Undersea volcano gave off signals before eruption in 2011

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Jun-2012
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Contact: Bill Chadwick
541-867-0179
Oregon State University

NEWPORT, Ore. A team of scientists that last year created waves by correctly forecasting the 2011 eruption of Axial Seamount years in advance now says that the undersea volcano located some 250 miles off the Oregon coast gave off clear signals hours before its impending eruption.

The researchers' documentation of inflation of the undersea volcano from gradual magma intrusion over a period of years led to the long-term eruption forecast. But new analyses using data from underwater hydrophones also show an abrupt spike in seismic energy about 2.6 hours before the eruption started, which the scientists say could lead to short-term forecasting of undersea volcanoes in the future.

They also say that Axial could erupt again as soon as 2018 based on the cyclic pattern of ground deformation measurements from bottom pressure recorders.

Results of the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), are being published this week in three separate articles in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Bill Chadwick, an Oregon State University geologist and lead author on one of the papers, said the link between seismicity, seafloor deformation and the intrusion of magma has never been demonstrated at a submarine volcano, and the multiple methods of observation provide fascinating new insights.

"Axial Seamount is unique in that it is one of the few places in the world where a long-term monitoring record exists at an undersea volcano and we can now make sense of its patterns," said Chadwick, who works out of Oregon State's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore. "We've been studying the site for years and the uplift of the seafloor has been gradual and steady beginning in about 2000, two years after it last erupted.

"But the rate of inflation from magma went from gradual to rapid about 4-5 months before the eruption," added Chadwick. "It expanded at roughly triple the rate, giving a clue that the next eruption was coming."

Bob Dziak, an Oregon State University marine geologist, had previously deployed hydrophones on Axial that monitor sound waves for seismic activity. During a four-year period prior to the 2011 eruption, there was a gradual buildup in the number of small earthquakes (roughly magnitude 2.0), but little increase in the overall "seismic energy" resulting from those earthquakes.

That began to change a few hours before the April 6, 2011, eruption, said Dziak, who also is lead author on one of the Nature Geoscience articles.

"The hydrophones picked up the signal of literally thousands of small earthquakes within a few minutes, which we traced to magma rising from within the volcano and breaking through the crust," Dziak said. "As the magma ascends, it forces its way through cracks and creates a burst of earthquake activity that intensifies as it gets closer to the surface.

"Using seismic analysis, we were able to clearly see how the magma ascends within the volcano about two hours before the eruption," Dziak said. "Whether the seismic energy signal preceding the eruption is unique to Axial or may be replicated at other volcanoes isn't yet clear but it gives scientists an excellent base from which to begin."

The researchers also used a one-of-a-kind robotic submersible to bounce sound waves off the seafloor from an altitude of 50 meters, mapping the topography of Axial Seamount both before and after the 2011 eruption at a one-meter horizontal resolution. These before-and-after surveys allowed geologists to clearly distinguish the 2011 lava flows from the many previous flows in the area.

MBARI researchers used three kinds of sonar to map the seafloor around Axial, and the detailed images show lava flows as thin as eight inches, and as thick as 450 feet.

"These autonomous underwater vehicle-generated maps allowed us, for the first time, to comprehensively map the thickness and extent of lava flows from a deep-ocean submarine in high resolution," said David Caress, an MBARI engineer and lead author on one of the Nature Geoscience articles. "These new observations allow us to unambiguously differentiate between old and new lava flows, locate fissures from which these flows emerged, and identify fine-scale features formed as the lava flowed and cooled."

The researchers also used shipboard sonar data to map a second, thicker lava flow about 30 kilometers south of the main flow also a likely result of the 2011 eruption.

Knowing the events leading up to the eruption and the extent of the lava flows is important because over the next few years researchers will be installing many new instruments and underwater cables around Axial Seamount as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. These new instruments will greatly increase scientists' ability to monitor the ocean and seafloor off of the Pacific Northwest.

"Now that we know some of the long-term and short-term signals that precede eruptions at Axial, we can monitor the seamount for accelerated seismicity and inflation," said OSU's Dziak. "The entire suite of instruments will be deployed as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative in the next few years including new sensors, samplers and cameras and next time they will be able to catch the volcano in the act."

The scientists also observed and documented newly formed hydrothermal vents with associated biological activity, Chadwick said.

"We saw snowblower vents that were spewing out nutrients so fast that the microbes were going crazy," he pointed out. "Combining these biological observations with our knowledge of the ground deformation, seismicity and lava distribution from the 2011 eruption will further help us connect underwater volcanic activity with the life it supports."

Scientists from Columbia University, the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz also participated in the project and were co-authors on the Nature Geoscience articles.

###

Note to Journalists: This story can be complemented with several images, video clips and sound bites from the eruption and its aftermath. Details, including caption and credit information, are available at these links:


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Bill Chadwick
541-867-0179
Oregon State University

NEWPORT, Ore. A team of scientists that last year created waves by correctly forecasting the 2011 eruption of Axial Seamount years in advance now says that the undersea volcano located some 250 miles off the Oregon coast gave off clear signals hours before its impending eruption.

The researchers' documentation of inflation of the undersea volcano from gradual magma intrusion over a period of years led to the long-term eruption forecast. But new analyses using data from underwater hydrophones also show an abrupt spike in seismic energy about 2.6 hours before the eruption started, which the scientists say could lead to short-term forecasting of undersea volcanoes in the future.

They also say that Axial could erupt again as soon as 2018 based on the cyclic pattern of ground deformation measurements from bottom pressure recorders.

Results of the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), are being published this week in three separate articles in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Bill Chadwick, an Oregon State University geologist and lead author on one of the papers, said the link between seismicity, seafloor deformation and the intrusion of magma has never been demonstrated at a submarine volcano, and the multiple methods of observation provide fascinating new insights.

"Axial Seamount is unique in that it is one of the few places in the world where a long-term monitoring record exists at an undersea volcano and we can now make sense of its patterns," said Chadwick, who works out of Oregon State's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore. "We've been studying the site for years and the uplift of the seafloor has been gradual and steady beginning in about 2000, two years after it last erupted.

"But the rate of inflation from magma went from gradual to rapid about 4-5 months before the eruption," added Chadwick. "It expanded at roughly triple the rate, giving a clue that the next eruption was coming."

Bob Dziak, an Oregon State University marine geologist, had previously deployed hydrophones on Axial that monitor sound waves for seismic activity. During a four-year period prior to the 2011 eruption, there was a gradual buildup in the number of small earthquakes (roughly magnitude 2.0), but little increase in the overall "seismic energy" resulting from those earthquakes.

That began to change a few hours before the April 6, 2011, eruption, said Dziak, who also is lead author on one of the Nature Geoscience articles.

"The hydrophones picked up the signal of literally thousands of small earthquakes within a few minutes, which we traced to magma rising from within the volcano and breaking through the crust," Dziak said. "As the magma ascends, it forces its way through cracks and creates a burst of earthquake activity that intensifies as it gets closer to the surface.

"Using seismic analysis, we were able to clearly see how the magma ascends within the volcano about two hours before the eruption," Dziak said. "Whether the seismic energy signal preceding the eruption is unique to Axial or may be replicated at other volcanoes isn't yet clear but it gives scientists an excellent base from which to begin."

The researchers also used a one-of-a-kind robotic submersible to bounce sound waves off the seafloor from an altitude of 50 meters, mapping the topography of Axial Seamount both before and after the 2011 eruption at a one-meter horizontal resolution. These before-and-after surveys allowed geologists to clearly distinguish the 2011 lava flows from the many previous flows in the area.

MBARI researchers used three kinds of sonar to map the seafloor around Axial, and the detailed images show lava flows as thin as eight inches, and as thick as 450 feet.

"These autonomous underwater vehicle-generated maps allowed us, for the first time, to comprehensively map the thickness and extent of lava flows from a deep-ocean submarine in high resolution," said David Caress, an MBARI engineer and lead author on one of the Nature Geoscience articles. "These new observations allow us to unambiguously differentiate between old and new lava flows, locate fissures from which these flows emerged, and identify fine-scale features formed as the lava flowed and cooled."

The researchers also used shipboard sonar data to map a second, thicker lava flow about 30 kilometers south of the main flow also a likely result of the 2011 eruption.

Knowing the events leading up to the eruption and the extent of the lava flows is important because over the next few years researchers will be installing many new instruments and underwater cables around Axial Seamount as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. These new instruments will greatly increase scientists' ability to monitor the ocean and seafloor off of the Pacific Northwest.

"Now that we know some of the long-term and short-term signals that precede eruptions at Axial, we can monitor the seamount for accelerated seismicity and inflation," said OSU's Dziak. "The entire suite of instruments will be deployed as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative in the next few years including new sensors, samplers and cameras and next time they will be able to catch the volcano in the act."

The scientists also observed and documented newly formed hydrothermal vents with associated biological activity, Chadwick said.

"We saw snowblower vents that were spewing out nutrients so fast that the microbes were going crazy," he pointed out. "Combining these biological observations with our knowledge of the ground deformation, seismicity and lava distribution from the 2011 eruption will further help us connect underwater volcanic activity with the life it supports."

Scientists from Columbia University, the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz also participated in the project and were co-authors on the Nature Geoscience articles.

###

Note to Journalists: This story can be complemented with several images, video clips and sound bites from the eruption and its aftermath. Details, including caption and credit information, are available at these links:


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


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Syria army kills 26 civilians amid massacre outcry

The Syrian army killed at least 26 civilians on Saturday, a watchdog said, as a global outcry mounted over yet another massacre in the country, but with Russia stressing that it will block any UN use of force against its ally.

Amid repeated hints in recent weeks about possible military intervention by foreign powers, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of veto-wielding power Russia said "we will not sanction the use of force at the United Nations Security Council."

He spoke as worldwide anger grew over the crackdown by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime on a revolt in which more than 13,500 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since March 2011.

Nine women and three children were among 17 people killed in a pre-dawn bombardment of a residential neighbourhood in the southern city of Daraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Dozens more were wounded, some of them seriously, in the city which was the birthplace of the uprising against Assad's rule, the British-based watchdog said.

In nearby Jordan, hundreds of Syrian refugees demonstrated in the border town of Ramtha to protest against the deaths in Daraa, Jordan's official Petra news agency reported.

They marched to the Omari mosque in Ramtha which is home to around 20,000 refugees, most from Daraa province, Petra said.

Meanwhile, UN observers who visited the village of Al-Kubeir, where at least 55 people were killed earlier this week, said they saw blood on the walls and "a strong stench of burnt flesh."

The Al-Kubeir incident prompted Western governments to launch a push for tough new sanctions against Damascus.

Russia, along with China, has already vetoed two Security Council resolutions against Assad.

Meanwhile, in central Syria, government forces on Saturday pounded several rebel neighbourhoods of Homs city with artillery and mortars, killing six civilians, the Observatory said.

It said the army killed at least 26 civilians nationwide, including 17 in the flashpoint southern city of Daraa, while three soldiers died in clashes in northern Syria.

Diplomats in New York said Britain, France and the United States would quickly draw up a Security Council resolution proposing sanctions against Syria following a grim report from the monitors on their visit to Al-Kubeir following Wednesday's assault.

"We will move fast to press for a resolution," one UN diplomat told AFP.

More than 20 unarmed UN observers were allowed into Al-Kubeir on Friday, a day after monitors were shot at and prevented from entering the village.

"Inside some of the houses, blood was visible across the walls and floors. Fire was still burning outside houses and there was a strong stench of burnt flesh," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said in New York.

At least 55 people were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory.

UN officials were unable to confirm the toll, but made clear they believe government forces and their allies were behind the attack on the mainly Sunni Muslim village surrounded by an Alawite population loyal to Assad.

Damascus denied responsibility and blamed foreign-backed "terrorists," as it has done repeatedly in the past.

"Armoured vehicle tracks were visible in the vicinity. Some homes were damaged by rockets from armoured vehicles, grenades and a range of calibre weapons," Nesirky said.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council that according to preliminary evidence, troops had surrounded Al-Kubeir and militia entered the village and killed civilians with "barbarity."

Leaders of the exiled Syrian National Council were meeting in Turkey on Saturday to pick a new leader after the resignation of Burhan Ghalioun to avert divisions in the opposition bloc.

Ghalioun resigned on May 17 after activists accused him of ignoring the Local Coordination Committees, which spearhead anti-government protests on the ground, and of allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to play a leading role within the bloc.

Sources in the group said the aim was to pick a "consensus" candidate who would be acceptable to Islamists, liberals and nationalists.

"There is a consensus inside the council that there should be a rotating presidency, so we are now changing the president for the coming three months," said Bassma Kodmani, the SNC spokeswoman for external relations.

The new leader will face the challenge of boosting the SNC's credibility with activists and rebel fighters inside Syria, as well as with the international community.

Prior to the meeting, leaders of the armed opposition called on the international community to provide them with better weaponry and support.

"Those who claim to support the Syrian opposition should begin by supporting people on the inside of Syria," said Hussein Sayyed, head of the Supreme Council for the Leadership of the Syrian Revolution, speaking by telephone to a meeting in Washington.

Sayyed denied that the opposition was too divided to merit foreign support.

"It is unacceptable for the international community to claim that it is withholding its support because of the fracturing of the opposition while the Syrian people continue to be slaughtered," he told the meeting organised by the Rethink Institute.

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Men ordered to trial in Giants fan attack in LA

By LINDA DEUTSCH

AP Special Correspondent

Associated Press Sports

updated 6:08 p.m. ET June 8, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man ordered Friday to stand trial for the beating of a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium acknowledged the attack in a jailhouse conversation, according to a transcript of the recorded discussion.

"I socked him, jumped him and started beating him," the transcript quotes defendant Louis Sanchez.

The account of the talk between Sanchez, 30, and co-defendant Marvin Norwood, 31, was released after a preliminary hearing where both men were ordered to stand trial on charges of mayhem, assault and battery in the 2011 attack on Bryan Stow.

Stow, a paramedic from Northern California who attended last year's opening day game in Los Angeles, suffered brain damage and is permanently disabled.

The violence sparked scrutiny of stadium security and fan behavior.

Prosecutors said the conversation between Sanchez and Norwood was secretly recorded after they appeared in a lineup last July.

Sanchez was heard saying he got mad at the Giants' fan for making derogatory remarks to his sister about the Dodgers.

He also apologized to Norwood for dragging him into the situation, but Norwood said he wouldn't have felt like a man if he hadn't stepped in to help Sanchez.

The recording of the conversation was played during the hearing but was indecipherable without the written transcript.

Superior Court Judge George Lomeli listened to five days of testimony and evidence before concluding there will be a trial.

Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanessey cited the jailhouse recording and the testimony of numerous witnesses in arguing in court for the men to stand trial.

"This case is also about many admissions by the defendants," she said.

Quoting from the tape, she noted that Norwood said, "'We're the bad guys because something misfortunate happened."'

The prosecutor added caustically, in reference to Stow, "Who else had something so misfortunate happen that the whole country remembers it?"

At one point in the talk, Norwood says, "As soon as the media finds out, all hell is going to break loose."

The men also wonder aloud whether someone in prison might try to harm them.

The expletive-filled conversation features Sanchez and Norwood discussing details of the night at the stadium and trying to figure out what to tell police.

"We need to come up with a good (expletive) defense," Norwood says.

"They harassed my sister," suggests Sanchez.

He also considered saying there were six or seven Giants fans who jumped him first. But Norwood was skeptical.

"Dude, they're gonna say you were looking for a fight the whole night," he says.

Norwood is the fiance of Sanchez' sister, Dorene, who testified at the hearing under a grant of immunity. They have a 2-year-old child.

Dorene Sanchez was teary-eyed while standing in the courthouse hallway after the judge's ruling. Asked if she still loves the two men, she put her hand to her chest and said emotionally, "That's my heart."

During their talk, the men mentioned that another man had been arrested for the crime earlier and said casually they didn't remember seeing him at the stadium.

They also talked about their ruined lives.

"I was gonna get a new job," Sanchez says. "I don't think I'm going to get it though."

"Yeah, tell me about it," says Norwood. "I just got a new job."

Both men have pleaded not guilty. The defense did not present a case during the preliminary hearing, which is typical in such proceedings.

Dorene Sanchez testified that she never saw Stow on the night of March 31, 2011, and did not witness the beating, but her testimony was critical because it placed both defendants in the midst of a fight after the game let out.

She said Norwood ran to her car with blood on his hand while Sanchez spewed profanity.

She said neither man told her what had happened but she became suspicious when she later saw a TV report on the beating.

In earlier testimony, Mary Dolores Donely identified both defendants as the men she saw near Stow's prone body.

She testified that she heard Stow's head hit the pavement with a crack then saw a man she identified as Louie Sanchez kick him in the head and attempt to punch him.

In court, she pointed to Sanchez as the assailant and identified Norwood as a cohort who left the scene with him.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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BBQ on the Brain: 10th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

It?s not too late to cancel your plans this weekend so you can attend the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park. Not only does this festival give you the opportunity to try some of the best roasted, braised, and fired meat in around, but it features pit masters from all across the country. If that wasn?t enough, they also have live music, film, and free cooking demos. Here?s what we are looking forward too.

Meat:?Expect to wait in line, but don?t be dismayed it?s worth it. Serving up the meat Saturday and Sunday include favorites like: Las Vegas? Mike Mills with baby back ribs, Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q with pulled-pork shoulder, Rodney Scott from Scott?s Bar-B-Q with a whole hog, Drew Robinson from Jim ?N Nick?s with smoked sausage, and 14 other barbecue experts.

Music:?On Saturday, get your country-folk on with Jon Langford, soul music from Chicago with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, and end the day with swamp pop from Southern Culture on the Skids. Sunday brings you soul by the Revelations featuring Tres Williams, and rock music by Roadside Graves and Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys.

Free demonstrations:?There are a lot of events going on, but the demos to really watch out for start with southern chefs Tyler Brown from Capitol Grille and Sean Brock from Husk and McCrady?s showing how to cook over embers. Also up, they have Chris Hastings, chef and owner of the Hot & Hot Fish Club in Alabama, making BBQ grilled shrimp and chef Norman King whipping up brown sugar pork chops.

Film screenings:?Both days will feature free screenings of Joe York?s two new shorts Helen?s Bar-B-Q, and homage to pit master Helen Turner, and Madison Square Pork, a mini-documentary of the festival. If you can?t wait, or want something extra special, Blue Smoke is hosting the Potlikker Film Festival that not only shows both films, but also York?s short on the Van Winkle bourbon company called, Asleep in the Wood?all complete with Smell-A-Vision.Good thing food is on hand as they will also be passing around southern nibbles by Blue Smoke?s Kenny Callaghan,?Seersucker's?Robert Newton, and Herbsaint?s Ryan Prewitt and pouring whiskey from Julian Van Winkle?s private stash.

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Complete The Home Improvement Project You Have Been Planning ...

June 8, 2012 ? Posted in Family?

Being a homeowner is quite rewarding. If you don?t like your carpet, you can switch it out. Don?t like the paint? Paint over it! You should always choose what you are going to be remodeling in your home. This article will give you advice on making those improvements.

If you want to install a new screen for your window but are unable to find one the right size, it is simple to make one yourself. You can use frame kits cut to a specific window size, then attach the screen using an inexpensive tool and cording. Some windows use special screens but you can compensate for this in your design.

When undertaking a home improvement project on your own, make a point of buying high quality materials and tools. It may cost a bit more up-front, but it will cost you much less over the long haul. These products can actually save you time and money in the long run. Quality tools are worth the cost up front, and they will save you money and time in the long run.

Spruce up your kitchen by putting new knobs and pulls on the cabinets. New knobs and cabinet hardware can make a big difference in a kitchen?s appearance, and installing them takes minimal effort. This is the perfect time to give the cabinets a thorough cleaning and is easier to do while you have the hardware removed. Put the new knobs on the cabinetry and you are done!

If your home has low ceilings, use window treatments to add the illusion of higher ceilings. To make the ceiling ?raise?, put the curtain rods higher. This will make the eye think the room is higher as well.

If your house isn?t big enough or it seems too ordinary, think about renovating it rather than buying a new one. A renovation can allow you to alter your home to fit your lifestyle and needs without having to go through all of the work, stress and expense of moving. Also, this process is less stressful, and can cost a lot less money.

Any wood-burning stove you use inside your home should be EPA certified. Most stoves that are newly made are certified, but if you buy a used one, you will want to check to be sure. Burning wood inside can let off carbon monoxide fumes which can be fatal, so be sure to invest in a carbon monoxide detector to keep yourself safe.

When partaking in outdoor home improvement projects, try to ask yourself if your house will stick out in a bad way in your neighborhood. Do you really want to set yourself up as the neighborhood oddity? Aesthetically pleasing changes are more desirable than abnormal ones.

It is important to call a contractors insurance company and verify that they are in fact insured before you allow them to do any home improvement job for you. Sometimes, contractors hang on to cards that are expired, so they can trick people into thinking they have insurance.

If you?ve owned a home for a bit, you might feel it?s time to update the house. The tips you gave just read can be the agent that transforms your home from a place to stay into a place to live.

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Parasitic plants 'steal' genes from their hosts

Friday, June 8, 2012

New research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Genomics reveals that the Malaysian parasitic plant Rafflesia cantleyi, with its 50cm diameter flowers, has 'stolen' genes from its host Tetrastigma rafflesiae. Analysis of these genes shows that their functions range from respiration to metabolism, and that some of them have even replaced the parasites own gene activity.

Vertical gene transfer is that between parents and their offspring, while horizontal gene transfer is the movement of genes between two different organisms. Bacteria use horizontal gene transfer to exchange resistance to antibiotics. Recent studies have shown that plants can also use horizontal gene transfer, especially parasitic plants and their hosts due to their intimate physical connections.

Rafflesia cantleyi is an obligate holoparasite (dependent on its host, and only that host, for sustenance), which grows on Tetrastigma rafflesiae, a member of the grape family. Researchers from Singapore, Malaysia and USA collaborated to systematically investigate the possibility of horizontal gene transfer between these two plants. By looking at the transcriptome (the transcribed products of switched on genes) they found 49 genes transcribed by the parasite, accounting for 2% of their total transcriptome, which originally belonged to the host. Three quarters of these transcripts appear to have replaced the parasites own version.

Most of these genes had been integrated into the parasite's nucleus, allowing the researchers to perform genomic analysis. Over time DNA randomly mutates and investigation of genetic drift between the genes for these transcripts, between the parasite and host, showed that some time has passed since the genes were acquired and that they were acquired gradually.

Prof Charles Davis, from the Harvard University Herbaria, who co-led this project with Prof Joshua Rest from Stony Brook University, explained, "The elevated rate of horizontal gene transfer between T. rafflesiae and its parasite R. cantleyi raises the possibility that there is a 'fitness' benefit to the parasite. For example they may improve the parasites ability to extract nutrients from the host, or help it evade the host's defences, as has been seen for a bacterial pathogen of citrus trees."

Prof Davis continued, "Furthermore it appears that about one third of the parasites own genes have evolved to be more like those of T. rafflesia. Finding out how T. rafflesia manages its genomic deception will provide us with real insights into the slow war between plant parasites and their hosts."

###

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

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