Environmental change can drive hard-wired evolutionary changes in animal species in a matter of generations, report ecologists from Ume� University and the University of Leeds. The new findings, which overturn the common assumption that evolution occurs very slowly, could shed light in areas such as the management of fisheries, where human actions can result in […]
Tag Archives | environmental
Antidepressants in water induce autism-like gene expression in fish
Antidepressants and other psychoactive medications in water affect the gene expression profiles of fish in a way that mimics the gene expression patterns associated with autism spectrum disorder, say researchers at Idaho State University. The findings are based on work with fathead minnows and appear in the journal PLoS ONE. Identifying environmental triggers for autism […]
Birth control hormones threaten fish fecundity
Writing in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, researchers from Sweden say that traces of many medicines can be found in fish that have been swimming in treated waste water. One such medicine, the hormone levonorgestrel, was found in higher concentrations in fish than in women who take the contraceptive pill. Elevated levels of levonorgestrel […]
Loud Music Boosts Booze Consumption
Published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, a French study has found that loud music in a bar setting leads to more drinking in less time. “Previous research had shown that fast music can cause fast drinking, and that music versus no music can cause a person to spend more time in a […]
Concern Over Environmental Estrogen
Long-term exposure to a synthetic estrogen at levels below those currently found in the environment could have a major impact on fish populations, according to a study appearing in the journalEnvironmental Health Perspectives. The study, authored by Jon P. Nash, shows that ethynylestradiol, a potent synthetic form of estrogen used in oral contraceptives, can produce […]