http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (PhysOrg.com) -- There must be times when University of Alberta researcher David Coltman wishes his study on animal personalities focused on something small, like a house cat. Coltman would classify cats that bring home dead mice as "bold" personalities and tabbies that stick close to their food bowls and the couch would be ranked as "shy." http://www.physorg.com/news169999440.html Biology Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:06:45 EST news169999440 The blooming of toxic algae that occurs during the summer conceal a fight for life and death. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, propose in an article published in the journal PNAS that algal blooms are created when aggressive algae kill and injure their competitors in order to absorb the nutrients they contain. http://www.physorg.com/news165577175.html Biology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:50:04 EST news165577175 Many dogs are put down or abandoned due to their violent nature, but contrary to popular belief, breed has little to do with a dog's aggressive behaviour compared to all the owner-dependant factors. This is shown in a new study from the University of Córdoba, which includes breeds that are considered aggressive by nature, such as the Rottweiler or the Pit Bull. The conclusions, however, are surprising: it is the owners who are primarily responsible for attacks due to dominance or competition of their pets. http://www.physorg.com/news159792962.html Biology Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:56:20 EST news159792962 Ant and bee colonies have long fascinated biologists because of their hierarchical social structure and the apparently altruistic behaviour of female workers in rearing the queen's young rather than reproducing themselves. In colonies headed by a single queen, this makes evolutionary sense in that the workers are as closely related to the princesses and princes they nurture as they would be to their own children. Thus the genes underlying this behaviour would be successfully transmitted through the generations due to "kin selection". http://www.physorg.com/news157733334.html Biology Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:49:36 EST news157733334 Women who smoke during pregnancy risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. While previous studies have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to an additional risk: violent behaviour. http://www.physorg.com/news150461146.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:45:46 EST news150461146