Harbinger of Doom

May 23 2013
rorschachx: In the evolutionary race, tiny plants are speedier than their towering cousins. A new comparison of the genomes of 138 families of species with heights ranging from 5 centimeters to about 45 meters reveals that the DNA of shorter plants, such as tomato plants, mutates faster than taller plants, such as most trees. One short-in-stature herbal plant family called Tropaeolaceae (left) mutated almost 10 times as fast as a closely related family of trees called Akaniaceae (right), the team reports today in Nature Communications. The researchers suggest that shorter plants may mutate faster because they typically copy their genomes more frequently. The more a plant copies its genome, the more mistakes it makes. If correct, that could mean tall, slower-growing plants such as trees are in greater danger from the rapidly changing climate than their smaller relatives, because the greater rate of mutation gives shorter plants more opportunities to adapt. | via Science

rorschachx:

In the evolutionary race, tiny plants are speedier than their towering cousins. A new comparison of the genomes of 138 families of species with heights ranging from 5 centimeters to about 45 meters reveals that the DNA of shorter plants, such as tomato plants, mutates faster than taller plants, such as most trees. One short-in-stature herbal plant family called Tropaeolaceae (left) mutated almost 10 times as fast as a closely related family of trees called Akaniaceae (right), the team reports today in Nature Communications. The researchers suggest that shorter plants may mutate faster because they typically copy their genomes more frequently. The more a plant copies its genome, the more mistakes it makes. If correct, that could mean tall, slower-growing plants such as trees are in greater danger from the rapidly changing climate than their smaller relatives, because the greater rate of mutation gives shorter plants more opportunities to adapt. | via Science

via rorschachx
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May 13 2013
USGS TO DISCONTINUE STREAMGAGES DUE TO SEQUESTRATION: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will discontinue operation of up to 375 streamgages nationwide due to budget cuts as a result of sequestration. Additional streamgages may be affected if partners reduce their funding to support USGS streamgages. The USGS is working to identify which streamgages will be impacted and when, and will post this information as it becomes available. Streamgages are used nationwide to predict and address drought and flood conditions by monitoring water availability. The USGS and over 850 Federal, State, and local agencies cooperatively fund the USGS streamgaging network, which consists of over 8,000 streamgages. When budget fluctuations occur, the network is impacted. For more information contact Richard Verdi at 508-490-5064 or rverdi@usgs.gov. United States Congress: Fail

USGS TO DISCONTINUE STREAMGAGES DUE TO SEQUESTRATION: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will discontinue operation of up to 375 streamgages nationwide due to budget cuts as a result of sequestration. Additional streamgages may be affected if partners reduce their funding to support USGS streamgages. The USGS is working to identify which streamgages will be impacted and when, and will post this information as it becomes available. Streamgages are used nationwide to predict and address drought and flood conditions by monitoring water availability. The USGS and over 850 Federal, State, and local agencies cooperatively fund the USGS streamgaging network, which consists of over 8,000 streamgages. When budget fluctuations occur, the network is impacted.

For more information contact Richard Verdi at 508-490-5064 or rverdi@usgs.gov.

United States Congress: Fail

May 12 2013
El Capitan and FC Barcelona win the Spanish League Championship.

El Capitan and FC Barcelona win the Spanish League Championship.