A paper jointly published by Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University (NTU) on how the cooperative strategies employed by the Yuhina brunneiceps songbird lowered social conflict and increased survivability appeared in internationally renowned magazine Nature Communications yesterday.
The Yuhina brunneiceps, otherwise known as the Formosan Yuhina or Taiwan Yuhina, is endemic to the mid to high altitudes of mountain ranges in Taiwan.
According to the report, rainfall, low temperatures and typhoons during the East Asian Monsoon season from May to June pose an unfavorable environment for the Yuhinas, but also give researchers a chance to understand how such an environment affects the social behavior of the Yuhina species.
Photo courtesy of Lin Ying-tian
The research was carried out from 2004 to 2007 at the university’s Highland Experimental Farm in Nantou County and led by NTU School of Forestry and Resource Conservation professor Yuan Hsiao-wei (袁孝維) and Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica assistant researcher Shen Sheng-feng (沈聖峰).
Researchers collected 37 Yuhina nests and analyzed how the birds fed their young for 85 days and 288 hours. Using traditional telescopes, high-tech radio frequency identification chips and digital recording systems to monitor the birds, the team found that “fight frequency was lower, fewer total eggs were laid and incubation was more likely to start after all females completed egg laying [which causes more synchronized egg hatching].”
They would not fight over who had the better hatching place and would even lay fewer eggs to better synchronize egg hatching, the paper said, adding that due to lack of competition the rate of hatchlings living to leave the nest increased, the paper said.
One to four couples would share a nest for synchronous egg hatching, but despite their unique social behavior, Yuan said the research showed there were no “extra-marital” affairs between them.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
DIVA-READY: The city’s deadline for the repairs is one day before pop star Jody Chiang is to perform at the Taipei Dome for the city’s Double Ten National Day celebrations The Taipei City Government has asked Farglory Group (遠雄集團) to repair serious water leaks in the Taipei Dome before Friday next week, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday, following complaints that many areas at the stadium were leaking during two baseball games over the weekend. The dome on Saturday and Sunday hosted two games in tribute to CTBC Brothers’ star Chou Szu-chi (周思齊) ahead of his retirement from the CPBL. The games each attracted about 40,000 people, filling the stadium to capacity. However, amid heavy rain, many people reported water leaking on some seats, at the entrance and exit areas, and the