grrlscientist | April 30, 2007
Eleven species of giant tortoise are found throughout the Galapagos Islands.
The (Lonesome George) Pinta tortoise is one of the smaller species.
Image: BBC News.
Do you remember "Lonesome George"; the male giant Galapagos tortoise from the island of Pinta? Well, it appears that he is not so lonesome afterall, since researchers discovered a first-generation hybrid between a Pinta tortoise and a tortoise from Isabela isle. This hybrid, which shares half of its genes with George, was discovered on Isabela.
Because of this hybrid's parentage, it is possible that a more thorough sampling of…
grrlscientist | April 30, 2007This is a rather civilized conversation between Bill O'Reilly and Richard Dawkins, a self-professed christian and an atheist, respectively, although O'Reilly is rather absurd at times.
grrlscientist | April 30, 2007Scientists say that that an Ebola-like virus, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), is killing all species of fish in the Great Lakes. Due to a lack of genetic resistance to VHS, fish populations could ultimately be damaged in the same way that the smallpox virus struck Native Americans and Dutch elm disease decimated elm trees, says Jim Winton, chief of fish health at the U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle.
VHS was unexpectedly found in the Great Lakes in 2005, in addition to the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Niagara River and an inland lake in New York. Last year, VHS caused large kills that…
grrlscientist | April 30, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Formica incerta
Gannett Hill, Ontario Co., New York, USA
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2003.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for posting these images is to remind all of us of the grandeur of the natural world and that there is a world out there that is populated by millions of unique species. We are a part of this world whether we like it or not: we have a choice to either preserve these species or to destroy them in search of…
grrlscientist | April 30, 2007tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Burrowing owls, Athene cunicularia.
The photographer writes; While driving up to Colorado, I spotted a pair of Burrowing Owls trying in vain to stay dry in the drizzle. Highway 385 North of Brownfield, Terry County, TX.
Image appears here with the kind permission of the photographer, Jay Packer.
Birds in Science
Gone are the days when animals were classified to taxon based solely on bone structure (osteology), body structure (morphometrics) or behavior (ethology), or some combination of these characters. Currently,…
grrlscientist | April 30, 2007tags: cuttlefish, Indonesia, nature, streaming video
According to my sources, the cuttlefish (which is closely related to squid and octopi) has exquisite control over its pigmentation, such that it can change its patterning on the fly (as you will see in the streaming video below the fold).
Basically, each pigment cell has a cluster of muscle cells around it that control whether it is contracted (invisible) or relaxed (visible). Pigment cells come in several colors, and by controlling each color at the cellular level, this amazing cephalopod is able to blend in with its environment,…
grrlscientist | April 29, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Rhytidoponera metallica -- Greenhead ant
Victoria, Australia.
Portrait of a metallic green ant.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2005.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for posting these images is to remind all of us of the grandeur of the natural world and that there is a world out there that is populated by millions of unique species. We are a part of this world whether we like it or not: we have a choice to either preserve these…
grrlscientist | April 29, 2007tags: dogs, pets, antidepressant, SSRI, Reconcile, separation anxiety
Did you hear that Eli Lilly, the company that was caught in a big kerfuffle over Zyprexa (Olanzapine), recently released an antidepressant for dogs? The product, called Reconcile (fluoxetine hydrochloride), is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is prescribed for dogs that suffer separation anxiety. It is prescribed on a dose-to-weight basis for use in conjunction with behavior modification training to help ease anxiety in dogs that become stressed-out when their owners leave them behind to go to work or…
grrlscientist | April 29, 2007tags: birds, cartoon, humor, streaming video
Okay, I've linked to this video before, but this version includes dialogue that you might find amusing. Needless to say, I am hoping this will give you a smile as you go about your workday.
grrlscientist | April 28, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Neivamyrmex opacithorax -- Army Ant Queen
Arizona, USA
A worker army ant (top left) carries a queen army ant in the same style as army ants carry brood and prey items, slung under the body and dragged across the substrate. Notice the difference in size among the workers, and between the workers and the queen.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2005.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for posting these images is to remind all of us of…
grrlscientist | April 28, 2007tags: cookie monster, computers, streaming video
What did the cookie monster eat before he ate cookies? Um .. for some odd reason, this video reminds me of my parrots .. not sure why.
Anyway, here's a little about the film; This funny computer video, titled "Coffee Break Machine", was created by Jim Henson in 1967 as an IBM training video. At the time, the monster was named "Arnold the Munching Monster".
grrlscientist | April 27, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Eciton burchelli -- army ant
Captive colony at the California Academy of Sciences
(from Trinidad)
Army ants on the run.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2004.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for posting these images is to remind all of us of the grandeur of the natural world and that there is a world out there that is populated by millions of unique species. We are a part of this world whether we like it or not: we have a choice…
grrlscientist | April 27, 2007tags: disturbing essay, writing, teaching, mental health, freedom of speech
In the wake of the recent Virginia Tech tragedy, it was revealed that Cho, the gunman, had written several essays in his English class that were perceived by his professor as "disturbing." Even though I am aware of the gist of Cho's writings, I haven't read them in full, so I have no way of judging what exactly qualifies as "disturbing," although, as a professor, I'd sure like to know. Apparently, I am not the only person who is confused by what this means.
For example, this week, high-school senior Allen Lee wrote…
grrlscientist | April 27, 2007tags: hagfish, slime, streaming video
I learned about hagfish in my vertebrate zoology courses. Basically, hagfish are mysterious jawless fishes that live in the ocean. Despite being classified as vertebrates by many zoologists, they lack vertebrae, thus they are considered to be very primitive fishes. When threatened, hagfish secrete a mucus that forms threadlike fibers similar to spider's silk. When mixed with water, a small amount of this mucus can tranform itself into an astonishingly huge slimeball, as seen in the video below the fold. It has been observed that hagfishes use this slime…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2007tags: conservation, environment, plastics, oil, petroleum products
... Stop using plastics -- especially those flimsy plastic grocery bags -- unless you plan to reuse reuse reuse them.
People ask me if I could do only one thing to preserve the planet, what would it be? I tell them that the best, and easiest way to help save this planet would be to cut down on one's use of plastics, beginning with those flimsy plastic bags that are given out by supermarkets. If people would only make or purchase several strong canvas bags and reuse them for carrying groceries, they would have taken a big step…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2007tags: online books, ornithology, birds, anatomyAvian Anatomy Handbook, Julian Baumel
For those of you who study birds or who like to look at them, Julian Baumel's celebrated Handbook of Avian Anatomy: Nomina Anatomica Avium, 2nd Edition, published in 1993 by the Nuttal Ornithological Club, is now available as a free PDF download. It's a big file (400 pages; 49MB), so it might take some time to download, but it is free (shall I add that even though Julian Baumel was retired at the time, he came out of retirement for a short time to guest lecture the anatomy lab portion of my Ornithology course…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2007
Can you image how much patience is required to photograph ants?
Eciton sp.
Male wing venation, inverted color.
Photographer: Alexander Wild, 2003.
As long as you send images to me (and I hope it will be for forever), I shall continue to share them with my readership. My purpose for posting these images is to remind all of us of the grandeur of the natural world and that there is a world out there that is populated by millions of unique species. We are a part of this world whether we like it or not: we have a choice to either preserve these species or to destroy them in search of short-…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2007tags: Iraq war, profiteering, Halliburton, KBR, politics, streaming video
WAR PROFITEERING.
No one, including Bush, his wife, nor their smarmy cronies, cares about our troops, the Iraqis, nor the thousands of grieving American and Iraqi families out there, NO! Nor did they ever care! For weeks, I have been alluding what I think has us in Iraq -- alas, probably too subtly -- but I won't beat around the "Bush" any longer (pun intended). This war is not about oil, Saddam, freedom, or revenge, although these are all great smokescreens; this war is all about robbing the American taxpayer in the…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2007tags: honeybees, insects, agribusiness, colony collapse disorder, CCD
Domestic honeybee, Apis mellifera.
Image: Scott Bauer, USDA, ARS.
Contrary to what the cell phone alarmists would have you believe, a team of scientists recently identified a virus and a parasite that might be the cause of the recent and sudden collapse of honeybee colonies throughout the United States and Europe. The team, from Edgewood Chemical Biological Center and University of California San Francisco, used a new technology, the Integrated Virus Detection System (IVDS), which was designed for military use to rapidly…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2007tags: humor, streaming video, dinosaurs
Okay, I couldn't resist sharing this silly video with you all. It's just one of those things that makes you go, Hmmmm.