Sheep

To shake things up, today I don't have a journalism trend or scientific discovery to talk about. Instead, I want to discuss sheep, more specifically sheep herding.

I mentioned a while back that I'm taking a zoology class this semester with Patricia McConnell about human and animal behavior. Today our class was held in the stock pavilion (yes, I attend a University that has its own stock pavilion) and Prof. McConnell brought in her own sheep from her farm for a demonstration of how her herding dog Willie gets the sheep to do what he wants them to through body movements, and also how she controls Willie.

Not my professors sheep (my pics didn't come out so well)
There sheep are from Wikimedia Commons.

To prepare for class we had done some readings about how animals respond to sounds. In the demonstration we were shown that short, staccato sounds are best for motivating an animal to move and low long sounds are best for getting it to slow down or stop. I find it really interesting that this is a universal trend among animals. Its also interesting that the sounds to get the dog to go clockwise or counterclockwise (moving the sheep right or left) vary by the animal's handler, but also tend to be short yet distinguishable sounds.

It was fun to demonstrate the principles we are learning in class in real-life settings and not just through reading academic papers. Plus, I got to see sheep and for a Jersey Girl that still has a lot of novelty.

Fossil Foot Shows Bipedalism

I recently did a post on the taxonomy of the African Wolf, (formally the Golden Jackal) where I talked about how as scientists gather more information and make new discoveries, they revise their theories. There is an interesting article in the BBC today about a new fossil find that has helped scientists fine-tune their theories about how the human-like species Australopithecus afarensis moved. This fossil is a great example of scientists learning from new discoveries.

A. afarensis is the species made famous by the "Lucy" skeleton discovered by Donald Johanson in 1974 in the Hadar region of Ethiopia. Previously, researchers had fossilized remains of the spine, hips, and knees of A. afarensis and developed a theory about how the species moved based on those fossilized remains. Researchers believed that A. afarensis was bipedial (walked upright on two feet, like humans).

Until recently the theory that A. afarensis was bipedal lacked certainty because while researchers were confident that the spine, hips, and knees supported the bipedal theory, A. afarensis foot bones had never been found. Without the foot bones, the researchers could not confirm just how the species walked, or how much it relied on walking.

Source: Anthropology.net

Now a research team from Arizona State University (including Donald Johanson) has found a fossilized fourth metatarsal bone from A. afarensis, in the same Hadar region of Ethiopia where the Lucy skeleton was found. The metatarsal is a foot bone that provides evidence of how the foot was arched. Understanding how the foot was arched goes a long way to explaining how the creatures would have walked, confirming the researchers long-standing bipedal theory.

In addition to supporting the bipedal theory, the foot bone and the fact that it is arched shows that A. afarensis would have been able to move quickly and easily on two feet. The arches in feet serve to help the foot move the body forward, and act as a "shock absorber" each time the feet pound the ground. The fact that A. afarensis had arched feet makes it even more similar to the anatomy of modern humans showing an important link in the evolution of upright walking.

I think this is such a great example of how science changes and revises itself because it showcases how very specific details and pieces of information can shape entire theories. In this case, finding the fossilized metatarsal bone confirmed a theory and also shed more light on how the species would have walked, providing additional information. It is a good example of science changing - and getting better.

Discover Raises The Dead

I want to draw attention to a great info-graphic spread in Discover Magazine's photo gallery. Dead People Science Won't Let R.I.P. is a really interesting and fun way to do an article about all the different old deaths that modern technology has been able to shed light on.

From King Tut to Copernicus the graphic gives really good, concise descriptions of how certain historical figures died, why their deaths were controversial (or at least their cause of death disputed), and how modern technology helped clear up the details. Its definitely worth checking out, not only to learn a few things about science and history, but also to check out how Discover is doing their gallery articles.

Sequencing Genomes to Save Species

For this post I’m trying something a little different. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’m using Science Decoded for class, and as a part of that we were assigned to write a post in the form of a list.

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All living organisms are made of DNA, a series of nucleotide bases (Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine) contained in chromosomes. Genome sequencing is an analysis of DNA, conducted by “reading” the different patterns of nucleotides A-G-C-T for differences between species, and abnormalities within a species. Researchers around the world are working to sequence the genomes of a variety of organisms, including those on the endangered species list.

1. Orangutan (Pongo abelii) – In January 2011 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the publication of the orangutan genome sequence. Funded by the NIH, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX sequenced the genome of a female Sumatran orangutan, five additional Sumatran orangutans, and five Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus.) The research shows that orangutans share 97% of their DNA with humans, but compared to humans and chimpanzees, orangutans have evolved much slower leading to fewer mutations (variations in the code between individuals of a species). (Read more) 

2. Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) – Fifteen years ago a facial cancer was identified in tasmanian devil populations. The cancer has ravaged the species, resulting in an 80% decline that has forced the species to the brink of extinction. This cancer is transmissible, which means that biting the face of an infected animal passes it between individuals. In September 2010 researcher from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the genome sequencing company Illumina announced that they sequenced the tasmanian devil genome in an attempt to learn more about the cancer and how to stop it from wiping out the species. (Read more)

3. Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) – Arguably one of the cutest endangered species, the giant panda is a prominent symbol of China, where it lives in a restricted mountain area. According to the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) the number of giant pandas left in the wild is estimated between 1600-3000. In December 2009, BGI published the complete sequence of the giant panda genome. With the information obtained by the genetic analysis researchers hope to learn more about the genetic and biological factors that shape this species behavior to assist in disease control and conservation efforts. (Read more)

4. Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) – Listed by the United Nations as an endangered species since 1979, the Tibetan antelope could hold the key to understanding the pathogenesis of chronic plateau sickness. The species calls China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau home, making them ideal for studying the evolution of species that thrive in environments characterized by extreme cold and low oxygen levels. The genome sequence of the Tibetan antelope was announced in December 2009 by researchers from BGI and Qinghai University. (Read more)

5. Coral Reefs (Acropora millepora) – Coral reefs are among the world’s most diverse ecosystems, yet according to the Genome Center at Washington University it has been predicted that in the next 50 years between 40%-60% of the world’s coral reefs will die. In 2005 the NIH funded the sequencing of the coral A. millepora (which is not an endangered species, though coral reefs as a whole are endangered ecosystems) to serve as a “lab rat” for studies of the environmental factors (light, sediment load, or acidity) that can cause coral death. (Read more)

Not quite endangered & not fully sequenced:

6. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) – Recently removed from the list of endangered species recognized by the United States, researchers at BGI are still working to sequence the polar bear genome. The polar bear sequence is a part of a three-pronged project to sequence the Tibetan antelope (completed in 2009) and emperor penguin genomes.

7. Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes fosteri) – One of the most recognizable penguin species, the Emperor Penguin is found in Antarctica. The emperor penguin is currently under consideration for inclusion under the Endangered Species Act, due to the effects of climate change. The genome sequencing project is being conducted by researchers from BGI in conjunction with sequencing the polar bear, and Tibetan antelope genomes. (Read more)

8. Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) - In October 2009 researchers from Oregon State University, the Western University of Health Sciences, and the Miller Park Zoo (IL) announced plans to sequence the genome of the snow leopard (which is on the Endangered Species list). According to Oregon State, the snow leopard is prone to diseases that do not plague other big cats including pneumonia, enteritis, hip dysplasia, and papillomaviruses. Sequencing the genome could help researchers identify what makes the snow leopard susceptible to these disorders. (Read more)

Genome sequencing technology continues to develop, making it easier and cheaper to sequence the genomes of various organisms. While an endangered species has yet to be saved due to the information obtained by sequencing its genome, what researchers learn will help them gain a better understanding of endangered species, which is a step in the right direction towards improving conservation efforts.