wastebasket'


ecology

How horses can save the permafrost
bring back the woolly mammoth, I say.



Herds of herbivores preserve the permafrost -- even under strong global warming.
Credit: Pleistocene Park

For narwhals, the 'unicorn of the seas,' size matters for sexual selection


light and life

Plant water saving system works like clockwork, it transpires
If you haven't guessed it, this is about circadian clocks.


coronavirus crisis

New coronavirus stable for hours on surfaces

COVID-19: The immune system can fight back
Researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) were able to test blood samples at four different time points in an otherwise healthy woman in her 40s, who presented with COVID-19 and had mild-to-moderate symptoms requiring hospital admission.


food and drink

Urban land could grow fruit and veg for 15 per cent of the population, research shows



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From the news media:

A flu drug that may help fight coronavirus, reported in the Guardian.


John Vidal about the wildlife connection. See also my recent feature on the wildlife roots of coronavirus diseases including SARS, MERS and Covid-19.