ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News

Fossils from heart of Amazon provide evidence that South American monkeys came from Africa Posted: 04 Feb 2015 10:41 AM PST The early evolutionary history of monkeys in South America is cloaked in mystery. Long thought to have journeyed from Africa, evidence for this hypothesis was difficult to support without fossil data. A new discovery now unveils a key chapter of their evolutionary saga. The discovery of three new extinct monkeys from eastern Peru hints strongly that South American monkeys have an African ancestry.

Scientists reprogram plants for drought tolerance Posted: 04 Feb 2015 10:41 AM PST Plant biologists report that drought tolerance in plants can be improved by engineering them to activate water-conserving processes in response to an agrochemical already in use -- an approach that could be broadly applied to other parts of the same drought-response pathway and a range of other agrochemicals. The finding illustrates the power of synthetic biological approaches for manipulating crops, opening new doors for crop improvement.

Evidence from warm past confirms recent IPCC estimates of climate sensitivity Posted: 04 Feb 2015 10:41 AM PST New evidence showing the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide millions of years ago supports recent climate change predictions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Catalyst uses light to convert nitrogen to ammonia: Potential for environmentally friendly fertilizer Posted: 04 Feb 2015 08:20 AM PST Scientists have developed a catalyst that can perform a remarkable feat found only in nature: take nitrogen from the air and turn it into ammonia under natural conditions. No high temperatures or pressure required. Driven by light, the new method offers promise for a more environmentally friendly fertilizer. Ammonia is the critical component in fertilizer.

Inhospitable climate fosters gold ore formation Posted: 04 Feb 2015 04:52 AM PST The Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa holds the world’s largest gold deposits across a 200-km long swathe. Individual ore deposits are spread out in thin layers over areas up to 10 by 10 km and contain more gold than any other gold deposit in the world. Some 40% of the precious metal that has been found up to the present day comes from this area, and hundreds of tons of gold deposits still lie beneath the earth. The manner in which these giant deposits formed is still debated among geologists. Geologists are now trying to reconcile the contradictions of two previously published theories.

Sea slug has taken genes from algae it eats, allowing it to photosynthesize like a plant Posted: 03 Feb 2015 12:59 PM PST How a brilliant-green sea slug manages to live for months at a time 'feeding' on sunlight, like a plant, is clarified in a recent study. The authors present the first direct evidence that the emerald green sea slug's chromosomes have some genes that come from the algae it eats.

Clean technology can partially make up for weak CO2 pricing Posted: 02 Feb 2015 08:45 AM PST Clean technology support can to some extent make up for weak carbon dioxide pricing and hence help keep the two degrees target within reach, a new study shows. Even if the world climate summit in Paris later this year is successful in striking a climate deal, it might not bring about sharp greenhouse-gas cuts in the near-term. However, emission targets could be strengthened by complementary policies.