migrate | Common News Update

Feb152021 by adminNo Comments

Drop in CO2 levels helped herbivorous dinosaurs migrate from South America to Greenland

Science

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Every year, the Arctic tern migrates from pole to pole, flying thousands of miles in a matter of weeks. Species as small as dragonflies and as big as gray whales swim and fly from continent to continent in just a few months. According to a new study, it took the world's largest herbivorous dinosaurs, Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus, some 15 million years to trek the length of the supercontinent Pangea, from present day South America to what's now Greenland. Advertisement The new research, published Monday in the journal PNAS, suggests climate-related barriers were responsible for the sluggish pace. It was only with the assistance of a 2 million-year-long dip in atmospheric CO2 that the dinosaurs were able to complete their journey, researchers found. Scientists knew Bront...

Chinook salmon that migrate in spring, fall are more alike than scientists thought

Science

Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Traditionally, spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon have been classified as two separate subspecies, or ecotypes, but new genetic analysis suggests the two groups are much more similar than they are different. According to the new study, published this week in the journal Science, the migration patterns of spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon are dictated by differences in a small snippet of DNA in their genomes. Advertisement "Understanding the genetic basis of ecotypic differentiation in salmon provides a solid framework for predicting the outcome of different management actions," study co-author John Carlos Garza, professor of ocean sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told UPI in an email. Scientists previously observed evidence that members of th...

Coastal wetlands must migrate inland to survive climate change

Science

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- If coastal wetlands are to survive climate change -- and continue to provide a bounty of ecological benefits -- they most move inland, according to a new study. Previous studies have suggested many coastal wetlands are likely to be wiped out by encroaching salt water as global warming accelerates sea level rise. But new analysis suggests many marshes and mangroves could be saved if they were able to move farther inland. That's good news, as wetlands help absorb excess CO2 and serve as a vital buffer against damaging storms and flooding. Some studies have shown wetlands save hundreds of lives and millions of dollars. To better understand the fates of coastal wetlands, an international team of scientists collected and analyzed data from the around the world. Researchers lo...