The summaries are: 1. The first global analysis of genome variation in honeybees has revealed a surprisingly high level of genetic diversity and indicates their origin is likely from Asia rather than Africa as previously thought. Honeybees are crucially important for pollinating one third of global food crops. 2. Researchers have found evidence that viruses infecting algae are driving the life and death cycles of algal blooms, which has implications for the climate as algae play a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 3. Genetic research provides proof that the Philippine tarsier represents a new variety of primate found only in Southeast Asia, and it has become an iconic symbol for promoting

1. Biology Quiz
1. Which famous scientist introduced the idea of natural selection?
2. A person who studies biology is known as a?
3. Botany is the study of?
4. Can frogs live in salt water?
5. True or false? The common cold is caused by a virus.
6. Animals which eat both plants and other animals are known as what?
7. Bacterial infections in humans can be treated with what?
8. A single piece of coiled DNA is known as a?
9. A group of dog offspring is known as a?
10. The area of biology devoted to the study of fungi is known as?
Biology Quiz Answers
1. Charles Darwin 2. Biologist 3. Plants
4. No 5. True 6. Omnivores
7. Antibiotics 8. Chromosome 9. Litter
10. Mycology

2. ARTICLES
Evolutionary history of honeybees revealed by genomics
Date: August 24, 2014
Source: Uppsala Universitet
The honeybee is of crucial importance for humanity. One third of our food is dependent on the pollination
of fruits, nuts and vegetables by bees and other insects.
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is of crucial importance for humanity. One third of our food is dependent on
the pollination of fruits, nuts and vegetables by bees and other insects. Extensive losses of honeybee
colonies in recent years are a major cause for concern. Honeybees face threats from disease, climate
change, and management practices. To combat these threats it is important to understand the
evolutionary history of honeybees and how they are adapted to different environments across the world.
"We have used state-of-the-art high-throughput genomics to address these questions, and have identified
high levels of genetic diversity in honeybees. In contrast to other domestic species, management of
honeybees seems to have increased levels of genetic variation by mixing bees from different parts of the
world. The findings may also indicate that high levels of inbreeding are not a major cause of global colony
losses," says Matthew Webster, researcher at the department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology,
Uppsala University
Summary:
The first global analysis of genome variation in honeybees has been revealed by scientists. The findings
show a surprisingly high level of genetic diversity in honeybees, and indicate that the species most
probably originates from Asia, and not from Africa as previously thought. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is
of crucial importance for humanity. One third of our food is dependent on the pollination of fruits, nuts and
vegetables by bees and other insects. Extensive losses of honeybee colonies in recent years are a major
cause for concern.

3. Viruses take down massive algal blooms, with big implications
for climate
Date: August 21, 2014
Source: Cell Press
This is a location map. Black rectangle delineates the area shown in Figures 1B and 2. (B) Map of surface
chlorophyll from June 22, 2012 (day .
Algae might seem easy to ignore, but they are the ultimate source of all organic matter that
marine animals depend upon. Humans are increasingly dependent on algae, too, to suck up
climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sink it to the bottom of the ocean.
Now, by using a combination of satellite imagery and laboratory experiments, researchers
have evidence showing that viruses infecting those algae are driving the life-and-death
dynamics of the algae's blooms, even when all else stays essentially the same, and this has
important implications for our climate.
According to results reported in the Cell Press journalCurrent Biology on August 21, a single North
Atlantic algal bloom, about 30 kilometers in radius, converted 24,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere into organic carbon via a process known as carbon fixation. Two-thirds of that carbon turned
over within a week as that bloom grew at a very rapid rate and then quickly met its demise. A closer look
at those algae revealed high levels of specific viruses infecting their cells.

4. Summary
Humans are increasingly dependent on algae to suck up climate-warming carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and sink it to the bottom of the ocean. Now, by using a combination of satellite imagery and
laboratory experiments, researchers have evidence showing that viruses infecting those algae are driving
the life-and-death dynamics of the algae's blooms, even when all else stays essentially the same, and this
has important implications for our climate.
Philippine tarsier: Genetic proof of a new variety
Date: August 19, 2014
Source: University of Kansas
It’s not a monkey. It’s not a lemur. It’s not an African Bush Baby or even a Madagascan Mouse. Meet the
Philippine tarsier: a tiny, adorable and downright “cool” primate from Southeast Asia.
It's not a monkey. It's not a lemur. It's not an African Bush Baby or even a Madagascan
Mouse. Meet the Philippine tarsier: a tiny, adorable and downright "cool" primate from
Southeast Asia.
"It's really not like any animals that Americans are familiar with," said Rafe Brown, curator-in-charge at the
University of Kansas' Biodiversity Institute. "A tarsier has giant eyes and ears; an extremely cute, furry
body; a long tail with a furry tuft at the end; and interesting expanded fingers and toe tips that look a bit
like the disks on the digits of tree frogs."
Brown said the tarsier (tar-SEER) has become the "flagship" iconic species for promoting environmental
stewardship and ecotourism in the Philippines, a nation suffering from large-scale destruction of natural
habitat.

5. Summary
The tarsier is the 'flagship' iconic species for promoting environmental stewardship and ecotourism in the
Philippines, a nation suffering from large-scale destruction of natural habitat.