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FLORA AND FAUNA
Mass Migration Of Mormon Crickets Driven By Hunger Fear

Cute little critter 'aint he!
by Staff Writers
 Kent OH (SPX) Mar 06, 2006
 An international team of researchers, including Kent State University professor Dr. Patrick D. Lorch, have revealed the motivating factors behind the seasonal mass migration of Mormon crickets in western North America. The scientists report hunger for protein and salt, and a fear of cannibalism, drives the mass migration of Mormon crickets in western North America.

Throughout their seasonal migration, millions of Mormon crickets (relatives of locusts and grasshoppers) cover more than 50 miles of ground, destroying farmland and causing hazardous driving conditions along the way.

The research team, led by Dr. Stephen J. Simpson, conducted field observations and experimentation to determine that two driving forces are behind the migration: a need for protein and a fear of cannibalism.

Their results reveal a different model for collective motion, with the crickets' migration in effect a forced march. The constant threat of cannibalism from the rear appears to push the crickets' movement as much as the need to find protein and salt pulls it, researchers say.

The team's findings could lead to more environmentally friendly tactics for controlling large swarms of insects.

Related Links
 Kent State University

FLORA AND FAUNA
New Tree Of Life Allows A Closer Look At Origin Of Species
 Heidelberg, Germany (SPX) Mar 06, 2006
 In 1870 the German scientist Ernst Haeckel mapped the evolutionary relationships of plants and animals in the first 'tree of life'. Since then scientists have continuously redrawn and expanded the tree adding microorganisms and using modern molecular data, yet, many parts of the tree have remained unclear.






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