Author: Aleszu Bajak

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A new dinosaur found in Argentina, researchers find Brazil’s ‘Atlantis,’ and the future of hybrid rice in Latin America.

ARGENTINA A new dinosaur has been discovered in southern Argentina. Comahuesaurus windhauseni, found in Neuquen, Argentina, is a sauropod, a large herbivore known for its long neck. The specimen, thought to be 15 meters long, was discovered by paleontologist Jose Luis Carballido. The findings were published in the journal Historical Biology. A group of scientists … Continue reading A new dinosaur found in Argentina, researchers find Brazil’s ‘Atlantis,’ and the future of hybrid rice in Latin America.

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Uruguay creates Latin America’s first genetically modified sheep, Brazil is losing its indigenous languages, and Argentina develops a melanoma vaccine.

ARGENTINA A group of Argentine institutions are developing a vaccine to prevent the recurrence of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. The researchers are currently in the final phase of clinical research for a vaccine that includes melanoma cells and an adjuvant to stimulate the immune system. The researchers hope to have the … Continue reading Uruguay creates Latin America’s first genetically modified sheep, Brazil is losing its indigenous languages, and Argentina develops a melanoma vaccine.

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An alpaca biotechnology center in Peru, combating Chagas disease in Latin America, and the effects of intensive agriculture in Brazil.

ARGENTINA The Pan American Health Organization has approved a drug manufactured in Argentina against the parasitic disease Chagas. Benznidazol will be produced by two private laboratories with additional government funding. It’s the first line of treatment for Chagas disease and cures 80-90% of cases, according to the WHO. Argentina’s Leloir Institute recently discovered an enzyme, … Continue reading An alpaca biotechnology center in Peru, combating Chagas disease in Latin America, and the effects of intensive agriculture in Brazil.

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Endangered deer have rebounded in Patagonia, Chevron allowed to resume drilling offshore Brazil, and new research says Patagonia was a separate continent.

ARGENTINA More than 320 million years ago, Patagonia was a separate continent that collided into Gondwana at the same time as Chilenia—present day Chile, according to scientists from the University of Buenos Aires. After conducting field tests in paleomagnetism, the researchers concluded that the deformations found along the southwestern margin of the Gondwana continent were … Continue reading Endangered deer have rebounded in Patagonia, Chevron allowed to resume drilling offshore Brazil, and new research says Patagonia was a separate continent.

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Rare hermit crab species found in the Caribbean, obesity growing in Latin America, and Amazon indigenous groups threaten war in Brazil.

ARGENTINA A group of scientists from Argentina and the United States conducted GPS measurements to determine the new height of Mt. Aconcagua as 6960.8 meters above sea level. This research is part of an international study of the Central Andes whose main objective is to measure changes in the Earth’s crust. Certain lipids present in … Continue reading Rare hermit crab species found in the Caribbean, obesity growing in Latin America, and Amazon indigenous groups threaten war in Brazil.

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Harvard accused of illegal logging in Chile, climate change affecting Patagonian lakes, and fishermen practicing citizen science in the Galapagos.

ARGENTINA Climate change is affecting species in Patagonian lakes, according to a new study published in the journal Global Change Biology. Over two years, the researchers looked at how glacial meltwater induced a shift in nutrients for Boeckella gracilipes and Daphnia commutata living in Lake Mascardi near Bariloche, Argentina. Manure generated from livestock feedlots could … Continue reading Harvard accused of illegal logging in Chile, climate change affecting Patagonian lakes, and fishermen practicing citizen science in the Galapagos.

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Pronghorns making a comeback in Mexico, pterosaurs in Brazil, and praying for dryland in Panama.

ARGENTINA Argentina’s National University of Río Cuarto has developed an inoculant that hopes to improve sunflower growth under drought conditions. The technology consists of strains of the soil bacteria Bacillus pumilus (SF3 and SF4) and the endophytic (living in the plant) bacteria Achromobacter xylosoxidans (SF2) isolated from sunflowers under drought conditions. After fermenting these bacteria … Continue reading Pronghorns making a comeback in Mexico, pterosaurs in Brazil, and praying for dryland in Panama.

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Peruvian mummies had clogged arteries, improving biofuels in Argentina and supporting coffee research in Costa Rica.

ARGENTINA Scientists at the Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires have determined that the use of the herbicide glyphosate is unnecessary for stimulating grass growth in Argentina. Winter is a critical season for grass production on the plains outside Buenos Aires and the period also coincides with calving cows, meaning grass needs to be available. Through … Continue reading Peruvian mummies had clogged arteries, improving biofuels in Argentina and supporting coffee research in Costa Rica.

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Monarch butterfly numbers have fallen by 59 percent, Chile inaugurates its ALMA telescope, and Central America expands GMO food production.

ARGENTINA Argentina’s government has created two new marine protected areas in Patagonia: Isla Pingüino Coastal Marine Park and Makenke Coastal Marine Park. Isla Pingüino covers nearly 1,800 square kilometers (720 square miles) of ocean and coastline while Makenke covers 600 square kilometers (230 square miles). The areas will protect red-legged cormorants, sea lions, penguins, and dolphins, among … Continue reading Monarch butterfly numbers have fallen by 59 percent, Chile inaugurates its ALMA telescope, and Central America expands GMO food production.

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Developing probiotics in Argentina, using bees to pollinate coffee in Colombia, and the toxic effects of dispersants on coral in the Gulf of Mexico.

ARGENTINA Argentine researchers have developed a probiotic powder which includes bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus. This additive, which can be preserved up to a year with refrigeration, can be added to foods and liquids to “help with the nutritional deficiencies of the most vulnerable such as children and the elderly,” said the scientists from the … Continue reading Developing probiotics in Argentina, using bees to pollinate coffee in Colombia, and the toxic effects of dispersants on coral in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Controlling corn pests in Argentina and Mexico, the coffee growers’ strike in Colombia, and orcas beached off Chile’s Patagonia coast.

ARGENTINA Diabrotica, better known as the corn rootworm, is a pest beetle that causes major losses in the corn crop. Because the larvae develop underground, root growth is hindered and yield is affected. To control the pest, researchers have developed Diabrotica-resistant transgenics and rotated crops to disrupt their lifecycle. Scientists from the University of Buenos … Continue reading Controlling corn pests in Argentina and Mexico, the coffee growers’ strike in Colombia, and orcas beached off Chile’s Patagonia coast.

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Indigenous rights upheld in Colombia’s Tayrona Park, Bolivian farmland stressed by rising global quinoa demand, and obesity in Sao Paolo.

BOLIVIA Cultivated in the Andean highlands since 3000 B.C., quinoa is making waves in the global marketplace. With global demand for quinoa rising, countries like Bolivia are stressed to meet the rush. Bolivia is now producing 40 times as much quinoa as it did in 2000. But there are physical limits to quinoa’s growth. Last … Continue reading Indigenous rights upheld in Colombia’s Tayrona Park, Bolivian farmland stressed by rising global quinoa demand, and obesity in Sao Paolo.

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Mining sparks deadly battles over water supplies in Peru, 2,000 year old mummies discovered in Chile, and heavy rains take a toll in Bolivia.

BOLIVIA Heavy rains have affected more than 9,600 families in Bolivia, says the country’s minister of defense. Flooding, landslides and lightning storms have caused the deaths of 18 people in Bolivia. CHILE A Chilean town in the Atacama desert has uncovered several mummies from both its graveyards, some 2,000 years old. The municipal museum of … Continue reading Mining sparks deadly battles over water supplies in Peru, 2,000 year old mummies discovered in Chile, and heavy rains take a toll in Bolivia.

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Mexico City taps into one of the world’s deepest aquifers, Peru’s hemorrhaging anchovy fishery and growing diverse crops in Bolivia.

ARGENTINA Argentine scientists have identified hotspots of mosquito breeding in the country’s northern provinces. The research is part of an effort to eliminate populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, famous in Latin America for carrying the dengue virus. Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers created a predictive map that outlined where mosquitoes were … Continue reading Mexico City taps into one of the world’s deepest aquifers, Peru’s hemorrhaging anchovy fishery and growing diverse crops in Bolivia.

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Burial chamber discovered in the middle of Machu Picchu, recording sounds for posterity in Mexico, and coffee rust continues to devastate plantations.

ARGENTINA Argentine researchers are part of an international consortium that is developing new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The scientists identified a gene, FapR, which inhibits the synthesis of lipids—fats required by bacteria to build new cells. The research was published in the journal PLoS Pathogens. BOLIVIA UPDATE: The story … Continue reading Burial chamber discovered in the middle of Machu Picchu, recording sounds for posterity in Mexico, and coffee rust continues to devastate plantations.

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Archaeologists find Inca city below Santiago, Chile, dengue epidemic spreads into Brazil, and leaf rust attacks Central American coffee crop.

BRAZIL The southern Brazilian city of Campo Grande has declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of dengue fever, an infection caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes. More than 8,000 cases have been reported in the city of 1 million, with 700 cases per day, according to the city’s mayor. This outbreak … Continue reading Archaeologists find Inca city below Santiago, Chile, dengue epidemic spreads into Brazil, and leaf rust attacks Central American coffee crop.

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Thursday January 17

Global demand for quinoa triples its price in Bolivia, Paraguay struggles to contain spread of dengue, and the superears of a Colombian grasshopper. BOLIVIA Global demand for quinoa has tripled the price of the Andean grain, forcing Bolivian and Peruvian farmers to rely on other staples for food. “It’s worth more to [the producers] to … Continue reading Thursday January 17