Paris (AFP) Nov 11, 2020 In a rare find, scientists have identified a new species of primate, a lithe tree-dweller living in the forests of central Myanmar with a mask-like face framed by a shock of unruly grey hair. The Popa langur – named for an extinct volcano home to its largest population, some 100 individuals – has been around for at least a million … Continue reading Newly discovered primate in Myanmar ‘already facing extinction’

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 10, 2020 Before animals drop their gloves and square off, they assess the situation. Previous research suggests individuals conduct a kind of crude cost-benefit analysis, taking account of an opponent’s size and strength, recent fight results and the prize’s importance. In a new paper, published Tuesday in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, scientists argue research into animal combathttp://dlvr.it/RlZQpc Continue reading Animal groups weigh multiple factors before fighting

Legazpi, Philippines (AFP) Nov 11, 2020 Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in storm-battered parts of the Philippines Wednesday as the third typhoon in as many weeks barrelled towards the country. Vamco grazed Catanduanes Island – which was devastated by Typhoon Goni less than two weeks ago – as it neared the most populous island of Luzon where it was expected to make … Continue reading Thousands flee as yet another typhoon menaces Philippines

Stockholm (AFP) Nov 11, 2020 The first vaccinations in the European Union against Covid-19 could happen in the first three months of 2021 under an optimistic scenario, the EU health agency chief told AFP on Wednesday. “I think optimistically first quarter next year, but I can’t be more precise,” Andrea Ammon, the director of the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), said … Continue reading EU could see first Covid-19 jabs in early 2021: health agency

The rise in consumer adoption of e-commerce in the wake of the pandemic is pushing the rebirth of brick-and-mortar stores as potential bastions of interactionless shopping that resembles an e-commerce experience. Amenities for redesigned in-store floor space include no-contact kiosks that offer circulars and coupons. Robot greeters and sales assistants to help maintain social distancing are also in some plans.http://dlvr.it/RlVXgX Continue reading Many Shoppers Now Want Zero In-Store Human Interaction

St. Louis MO (SPX) Nov 10, 2020 Males of the extinct human species Paranthropus robustus were thought to be substantially larger than females – much like the size differences seen in modern-day primates such as gorillas, orangutans and baboons. But a new fossil discovery in South Africa instead suggests that P. robustus evolved rapidly during a turbulent period of local climate change about 2 million … Continue reading Newly discovered fossil shows small-scale evolutionary changes in an extinct human species

Stanford CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2020 Today, the lakes around Cape Town are brimming with water, but it was only a few years ago that South Africa’s second-most populous city made global headlines as a multi-year drought depleted its reservoirs, impacting millions of people. That kind of extreme event may become the norm, researchers now warn. Using new high-resolution simulations, researchers from Stanford University and … Continue reading In a warming world, Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ drought won’t be an anomaly

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 09, 2020 To absorb and store carbon, trees have to stay alive, but increasingly, trees in the Amazon are doing the opposite. Now, scientists know why. According to a new study published Monday in the journal Nature Communications, a tree species’ mean growth rate is the primary risk factor for tree death in the Amazon. Researchers found faster-growing trees are more … Continue reading Researchers figure out how, why trees in the Amazon perish

Bangkok (AFP) Nov 6, 2020 Hermit crab numbers in southern Thailand have boomed as foreign tourists have stayed away – so much so that the national park authority appealed on Friday for the public to donate extra shells for them to live in. The population of the crustaceans – which protect themselves by wearing and living inside the discarded shells of other animals – has … Continue reading Call for shell donations as Thailand’s hermit crabs face housing crisis

Geneva (AFP) Nov 6, 2020 The World Health Organization is facing renewed pleas to allow Taiwan to participate in a key international meeting amid fears its exclusion could jeopardise efforts to rein in the coronavirus pandemic. As many parts of the world are reeling from surging numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths, the WHO is due Monday to resume its main annual meeting, which was … Continue reading WHO urged to invite Taiwan to key meeting