(Press-News.org) Long-nosed Cape rock elephant-shrews are fond of sticky treats, according to Dr. Petra Wester from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Her investigations show for the first time that the elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii, licks the nectar of the flowers and pollinates the Pagoda lily. Her results are published in Springer's journal, Naturwissenschaften – The Science of Nature.
Dr. Wester studied the behavior of the animals in the northern Cederberg area of South Africa, where Pagoda lily plants, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae), are found in shady rock crevices and cavities. Over four nights, she placed mammal traps with baits – a mixture of peanut butter and rolled oats – near the lily plants. The next day, Dr. Wester collected the faeces of the animals from the traps. Two elephant-shrews were captured and released into glass terraria containing flowering lily plants, where Dr. Wester observed their foraging behavior.
The captive elephant-shrews visited the flowers more than 50 times over four days, moving from one flower cluster to another. With their long, flexible noses they went between the stamens and licked the nectar between the ovary and the stamens with their long, slender tongues. In the process, they touched the pollen-sacs and their long nose got dusted with pollen. The animals also touched the stigmas.
The elephant-shrews indulged in the nectar without feeding on pollen directly or eating, damaging or destroying the flowers. Interestingly, the animals preferred the nectar over the other food – peanut butter with rolled oats and apples – and over water. Dr. Wester also found that the faecal samples of the elephant-shrews contained pollen from the Pagoda lily, the likely result of fur grooming after flower visits, rather than actual feeding on pollen.
Elephant-shrews, together with rodents, primates and marsupials, are part of a rather unusual group of pollinating animals that are known as 'non-flying mammals' to differentiate them from the more common bats. Elephant-shrews look similar to mice, except for their long nose, but are not related to rodents. They belong to the order Macroscelidea, which includes aardvarks, tenrecs, golden moles, hyracoids, sirenians and elephants.
Dr. Wester concludes: "Data on elephant-shrews as pollinators are extremely scarce. This study is the first to clearly show that Elephantulus edwardii visits flowers for nectar and as a consequence also pollinates them. It is very likely that further species of elephant-shrews might be pollinators."
INFORMATION:
Reference
Wester P (2010). Sticky snack for sengis – The Cape rock elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea) as a pollinator of the Pagoda lily, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae). Naturwissenschaften; DOI 10.1007/s00114-010-0723-6
The full-text article and photos are available to journalists on request.
Sticky snack for elephant-shrews
First study to show that elephant-shrews consume the nectar and pollinate the Pagoda lily
2010-11-17
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Protein with cardioprotective capabilities during heart attack discovered
2010-11-17
CINCINNATI—University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a new protein that could be cardioprotective during heart attack, potentially leading to more targeted treatments for patients at risk.
These findings are being presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago Nov. 16.
Researchers in the department of pharmacology and cell biophysics, led by Chi Keung Lam, a PhD student, and Wen Zhao, PhD, under the direction of Litsa Kranias, PhD, AHA distinguished scientist and chair of the department, found that HAX-1, an anti-cell ...
29,000 Ontario students report problem gambling -- drug use and suicide a concern
2010-11-17
For Immediate Release – November 16, 2010 – (Toronto) – A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found that 29,000 Ontario students from grades 7-12 report behaviours indicating that they are gambling problematically. The study also found that more than two-thirds of these students reported problems with substance use and/or alcohol use, and 25% reported a suicide attempt in the past year.
The Ontario Youth Gambling Report looked at self-report data from over 9,000 students across Ontario to monitor trends and areas for concern regarding ...
New characteristics of premature aging protein discovered at Stevens
2010-11-17
Dr. Joseph Glavy at Stevens Institute of Technology studies the smallest and most basic elements of life. The Assistant Professor of Chemical Biology runs the Glavy Lab, where advanced student scientists study the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in cells, observing the minutest mechanisms of life as they unfold during mitosis. The Glavy Lab's formal purpose is to study the NPC at the molecular level in the pursuit of the unknown or unexpected in the well-studied but not always well-understood nuclei of living cells.
His team has uncovered a disease-related protein outside ...
First in man SESAME stent trial demonstrates 100 percent acute success rate
2010-11-17
A new study revealed that the novel self-expanding super-elastic all-metal endoprosthesis stent (SESAME StentTM) used in patients undergoing angioplasty of degenerated saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions has 100% acute success, low 30 day major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rates, and 9-month patency comparable to balloon expandable stents without embolic protection. Results of the study are published in the November issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Intervention, a peer-reviewed journal from The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
Percutaneous ...
Using plants against soils contaminated with arsenic
2010-11-17
Two essential genes that control the accumulation and detoxification of arsenic in plant cells have been identified. This discovery is the fruit of an international collaboration involving laboratories in Switzerland, South Korea and the United States, with the participation of members of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Plant Survival. The results presented are a promising basis for reducing the accumulation of arsenic in crops from regions in Asia that are polluted by this toxic metalloid, as well as for the cleanup of soils contaminated by heavy metals. ...
Scientists learn more about how kidneys fail and how new drugs may intervene
2010-11-17
Scientists are learning more about how protein gets in the urine when the kidneys begin to fail and how a new drug blocks it.
"We have known for a long time that renal failure comes with protein in your urine, especially in diabetes," said Dr. David Pollock, renal physiologist at the Medical College of Georgia Vascular Biology Center. It's also known that a new class of drugs called endothelin A receptor antagonists reduce protein in the urine.
New research published in the journal Hypertension connects the two, providing more information about how new drugs under study ...
US falls behind other nations in reducing traffic fatalities and injuries
2010-11-17
WASHINGTON — The United States is missing significant opportunities to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, and could save lives by implementing a more rigorous, comprehensive program that adopts successful safety practices from other countries, says a new report by the National Research Council.
The committee that wrote the report reviewed traffic safety practices and strategies in high-income countries around the world and compared them with those in the United States. From 1995 to 2009, fatalities dropped 52 percent in France, 38 percent in the United Kingdom, ...
Not following doctor's orders: Prescription abandonment
2010-11-17
INDIANAPOLIS – Failure to have a prescription filled can undermine medical treatment, result in increased health care costs and potentially have devastating results for the patient. An editorial in the Nov. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine highlights the problem and issues a call to action.
In the editorial, "Prescription Abandonment: Another Path to Medication Nonadherence," Michael D. Murray, PharmD, MPH, a Regenstrief Institute, Inc. investigator and Purdue University professor of pharmacy practice, and Jeff Harrison, Ph.D., of the University of Auckland, ...
Disadvantaged youth more likely to be high-school dropouts, young parents and poor adults
2010-11-17
Montreal, November 16, 2010 – Disadvantaged kids are more likely to drop out of high school, become premature parents and raise their own children in poverty, according to an exhaustive new study from researchers at Concordia University and the University of Ottawa.
Published in the International Journal of Behavioral Development, the investigation was the first to follow boys and girls over three decades to examine whether childhood aggression, social withdrawal and low socio-economic status could impact adult wellbeing.
"Low socioeconomic status appears to have ...
Aortic aneurysm treatable with asthma drugs
2010-11-17
A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that asthma drugs are a potential treatment for aortic aneurysm. These drugs, which block cysteinyl-leukotrienes, could reduce the break down of vessel wall tissue and the dilation of the aortic wall, and thus the risk of its rupturing. This could both save lives and reduce the need for complicated and risky surgery. The results are presented in the scientific journal PNAS.
Aortic aneurism is a life-threatening disease caused by the weakening of a section of the wall of the aorta, which then ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] Sticky snack for elephant-shrewsFirst study to show that elephant-shrews consume the nectar and pollinate the Pagoda lily