February 14, 2017 • 9 mins
A zebra shark has given birth to viable babies without a mate. Weighted blankets may help people battle anxiety and insomnia. Plus: How much damage would a U.S. boarder wall do to local wildlife?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to hows To Works Now. I'm your host, Lauren Vokebam,
a researcher and writer. Here at hous to Works. Every week,
I'm bringing you three stories from our team about the
weird and wonders advances we've seen in science, technology, and culture.
This week, a zebra shark underwent a surprising virgin birth,
and unrelated white blankets are bringing relief to some people
(00:24):
with anxiety. But First Stuff editor Eaves, Jeff Coote and
our freelance writer Jescelyn Shields explore an ecological side of
a political issue. What would a border wall due to
local wildlife? You may have heard President Trump has some
plans to build a wall between Mexico and the United States.
And it's not just a little wall a bunny could
(00:45):
hop over. This wall is going to be tremendous. But
regardless of how much geopolitical sense you think, this little
construction project makes a giant wall between Mexico and the
United States will take his toll on wildlife to humans.
The desert borderlands between Mexico and the American Southwest might
seem hot, dry and inhospitable, but they support a bumping
(01:08):
ecosystem featuring animals like big horn sheep, the American roadrunner,
yes of Loney Tunes fame, and the endangered North American jaguar.
Building a wall in the middle of all this will
undoubtedly pose big problems for wildlife, tremendous problems. We know
this because researchers have been studying the effects of the
six hundred fifty miles or one thousand, forty six kilometers
(01:31):
of security infrastructure that already exists on the border of
Mexico and the US, the environmental regulations for which were
waived by the Department of Homeland Security. A two thousand
eleven study by researchers at the University of Texas at
Austin shows that parts of these barriers have cut off
some reptiles, amphibians, and mammals from up to seventy of
(01:54):
their native ranges. The study concludes that new barriers would
put even more species over. So why is it so
important that ecosystems remain intact and connected. Basically, animals need
to breathe with each other to survive, and desert species
in particular must migrate to find food and water. A
wall like the one Trump has proposed would very likely
(02:17):
isolated populations of all sorts of animals. Small populations are
more likely to go extinct without access to very genetic
material from individuals of other populations coming and going. This
would lead to a loss of overall species variation, which
begins to downward spiral into extinction. Prong horn antelope, which
(02:37):
have trouble jumping fences and often get caught in them,
as well as big horn sheep which migrate through southwest Texas,
could be endangered by the wall. Though prong horn and
big horn sheep are at the most immediate risk of
starvation or thirst if a large physical barrier rises along
the border over longer periods of tom the wall would
also affect snakes and tortoises, whose populations could become ice late.
(03:00):
It the good news at best, a wall might provide
a nice sunning spot for lizards, and those guys would
be fine climbing right over that thing, But overall is
going to be very difficult to mitigate the impacts of
constructing a wall, and the ecological ramifications of the wall
could extend well beyond the immediate surrounding landscape, affecting nearby
(03:20):
rivers and distant bodies of water. Alike. The desert is
prone sail rosin, which could push tons of sediment into
the real grand so lookout, fish the wall is coming
for YouTube. Next Up, managing editor Alison Loudermilk and our
freelance writer Kate Kirshner look into the science behind therapeutic hugs.
(03:46):
Not all of us want to hug when we're stressed out,
and some people, especially those with sensory processing problems, do
want to hug. They just might not want to get
it from a person. Temple grand and the noted animal
scientists and autism activist hot A Solution. Granted invented a
squeeze machine that helped relax some children with autism. In
a d h D or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Autism
(04:09):
can affect a person's ability to interact and communicate. In
a d h D can affect impulse control and the
ability to focus. Some autistic children seek physical pressure to
cope with over stimulation. The idea behind Grandin's invention is
that deep touch pressure like cuddling or hugging, can be calming. Now,
some industrious folks think adults with anxiety and other conditions
like insomnia and stress might benefit from deep touch pressure.
(04:32):
To so, companies like Mosaic Weighted Blankets and cens A
Calm have introduced blankets that weigh about three pounds or
one and they're designed to pretty much smother the muscles
into relaxing. I want to know one adds weight to
the blankets. It's not magic beans. Note the manufacturers generally
use polypropylene pellets, those hard, little plastic balls that you
(04:53):
might find in stuffed animals. Is there any evidence that
the blankets alleviate these elements? The short answer, it's word
of one. Two fifteen Swedish study found that a weighted
blanket improved insomniac sleep time and experience. Important note there
the study was supported by a grant from a manufacturer
of weighted blankets. Another paper found that adults were calmed
by weighted blankets. Six of the thirty two participants reported
(05:16):
lower anxiety after using one. Since deep touch pressure is
reported to lower heart rates and cortisol levels while increasing serotonin,
that neuro transmitter that maintains mood balance, it makes sense
that weighted blankets could help moderate the nervous system. Of course,
not every intervention works for every person. While some might
find a heavy blanket comforting and soothing. Others might find
it a three dollar way to feel like they're being smothered. Finally,
(05:47):
this week, staff editor Christopher Hasiotas has another piece from
Jesselyn Shields. This is the story of a zebra shark who,
lacking a mate, went ahead and had babies all on
her own. If you're a dog suddenly gave birth to
a litter of puppies, you might be surprised, but you'd
know one thing for sure. Somehow, some way she managed
(06:08):
to rendezvous with a mail dog. Well, that and the
next thing on your to do list would be the
post on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to adopt
an adorable little ball of fur, because you should. Don't
need those puppies around your house. This month, a new
paper published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports describes the
unusual case of a zebra shark known by the scientific
name Stegastoma fasciatum and the everyday name Leoni at Queensland,
(06:32):
Australia's reef h Q Aquarium. Leone, despite not having had
contact with a mail shark for more than three years,
laid three eggs that all hatched healthy baby sharks, and
though Leonie's handlers were surprised. They didn't assume she somehow
magiced her way into the tank of a mail shark. No,
the most reasonable explanation is actually even weirder, that she
(06:52):
just made some babies without the help of a male.
This nifty little trick is called parthenogenesis or virgin birth,
in which a few mail reproduces without her eggs having
been fertilized. Although it isn't all that uncommon in the
natural world among plants and invertebrates, scientists keep stumbling on
instances of vertebrate parthener genesis that are total shockers, like
the articulated python at the Louisville Zoo, for instance, in Kentucky,
(07:16):
that had never been near a mail in her whole life,
but hatched out six healthy daughters back in two thousand twelve.
But what's really odd about leon these cases that she
had reproduced sexually once before, and then a few years
later switched it all up to a sexual reproduction. Genetic
tests confirmed this second set of babies are now the
product of just one parent, not two, So Leonie actually
(07:37):
cloned herself and birthed her own clones. This is the
first known case of this sexual to a sexual switch
happening in sharks that it has been observed in a
spotted eagle ray, which is a close shark relative. It's
really handy to be able to produce viable embryos without
the help of a partner, but scientists aren't sure why
animals that usually reproduced sexually will simply clone themselves. Consider
(07:59):
it a test him into how serious the business of
reproduction really is to all organisms that when cut off
from sexual partners, the female of some species will just
get the job done herself. So to any mothers out
there who feel like they just have to do everything
around here, know this. There's at least one zebra shark
out there who feels your pay. That's our show for
(08:23):
this week. Thank you so much for tuning in. Further
thanks to audio producer Dylan Fagin and our editorial liaison
Alison Louderknock. Subscribe to now Now for more of the
Lave Science news and send us links to anything you'd
like to hear us cover, plus the name of your
favorite murder ballad. I'm looking for some Valentine's Day listening.
Have a happy one, by the way, if you choose
to celebrate that kind of thing, you can send us
(08:44):
an email at now podcast at how stuff works dot com,
and of course, for lots more stories like these, head
on over to our home planet Now dot how stuff
works dot com
Welcome to hows To Works Now. I'm your host, Lauren Vokebam,
a researcher and writer. Here at hous to Works. Every week,
I'm bringing you three stories from our team about the
weird and wonders advances we've seen in science, technology, and culture.
This week, a zebra shark underwent a surprising virgin birth,
and unrelated white blankets are bringing relief to some people
(00:24):
with anxiety. But First Stuff editor Eaves, Jeff Coote and
our freelance writer Jescelyn Shields explore an ecological side of
a political issue. What would a border wall due to
local wildlife? You may have heard President Trump has some
plans to build a wall between Mexico and the United States.
And it's not just a little wall a bunny could
(00:45):
hop over. This wall is going to be tremendous. But
regardless of how much geopolitical sense you think, this little
construction project makes a giant wall between Mexico and the
United States will take his toll on wildlife to humans.
The desert borderlands between Mexico and the American Southwest might
seem hot, dry and inhospitable, but they support a bumping
(01:08):
ecosystem featuring animals like big horn sheep, the American roadrunner,
yes of Loney Tunes fame, and the endangered North American jaguar.
Building a wall in the middle of all this will
undoubtedly pose big problems for wildlife, tremendous problems. We know
this because researchers have been studying the effects of the
six hundred fifty miles or one thousand, forty six kilometers
(01:31):
of security infrastructure that already exists on the border of
Mexico and the US, the environmental regulations for which were
waived by the Department of Homeland Security. A two thousand
eleven study by researchers at the University of Texas at
Austin shows that parts of these barriers have cut off
some reptiles, amphibians, and mammals from up to seventy of
(01:54):
their native ranges. The study concludes that new barriers would
put even more species over. So why is it so
important that ecosystems remain intact and connected. Basically, animals need
to breathe with each other to survive, and desert species
in particular must migrate to find food and water. A
wall like the one Trump has proposed would very likely
(02:17):
isolated populations of all sorts of animals. Small populations are
more likely to go extinct without access to very genetic
material from individuals of other populations coming and going. This
would lead to a loss of overall species variation, which
begins to downward spiral into extinction. Prong horn antelope, which
(02:37):
have trouble jumping fences and often get caught in them,
as well as big horn sheep which migrate through southwest Texas,
could be endangered by the wall. Though prong horn and
big horn sheep are at the most immediate risk of
starvation or thirst if a large physical barrier rises along
the border over longer periods of tom the wall would
also affect snakes and tortoises, whose populations could become ice late.
(03:00):
It the good news at best, a wall might provide
a nice sunning spot for lizards, and those guys would
be fine climbing right over that thing, But overall is
going to be very difficult to mitigate the impacts of
constructing a wall, and the ecological ramifications of the wall
could extend well beyond the immediate surrounding landscape, affecting nearby
(03:20):
rivers and distant bodies of water. Alike. The desert is
prone sail rosin, which could push tons of sediment into
the real grand so lookout, fish the wall is coming
for YouTube. Next Up, managing editor Alison Loudermilk and our
freelance writer Kate Kirshner look into the science behind therapeutic hugs.
(03:46):
Not all of us want to hug when we're stressed out,
and some people, especially those with sensory processing problems, do
want to hug. They just might not want to get
it from a person. Temple grand and the noted animal
scientists and autism activist hot A Solution. Granted invented a
squeeze machine that helped relax some children with autism. In
a d h D or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Autism
(04:09):
can affect a person's ability to interact and communicate. In
a d h D can affect impulse control and the
ability to focus. Some autistic children seek physical pressure to
cope with over stimulation. The idea behind Grandin's invention is
that deep touch pressure like cuddling or hugging, can be calming. Now,
some industrious folks think adults with anxiety and other conditions
like insomnia and stress might benefit from deep touch pressure.
(04:32):
To so, companies like Mosaic Weighted Blankets and cens A
Calm have introduced blankets that weigh about three pounds or
one and they're designed to pretty much smother the muscles
into relaxing. I want to know one adds weight to
the blankets. It's not magic beans. Note the manufacturers generally
use polypropylene pellets, those hard, little plastic balls that you
(04:53):
might find in stuffed animals. Is there any evidence that
the blankets alleviate these elements? The short answer, it's word
of one. Two fifteen Swedish study found that a weighted
blanket improved insomniac sleep time and experience. Important note there
the study was supported by a grant from a manufacturer
of weighted blankets. Another paper found that adults were calmed
by weighted blankets. Six of the thirty two participants reported
(05:16):
lower anxiety after using one. Since deep touch pressure is
reported to lower heart rates and cortisol levels while increasing serotonin,
that neuro transmitter that maintains mood balance, it makes sense
that weighted blankets could help moderate the nervous system. Of course,
not every intervention works for every person. While some might
find a heavy blanket comforting and soothing. Others might find
it a three dollar way to feel like they're being smothered. Finally,
(05:47):
this week, staff editor Christopher Hasiotas has another piece from
Jesselyn Shields. This is the story of a zebra shark who,
lacking a mate, went ahead and had babies all on
her own. If you're a dog suddenly gave birth to
a litter of puppies, you might be surprised, but you'd
know one thing for sure. Somehow, some way she managed
(06:08):
to rendezvous with a mail dog. Well, that and the
next thing on your to do list would be the
post on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to adopt
an adorable little ball of fur, because you should. Don't
need those puppies around your house. This month, a new
paper published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports describes the
unusual case of a zebra shark known by the scientific
name Stegastoma fasciatum and the everyday name Leoni at Queensland,
(06:32):
Australia's reef h Q Aquarium. Leone, despite not having had
contact with a mail shark for more than three years,
laid three eggs that all hatched healthy baby sharks, and
though Leonie's handlers were surprised. They didn't assume she somehow
magiced her way into the tank of a mail shark. No,
the most reasonable explanation is actually even weirder, that she
(06:52):
just made some babies without the help of a male.
This nifty little trick is called parthenogenesis or virgin birth,
in which a few mail reproduces without her eggs having
been fertilized. Although it isn't all that uncommon in the
natural world among plants and invertebrates, scientists keep stumbling on
instances of vertebrate parthener genesis that are total shockers, like
the articulated python at the Louisville Zoo, for instance, in Kentucky,
(07:16):
that had never been near a mail in her whole life,
but hatched out six healthy daughters back in two thousand twelve.
But what's really odd about leon these cases that she
had reproduced sexually once before, and then a few years
later switched it all up to a sexual reproduction. Genetic
tests confirmed this second set of babies are now the
product of just one parent, not two, So Leonie actually
(07:37):
cloned herself and birthed her own clones. This is the
first known case of this sexual to a sexual switch
happening in sharks that it has been observed in a
spotted eagle ray, which is a close shark relative. It's
really handy to be able to produce viable embryos without
the help of a partner, but scientists aren't sure why
animals that usually reproduced sexually will simply clone themselves. Consider
(07:59):
it a test him into how serious the business of
reproduction really is to all organisms that when cut off
from sexual partners, the female of some species will just
get the job done herself. So to any mothers out
there who feel like they just have to do everything
around here, know this. There's at least one zebra shark
out there who feels your pay. That's our show for
(08:23):
this week. Thank you so much for tuning in. Further
thanks to audio producer Dylan Fagin and our editorial liaison
Alison Louderknock. Subscribe to now Now for more of the
Lave Science news and send us links to anything you'd
like to hear us cover, plus the name of your
favorite murder ballad. I'm looking for some Valentine's Day listening.
Have a happy one, by the way, if you choose
to celebrate that kind of thing, you can send us
(08:44):
an email at now podcast at how stuff works dot com,
and of course, for lots more stories like these, head
on over to our home planet Now dot how stuff
works dot com
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