genetic diversity

Shade coffee benefits more than birds

harminka — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:30:23 -0600

Here's one more reason to say "shade grown, please" when you order your morning cup of coffee. Shade coffee farms, which grow coffee under a canopy of multiple tree species, not only harbor native birds, bats and other beneficial creatures, but also maintain genetic diversity of native tree species and can act as focal points for tropical forest regeneration.

Mate choice in plants

harminka — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:46:19 -0500

Plants are very selective when it comes to choosing mates. Flowering plant pollination systems are clever devices for attracting pollinators like birds, ants, and insects, but there are also mechanisms for keeping out unwanted pollen.

Method streamlines collection while maintaining genetic diversity

harminka — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:39:20 -0600

Reseachers at The Ohio State University have demonstrated that Target Region Amplification Polymorphism, or TRAP, is an effective method for preserving the important genetic diversity of ornamental flower collections.

Database of human genetic diversity allows identification of disease-associated genes

harminka — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:36:48 -0500
Investigators from six countries have completed the second phase of the International HapMap Project, an effort to identify and catalog genetic similarities and differences among populations around the world.

Eco-tilling detects resistance

harminka — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:26:10 -0500
A new molecular tool developedby Australian and Japanese researchers is expected to help farmers address what has become one of the major threats to conventional agricultural practices - herbicide resistance.

Genetic diversity in honeybee colonies boosts productivity

harminka — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:08:48 -0500
Why do queen honeybees mate with dozens of males? Does their extreme promiscuity, perhaps, serve a purpose?

Mouflons of the Kerguelen archipelago

harminka — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:04:16 -0500
The team of Denis RÃ©ale, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Ecology and Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM, recently published some remarkable research findings. Reconstructing the genetic history of a population of mouflons descended from a single pair, the researchers demonstrated that the animals' genetic diversity increased over time, contrary to what the usual models predict.

Bigger horns equal better genes

harminka — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 09:19:24 -0500
According to a team of international researchers, mature, male alpine ibex demonstrate a correlation between horn growth and genetic diversity. Past research studies have shown that greater genetic diversity correlates with a greater chance of survival.

LSU professor involved in genome sequencing of first marsupial

harminka — Thu, 10 May 2007 07:14:12 -0500
Since the launch of the Human Genome Project, which released a first draft of the entire sequence of human DNA in 2001, many researchers have dedicated themselves to creating a library of comprehensive, species-specific genetic sequence "maps" available for study.