Bats harbor a gene swiped from an ancient Ebola-like virus—here's how they may use it
Some 18 million years ago, an ancestor of mouse-eared bats "stole" genetic material from an ancient virus related to Ebola.
Jul 24, 2018
in
Study shows vampire bats feed group mates to ensure others will feed them later
(Phys.org)—A pair of researchers, one with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the other the University of Maryland, has found evidence that suggests vampire bats regurgitate blood into the mouths of others ...
Study reveals evolutionary history of hawkmoths' sonar jamming defense
In the 65-million-year-old arms race between bats and moths, some moth species rub their genitals to jam the calls of bats. Radar jamming is commonly used in human warfare, allowing pilots to render themselves invisible. ...
Study shows long tail on luna moth helps to thwart bat attacks (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)—A team of researches with members from several institutions in the U.S. has found that the long tails sported by the luna moth exist as a means to foil attacks by bats. In their paper published in Proceedings ...
One good turn: Birds swap energy-sapping lead role
Migrating birds 'share the pain' of the arduous task of leading a v-formation, so that they can then take turns saving energy by following in another bird's wake, a new study shows.
Neural 3-D compass discovered in mammalian brain
Pilots are trained to guard against vertigo: a sudden loss of the sense of vertical direction that renders them unable to tell "up" from "down" and sometimes even leads to crashes. Coming up out of a subway station can produce ...
Researchers discover new bat-borne virus related to Ebola
Researchers from Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School, in collaboration with scientists in China, have identified and characterised a new genus of filovirus from a Rousettus bat in China. Their findings were published in the ...
Multicultural creatures of habit: Long-term study reveals migratory patterns of bats
Every year, trillions of animals migrate for thousands of kilometres between their summer and winter habitats. Among them are several species of bats whose journeys in the dark of the night unfold largely unnoticed by humans ...
Unpredictable food sources drive some bats to cooperatively search for food
Humans aren't the only species that have dinner parties. Scientists have observed many animals, including bats, eating in groups. However, little was known about whether bats actively help each other find food, a process ...
Researchers discover how 'cryptic' connections in disease transmission influence epidemics
Diseases have repeatedly spilled over from wildlife to humans, causing local to global epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, and Nipah.
