dolittle

The 10 winning images from the inaugural Bio-Art competition hosted by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) were announced last week. Here are my favorites:    Closely related species of electric fish with recordings of their electric organ discharge. This organ is…

Photo: Science/AAAS I find myself wondering why a rat would choose to liberate a cagemate when they have the opportunity to enjoy a goldmine of chocolates if they would just leave the other rat locked up.  Dr. Peggy Mason, a neuroscientist, and psychologists Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal and Jean Decety…

While searching the website of The American Physiological Society, I discovered that there are local chapters of the society all across America. So I have decided to bring highlights from their meetings to you. We will be starting with the Arizona Physiological Society as they just held their…

While searching the website of The American Physiological Society, I discovered that there are local chapters of the society all across America. So I have decided to bring highlights from their meetings to you. We will be starting with the Arizona Physiological Society as they just held their…

While searching website of The American Physiological Society, I discovered that there are local chapters of the society all across America. So I have decided to bring highlights from their meetings to you. We will be starting with the Arizona Physiological Society as they just held their annual…

Most people probably only think of turkeys as the delicious main course served with gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce (among many other items) at Thanksgiving. I too have mainly been concerned with how best to prepare them for dinner and have admittedly not given much thought to their…

When I saw the advertisement for the NOVA special on dogs called Dogs Decoded, I just had to watch it! This special shows just how smart man's best friend really is. If you have ever owned a dog, you have probably noticed that they seem to be tuned in to how we feel. In this special, scientists…

I just watched the most amazing special called "A Murder of Crows". Crows are the most intelligent birds. They demonstrate an amazing ability to learn either from their parents, from watching other birds, or from trial and error. One of the attributes that I found most amazing was their ability to…

The research of James Waters and Jon Harrison from Arizona State University on ant metabolism was recently featured in a press release from The American Physiological Society. Mr. Waters and Dr. Harrison have measured the standard metabolic rates of individual ants as well as whole ant colonies.…

Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell is Co-founder/CEO of Utopia Scientific and an instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Stanford University in California. Research in the O'Connell-Rodwell laboratory focuses on communication through vibrations in large mammals. In a previous blog, I discussed Dr…

Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell is Co-founder/CEO of Utopia Scientific and an instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Stanford University in California. Research in the O'Connell-Rodwell laboratory focuses on communication through vibrations in large mammals. In a previous blog, I discussed…

Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell is Co-founder/CEO of Utopia Scientific and an instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Stanford University in California. Research in the O'Connell-Rodwell laboratory focuses on communication through vibrations in large mammals. In a previous blog, I discussed Dr…

For those of you who read the previous blog, you get the idea behind today's offering. Namely, that October is celebration/awareness month of a host of health-related causes, among them: children's health, dyslexia awareness, healthy lung, lupus awareness, national breast cancer awareness, and…

Fifty-two years ago the average American home cost $30,000, Elvis Presley wooed listeners with Hard Headed Woman, and the hula-hoop was introduced. That same year, 1958, a team comprised of a groundbreaking engineer -- Dean Franklin -- in concert with two exceptional physicians -- Drs. Robert…

PHOTO CREDIT: SARAH R. PRYKE Things seem to pile on top of my desk too easily these days. When the stacks finally started tipping over today, I decided it must be time to clean. In this process, I came across a report that I had set aside to read in Science Magazine. So, of course, I abandoned all…

Blair Wolf is an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico. Research in the Wolf lab focuses on the natural history and ecophysiology of desert animals. He agreed to blog with Dr. Dolittle on the topic of birds. Here is the final excerpt from their exchange. PHOTO: Budgerigars…

Blair Wolf is an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico. Research in the Wolf lab focuses on the natural history and ecophysiology of desert animals. He agreed to blog with Dr. Dolittle on the topic of birds. Here are excerpts from their exchange. Dr. Dolittle: What made…

Blair Wolf is an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico. Research in the Wolf lab focuses on the natural history and ecophysiology of desert animals. He agreed to blog with Dr. Dolittle on the topic of birds. Here is an excerpt from their exchange. Dr. Dolittle: Much of your…

Blair Wolf is an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico. Research in the Wolf lab focuses on the natural history and ecophysiology of desert animals. Preface: Dr. Blair Wolf's research discussed in a previous blog released August 13, 2010 on what causes the mass deaths of…

As the heat drags on in the southwestern United States, I cannot stop dreaming about sledding through the snow. So I checked out the trusty American Physiological Society press releases to see what the animals might be doing in cold environments that I can only dream about these days. In my search…

Who doesn't love horses? I was just reading a fascinating archived press release from The American Physiological Society about these icons of all western movies. Researchers John Hermanson, Norm Ducharme and Jonathan Cheetham (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine), John Bertram (…

Courtesy of Hannah CareyProgram Director, Physiological and Structural Systems Punxsutawney Phil is best known for his ability to "forecast" whether there will be six more weeks of winter each year. Few people are aware, however, that groundhogs like Phil provide science with even more important…

One theory of aging holds that accumulation of reactive oxygen species from aerobic metabolism damages nucleotides, proteins and lipids. Therefore, animals with a higher metabolism (poor mice) would be expected to produce more reactive oxygen species and age at a faster rate than animals with a…

I just watched a re-run of the movie March of the Penguins...so cute! The movie documents how emperor penguins survive their long winter fast while incubating eggs. In fact, researchers have shown that penguins spend about half their time huddling with other penguins. This allows them to lower…

In the spirit of discussing the effects of climate change, I thought it only appropriate to mention the findings of a recent article by Ozgul et al., published in Nature. The findings of this particular study point to global warming offering a distinct advantage for yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota…

Birds are way cool. In this podcast from The American Physiological Society, Dr. John West at the University of California in San Diego discusses the unique adaptations of the avian respiratory system. In mammals, the movement of air in and out of the lungs in a bidirectional fashion is called…

In a recent issue of Science magazine, researchers Li et al., were able to determine the plumage color of an extinct non-avian theropod dinosaur. This was possible due to the presence of melanin-containing melanosomes, which were preserved in the fossilized feathers. The fossilized remains were…

Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell is a Stanford University professor whose research focuses on how elephant vocalizations travel through the ground for great distances, and how other elephants can understand them, just as they understand acoustic sound, which travels through the air. O'Connell-Rodwell is…

The oil spill in the gulf has me thinking about gators. Have you ever been to a restaurant in New Orleans and enjoyed the tasty alligator selections on the menu? If not, you are missing out. Although I have to admit, they really do taste like chicken. Anyway, you probably know that alligators are…

For all the fellow fish-lovers out there, you must check out this article on a new exhibit of fish bones! Kyle Luckenbill of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia has been taking x-rays of fish specimens. The photos were so attractive, they are now displayed in an art exhibit.