The urban parks of Barcelona, Spain, are home to a thriving colony of tropical monk parakeets. These vibrant green birds, native to South America, have adapted well to their new European environment. As they live in large groups, they communicate with each other using an array of distinct sounds – offering scientists a unique window into understanding the intricate relationships between individual social connections and vocal variety.

For animals that live in complex societies, communication is the key that unlocks the benefits of group living. From dolphins’ clicks and whistles to primates’ calls, it’s well-known that species with more intricate social lives tend to have more diverse ways of communicating. However, a recent study on wild parrots has drilled deeper into the social and vocal lives of individual birds.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior spent two years closely observing 337 monk parakeets in Spain, documenting their social lives and recording over 5,599 vocalizations – an astonishing number that provides a wealth of data for analysis. By examining these calls in terms of repertoire diversity (the variety of sounds a bird can make) and contact-call diversity (how unique this specific type of call is), the team was able to uncover some fascinating insights.

The study revealed that individual parakeets living in larger groups did indeed produce more variable repertoires of sounds. Interestingly, female parakeets had a more diverse repertoire than males – an unusual finding for birds. This suggests that females may be the more social sex, and their vocalizations reflect this.

Social network analysis showed that parakeets with more central positions in the social structure – those that were potentially more influential in the group – tended to have more diverse vocal repertoires. In other words, the most social individuals seemed to have a better vocabulary than less social individuals.

The researchers also found that close friends who allowed each other to approach within pecking distance sounded less like each other, as if they were trying to sound unique in their little gang. These findings offer clues about the evolution of complex communication, including human language.

As Simeon Smeele, the first author of the study, notes, “The next big step is to better understand what each of the sounds mean – a real mammoth task, since most of the social squawking happens in large groups with many individuals talking at the same time!” The study provides a crucial foundation for further research into the intricate relationships between communication and group living in animals.

The ancient landscapes of Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park have long been a treasure trove for paleontologists seeking to unravel the mysteries of the past. However, a new study from McGill University is about to change the game when it comes to dating dinosaur fossils in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For decades, scientists have relied on a key geological marker – the contact between the Oldman and Dinosaur Park Formations – as a reference point to estimate the ages of fossil quarries. This method involves comparing how high or low a fossil site is relative to that boundary. But, according to researchers Alexandre Demers-Potvin and Professor Hans Larsson, this approach has significant limitations.

Their study, published in Palaeontologia Electronica, reveals that the Oldman-Dinosaur Park Formation boundary fluctuates in elevation by as much as 12 meters over short distances. This means that estimates of individual fossil ages could be off by a considerable margin – potentially altering our understanding of when different species lived.

To address these uncertainties, Demers-Potvin and Larsson employed advanced drone-assisted 3D mapping techniques to capture high-resolution images of a key fossil site in the park. By processing these images through structure-from-motion photogrammetry, the team created a precise 3D model of the terrain which is geolocated with GPS coordinates measured in the field.

The results are promising: this new dating method might be more dependable than relying on elevation measurements, and could lead to more accurate reconstructions of ancient ecosystems. By mapping sedimentary layers over a broader area, researchers may develop a much clearer picture of biodiversity shifts in an ancient terrestrial ecosystem.

“We’ve essentially shown that the dating method used for decades in Dinosaur Provincial Park may not be as reliable as previously thought,” said Demers-Potvin. “This opens the door to a more refined approach for understanding how different dinosaur species succeeded one another over time.”

The implications of this study are far-reaching, and could have significant impacts on our understanding of Earth’s history and past biodiversity changes. By refining our methods for dating dinosaur fossils, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the complex ecosystems that existed in the ancient world – and may even inform present and future life on our planet.

A groundbreaking study published in Cell Press journal Cell has unveiled the most broadly effective antivenom to date, capable of neutralizing the neurotoxins of 19 species of deadly snakes. This achievement marks a significant breakthrough in developing a universal treatment for snakebite envenoming.

The researchers, led by Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, Inc., and Peter Kwong, Richard J. Stock professor of medical sciences at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, stumbled upon an individual with exceptional immunity to snake neurotoxins while exploring ways to improve the traditional antivenom production process.

Tim Friede, a human donor who had undergone hundreds of self-induced hyper-immunizations over 18 years, generated antibodies that were effective against several snake neurotoxins at once. The team utilized these unique antibodies to create a three-part cocktail consisting of two isolated antibodies and a small molecule inhibitor. This potent mixture was then tested in mouse models and found to provide protection against the venom from all 19 species included in the panel.

The results are nothing short of remarkable, with 13 out of the 19 snake species showing full protection and partial protection provided for the remaining six. Even without further refinement or additional components, this breakthrough cocktail could potentially be effective against most elapid snakes not tested in this study.

“This is a game-changer,” says Glanville. “We’re turning the crank now, setting up reagents to go through this iterative process of saying what’s the minimum sufficient cocktail to provide broad protection against venom from the viperids.” The team aims to approach philanthropic foundations, governments, and pharmaceutical companies for support in manufacturing and clinical development.

The study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research program, and the US Department of Energy.