In this April 5, 2013 photo provided by Harvard University, Harvard Stem Cell Institute Co-Director Doug Melton, right, and Peng Yi, a post doctoral fellow in his lab, review data from recent experiments in Melton's lab in Cambridge, Mass. Melton and Yi have identified a hormone that can sharply boost a mouse's supply of cells that make insulin, a discovery that may someday provide a diabetes treatment. People make the hormone naturally, and the new work suggests that giving them more might one day let patients avoid insulin shots. (AP Photo/Harvard University)
In this April 5, 2013 photo provided by Harvard University, Harvard Stem Cell Institute Co-Director Doug Melton, right, and Peng Yi, a post doctoral fellow in his lab, review data from recent experiments in Melton's lab in Cambridge, Mass. Melton and Yi have identified a hormone that can sharply boost a mouse's supply of cells that make insulin, a discovery that may someday provide a diabetes treatment. People make the hormone naturally, and the new work suggests that giving them more might one day let patients avoid insulin shots. (AP Photo/Harvard University)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Scientists have identified a hormone that can sharply boost the number of cells that make insulin in mice, a discovery that may someday lead to a treatment for the most common type of diabetes.
People have their own version of this hormone, and the new work suggests that giving diabetics more might one day help them avoid insulin shots.
That would give them better control of their blood sugar levels, said Harvard University researcher Douglas Melton, senior author of a report published Thursday by the journal Cell.
Experts unconnected with the work cautioned that other substances have shown similar effects on mouse cells but failed to work on human ones. Melton said this hormone stands out because its effect is unusually potent and confined to just the cells that make insulin.
An estimated 371 million people worldwide have diabetes, in which insulin fails to control blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can lead to heart disease, stroke and damage to kidneys, eyes and the nervous system. At least 90 percent of diabetes is "Type 2," and some of those patients have to inject insulin. Melton said the newly identified hormone might someday enable them to stop insulin injections and help other diabetic patients avoid them.
As for its possible use to treat Type 1 diabetes, Melton called that a "long shot" because of differences in the biology of that disease.
Insulin is produced by beta cells in the pancreas.
Melton and co-authors identified a hormone they dubbed betatrophin (BAY-tuh-TROH-fin) in mice. When they made the liver in mice secrete more of it by inserting extra copies of the gene, the size of the beta cell population tripled in comparison to untreated mice. Tests indicated the new cells worked normally.
Melton said it's not known how the hormone works. Now the researchers want to create an injectable form that they can test on diabetic mice, he said. If all goes well, tests in people could follow fairly quickly.
Dr. Peter Butler, a diabetes researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, who had no role in the new work, cautioned in an email that no evidence has been presented yet to show that the hormone will make human beta cells proliferate.
But Philip diIorio, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, said he found the work to be "quite promising" because it offers new leads for research, and that it might someday help in building supplies of human beta cells in a lab for transplant into patients.
___
Online:
Cell: http://www.cell.com/
International Diabetes Federation: http://www.idf.org
___
Malcolm Ritter can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/malcolmritter
Apr. 25, 2013 ? Humpback whales are able to pass on hunting techniques to each other, just as humans do, new research has found.
A team of researchers, led by the University of St Andrews, has discovered that a new feeding technique has spread to 40 per cent of a humpback whale population.
The findings are published April 25 by the journal Science.
The community of humpback whales off New England, USA, was forced to find new prey after herring stocks -- their preferred food -- crashed in the early 1980s.
The solution the whales devised -- hitting the water with their tails while hunting a different prey -- has now spread through the population by cultural transmission. By 2007, nearly 40 per cent of the population had been seen doing it.
Dr Luke Rendell, lecturer in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, said: "Our study really shows how vital cultural transmission is in humpback populations -- not only do they learn their famous songs from each other, they also learn feeding techniques that allow them to buffer the effects of changing ecology."
The team -- also including Jenny Allen from the University of St Andrews, Mason Weinrich of the Whale Center of New England and Will Hoppitt from Anglia Ruskin University -- used a new technique called network-based diffusion analysis to demonstrate that the pattern of spread followed the network of social relationships within the population, showing that the new behaviour had spread through cultural transmission, the same process that underlies the diversity of human culture.
The data were collected by naturalist observers aboard the many whale-watching vessels that patrol the waters of the Gulf of Maine each summer.
Dr Hoppitt said: "We can learn more about the forces that drive the evolution of culture by looking outside our own ancestral lineage and studying the occurrence of similar attributes in groups that have evolved in a radically different environment to ours, like the cetaceans."
Humpbacks around the world herd shoals of prey by blowing bubbles underwater to produce 'bubble nets'.
The feeding innovation, called 'lobtail feeding', involves hitting the water with the tail before diving to produce the bubble nets.
Lobtail feeding was first observed in 1980, after the stocks of herring, previously the main food for the whales, became depleted.
At the same time sand lance stocks soared, and it would seem the innovation is specific to that particular prey, because its use is concentrated around the Stellwagen Bank, spawning grounds where the sand lance can reach high abundance.
Using a unique database spanning thirty years of observations gathered by Dr Weinrich, the researchers were able track the spread of the behaviour through the whales' social network.
Jenny Allen said: "The study was only made possible because of Mason's dedication in collecting the whale observations over decades, and it shows the central importance of long-term studies in understanding the processes affecting whale populations."
The scientists believe their results strengthen the case that cetaceans -- the whales and dolphins -- have evolved sophisticated cultural capacities.
The skills, knowledge, materials and traditions that humans learn from each other help explain how we have come to dominate the globe as a species, but how we evolved the capabilities to transmit such knowledge between ourselves remains a mystery that preoccupies biologists, psychologists and anthropologists.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of St. Andrews, 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:
J. Allen, M. Weinrich, W. Hoppitt, L. Rendell. Network-Based Diffusion Analysis Reveals Cultural Transmission of Lobtail Feeding in Humpback Whales. Science, 2013; 340 (6131): 485 DOI: 10.1126/science.1231976
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.
Say what you like about Windows 8, but before it arrived Microsoft's presence in the tablet sphere was as small as it was stagnant. By the reckoning of number-crunchers at Strategy Analytics, just 400,000 Windows-running slates were shipped globally in Q3 of last year -- a figure that was largely unchanged from the year before and which represented just 1.6 percent of the global tablet market. Six months later, now that the Windows-powered Acers, Lenovos and Surfaces of this world have had a chance to get their game on, Microsoft's share has quadrupled to 7.5 percent, with a total of 3 million Windows 8 and RT tablets shipped in Q1 2013. That's still pretty niche, but 3 million units would have equated to a bigger share were it not for the fact that the overall tablet market also grew over this period, from 25 million to 41 million units -- and at least Microsoft can now claim to be a part of that boom. Look past the break for the numerical breakdown.
ASU experts say raising the age of eligibility and other reforms will put Medicare on solid footingPublic release date: 24-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Skip Derra skip.derra@asu.edu 480-965-4823 Arizona State University
TEMPE, Ariz. Raising the age of eligibility and reforming some Medicare practices can go a long way to making it sustainable, according to three Arizona State University healthcare policy experts.
"Given our demographics and the rapidly increasing costs of medical care, Medicare as we know it, is unsustainable. We are now eating away at our children's and grandchildren's futures," said Dr. Denis Cortese, MD, director of ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program. "The time to fix Medicare is now."
Cortese, along with colleagues Natalie Landman and Robert Smoldt, recently published the book "A Roadmap to Medicare Sustainability." In it, the authors provide four recommendations to make Medicare sustainable and affordable for Americans long term. They are:
Raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 69.
Move Medicare to a premium support model.
Establish true pay for value for medical providers.
Carry out tort reform.
As the primary health insurance program for adults aged 65 and older and those with permanent disabilities, Medicare is important to many Americans. But the program needs to be reformed in order to become sustainable or it will continue to be a major contributor to the U.S. federal debt.
"Medicare must be fundamentally reformed and made sustainable in a manner that is fair to seniors, their children and their grandchildren who are or will be paying the taxes for the Medicare program," said Smoldt, associate director of ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program. "Bold action and consistent leadership on several fronts are required."
A fundamental problem with Medicare is that it is a "pay as you go" system and there are really no funds in the Medicare Trust Fund that can be drawn from, explained Smoldt. Because of that, the growing costs of Medicare (as more Boomers enter retirement age) make it a bigger factor than Social Security in the future expected expansion of the U.S. federal debt.
The goal, the authors state, is to make Medicare fiscally sound, patient centered, have it provide choice to beneficiaries and promote competition among providers.
Raising the age of eligibility
There are two basic problems with Medicare sustainability the increase in the number of beneficiaries and the increase in cost per beneficiary.
"Just by raising the age eligibility for Medicare, you can go a long way to making it stronger for a longer period of time," said Cortese. Moreover, raising the age of eligibility for Medicare will not only help close the Medicare funding gap, but also will encourage seniors to build up adequate retirement savings and boost overall GDP.
The authors suggest raising the age of eligibility from 65 to 69 years, but to do so in a series of graduated steps. Keeping in mind that some people will not be able to continue to work and receive health benefits from their employer, the authors also propose that a mechanism be put in place to allow for enrollment at age 65 that would be actuarially equivalent to standard program enrollment at age 69.
Premium support model
Because Medicare's past control efforts (through price controls) have not solved its fiscal problems, continuation of this strategy likely will lead to decreased access and quality problems for beneficiaries. Instead, the authors suggest that Medicare be moved to a premium support model as a method of limiting the government subsidy of health insurance for the elderly.
"The country needs to decide how much it can afford," explained Smoldt. "Say it is $1 trillion, then divide that by the number of recipients. This could mean the government provides $100 per month per recipient. Some people may not be able to afford any additional premium, so you would need to provide to them the base health insurance plan for that $100. Then anyone who can afford more could go and look for other plans and pay the difference."
Raising the age of eligibility and setting a cap on the government contribution fixes Medicare costs in a predictable way. It makes Medicare more sustainable so it actually will be there for future generations, Cortese said.
Pay for value
Another key recommendation is for Medicare to change the way it pays for services. The aim is to shift the focus away from pay for service to one of pay for value. In essence, the doctors would have financial incentives to provide high-quality care (better patient outcomes, safety, service) while using fewer resources.
Because Medicare is the largest single payer for care in the U.S., this fundamental change would have a big influence on the way doctor's practice, said Landman, associate director for projects at ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program.
"It changes the way medical practice is administered and rewards those who help people get and stay healthy," she added.
"Pay for value is the best way to improve health cost efficiency," Smoldt said. "It directly affects the way doctors practice and could result in substantial cost savings."
Tort reform
Finally, the authors state that the current legal environment leads to higher use rate and inefficiencies in healthcare. Defensive medicine leads to procedures and tests that are ordered to avoid possible future malpractice and this, in turn, results in higher healthcare delivery costs.
Estimates of annual healthcare costs caused by unnecessary care related to defensive medicine and associated legal costs range from $50 billion to $200 billion.
"The legal environment should be structured to encourage the sharing of information, perhaps through increased transparency and creation of a safe harbor to report poor outcomes or errors," the authors state.
"Tort reform might help patients get the care they need and let doctors advance their field and treatments without having to resort to defensive medicine," Cortese added.
The authors estimate that raising the age of eligibility and moving Medicare to a premium support system could save as much as $618 billion between 2013 and 2022. These changes could put Medicare on a sustainable path that will serve those who need it most without saddling future generations with debt.
###
Sources:
Denis Cortese, (480) 965-1180
Robert Smoldt (480) 965-1180
Natalie Landman, (480) 965-1180
Media contact:
Skip Derra, (480) 965-4823; skip.derra@asu.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
ASU experts say raising the age of eligibility and other reforms will put Medicare on solid footingPublic release date: 24-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Skip Derra skip.derra@asu.edu 480-965-4823 Arizona State University
TEMPE, Ariz. Raising the age of eligibility and reforming some Medicare practices can go a long way to making it sustainable, according to three Arizona State University healthcare policy experts.
"Given our demographics and the rapidly increasing costs of medical care, Medicare as we know it, is unsustainable. We are now eating away at our children's and grandchildren's futures," said Dr. Denis Cortese, MD, director of ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program. "The time to fix Medicare is now."
Cortese, along with colleagues Natalie Landman and Robert Smoldt, recently published the book "A Roadmap to Medicare Sustainability." In it, the authors provide four recommendations to make Medicare sustainable and affordable for Americans long term. They are:
Raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 69.
Move Medicare to a premium support model.
Establish true pay for value for medical providers.
Carry out tort reform.
As the primary health insurance program for adults aged 65 and older and those with permanent disabilities, Medicare is important to many Americans. But the program needs to be reformed in order to become sustainable or it will continue to be a major contributor to the U.S. federal debt.
"Medicare must be fundamentally reformed and made sustainable in a manner that is fair to seniors, their children and their grandchildren who are or will be paying the taxes for the Medicare program," said Smoldt, associate director of ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program. "Bold action and consistent leadership on several fronts are required."
A fundamental problem with Medicare is that it is a "pay as you go" system and there are really no funds in the Medicare Trust Fund that can be drawn from, explained Smoldt. Because of that, the growing costs of Medicare (as more Boomers enter retirement age) make it a bigger factor than Social Security in the future expected expansion of the U.S. federal debt.
The goal, the authors state, is to make Medicare fiscally sound, patient centered, have it provide choice to beneficiaries and promote competition among providers.
Raising the age of eligibility
There are two basic problems with Medicare sustainability the increase in the number of beneficiaries and the increase in cost per beneficiary.
"Just by raising the age eligibility for Medicare, you can go a long way to making it stronger for a longer period of time," said Cortese. Moreover, raising the age of eligibility for Medicare will not only help close the Medicare funding gap, but also will encourage seniors to build up adequate retirement savings and boost overall GDP.
The authors suggest raising the age of eligibility from 65 to 69 years, but to do so in a series of graduated steps. Keeping in mind that some people will not be able to continue to work and receive health benefits from their employer, the authors also propose that a mechanism be put in place to allow for enrollment at age 65 that would be actuarially equivalent to standard program enrollment at age 69.
Premium support model
Because Medicare's past control efforts (through price controls) have not solved its fiscal problems, continuation of this strategy likely will lead to decreased access and quality problems for beneficiaries. Instead, the authors suggest that Medicare be moved to a premium support model as a method of limiting the government subsidy of health insurance for the elderly.
"The country needs to decide how much it can afford," explained Smoldt. "Say it is $1 trillion, then divide that by the number of recipients. This could mean the government provides $100 per month per recipient. Some people may not be able to afford any additional premium, so you would need to provide to them the base health insurance plan for that $100. Then anyone who can afford more could go and look for other plans and pay the difference."
Raising the age of eligibility and setting a cap on the government contribution fixes Medicare costs in a predictable way. It makes Medicare more sustainable so it actually will be there for future generations, Cortese said.
Pay for value
Another key recommendation is for Medicare to change the way it pays for services. The aim is to shift the focus away from pay for service to one of pay for value. In essence, the doctors would have financial incentives to provide high-quality care (better patient outcomes, safety, service) while using fewer resources.
Because Medicare is the largest single payer for care in the U.S., this fundamental change would have a big influence on the way doctor's practice, said Landman, associate director for projects at ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program.
"It changes the way medical practice is administered and rewards those who help people get and stay healthy," she added.
"Pay for value is the best way to improve health cost efficiency," Smoldt said. "It directly affects the way doctors practice and could result in substantial cost savings."
Tort reform
Finally, the authors state that the current legal environment leads to higher use rate and inefficiencies in healthcare. Defensive medicine leads to procedures and tests that are ordered to avoid possible future malpractice and this, in turn, results in higher healthcare delivery costs.
Estimates of annual healthcare costs caused by unnecessary care related to defensive medicine and associated legal costs range from $50 billion to $200 billion.
"The legal environment should be structured to encourage the sharing of information, perhaps through increased transparency and creation of a safe harbor to report poor outcomes or errors," the authors state.
"Tort reform might help patients get the care they need and let doctors advance their field and treatments without having to resort to defensive medicine," Cortese added.
The authors estimate that raising the age of eligibility and moving Medicare to a premium support system could save as much as $618 billion between 2013 and 2022. These changes could put Medicare on a sustainable path that will serve those who need it most without saddling future generations with debt.
###
Sources:
Denis Cortese, (480) 965-1180
Robert Smoldt (480) 965-1180
Natalie Landman, (480) 965-1180
Media contact:
Skip Derra, (480) 965-4823; skip.derra@asu.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia raised the possibility of a referendum on Thursday on an accord to end the ethnic partition of its former Kosovo province, a high-stakes gamble that could cost Belgrade talks on joining the European Union.
The April 19 deal between Serbia and its majority-Albanian former province won Belgrade a preliminary green light for accession talks this year, but the bloc wants progress on the ground before taking a final decision on the talks in late June.
The accession process would drive reform and help lure investors to Serbia's ailing economy. But the accord faces resistance from some 50,000 Serbs in northern Kosovo, a region bristling with guns and deep animosity.
Trying to mollify them, Serbia's government said it was prepared to hold a popular vote. The decision would depend on talks next week with Kosovo Serb leaders, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told a news conference.
"If they pledge on Tuesday to accept the results of a referendum, the decision of the majority of the people, then we will be ready in 15 days and we'll put an end to that story," Vucic said after meeting a delegation of Kosovo Serb mayors.
Under the accord, the northern Serb pocket will be integrated into Kosovo's legal system five years after the former province, which is 90 percent Albanian, declared independence from Serbia with the backing of the West.
Hardline nationalists and the Serbian Orthodox Church have accused the government of betrayal, but there has been little sign of a major backlash.
According to the results of an opinion poll released on Thursday, 57 percent of Serbian citizens support the accord. Twenty-nine percent of the 1,180 respondents oppose it, polling agency Faktor Plus said.
Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 after 11 weeks of NATO air strikes to halt the massacre and expulsion of ethnic Albanian civilians by Serbian forces trying to crush a guerrilla insurgency.
But Belgrade retained a fragile grip on the northern pocket, where Serbs have lived largely as part of the Serbian state.
Desperate for the economic boost of closer EU ties, Serbia last week agreed to cede control over the north, and won a preliminary green light for the start of membership talks with the 27-nation bloc, probably later this year.
Kosovo Serb leaders pledged to resist.
"We will continue our peaceful battle, because we are in the right," said Slavisa Ristic, mayor of the northern Kosovo municipality of Zvecan.
"We cannot accept a change of identity by force," he said, according to the Tanjug state news agency.
(Additional reporting and writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Michael Roddy)
LONDON (Reuters) - A British bookmaker is taking bets on an ABBA comeback after singer Agnetha Faltskog hinted at a possible reunion for Sweden's most successful band. Faltskog, who has come out of retirement to release a solo album called "A", was asked by German's Die Zeit Magazine if she would be open to an ABBA reunion and she responded positively.
Psy knocked from top of Korean charts by 63-year-old singer
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy, whose latest video "Gentleman" tracked global megahit "Gangnam Style" by going viral on the Internet, has been knocked from the top of the music charts in his native country by a 63-year-old easy listening pop singer. "Gangnam Style", which holds the YouTube record for most views with more than 1.5 billion, catapulted the sunglassed Korean with the garish jackets to world stardom and made him one of the best-known faces to grace the growing K-pop music scene.
Documentary about deceased British singer Amy Winehouse in the works
(Reuters) - A documentary is in the works about the late British soul singer Amy Winehouse and it features previously unseen material, the film's distributor said on Wednesday. The film, which will include archival footage never seen by the public, will be directed by Briton Asif Kapadia, whose 2010 film "Senna," about Brazilian auto racer Ayrton Senna, won a BAFTA for best documentary.
Kurdish singer sparks identity debate on Arab talent show
ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A singer from Iraq's Kurdistan region has made it through to the semi-final of an Arab talent contest, igniting heated debates over Iraqi identity and politicizing the popular TV show. A panel of judges praised 24-year-old Parwaz Hussein and she was voted through to the next round of "Arab Idol", in which aspiring popstars from Morocco to Bahrain compete for a recording contract.
Swedish police find drugs on Justin Bieber bus, no suspects
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish police said on Thursday they found drugs on teen idol Justin Bieber's tour bus in Stockholm, but had no suspects and were unlikely to pursue the case further. A police officer on crowd duty smelled marijuana on an empty tour bus outside the hotel where Bieber was staying just before his concert in the capital on Wednesday night, police spokesman Kjell Lindgren said.
Michael Jackson wrongful death trial set to get underway Monday
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The civil trial over the death of Michael Jackson is set to get formally underway next week after jury selection was completed on Tuesday in the $40 billion case that pits the pop star's mother against concert promoters AEG Live. Six alternate jurors were chosen on Tuesday following the selection a day earlier of a jury of six men and six women for what is expected to be an emotional three-month trial.
Fall Out Boy outsells Kid Cudi for top spot on Billboard chart
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. rock band Fall Out Boy topped the Billboard 200 weekly best-selling album chart for the second time in their five-album career, besting rapper Kid Cudi. "Save Rock and Roll" sold 154,000 copies in its debut week, according figures on Wednesday from Nielsen SoundScan, outpacing Kid Cudi's "Indicud," which sold 136,000 copies in its first week.
Singer Lauryn Hill gets reprieve on tax evasion sentencing
NEWARK (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill was given a two-week reprieve on her sentencing for federal tax evasion on Monday as a federal judge admonished her defense counsel for failing to come up with most of the tax money promised prior to her scheduled hearing. Hill, a solo artist and a member of the Fugees rap trio, pleaded guilty in June 2012 to failure to file federal tax returns from 2005-2007, when she earned $1.8 million. She faces up to a year in prison for each charge.
Backstreet Boys get Hollywood star ahead of world tour
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Boy band the Backstreet Boys - now all grown men - on Monday marked their 20th anniversary and their upcoming world tour by getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "Backstreet is Back ... and we aren't going anywhere," Nick Carter, 33, told fans as all five members of the 1990s band gathered to unveil their star - located right next to another popular boy band, Boyz II Men.
Folk musician Richie Havens dead at 72
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. folk musician Richie Havens, who opened the historic 1969 Woodstock musical festival and energized the crowd with his version of "Motherless Child/Freedom," died of a heart attack on Monday at the age of 72, his talent agency said. Havens, who emerged from the New York folk scene in the 1960s and went on to sing for the Dalai Lama and President Bill Clinton, died at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey, Roots Agency President Tim Drake told Reuters.
Apr. 24, 2013 ? Who would have thought that two very different species, a small insect and a furry alpine mammal, would develop a shared food arrangement in the far North?
University of Alberta researchers were certainly surprised when they discovered the unusual response of pikas to patches of vegetation that had previously been grazed on by caterpillars from a species normally found in the high Arctic.
U of A biology researcher Isabel C. Barrio analyzed how two herbivores, caterpillars and pikas, competed for scarce vegetation in alpine areas of the southwest Yukon. The caterpillars come out of their winter cocoons and start consuming vegetation soon after the snow melts in June. Weeks later, the pika starts gathering and storing food in its winter den. For the experiment, Barrio altered the numbers of caterpillars grazing on small plots of land surrounding pika dens.
"What we found was that the pikas preferred the patches first grazed on by caterpillars," said Barrio. "We think the caterpillar's waste acted as a natural fertilizer, making the vegetation richer and more attractive to the pika."
U of A biology professor David Hik, who supervised the research, says the results are the opposite of what the team expected to find.
"Normally you'd expect that increased grazing by the caterpillars would have a negative effect on the pika," said Hik. "But the very territorial little pika actually preferred the vegetation first consumed by the caterpillars."
The researchers say it's highly unusual that two distant herbivore species -- an insect in its larval stage and a mammal -- react positively to one another when it comes to the all-consuming survival issue of finding food.
These caterpillars stay in their crawling larval stage for up to 14 years, sheltering in a cocoon during the long winters before finally becoming Arctic woolly bear moths for the final 24 hours of their lives.
The pika does not hibernate and gathers a food supply in its den. Its food-gathering territory surrounds the den and covers an area of around 700 square metres.
The researchers say they'll continue their work on the caterpillar-pika relationship to explore the long-term implications for increased insect populations and competition for scarce food resources in northern mountain environments.
Barrio was the lead author on the collaborative research project, which was published April 24 in the journal Biology Letters.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alberta, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. The original article was written by Brian Murphy.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
I. C. Barrio, D. S. Hik, K. Peck, C. G. Bueno. After the frass: foraging pikas select patches previously grazed by caterpillars. Biology Letters, 2013; 9 (3): 20130090 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0090
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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