Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/297879893?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Moa's ark: Why the female giant moa was about twice the size of the male
Apr. 9, 2013 ? Some of the largest female birds in the world were almost twice as big as their male mates. Research carried out by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) shows that this amazing size difference in giant moa was not due to any specific environmental factors, but evolved simply as a result of scaling-up of smaller differences in male and female body size shown by their smaller-bodied ancestors.
The paper is published April 10 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
In an environment lacking large mammals, New Zealand's giant moa (Dinornis) evolved to be one of the biggest species of bird ever, with females weighing more than two hundred kilograms -- the same as about 3 average sized men.
Male and female birds often show differences in body size, with males typically being larger. However some birds, like many ratites -- large, flightless species such as emus and cassowaries -- are the opposite, with the females towering over the males.
Moa were huge flightless ratites. Several different species inhabited New Zealand's forests, grasslands and mountains until about 700 years ago. However, the first Polynesian settlers became a moa-hunting culture, and rapidly drove all of these species to extinction.
Dr Samuel Turvey, ZSL Senior Research Fellow and lead author on the paper, says: "We compared patterns of body mass within an evolutionary framework for both extinct and living ratites. Females becoming much larger was an odd side-effect of the scaling up of overall body size in moa.
"A lack of large land mammals -- such as elephants, bison and antelope -- allowed New Zealand's birds to grow in size and fill these empty large herbivore niches. Moa evolved to become truly huge, and this accentuated the existing size differences between males and females as the whole animal scaled up in size over time," Dr Turvey added.
Future research should investigate whether similar scaling relationships can also help to explain the evolution of bizarre structures shown by other now-extinct species, such as the elongated canines of sabretoothed cats.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Zoological Society of London, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- V. A. Olson, S. T. Turvey. The evolution of sexual dimorphism in New Zealand giant moa (Dinornis) and other ratites. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2013; 280 (1760): 20130401 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0401
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Celebrity Photos: April 2013
Lindsay Lohan greets fans as she heads into a taping of 'The Late Show with David Letterman' in New York
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"True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgard was spotted out and about in New York City on April 9. He spent time signing autographs for his fans on the street.
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Cameron Diaz grabbed an iced tea after a workout at the gym on April 8 in Los Angeles, Calif.
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Olivia Wilde took her dog Paco out for a walk with her brother Charlie in New York City, New York on April 8.
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Rumor Willis was spotted wearing the U by Kotox Generation Know bracelet while playing with her dog in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 8.
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Taylor Swift walked the red carpet at the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 6.
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Jessica Alba flaunted her amazing bikini body as she hit the beach while on vacation in St. Barts on April 7.
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Giuliana Rancic was all smiles at The Naked Grape Wine's `Peel It Off to Give Back` event in Chicago on April 6.
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Pregnant Jessica Simpson's curves were on full display in a tight black shirt as she took her family to lunch at King's Fish House In Calabasas, Calif., on April 6.
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Chris Hemsworth took his adorable daughter India Rose grocery shopping at the 'Whole Foods' in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 5. Hot dad alert!
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Angelina Jolie attended the Women in the World Summit 2013 on April 4 in New York City.
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Jada Pinkett Smith spotted out and about in New York City on April 3.
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Emmy Rossum was all smiles in New York while sporting the Henri Bendel Sutton Mini Bag on April 2.
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Jon Hamm and his girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt took their dog for a walk in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 2.
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Charlize Theron was seen bundled up in a dark pea coat and scarf as she hurried out of her hotel to run some errands around New York City on April 2.
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Rihanna performed at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on April 1. Looking good, RiRi!
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Kate Beckinsale was spotted stocking up on spring fragrances from Jo Malone London in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 1.
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Heidi Klum walked on the beach at the North Shore in Oahu, Hawaii on April 1.
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Sarah Jessica Parker walked her kids to school on April 1 in New York City. How adorable are those army jackets?
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A bikini-clad Hayden Panettiere enjoyed a peaceful Easter Sunday on the beach in Miami, Fla., on March 31.
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Kourtney Kardashian took her kids Mason and Penelope to Church on Easter Sunday, where they were joined by Kendall, Kylie and Kris Jenner in Los Angeles, Calif.
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Lily Collins attended Day 2 of WonderCon 2013 at Anaheim Convention Center on March 30 in Anaheim, Calif.
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Britney Spears, her two sons Sean and Jayden Federline and her father Jamie were spotted arriving on a flight in New Orleans, La., on March 29.
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Diane Kruger posed for pictures outside ABC Studios for an appearance on "Good Morning America" on March 28 in NYC.
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Taylor Swift went casual in a black sweater and red pants as she headed out and about in New York City on March 27.
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Sandra Bullock gave her son Louis a piggyback ride after picking him up from school in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 26.
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Angelina Jolie and the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague visited a rescue camp for women on March 25 in the Democratic Republic of Congo to raise awareness of warzone rape. Jolie, a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner, said the issues need a "worldwide focus."
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Kim Kardashian stepped out in New York City on March 26 after revealing her pregnancy weight is around 140 pounds.
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Jamie Lynn Sigler celebrated the news of having a boy with with a Sally Hansen Nail Color Manicure (in blue) in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 25.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Kelly Osbourne attended a photocall to promote her E! show Fashion Police in Amsterdam on March 25.
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Anne Hathaway looked all bundled up as she was spotted out and about with husband Adam Shulman in New York on March 25.
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Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale took their sons Kingston and Zuma to a park in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on March 24.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart attended Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix, Arizona on March 23, where the Moet & Chandon champagne was flowing as celebrities toasted the guest of honor, Muhammad Ali.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Drew Barrymore ran some errands in New York City on March 22. Looking good post-baby!
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Ashley Greene was spotted leaving a gym wearing a pink top in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 20.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Eva Mendes, wearing a brown leopard print dress and brown boots, headed to a taping of "The Late Show with David Letterman" in New York City on March 19.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
"The Bachelor" star Sean Lowe and his fiance Catherine Giudici took a stroll at The Grove in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 19.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
A makeup-free Cameron Diaz sported black spandex pants as she got some exercise while hiking with a friend in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 19.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Emilia Clarke looked incredible at HBO's Season Three premiere of "Game of Thrones" held at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Calif., on March 18.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Selena Gomez showed off her legs in a a short skirt as she arrived at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City to promote her new film "Spring Breakers" on the "Late Show with David Letterman" on March 18.
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Lindsay Lohan was seen leaving the court house in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 18 after showing up 45 minutes late.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
"Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara took a taxi to an office building in New York on March 18.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner took their kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel to a park in Brentwood, Calif., on March 17. How adorable are these sweet siblings?
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Taylor Swift rocked short shorts as she headed to a photo shoot in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 16.
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"Jersey Shore" star Pauly D was spotted this past weekend spinning some of today's hottest hits at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana's ORO Nightclub in the Dominican Republic.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Jessica Simpson, who recently confirmed she is expecting a boy, shopped at Bel Bambini Baby Boutique in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 15.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Khloe Kardashian left the One The Thirty restaurant in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on March 14. Looking good, Khloe!
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Jennifer Garner struck a pose at the Neutrogena Sun Summit (raising awareness on the changing environment's impact on overall skin health) in in New York City on March 13.
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Camila Alves rocked a blue leather jacket, black top and black pants as she set out around New York City on March 13.
Celebrity Photos: March 2013
Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar filmed scenes on the beach in Malibu, Calif., for the TV show "Franklin & Bash" on March 12.
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Pregnant reality star Kim Kardashian headed to an office to film scenes for 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 12.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/elysium-matt-damon_n_3046779.html
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Sunday, April 7, 2013
Triple suicide triggered by economic struggle shocks Italy
ROME (Reuters) - The suicide of a married couple mired in debt has struck a nerve in Italy, with the speaker of the country's lower house of parliament lamenting an "economic emergency" in the land.
Romeo Dionisi, 62, and Anna Maria Sopranzi, 68, hanged themselves in a storage room they owned in the town of Civitanova Marche on the Adriatic coast on Friday, police said.
After learning of his sister's death, Sopranzi's brother, Giuseppe, 72, threw himself into the sea and drowned. Authorities later recovered his body.
The couple was deeply in debt and lived on a small monthly pension that Sopranzi received, and Dionisi, a self-employed construction worker who did not collect a pension, could not find work, according to media reports.
They left a note on a friend's car asking forgiveness for their extreme gesture, police said.
The mayor of the town, Tommaso Claudio Corvatta, said the couple committed suicide because they were too proud to ask for help, and declared Saturday a day of mourning.
Laura Boldrini, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, said she would go to the town on Saturday to express her condolences to the families.
"It's proof of the devastating psychological impact that the economic emergency provokes in men's and women's lives, which too often go unnoticed behind everyday statistics," she said.
Italy has been mired in recession since mid-2011, making this the longest slump the euro zone's third-biggest economy has seen in two decades. The Bank of Italy says 600,000 jobs have been lost in the past 5 years.
Nichi Vendola, head of the Left Ecology Freedom party, said the suicides were a sign of "social desperation" and Pier Luigi Bersani, chief of the Democratic Party, commented that Italy was in the middle of a "dramatic social emergency".
(Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/triple-suicide-triggered-economic-struggle-shocks-italy-203035978.html
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