Animal Science

You've known for years that you should eat bright, leafy vegetables to ward off cancer and other ailments. But did you know that brightly-colored insects can also lead you to plants that ward off illness?

A report published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment shows how brightly-colored butterfly larvae and beetles like to eat plants that contain chemical compounds that help fight cancer cells and tropical parasitic diseases. Seeking out these wiggly creatures could help speed up the discovery and development of new drugs. By following the bugs, scientists may be able to find the cure.

Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Gamboa, Panama made this amazing find by looking at plants we already know contain anti-cancer compounds. The bugs on the plants were brightly colored – a warning for predators to stay away from their poisonous toxins. Apparently, those toxins can come from the insects' host plants.

Bugs are commonly found on plants with compounds that can help fight breast cancer and malaria. It's suggested that "a quick screen for insects with warning coloration on tropical plants may increase the efficiency of the search for compounds active against cancer and tropical parasitic disease by four-fold".

Of course, most of these medicinal plants are in tropical climates, and harvesting them for human use is controversial. And just because a plant has a brightly-colored bug on it isn't a guarantee that it's a lifesaver. Extensive testing will still have to be performed. But if researchers and scientists can spend less time looking - and can more accurately find plants that lead to cures - it may lead to more lives saved!

As part of the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups Project (ICBG), the STRI in Panama is working to find new drugs in the tropical forest. The group hopes to discover compounds from plants, algae, and marine invertebrates to fight cancer and tropical diseases. They're also trying to conserve biodiversity by applying what they've learned. So far, the team has made significant progress in finding compounds active against leishmaniasis (black fever) and malaria.

Resources:

http://www.biology-blog.com/blogs/permalinks/7-2008/insect-warning-colors-aid-cancer-drug-discovery.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/stri-iwc070808.php

http://www.stri.org/english/research/facilities/terrestrial/gamboa/research_projects.php

Is penguin health and the penguin population a barometer for the health of Earth's seas? Oil spills are only occasional events, but anyone who visits a beach can see the litter that's left behind. Half of the world's 17 penguin species are now endangered or at risk of becoming so. Several species - including the erect-crested, rockhopper, Adelie, and Chinstrap - have all experienced population declines of up to 50 percent in the last 30 years.

So what do the problems with penguins have to do with the state of Earth's oceans? University of Washington professor Dee Boersma has studied penguins for nearly 30 years. She blames the current plight of the penguins on human activities that have affected the oceans. "Penguins are in trouble," she explains. As for the relationship between penguin health and the health of Earth's oceans, Boersma says that the birds "certainly are canaries in the coal mine".

Temperate Zones

Do you envision all of the planet's penguins living in Antarctica, surviving months of sunless blizzards? Think again! Many of the planet's penguin species, such as the yellow-eyed and African penguins, live in temperate areas. Still, the Galapagos penguins number about 2,500 birds now - a quarter of their total in the 1970s.

Because these species live nearer to humans than their southern relatives, they face threats from commercial fishing, guano mining, and oil drilling. Egg harvesting and oil spills are also two major threats to temperate penguin species.

Antarctic Penguins

Many penguins live on the icy glaciers of Antarctica, of course. Recently, I've been watching the Planet Earth TV series on the Discovery Channel. It's pretty interesting to see the male Emperor penguins huddle together during the dark months of winter snow storms to incubate the eggs.

But how much longer will they be able to do so? Although the East Antarctic ice sheet (the largest such area in the world) hasn't been affected much by the current climate change, scientists have recently seen a loss of some glaciers and sea ice caused by rising temperatures.

For penguins, less ice means less territory. It also means less krill (small, shrimp-like animals) for them to feed on, so the penguins must travel farther through the icy water to find food. It also means that the seasons are changing. A study published in BioScience found that some baby penguins were unable to survive because they could not grow a waterproof coating of feathers in time to survive freezing waters.

Options

What can be done for the penguins and other species that swim the planet's oceans?

• Scientists recommend formal counting and tracking of the penguins to better understand population dynamics.
• Dee Boersma suggests creating a coalition to monitor and protect the world's 43 major groups of penguins (limit pollution, fishing, etc.) – with benefits to other animals, too.
• Look at what we're doing to the oceans in general – because what's bad for the ocean animals can't be good for people, either.

Resources:

http://timesonline.typepad.com/environment/2008/07/penguin-populat.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/01/eapenguin101.xml

http://www.biology-blog.com/blogs/permalinks/7-2008/human-influences-challenge-penguin-populations.html

http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-editorials/editorial_2008_07.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin

In honor of the Olympic Games in Beijing, I decided to learn about some endangered animals in China. Some were familiar to me while others were new. How many of these species have you heard of?

Giant Panda
The giant panda is one of China's best-known animals, and is closely associated with the host country for the 2008 Olympics. Often depicted eating bamboo, this black and white bear lives high in the mountains and has evolved from its formerly carnivorous ways. A low reproductive rate and bamboo deforestation are two reasons for the endangerment of the giant panda. The Wolong Nature Preserve in China uses captive breeding and artificial insemination in an attempt to save the species. Wolong was, however, seriously damaged in the major earthquake that struck China earlier this year.

Chinese Alligator
When I think of alligators (and crocodiles; I tend to mix them up despite learning tricks about snout shapes), I always think of the Nile and the Everglades. Nevertheless, China has its share of alligators in the Yangtze River. About 500 members of this species are left in the wild. A breeding and research center has been set up not only to preserve the Chinese alligator, but also to study its interesting heart. The Chinese alligator has a four-chambered heart like birds and mammals that can also separate the flow of oxygenated and un-oxygenated blood.

Snow Leopard
You many not picture a snow leopard in China, but they do live there - at altitudes of 2,000 to 6,000 meters. Following herds of blue sheep, they wander the Tibetan plateau and Inner Mongolia. The spotted pattern of a snow leopard's fur helps the animal blend in with the rocky landscape of these areas. Although the Chinese snow leopard is hard to spot (no pun intended), it is still endangered because of poaching for its beautiful coat.

Red-Crowned Crane
The red-crowned crane symbolizes longevity, fortune, and dignity. Eight of the world's 15 crane species live in China. The red-crowned variety prefers to live along reedy marshlands, flying long distances to feed on fish, worms, frogs, and even grains. The crane has become endangered in China because of pollution,over-capture, and hunting.

These are just a few animal species from China – there are many more, some of which are endangered. Sometimes, it's nice to stop and take a look at what's in someone else's backyard as opposed to your own.

References:

http://www.ifce.org/pages/conservation.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Panda

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,391754,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Alligator

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

http://www.kewa.org/snow.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-crowned_Crane

Swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, rowing, and even table tennis are all sports we tune-in to watch every fourth summer during the Olympic Games. How about something different this time – the Equestrian events? The 2008 Olympics will have plenty of them.

Equestrian sports are those that include both a horse and rider (or handler); however, no serious competitor calls them "Equestrian", opting instead to refer to the individual events by their more specific names (see some below). Equestrian sports are the only Olympic category where humans and animals compete together, and they're one of very few events where men and women compete against one another on equal terms.

Three-Day Events (now known as Eventing, the triathlon of equestrian sports) were first introduced to the Olympic Games in 1900 and were restricted to military officers. In 1948, civilians were allowed to compete in any Equestrian event for the first time. Today, medals are awarded both individually and for teams of four horse-and-rider combinations from each country.

Although riders can compete in any number of styles and disciplines either locally, nationally, and internationally, there are only three disciplines recognized at the Olympic Games:

• Dressage – Horse and rider perform intricate, predetermined movements (sometimes set to music) that look like a dance. Competitors are judged on obedience, overall style, and invisibility of rider's commands. Think figure skating.

• Show Jumping – Horse and rider negotiate a complex course of approximately 12 fences that can be over 5-ft. high and 6-ft. wide. The pair that knocks down the fewest fences and completes the course in the fastest time wins! Think hurdles with a wacky pattern.

• Eventing – This combines the previous two elements on a first and last day, with a phase known as "cross country" in the middle (see photo). It's usually a four-mile course of about 20 jumps through fields or forests. These jumps are intimidating, and include logs, stone walls, ditches, or ponds. The team with the fewest mistakes over the three days wins. Think triathlon.

As most people know, this year's Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China. The Equestrian events, however, will be held at the Sha Tin racecourse, which has undergone $1.2-billion (HKD) worth of renovations thanks to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. (In U.S. dollars, this amount is equivalent to $153-million.)

All major overnight equine competitions such as the Games need basics like stabling and show arenas. Because of this year's unique location in China, however, there are some fancy amenities:

• Ice making machines to help rapidly cool-down horses after working.
• Mobile cooling units to help stressed animals immediately after competition (see photo for an example).
• Rolling box-stalls filled with sand to allow horses to play, relax, and stretch.
• Flooring made of recycled tires for shock absorption (part of a "green" initiative).
• Veterinary, nursing, and lab staff of 44 with a full equine hospital.
• On-site laboratory to test for prohibited substances (and help sick animals).

Sounds good to me! In the wake of recent casualties of horses and riders in the Eventing community, it's hoped that these safety measures and added health facilities will keep the world's top athletes in perfect shape – before, during, and after competition.

Editor's Note: Click here for a schedule of NBC Universal's coverage of equestrian events at this year's Olympic Games.

Resources:

http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/index_uk.asp?SportCode=EQ

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12181&kw=beijing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Olympic_Games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-country_equestrianism (photo)

http://www.teamfredericks.com/media/equine_unit2.jpg (photo)

Compulsive behaviors, anxiety, and over-activity. They're all reasons why adults (and children) are medicated. Pets are also given pills to prevent unwanted behavior. Last year, Americans shelled out "$49 billion for pet products and services in 2007", according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. The organization's surveys also found that "77% of dog owners and 52% of cat owners gave their animals some sort of medication in 2006."

Pet Problems

There are a number of behavioral issues that can frustrate an owner to the point of administering pet medication. Typically, these pet behaviors are more serious than the occasional accident on the floor, the momentary lapse of hearing when a dog doesn't want to come inside, or the cat who playfully scratches at the couch.

Dogs or cats who have experienced abuse can relapse into past behaviors. When memories of abuse surface, a dog may bite or attack. Cats may hiss and scratch any time they are startled or even touched. Such behaviors are instinctive, and if an animal doesn't feel that it's safe, it will act accordingly.

Some animals suffer from separation anxiety. Today, many pets are considered members of the family – eating with their owners at mealtimes and even sleeping in the same bed. When the people leave and the pet is left behind, anxiety can set in. Some problematic behaviors include excessive barking or meowing, pacing or running, accidents, and destruction (especially when confined).

One of my dogs, a seven-year-old beagle named Speckles, suffers from separation anxiety. She barks constantly – once I could hear her a half-mile away! She also claws frantically at windows and doors, doesn't drink any water until someone comes home, and has accidents. I've tried keeping her crated during the day, but my days are long and I feel it's unfair when my other beagle is free to roam the house.

Solutions – Natural and Not

Although there are many medications available to help ward off unwanted behavior in your pet, pills should only be administered if traditional methods don't work. Retraining to help an animal "unlearn" a bad behavior can teach the pet, for example, that it's not acceptable to viciously grab the owner's sandwich out of his hand.

Training methods for dogs can help correct all types of unwanted behavior. These methods include basics such as sit, down, and stay. If a dog understands that he must respect you when you give these commands, it will sink in that these are "good" things to do. It will also teach your pet that these are "good" things to do while you're gone, too, as opposed to destroying furniture. Other options include crate training, more exercise when you are home, and strict routines for coming and going.

If such "natural" methods don't work for your pet, there are a variety of medications available (just as there are for human behavioral issues). ClomiCalm is prescribed for obsessive-compulsive problems as well as separation anxiety and depression. The medication is a tricyclic antidepressant (like Elavil for humans). Think your dog is going a little "crazy" in old age? Selegiline HCI tablets are used to treat senility.

Just as with humans, there is no "best" drug for any pet. Often, trial and error is required to find the ideal medication at the optimal dosage. A veterinarian is the right person to help the owner, who knows the pet best, find that treatment.

Resources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/magazine/13pets-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=fad177181244c3b4&ex=1215835200&oref=slogin

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/07/10/crazy-pet-are-medications-the-answer/

http://www.naturaldogblog.com/blog/2008/01/dog-training-easing-separation-anxiety-for-your-dog/

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/