May 5, 2018 08:03 PM
How much do you know about Australia’s native fleas?
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/t...tive-fleas
EXCERPT: . . . From our small native rodents to our fluffy marsupials, Australia’s diverse flea population has a smorgasbord of juicy mammals to feed on. In fact, the biggest flea in the world, Bradiopsylla echidnae, preys solely on our much-loved echidnas, which doesn’t help them out with that bad rap. [...] The diverse sizes of Aussie fleas make them unique, Andrea explained, adding that Macropsylla hercules is a personal favourite, mainly for its name and large size. But she also has a fondness for Stephanocircus, a genus of fleas that have developed helmets that work similarly to the prow of a boat, steering the fleas through the fur, and then they dig in.
MORE: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/t...tive-fleas
Loveable orangutan discovered last year is already close to extinction
http://metro.co.uk/2018/05/04/loveable-a...n-7520263/
EXCERPT: A super-rare species of ape is facing extinction just one year after it was first discovered. There are now just 800 Tapanuli Orangutans in the wild and the future is looking bleak for the cute beastie. It was first seen in Sumatra, Indonesia, but is now on the verge of total obliteration. ‘In forty years of research, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything this dramatic,’ said Professor William Laurance from James Cook University in Australia, leader of the research team investigating the ape’s plight.
MORE: http://metro.co.uk/2018/05/04/loveable-a...n-7520263/
How Accurately Can Scientists Reconstruct A Person’s Face From DNA?
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovatio...180968951/
EXCERPT: . . . Research on DNA phenotyping has advanced rapidly in the last year with the application of machine learning approaches, but the extent of our current capabilities is still hotly debated.
Last year, researchers from geneticist Craig Venter’s company Human Longevity, made detailed measurements of the physical attributes of around 1,000 people. Whole genomes (our complete genetic code) were sequenced and the data combined to make models that predict 3D facial structure, voice, biological age, height, weight, body mass index, eye color and skin color.
The study received strong backlash from a number of prominent scientists, including Yaniv Erlich, aka the “genome hacker.” The study seemed to predict average faces based on sex and ancestry, rather than specific faces of individuals. The method of judging the predictions on small ethnically mixed cohorts was also criticized.
Even with accurate facial predictions, Erlich noted that for this approach to identify someone in the real world:
MORE: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovatio...180968951/
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/t...tive-fleas
EXCERPT: . . . From our small native rodents to our fluffy marsupials, Australia’s diverse flea population has a smorgasbord of juicy mammals to feed on. In fact, the biggest flea in the world, Bradiopsylla echidnae, preys solely on our much-loved echidnas, which doesn’t help them out with that bad rap. [...] The diverse sizes of Aussie fleas make them unique, Andrea explained, adding that Macropsylla hercules is a personal favourite, mainly for its name and large size. But she also has a fondness for Stephanocircus, a genus of fleas that have developed helmets that work similarly to the prow of a boat, steering the fleas through the fur, and then they dig in.
MORE: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/t...tive-fleas
Loveable orangutan discovered last year is already close to extinction
http://metro.co.uk/2018/05/04/loveable-a...n-7520263/
EXCERPT: A super-rare species of ape is facing extinction just one year after it was first discovered. There are now just 800 Tapanuli Orangutans in the wild and the future is looking bleak for the cute beastie. It was first seen in Sumatra, Indonesia, but is now on the verge of total obliteration. ‘In forty years of research, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything this dramatic,’ said Professor William Laurance from James Cook University in Australia, leader of the research team investigating the ape’s plight.
MORE: http://metro.co.uk/2018/05/04/loveable-a...n-7520263/
How Accurately Can Scientists Reconstruct A Person’s Face From DNA?
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovatio...180968951/
EXCERPT: . . . Research on DNA phenotyping has advanced rapidly in the last year with the application of machine learning approaches, but the extent of our current capabilities is still hotly debated.
Last year, researchers from geneticist Craig Venter’s company Human Longevity, made detailed measurements of the physical attributes of around 1,000 people. Whole genomes (our complete genetic code) were sequenced and the data combined to make models that predict 3D facial structure, voice, biological age, height, weight, body mass index, eye color and skin color.
The study received strong backlash from a number of prominent scientists, including Yaniv Erlich, aka the “genome hacker.” The study seemed to predict average faces based on sex and ancestry, rather than specific faces of individuals. The method of judging the predictions on small ethnically mixed cohorts was also criticized.
Even with accurate facial predictions, Erlich noted that for this approach to identify someone in the real world:
an adversary … would have to create [a] population scale database that includes height, face morphology, digital voice signatures and demographic data of every person they want to identify.
Because without a detailed biometric database you can’t get from the physical predictions to a name. It turns out that the Australian government is in the process of building such a database....MORE: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovatio...180968951/