When a scientist publishes their research in a journal, the flow of information of doesn’t stop there—science journalism is an important form of communication that makes this research accessible to the average person. Because academic readers and casual readers are very different audiences, differences are necessary in the way that the same information is presented. By comparing a popular science article to its primary source, we can see how a skillful writer can turn research into news.

In a recent study published in Science (Halfwerk et al., 2014), a research team investigated how animals integrate multiple sensory systems when receiving another animal’s signal. The researchers worked with male Tungara frogs, which produce mating calls while sitting in shallow water. Although it was previously known that frogs would respond to a neighboring male’s call (by calling faster, or falling silent in either preparation to fight or flee), Halfwerk and colleagues discovered that the water ripples produced by calling are an important factor—other males were significantly more likely to respond when ripples accompanied a recorded male frog call. If the ripples indicated that the call was outside the male’s territory (about a 15 cm circle), males increase their rate of calling. If the ripples were inside the territory, males more often fell silent as they prepared to fight or yield to the competitor. (more…)