IG Nobel Prizes

This was something I found while studying in the library when I was an undergrad. The entries were hilarious and sometimes, it is worrying to find that they are indeed actual scientific papers published in internationally refereed journals. e.g. the entry below:

BIOLOGY
Norma E. Bubier, Charles G.M. Paxton, Phil Bowers, and D. Charles Deeming of the United Kingdom, for their report "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches Towards Humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain." [REFERENCE: "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches (Struthio camelus) Towards humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain," Norma E. Bubier, Charles G.M. Paxton, P. Bowers, D.C. Deeming, 1998. British Poultry Science, 39 (4): 477-481.

Well its the middle of the week. So take some time for some light hearted humour and check out the link below. This will definitely be in my biology lessons in the future. :P

The Ig Nobel Prize Winners (2004 results out on 30 Sep 2004.

US Scientists admonish Bush

More than 4,000 scientists, including 48 Nobel winners, have signed a
statement opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice.
The scientists claim the Bush camp has consistently distorted science
to fit his agendas.

Source: Wired News

Argentine ants forms 100km supercolony Down Under!

Argentine ants (Iridomyrmex humilis) are spanning over Melbourne! It's no joke. These tiny ants have formed a 100 km (60 miles) supercolony under Melbourne, according these Reuters and AP reports.

In Argentina, the ants' native country, these ants often display strong clannish and aggressive behaviour, fighting with Argentine ants from other colonies, thus keeping populations in check. But they're not always aggressive. Sometimes they practice inter-colony cooperation, especially against other insects.

Unfortunately, in Australia, these ants are taking to the cooperative mission a tad too seriously. Or maybe they are just assimilating! :)

Human-induced evolution in 30 years - new fish species

"The cichlids of Africa's Lake Malawi are estimated to have formed 1,000 new species in only 500,000 years, lightning speed in evolutionary terms.

In the 1960s a fish exporter may have unwittingly set the stage for an evolutionary explosion when he introduced individuals of the species Cynotilapia afra to Mitande Point on the lake's Thumbi West Island. As of 1983, the species hadn't budged from Mitande Point."

When Streelman, then at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, and colleagues went to the island in 2001, they found the fish had evolved into two genetically distinct and differently coloured populations in less than 20 years - one on the north side of the island, the other on the south. Cichlid color patterns are important in mate selection, so these distinct markings may promote the evolution of new species."

Science Blog reporting Streelman et al., 2004. Hybridization and contemporary evolution in an introduced cichlid fish from Lake Malawi National Park J. Molecular Ecology, 13 (8): 2471-. (Requires NUS Digital Library access).

See also Smith, P. F., A. Konings & I. Kornfield, 2003. Hybrid origin of a cichlid population in Lake Malawi: implications for genetic variation and species diversity. Molecular Ecology, 12 (9): 2497 - 2504 (free access).

Plant nectar reward enhances ants aggressiveness

This meeting abstract announces an interesting find - ants that feed on plant nectar have a stronger desire for meat!

Plant nectar not only feeds ants, it makes them better bodyguards! Somehow they are more likely to attack other insects, likely, insect herbivores munching on the plant!

Ness et al studied the behaviour of four species of ants that visit the extrafloral nectaries of a barrel cactus plant, Ferocactus wislizeni. Sugar and meat baits were placed at the base of barrel cactus plants and at the base of plants without extrafloral nectaries. Ants favoured meat when foraging at the catcus - in all four species tested.

So the plant's reward for the attendant bodyguard also efffectively increases their appetite for meat, making them better bodyguards - pretty neat system! So that's an incentive for ant bodyguards not to desert their post after being fed sugar. This shoud read "Ants in servitude fed to sugar highs to induce meat-attacking rampages".

Originally seen at the Science blog.