'Dark Knight' stays on top with $62 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "The Dark Knight Rises" dominated the box office for a second-straight week, making just over $62 million, according to studio figures Monday.

That's a slight drop from Warner Bros.' Sunday estimate of $64 million. The much-anticipated final piece in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy has now made more than $287 million in its first 10 days.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "The Dark Knight Rises," Warner Bros., $62,101,451, 4,404 locations, $14,101 average, $287,112,810, two weeks.

2. "Ice Age: Continental Drift," Fox, $13,352,646, 3869 locations, $3,451 average, $114,899,860, three weeks.

3. "The Watch," Fox, $12,750,297, 3168 locations, $4,025 average, $12,750,297, one week.

4. "Step Up Revolution," Lionsgate, $11,731,708, 2567 locations, $4,570 average, $11,731,708, one week.

5. "Ted," Universal, $7,353,150, 3129 locations, $2,350 average, $193,618,750, five weeks.

6. "The Amazing Spider-Man," Sony, $6,701,111, 3160 locations, $2,121 average, $241,953,721, four weeks.

7. "Brave," Disney, $4,305,153, 2551 locations, $1,688 average, $217,329,672, six weeks.

8. "Magic Mike," Warner Bros., $2,619,128, 2075 locations, $1,262 average, $107,625,983, five weeks.

9. "Savages," Universal, $1,838,215, 1414 locations, $1,300 average, $43,983,785, four weeks.

10. "Moonrise Kingdom," Focus Features, $1,434,904, 853 locations, $1,682 average, $38,641,403, 10 weeks.

11. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection," Lionsgate, $1,308,870, 1111 locations, $1,178 average, $62,736,167, five weeks.

12. "To Rome With Love," Sony Pictures Classics, $1,000,279, 492 locations, $2,033 average, $12,910,121, six weeks.

13. "Beasts of the Southern Wild," Fox Searchlight, $926,046, 208 locations, $4,452 average, $4,206,936, five weeks.

14. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," Paramount, $900,570, 808 locations, $1,115 average, $209,570,970, eight weeks.

15. "Katy Perry: Part of Me," Paramount," $550,177, 606 locations, $908 average, $24,136,074, four weeks.

16. "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate, $518,940, 310 locations, $1,674 average, $405,882,323, 19 weeks.

17. "The Intouchables," Weinstein Co., $517,519, 194 locations, $2,668 average, $7,774,087, 10 weeks.

18. "The Avengers," Disney, $512,958, 373 locations, $1,375 average, $615,996,809, 13 weeks.

19. "Snow White and the Huntsman," Universal, $394,050, 355 locations, $1,110 average, $153,261,285, nine weeks.

20. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," Fox Searchlight, $335,342, 276 locations, $1,215 average, $44,471,606, 13 weeks.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang is on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dark-knight-stays-top-62-million-213522688.html

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The reason why Select a good Property Company Business ...

When selecting a business you should select one which suits your own abilities. Do you want to operate your personal company and also have just about all the benefits of employed by your self although not on your own? Perhaps you have usually fancied having the thought of becoming self-employed, begin a small company, improve your individual as well as monetary independence? Through purchasing a business you could have your personal company as well as discover all of the instruction as well as assistance you have to begin. Using the economic climate starting to fix by itself, now's the perfect time for you to purchase a good property company business. Buying the business indicates it's not required you have prior encounter within the property field. Whenever you select a income opportunity you'll be utilizing a proven business design and will also be benefiting from a good currently more successful manufacturer. Nevertheless it is necessary for that person to possess entrepreneurial as well as management characteristics and to possess the may to achieve success. Becoming in charge of your personal future as well as generating an excellent residing ought to be your primary goals. Having a great business property plan, thorough as well as continuing instruction supply the crucial in order to achievement. A great business plan ought to provide promotional initiatives at the. grams. tv, stereo, advertisements, printing press as well as nearby activity sponsorships to assist construct the actual manufacturer as well as simultaneously assist you to achieve success itemizing as well as promoting homes. You'll function next to such as oriented experts, who're operating for the exact same objectives, and you will end up being much more effective compared to you may be by yourself. The business is a great and will also be provided all of the resources you have to develop your company rapidly as well as viably. Franchise instruction is actually this essential the main business bundle. Instruction ought to be continuing having a follow-up in the franchisor to make sure correct delivery associated with exactly what may be trained. Sophisticated instruction, ongoing training, meetings as well as correct assistance just about all result in great expert improvement along with a prosperous company. Why don't you possess the independence to be a completely independent business proprietor and also have just about all the benefits of becoming of a leading property company advertising company? Function wiser not really tougher and become prosperous within the property company company. With regard to the actual formula may be the exact same -- a great business plan could possibly be the crucial for your achievement!

Source: http://antony.beernink.co.nz/node/11799

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Lebanon's Minister to Inaugurate Lebanon Oil and Gas Summit 2012, Beirut, Lebanon

Posted by Global Event Partners on Monday, July 30, 2012

Start Date Monday, December 03, 2012
End Date Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Location
Beirut, Lebanon

Link
www.liog-summit.com

Full Details

H.E.Eng Gebran Bassil, Minister for Energy and Water, Lebanon confirmed to host the opening ceremony at The Lebanon International Oil and Gas Summit taking place this December in Beirut.

The Lebanon International Oil and Gas Summit is a two day strategic conference held under the patronage of the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water and is set to take place 3-4 December this year at the prestigious Phoenicia hotel, Beirut. The Summit will provide a platform for leading Lebanese decision makers to engage with international and local investors to showcase the investment opportunities available throughout the region.

H.E. Eng Gebran Bassil, Minister for Energy Water and Electricity has officially confirmed his patronage of the event, ?At the Ministry of Energy & Water we?re looking forward to The Lebanon International Oil and Gas Summit in December as it promises to unite the whole international oil and gas community here in Lebanon. These are exciting times for our oil and gas industry and the LIOG Summit will provide the opportunity for the leading players from across the Levant region to share ideas and discuss investment opportunities? confirmed an advisor at the Ministry.

The Summit is organised by Global Event Partners Ltd in partnership with the Lebanese company, Planners and Partners. ?Our international expertise along with our local network of government and industry supporters will ensure that the LIOG Summit becomes the leading international hub for trade and investment in the Lebanese Oil and Gas market? said Paul Gilbert, Managing Director, Global Event Partners Ltd. ?The response from our partners and supporters has already helped to establish the event on the industry calendar and the inaugural event looks to be a huge success? Gilbert said.

?The LIOG Summit comes at a really important time for the oil and gas industry in Lebanon, as the industry is still developing, it?s crucial to have a forum like this where private and public sector oil and gas experts can meet to explore and discuss the future opportunities in the industry? concluded Dory Renno from Planners and Partners.

The LIOG Summit programme is being finalised in partnership with the Ministry and the steering committee of private and public sector partners and supporters. The agenda will unite the leading regional and international oil and gas experts to examine the investment opportunities in the region, explore the current challenges and identify future solutions for the successful development of the oil and gas industry in Lebanon.

www.liog-summit.com
Press contact
Rosie Topp, Global Event Partners Ltd
rtopp@gep-events.com
UK Direct line: +44 20 3488 1193
UK Mobile: +44 7581 130130

Organisers
Global Event Partners is a specialist international event organiser headquartered in London that has a proven track history of bringing business communities together. The team at Global Event Partners has more than 40 years? experience in organising leading industry events around the world. www.gep-events.com
Planners and Partners SAL is an event management and conference organizer company based in Beirut, Lebanon. It is managed by experienced team leaders who have worked and organized events for more than a decade mainly in Lebanon, the Gulf and the MENA regions. www.planners-partners.com

Category
Events

Source: http://feeds.oilvoice.com/~r/EventsNoticeBoard/~3/L-2z_jLY4rc/7a610c49da.aspx

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Yemeni gunmen vacate Interior Ministry after protest

DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemeni tribesmen agreed on Monday to vacate the Interior Ministry after storming it the day before in a protest for jobs, an official said - an incident that highlighted the ongoing turmoil in a country where al Qaeda militancy has alarmed world powers.

In another indication of instability in the Arabian Peninsula country, an Italian embassy security officer was kidnapped on Sunday. The Yemeni government said the hunt for the abductors had begun.

The country is struggling to establish order following the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in February after a year of Arab Spring protests against his rule.

An Interior Ministry source said it had persuaded the 100 tribesmen, seen as loyal to the former president Saleh, to vacate the Interior Ministry in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The tribesmen were demanding to be enlisted in the police force.

"The president formed a committee to negotiate," the source said, referring to the country's leader Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

"They were persuaded to end the occupation in return for a promise to respond to their demands."

The Italian security officer was kidnapped near his country's embassy in Sanaa. A spokesman for the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome said the man was a member of the country's Carabinieri military police.

In a phone call with his Italian counterpart, Giulio Terzi, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi said the hunt for the abductors had begun, state news agency Saba said late on Sunday. It said nothing about identity of the kidnappers.

The abduction followed the kidnapping in March of the Saudi deputy consul in Yemen's port city of Aden, Abdallah al-Khalidi, by al Qaeda-linked militants. The kidnappers have demanded the release of women detainees held in Saudi prisons.

During the uprising that toppled Saleh, militants associated with al Qaeda strengthened their position in areas of south and east Yemen, placing further tests on the central government control in a country where tribalism and regionalism run strong.

Tribesmen often kidnap foreigners and bomb oil and gas pipelines as a way to press demands on authorities.

Also on Monday, Yemen delivered its first oil shipment from the Maarib pipeline to its Aden refinery after a nine-month halt because of tribal attacks that left Yemen relying on imports and Saudi fuel donations, a refinery official told Reuters.

Yemen's location next to leading oil exporter Saudi Arabia and astride key world shipping routes has heightened regional and Western concern over the country's security situation.

The disorder has alarmed the United States, a backer of Saleh who has sought to ensure that his successor makes fighting al Qaeda his priority. Yemen now ranks alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan for U.S. policymakers concerned with the spread of al Qaeda networks.

Yemen's army has taken back some towns from militants, who struck back with suicide bombings in Sanaa, while Washington has stepped up a campaign of assassinations using manless drones operated by the CIA.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Andrew Hammond and Mirna Sleiman; Editing by Pravin Char and Alessandra Rizzo)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yemeni-gunmen-vacate-interior-ministry-protest-135322043.html

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Pit, Link, and Samus Getting Figures From Toy Maker Figma (In Japan, At Least)

During Tokyo's Wonder Festival over the weekend, Super Smash Bros. designer Masahiro Sakurai tweeted the image above showing off a prototype Pit figure from Japanese premium toymaker, Figma. Figma's take on the winged hero comes from his 3DS outing, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and joins their Samus from Metroid: Other M and Link from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Figma will also be releasing a Dark Pit figure in the future.

Figma's stuff tends to be for the high-end set, and in addition to Nintendo's iconic characters, they've also made figures based on Persona for Atlus and anime series such as Black Rock Shooter.

[Source: Siliconera]

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Follow @MTVMultiplayer on Twitter and be sure to "like" us on Facebook for the best geek news about comics, toys, gaming and more! And don?t forget to follow our video gaming and TV writer @TheCharlesWebb.

Tags Figma, kid icarus: uprising, Metroid: Oter M, the legend of zelda: skyward sword

Source: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2012/07/30/pit-link-and-samus-getting-figures-from-toy-maker-figma-in-japan-at-least/

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The Hybridization Effect

Console. Controller. Game. TV. Back in the glory days of of gaming, this was all you needed. Consoles did one thing, and they generally did it well, (well, save for the Jaguar, 5200, Sega 32x, CDI?) As a kid, I couldn?t wait to get home from school and bomb some Dodongos. It was a simpler time.

Today, video game systems are now able to do all sorts of things we never could have imagined back in the NES days. Streaming video via Netflix or Hulu Plus, playing DVDs and Blu-Rays, or even just surfing the net. It?s almost to a point to where using the term ?video game console? to describe any of the current gen systems is a bit of a misnomer because they aren?t just ?video game consoles.? It?s wild when you think about it. While all this isn?t necessarily a bad thing, it feels like gaming hardware today is trying to do too many things at once.

I?m currently employed at a rather large gaming retailer, and have been in the gaming retail business for around 6+ years now at two different companies. I?ve noticed an increasing trend in this generation: when looking for a console, many customers ask for the pros and cons of each system, and the way I find myself describing them focuses less on the games and more on everything else it can do. Generally, this is because I find most customers are more interested in this aspect rather than the games. ?Oh yeah, the PS3 can play Blu-Ray discs, stream Netflix, etc. So if you?ve got a nice HD Entertainment set up, it can be a nice ?media hub? to round everything out.?

Customers have this ?what else can it do? mentality that could be brought about by the crappy economy, no desire to actually play games (i.e. ?It?s for the kids?) or they just simply expect more from their consumer electronics. The latter feels like it?s been brought about by ?smartphones,? a term that I?ve come to loathe. Cell phones are no longer just phones. They?re gaming, web surfing, media streaming, social networking bricks with touch screens and crappy battery life. Oh, and you can check your e-mail too! This sort of ?hybridization effect? tends to detract from the device?s original function, or just results in no effort to making that function better. I feel like my iPhone 4 has about the same call quality that my old Samsung Alias had, and it was awesome.

To that extent, it could be said that gaming has been hamstrung by hybridization as well. The PS3, for instance, uses Blu-Ray so ?it can also be a Blu-Ray movie player,? but game load times are, at times, annoyingly long (?m looking at you, Mass Effect 2.) When it comes to the Xbox 360, Microsoft is guilty of some of the worst kinds of exploitation for the sake of making more money. In order to use Facebook, Netflix, or a myriad of other features, you have to purchase Xbox Live Gold. So if you only have a 360, you have to pay for Netflix, or whatever subscription based service you want to use, AND pay for a Gold Subscription. It?s outrageous, and this sort of thing is saturating the current gaming market, but that?s another discussion entirely.

To be fair, load times have always plagued any disc based electronics, but I do miss the days of putting in a cartridge, powering on the system and being able to start playing with no loading needed. Examples would be the NES, the Genesis or any myriad of old school, cartridge-based systems. Additionally, with the advent of online gaming, paying for services isn?t anything new, and keeping a stable online service up and available is really expensive. However, I just have to wonder exactly how much of a strain Netflix, Facebook and Twitter really cause on Xbox Live to warrant having to charge for a Gold Subscription in order to use them. It might seem silly to complain about any of these secondary services, but you have to wonder where the line will be drawn.

I realize this article has basically been one huge complaint thus far, as though I?m an old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn and take their Facebooks and Tweety Birds with them. Social media is essentially a glorified advertising system disguised as an augmented message board anyway. As a lifelong gamer, however, all these additional components tacked on to my consoles and games over the years bug the crap out of me. I?m all for progress, but it feels like console makers are focusing more on how many different markets they can horn in on and less about making gaming better. It makes sense from a business perspective, but as a gamer, it makes me yearn for a video game console that just plays video games, and does it well.

It?s funny, but as I was writing this article initially, I got a positive sign in the form of Ouya, the Android-based console that?s being financed on Kickstarter. As of the writing of this article, the project has quintupled its funding goal, with around 45,000 consoles already pre-purchased. It?s not quite a pure games console, as it can stream Twitch.tv, but with that it?s definitely a gamer?s machine. No Blu-Ray, No DVD, just games. Okay, and Twitch.tv. Having seen the Kickstarter, I can safely say I want one. Beyond its affordability at $99, it?s also intriguing in that it?s very open to any and all gamers, though it also feels like one of those oddities in gaming history that you always wish you had purchased before it became defunct just to say you have one.

People will still want their Xboxes, Nintendos and PlayStations, and whether or not Ouya will make Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony stand up and take notice is obviously hard to say at this point. The Big Three will no doubt keep moving along and making strides in turning their ?game consoles? into something else entirely, like a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. I?d like to think that Ouya could represent the return of a missing concept in gaming, that it could be an outlet for gamers who just want a console for games, whether they play them, make them or watch people play them on Twitch.tv. It?s a concept I?ve long thought dead, and I?m happy to see it return in some form.

Source: http://ontologicalgeek.com/the-hybridization-effect/

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Charter Brings Customers NBCUniversal's Coverage Of 2012 ...

ST.?LOUIS, July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? Charter Communications, in agreement with NBCUniversal, today announced a multiplatform content offering for NBCUniversal?s coverage of the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games to commence on Wednesday, July 25 through Sunday, August 12. Designed to provide video customers with access to more than 4,523 hours of NBCUniversal?s unprecedented Olympic programming, this offering represents the largest number of total Olympics hours ever. Charter will offer NBCUniversal?s Olympic content live and on-demand, across multiple digital, mobile and tablet platforms.

(Logo:? http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110526/AQ10195LOGO)

?We are thrilled to bring our customers NBCUniversal?s around-the-clock, multiplatform coverage of the 2012 London Olympics,? said Allan Samson, Charter Senior Vice President, Marketing. ?Access to NBCUniversal?s Olympic programming via Charter On Demand, high speed Internet services and crystal-clear HD, is as close to physically being at each event in London as you can get.?

In addition to extensive coverage on?the networks of NBCUniversal, including NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo, Charter customers can stay connected to the London Summer Olympic Games wherever they go exclusively via NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Olympics and NBC Olympics Live Extra apps via mobile and tablet devices.?

As part of a Charter customer?s video subscription, NBCUniversal is bringing Olympic content to them live and on-demand, online, and on mobile and tablet devices via applications.?

Following are multiplatform offerings that will allow Charter customers to watch and be a part of the 2012 London?Olympic Summer Games, including live streaming, VOD, mobile and tablet apps.

NBCUniversal?s Olympics Experience on Charter Includes:

• NBCOlympics.com: NBC Olympics Live Extra, the exclusive home of Olympic live stream content at NBCOlympics.com/LiveExtra, is available now to verified customers who subscribe to a package that includes CNBC and MSNBC and who sign-in.? NBCOlympics.com will live stream more than 3,500 total programming hours from NBCUniversal networks, including NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC and Bravo, for the first time ever so that Charter customers can easily verify their subscriptions and watch Olympic coverage live online at no additional charge. Customers who sign in and verify their subscriptions by Friday, July 27 can enter the NBC Olympics Live Extra Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, an HDTV, and other prizes, courtesy of NBCUniversal. Charter customers should follow these verification procedures to access Olympic programming via NBCOlympics.com:

1.????? Go to NBCOlympics.com/LiveExtra
2.????? Click the ?Click here & Get Ready? button
3.????? Select Charter
4.????? Enter the username and password that corresponds with your Charter account
5.????? You are signed in throughout the Games on that device!

• Mobile and Tablet Apps: NBCUniversal will offer two apps for mobile and tablet viewing. The NBC Olympics Live Extra app will be available to verified Charter customers and will offer the same live streaming and event replays available via NBCOlympics.com/LiveExtra. The NBC Olympics app will include short-form highlights, schedules, results, columns and more and will also link to the NBC Olympics Live Extra app.
• On Demand: NBCUniversal is making Olympic highlights and full-event rewinds available via Charter?s Video-On-Demand service. See U.S. athletes compete in Diving, Gymnastics, Swimming, and Track & Field with over 100 highlights covering the U.S. Trials.

Pre-Games: Viewers can access more than 120, 4-8 minute clips available in SD and HD.
In Games: NBCU will offer more than 550 highlight clips, in addition to 240 full-length event replays, available within 24 hours of the event completion, all in HD and SD.

The 2012 London Olympic Summer Games will run throughout 19 unforgettable days and nights, covering every sport, medal, champion and riveting moment. For more information, visit www.NBCOlympics.com or Charter.net/NBClondongames

About NBC Olympics

A division of the NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal?s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history.

Having produced every Summer Olympics since Seoul in 1988 and every Winter Olympics since Salt Lake City in 2002, the networks of NBCUniversal are synonymous with the Games in the United States. In 2011, NBCUniversal acquired the U.S. media rights on all platforms to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and the 2020 Summer Olympics. At the conclusion of the 2020 Games, NBCUniversal will have presented 17 total Olympic Games and 11 consecutive, the most for a U.S. media company in both categories.

NBC has won an unprecedented 91 Emmy Awards for its Olympics coverage, as well as a prestigious Peabody Award for its presentation of the Beijing Opening Ceremony in 2008, which USA Today said was ?the best overall Olympic experience ever provided by a U.S. network.?

In addition to its unsurpassed heritage and award-winning production, NBCUniversal is known for aggregating large Olympic audiences, as nine of the top 11 most-watched U.S. television events of all time are Olympic Games presented across the networks of NBCUniversal. The Beijing Summer Olympics rank No. 1 with 215 million viewers.

About Charter

Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) is a leading broadband communications company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services, including advanced Charter TV? video entertainment programming, Charter Internet? access, and Charter Phone?. Charter Business? similarly provides scalable, tailored, and cost-effective broadband communications solutions to business organizations, such as business-to-business Internet access, data networking, business telephone, video and music entertainment services, and wireless backhaul. Charter?s advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media? brand. More information about Charter can be found at charter.com.

SOURCE Charter Communications

Source: http://uspromodeals.com/charter/2012/07/23/charter-brings-customers-nbcuniversals-coverage-of-2012-london-summer-olympic-games-july-25-august-12/

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Superfast evolution in sea stars

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How quickly can new species arise? In as little as 6,000 years, according to a study of Australian sea stars.

"That's unbelievably fast compared to most organisms," said Rick Grosberg, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis and coauthor on the paper published July 18 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Grosberg is interested in how new species arise in the ocean. On land, groups of plants and animals can be physically isolated by mountains or rivers and then diverge until they can no longer interbreed even if they meet again. But how does this isolation happen in the wide-open ocean?

Grosberg and colleagues studied two closely related "cushion stars," Cryptasperina pentagona and C. hystera, living on the Australian coast. The animals are identical in appearance but live in different regions: Hystera occurs on a few beaches and islands at the far southern end of the range of pentagona.

And their sex lives are very, very different. Pentagona has male and female individuals that release sperm and eggs into the water where they fertilize, grow into larvae and float around in the plankton for a few months before settling down and developing into adult sea stars.

Hystera are hermaphrodites that brood their young internally and give birth to miniature sea stars ready to grow to adulthood.

"It's as dramatic a difference in life history as in any group of organisms," Grosberg said.

The researchers looked at the diversity in DNA sequences from sea stars of both species and estimated the length of time since the species diverged.

The results show that the species separated about 6,000 to 22,000 years ago. That rules out some ways new species could evolve. For example, they clearly did not diverge slowly with genetic changes over a long period of time, but were isolated quickly.

Over the last 11,000 years, the boundary between cold and warm water in the Coral Sea has fluctuated north and south. A small population of the ancestral sea stars, perhaps even one individual, might have colonized a remote area at the southern end of the range then been isolated by one of these changes in ocean currents.

###

University of California - Davis: http://www.ucdavis.edu

Thanks to University of California - Davis for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 7 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/121975/Superfast_evolution_in_sea_stars

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