is a web carnival devoted to beetles, their biology and evolution. The current issue is at Beetles in the Bush. Go check it out!
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The monthly Carnival of Evolution is now up at Beetles in the Bush. Ted has done a terrific job of putting together some of the best science writing on the web. Make sure to stop on by and thank him for another great edition.
This month brings newcomer Chadrick Lane with his blog The Ancestral…
I love trees, but trees covered in insects aren't usually my cup of tea. 'Till now.
One of the reasons I chose my house was the giant maple tree by the front porch. The foliage provides shade and privacy in the summer and a terrific Halloween backdrop in the fall. So, a few weeks ago, when I…
Charles Darwin was so fascinated by beetles he paid people to help him build his collection. The Coleopterists Society and the Smithsonian Institute want to help kids explore the wonders of beetles, too.
They're providing grants for kids, in grades 7-12 to work on beetle biology.
Applications are…
A review of evo-devo (Jenner, R.A., Wills, M.A. (2007) The choice of model organisms in evo-devo. Nat Rev Genet. 8:311-314. Epub 2007 Mar 6.) is starting to make rounds on the blogs. I cannot access the paper (I'd like to have it if someone wants to e-mail me the PDF), but the press release (also…
Insects lurking in a bush? That makes me think of the synsects of this book... http://www.amazon.com/Invincible-Ace-Science-Fiction-Special/dp/0283979…
(although beetles do not tend to be social)
An Alaskan species of beetle actually has a (non-protein) molecule that inhibits ice crystal formation, enabling it to go into suspended animation during winter.
If they could only evolve a more effective way of pumping air and blood, they could overcome the size limitation of arthropods and become really formidable.
-Considering the enormous biomass of beetles, I wonder if we could make a GM variety, programmed to seek out anoxic conditions before death so they do not decompose. That would tie up a lot of carbon...
Hi Greg - thanks for your contribution and helping to spread the word.