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When threatened, the caterpillar of the large white butterfly is prone to being sick.


ANIMALS DEFEND THEMSELVES in a number of ways – pretending to be something else, changing colour, attacking with sting or bite. But one novel method, vomiting over your foe, is the preferred method of large white butterfly caterpillars. Researchers from the Universities of


Bristol and Liverpool have found that, perhaps in the interest of neighbourly relations, these caterpillars are less likely to vomit on predators if they’re in a group. Te caterpillars rely on safety in numbers


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so their own likelihood of having to vomit on a predator is reduced. Teir reluctance is understandable, as the loss of food can slow down growth and reduce survival rates. Dr Andrew Higginson of Bristol’s


School of Biological Sciences said: “Tis study helps us to better understand the defences of many caterpillars and similar insects, several of whom are important crop pests. It will ultimately help in the design of more sustainable methods for reducing crop losses experienced by farmers.”


Rewriting history


Archaeologists from the University of Bristol have discovered that what was once thought to be an ancient standing stone is actually the capstone, or entrance cover, of a 5,500-year- old tomb. Dr George Nash and his team (right) carried out the


first full investigation of the 1.2m high Trefael Stone, which is located near Newport in South Wales. Findings, which included beads likely to be early Mesolithic and the remains of human bones, make the site Wales’ earliest Neolithic burial-ritual monument.


The site has added


significance because farming practices since the 17th century mean most sites of this age have been destroyed. Dr Nash: “The excavation of this monument gives us a rare insight into Britain’s earliest farming communities. What is more significant is the survival of pottery and human bone from this period within such acidic soils.”


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IT SEEMS THE RECESSION is hitting more than just human members of the family. Research carried out by the School of Veterinary Sciences found that over a quarter of a million cats and dogs were taken in by UK rescue organisations in 2009, as hard-pressed families struggle to pay for animal food and costly trips to the vet. Welfare organisations were asked to


provide details of the animals they had in care, with findings showing that 131,070 cats and 129,743 dogs entered the care of UK welfare organisations during 2009. Dr Corinna Clark, a researcher in the


University’s Animal Welfare and Behaviour research group, said: “As well as highlighting the enormity of this issue, the study demonstrates the substantial efforts of welfare organisations in caring for and rehoming unwanted animals annually, many of which rely on unpaid help from volunteers. We will continue to support the work these organisations do through our collaboration with them.”


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Photo: Andrew Higginson/Bristol University


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