http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. For territorial animals, such as beavers, "owning" a territory ensures access to food, mates and nest sites. Defending that territory can involve fights which cause injury or death. How does an animal decide whether to take on an opponent or not? A new study by Helga Tinnesand and her colleagues from the Telemark University College in Norway has found that the anal gland secretions of beavers contain information about age and social status which helps other beavers gauge their level of response to the perceived threat. The study is published online today in Springer's journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. http://phys.org/news284718726.html Biology Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:32:20 EST news284718726 A new University of Alberta study shows that busy beavers are helping Canada geese get an earlier start when the birds fly home and begin spring nesting. http://phys.org/news279979805.html Biology Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:20:01 EST news279979805 (Phys.org)—Wolves and Yellowstone. In the public mind, and in nature, the two are inextricably linked. Now, it turns out, they aren't alone on the ecological dance floor. http://phys.org/news279528977.html Biology Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:20:01 EST news279528977 Reintroduced European beavers could have an overall positive impact on wild salmon populations in Scotland, according to a study by the University of Southampton. http://phys.org/news263645755.html Biology Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:56:01 EST news263645755 (AP) -- The Bureau of Land Management says a fossil found by employees on federal land represents the earliest record of living beavers in North America. http://phys.org/news235622615.html Other Sciences Mon, 19 Sep 2011 03:43:57 EST news235622615 When engineers restore rivers, one Kansas State University professor hopes they'll keep a smaller engineer in mind: the North American beaver. http://phys.org/news213276639.html Biology Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:30:49 EST news213276639 Steep reductions in the abundance of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic fauna in recent centuries are not restricted to animals that live in the sea: historical records show that species in rivers and lakes worldwide also experienced sharp declines. Yet the significance of these declines in freshwater species is frequently overlooked by natural resource managers, according to an article in the September 2009 issue of BioScience. http://phys.org/news171007079.html Biology Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:10:01 EST news171007079 As sometimes happens with science, Greg Hood went looking for one thing, and found something else: tidal beavers. http://phys.org/news162397427.html Biology Sun, 24 May 2009 15:24:23 EST news162397427 The songbird has a friend in the beaver. According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the busy beaver's signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West. http://phys.org/news142687424.html Biology Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:23:44 EST news142687424