Russian satellite Kosmos-482 crashes back to Earth
Professor Roberto Armellin from the University of Auckland's Space Institute has been tracking the satellite and its crash landing late last night.
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Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Decline in parasites mirrors fall in kakapo numbers
More than 80% of parasites found in ancient kākāpō poo are no longer present in the birds. Researchers from the University of Adelaide, New Zealand's Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research and the University of Auckland have released their findings after research over the past few years. The project used microscopic techniques to sample fossilised faeces dating back more than 1500 years. Of the 16 original parasite taxa, nine disappeared before the 1990s, when the endangered parrot came under full-population management, and another four have been recorded as lost in the period since. "Despite their sometimes negative portrayal, parasites are increasingly appreciated for their ecological importance," University of Adelaide's Dr Jamie Wood, who contributed to the study, published in Current Biology, said. "Parasites are among the planet's most ubiquitous, successful and species-rich groups of organisms, and nearly all free-living species harbour some parasites. They may help with immune system development and compete to exclude foreign parasites that may be more harmful to their hosts," Dr Wood said. "However, the dependence of parasites on living hosts may make them susceptible to extinction, especially as many parasites live with just one host species." An extinction of a parasite that occurs in tandem with its host is known as a secondary extinction or a co-extinction, and it often happens at a faster rate than for the host animal. "Predictive models indicate that parasites may go extinct before their hosts during the co-extinction process as opportunities to transmit between host individuals diminish. "As a result, faunal declines may have a lasting impact on parasite communities, even if host populations eventually recover. "Dependent species, like parasites, are rarely preserved or documented prior to their extinction, and so until now we have had few data to indicate the actual scale of the co-extinction process. "Our new research indicates that parasite extinctions may be far more prevalent than previous estimates suggest, with unknown impacts on their hosts and their ecosystems." Lead author Alexander Boast, from Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, was surprised at the degree of parasite loss. "The level of parasite loss in kākāpō was greater than we had expected and very few parasite species were found in both ancient and modern kākāpō populations. Thus, it seems that endangered species everywhere may possess fractions of their original parasite communities," he said. As the world looks at the effects of biodiversity loss, Dr Wood said due attention should also be given to parasitic life. "Global rates of climate change, ecosystem modification and biodiversity decline continue to rise, which means there is an increasingly urgent need to recognise and understand the downstream impacts on dependent species, such as parasites, mutualists or predators," he said. "Documenting parasite extinction, how quickly it can unfold, and estimating the number of presently threatened parasites are key first steps toward a 'global parasite conservation plan' and supporting informed predictions for past, present and future parasite losses." — Allied Media
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Game developer and physics teacher to make STEM school
technology education about 1 hour ago Physics teacher and academic Tristan O'Hanlon, and Grinding Gear Games co-founder Jonathan Rogers, have been given resource consent to build a new Auckland high school focussed on sciences and computer programming. 'The Academy' in West Auckland is expected to open in 2027. The pair say the school will start with year 7s and year 9s to then build up into a full intermediate and high school with a focus on teaching programming languages like JavaScript. Senior students will study the Cambrdige curriculum instead of NCEA, but there will be a focus on the sciences, and mathematics. Jonathan is managing director at Grinding Gear Games, known for its hit game Path of Exile, and was one of the company's founders. The game studio was recently sold to Chinese developer TenCent. Jonathan and Tristan talk to Kathryn about their desire to see STEM education stepped up, and their hopes for the new school.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Readynet alert system founder on NEMA glitches
The National Emergency Management Agency is investigating glitches in its emergency alerts system, after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia on Wednesday. Matthew Nolan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
