Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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About 200 B.C. mystery cults began to appear in Rome just as they had earlier in Greece. Most notable was the Cybele cult centered on Vatican hill … Associated with the Cybele cult was that of her lover, Attis (the older Tammuz, Osiris, Dionysus, or Orpheus under a new name). He was a god of ever-reviving vegetation. Born of a virgin, he died and was reborn annually. The festival began as a day of blood on Black Friday and culminated after three days in a day of rejoicing over the resurrection.
[Gerald L. Berry, "Religions of the World"]
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Ancient rules for Bilaterian development
A simple story gets complicated
Transcription factors and morphogens
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« Who'd have thought geology and paleontology and cooking would go together so well? | Main | Besides, I'm out of the closet on the cephalopodophilia thing »
Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: February 23, 2007 9:03 AM, by PZ Myers
You all remember Violet, the jar-opening octopus, I'm sure—well, Violet is also quite the fierce predator. I would suggest that keeping a pet octopus is not a wise decision if you happen to be an arthropod.
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Comments
Was she feeling for the crab?
Posted by: Stanton | February 23, 2007 10:36 AM
Thanks for the link PZ, I have always been fascinated by octopuses.
The octopus doesn't appear to grab the crab, rather the octopus waits for the crab to grab it. It looks like the octopus swept a tentacle across the crab, like a fishing line, waiting for the crab to grab it. When the crab grabbed the tentacle the octopus flung it into its beak.
Is this how some octopuses hunt or am I being fanciful?
Posted by: Neil | February 23, 2007 11:03 AM
Neil,
She grabbed the crab and had a good grip on it. As a defense the crab tried to pinch her arm as it was getting swept up.
Posted by: Mark H | February 23, 2007 11:11 AM
Thanks Mark H.
I have now watched it a few more times on the YouTube site where the image is bigger and you are spot on. I was being fanciful. You can see the octopus get a good grip on the crab's shell before hauling it in.
Posted by: Neil | February 23, 2007 11:49 AM
She's just biding her time until the cephalopods rise up...
Posted by: Tina | February 23, 2007 7:19 PM
Nice coimic (Lio) featuring a pet cephalopod.
http://www.gocomics.com/lio/2007/02/22/
Posted by: bruce | February 23, 2007 9:03 PM