Banana’s blue glow attract monkeys, says study

October 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered seven new glow-in-the-dark mushroom species, increasing the number of known luminescent fungi species from 64 to 71. The discoveries also shed light on the evolution of luminescence, adding to the number of known lineages in the fungi 'family tree' where luminescence has been reported.

August 31st, 2009 KOLKATA - The prime accused in the theft of Brazilian Marmoset monkeys from a Kolkata zoo gave the slip to his police guards and fled from a train in Orissa Monday while being brought here for interrogation, police said. The monkeys have been brought back too.

August 31st, 2009 BHILAI - A zoo of the state-run Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in Chhattisgarh's Bhilai town recorded a high turnout Sunday as visitors thronged to have a glimpse of the rare Brazilian marmoset monkeys that were recovered here only the previous day after being stolen from a Kolkata zoo. The common marmoset which are about 16 cm tall and weigh no more than 500 grams were the star attraction as people even from the remotest parts of Chhattisgarh thronged here to see them before they are sent back to the Kolkata-based Alipore zoo from where they were stolen Aug 8.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Animal rights activist and MP Maneka Gandhi has written a letter to the governor of Puerto Rico seeking a prohibition on importing monkeys to that country from Mauritius for laboratory experiments. "After learning about a proposal to construct a massive monkey-breeding facility in Guayama, Puerto Rico, MP Maneka Gandhi has sent an urgent letter to Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuo asking him to stop Bioculture, a company that sells monkeys to laboratories, from completing plans to capture monkeys from their home in Mauritius," said a statement from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

August 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Imitation, goes an old saying, is the sincerest form of flattery. New research shows it also cements social bonding and later friendships.

August 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Social stress could be a significant precursor to heart disease by causing the body to deposit more fat in the abdominal cavity, speeding the harmful build-up of plaque in blood vessels, says a new study. The study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine appears as the cover story of the current issue of Obesity, the peer-reviewed journal of the Obesity Society.

July 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - If you've ever felt doomed to repeat your mistakes, researchers can explain why. Brain cells seem to learn only when we do something right and not when we fail.

July 22nd, 2009 Scientists find HIV's 'missing link' in ill chimpsWASHINGTON — Scientists believe they have found a "missing link" in the evolution of the virus that causes AIDS. It bridges the gap between the infection that does no harm to most monkeys and the one that kills millions of people.

July 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - No one likes to be held in suspense when it comes to receiving rewards. And now, a new research has claimed that knowing that you're in line for a particular prize is as satisfying as actually receiving it.

July 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Rhesus monkeys and humans recognise faces the same way, according to the latest research. The study provides insight into the evolution of the critical human social skill of facial recognition, which enables us to form relationships and interact appropriately with others.

July 13th, 2009 Study: 1918 flu survivors seem immune to swine fluWASHINGTON — The way swine flu multiplies in the respiratory system is more severe than ordinary winter flu, a new study in animals finds. Tests in monkeys, mice and ferrets show that the swine flu thrives in greater numbers all over the respiratory system, including the lungs, and causes lesions, instead of staying in the nose and throat like seasonal flu.

July 8th, 2009 Drug gives anthrax protection in animal studiesNEW YORK — An experimental drug helped monkeys and rabbits survive anthrax in a series of studies, suggesting it could be useful in case of another anthrax attack. In 2001, five people died after inhaling anthrax germs they'd gotten through the U.S.

July 2nd, 2009 Hawaii volcano glow snuffed out by falling rocksVOLCANO, Hawaii — The bright glow at the summit of Hawaii's Kilauea (KILL'-uh-WAY'-uh) volcano has been snuffed out by a series of large rock falls within its crater. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the rock falls on Tuesday produced a seismic signal equivalent to a magnitude-2.4 earthquake.

June 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Always wondered how people who are most looked up to and respected end up doing the most heinous of acts? Well, now a new Northwestern University study offers provocative insights in to how saints turn into sinners. The study has indicated that people with ample moral self-worth in one aspect of their lives can slip into immorality or opposite behaviour in other areas-their abundant self-esteem somehow pushes them to balance out all that goodness.

June 12th, 2009 LA zoo searches for new simians after monkey snubLOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Zoo may have the nation's only monkey lair approved by a feng shui expert. There's only one problem: No monkeys.