behavior
pontiff | November 11, 2007Here is the story of a seven year old (supposed) prodigy whose parents are looking for a university which will enroll him. I always find it interesting in these stories that such an emphasis is put on degrees and tests. It also reminds me of my high school math teacher who told us he could teach his six year old son to do calculus.
grrlscientist | November 8, 2007tags: crazy frog, budgett frog, streaming video
This streaming video shows a frog puffing up and defending itself, complete with weird sound effects, from an evil human attacker [1:17]
pontiff | November 7, 2007
What's that you say Dave? Dogs may be able to think about what their owners are thinking? Sounds like interesting research, Dave. If someone could actually find the real research and not just this science by press release, I would really like to read the paper, Dave! And then I'd like to chew it up and hide it in the backyard.
grrlscientist | November 7, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, birds, migration, cryptochrome, blue light, garden warbler, Sylvia borin, magnetic compass, avian cryptochrome 1a, ornithology
Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin (Boddaert, 1783)
Blakeney Point, 16th September 2006.
Image: Matthew Rodgers [larger image].
Every year, millions of birds migrate to their breeding grounds and then back to their wintering grounds again. These birds' journies cover anywhere between several hundred to many thousands of miles, even when the skies are cloudy or dark. How do birds unerringly find their way to their destinations? Thanks to…
grrlscientist | November 7, 2007tags: Phalcoboenus australis, striated caracara, flying devils, streaming video
This streaming video shows young striated caracaras, Phalcoboenus australis, on the Falkland Islands as they do what they do best .. wreak havoc [2:46]
grrlscientist | November 6, 2007tags: parrots, aviculture, conservation, personal story
Things are going well with the parrots, especially the new hawk-headed parrot (this bird has been living with me for one week and one day now). As I already mentioned several times, this bird is eating on his(her?) own now, although I still handfeed the bird each evening before we all go to sleep.
Speaking of food, this little bird is as eager an eater as any of my birds are. This morning, for example, I gave all my birds their breakfast* and the hawkheaded parrot immediately dove in to the bowl, head-first and began eating. Elektra,…
grrlscientist | November 5, 2007tags: talking deer prank, humor, streaming video
This streaming video shows what happens when two city boyz strap a stuffed deer to the hood of their car, and leave it in the parking lot of a local truck stop. Oh, did I mention that this stuffed deer can also move and .. talk? Much hilarity follows [4:17]
retrospectacle | November 1, 2007Its been a bad year for animal communication. First Alex the Grey Parrot suddenly dies, now the famous sign-language-using chimp Washoe has also died Tuesday night of the flu.
Washoe, who first learned a bit of American Sign Language in a research project in Nevada, had been living on Central Washington University's Ellensburg campus since 1980. She had a vocabulary of about 250 words.
Washoe also taught sign language to three younger chimps who remain at the institute, Central Washington spokeswoman Becky Watson said. They are Tatu, 31, Loulis, 29, and Dar, 31.
Washoe was the only chimpanzee…
grrlscientist | October 29, 2007tags: Irene Pepperberg, Alex, African grey parrot, streaming video
Alex was a famous African grey parrot who could count to six, identify colors and even express frustration with repetitive scientific trials. He died about five weeks ago, after 30 years of helping researchers better understand the avian brain. This streaming video below the fold has a wonderful tribute to Alex and his many talents. [2:39]
grrlscientist | October 17, 2007tags: dancing cockatoo, streaming video
Snowball is a medium sulphur crested Eleanora cockatoo and he loves to dance and sing. He loves the Back Street Boys. No one taught Snowball to dance ... he just heard this song and suddenly felt like dancing. We're all jealous because he can outdance each one of us ... nobody likes a show off! When he's really in the mood, he dances and sings. And at the end of the performance he takes a bow or two or twenty!! Enjoy the show. [1:17]
Thanks EVERYONE for sending this video to me during the past few days!
grrlscientist | October 9, 2007The 33rd edition of Encephalon was just published and they included one of my essays. As you might remember, I hosted the previous edition of Encephalon so be sure to visit this issue as well!
grrlscientist | October 5, 2007tags: fighting giraffes, streaming video
Below the fold is some astonishing footage of wild giraffes fighting. It gets quite vicious at times. Filmed on safari in Tanzania.
grrlscientist | October 4, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, Brown paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, hymenoptera, evolution, eusociality, social behavior
Brown paper wasp , Polistes fuscatus.
Fairport, New York, USA. 2003.
Many thanks to Alex Wild for sharing his amazing images here.
Thanks to Elizabeth Tibbetts for the species identification.
[larger view]
Eusociality, or "true social behavior", is the most extreme form of cooperative sociality known. Due to its seemingly altruistic nature, eusociality has provided many interesting challenges for evolutionary theory. Eusociality, as exemplified by ants, bees and wasps, is…
grrlscientist | September 27, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, birds, evolution, social behavior, helping behavior, grandmothers
Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis.
Image: J. Komdeur.
When talking about evolution, some people have wondered aloud about why grandmothers exist in human society since they clearly are no longer able to reproduce. However, these people are conveniently overlooking the fact that grandmothers perform a valuable service; they help their relatives, often their own children, raise their offspring -- offspring that are genetically related to…
grrlscientist | September 24, 2007tags: researchblogging.org, social behavior, evolution, Psittacosaurus, ornithischian dinosaur
Triceratops.
Image: Dinosaur Collector
Triceratops are among the most recognizable dinosaurs because of their distinct appearance. They had a large and elaborate bony shield around the back of their head, horns that jut out from the top of their head and nose like spears, and bony knobs on their cheeks. Because these large structures are energetically expensive to grow, they had to serve a purpose and this purpose was likely the establishment of social hierarchies. Thus, these ornaments provide…
grrlscientist | September 24, 2007tags: encephalon, brain, behavior, cognition, neurobiology, blog carnival
The last frontier: The brain.
Orphaned Image. Contact me so I can provide credit and linkage.
Several months ago, I was invited to host Encephalon, probably because I send so many submissions to this blog carnival and possibly also because I am fairly good at sending traffic to the contributors of those blog carnivals that I host. Unfortunately, I have not had wifi for the past two days, so I hope that you appreciate my modest efforts on behalf of this blog carnival. So, without further ado, I present to you the 32nd…
grrlscientist | September 20, 2007A couple days ago, I mentioned that I, along with several other blog writers, had been invited to participate in a conference call-interview with several experts who were going to discuss the topic of bipolar disorder with us so we could write about it on our blogs. Well, thanks to a friend here in NYC, who lent me his cell phone so I could make that call without using more of my severely limited daytime minutes, I did get to participate in this discussion. Even though I was not sure what to expect, I found it to be fascinating. I have not yet received the recording of the phone call, but I…
grrlscientist | September 13, 2007tags: blog carnivals, encephalon, cognition, learning
I am hosting the next issue of the blog carnival, Encephalon on Monday, 24 September. Of course, I want my efforts to be recognized as the best ever on behalf of this carnival so I am going to ask you all again to send me your submissions! Encephalon is THE carnival that focuses on blog writing about all aspects of neuroscience, from the molecular to the cognitive. So if you want your brainy words to be read by a larger and more diverse audience than you usually enjoy, be sure to get your articles, essays and poems to me by the 23rd of…
grrlscientist | September 13, 2007tags: Alex, African grey parrot, Psittacus erithacus, cognition, learning, speech disabilities, Irene Pepperberg
Alex, the African grey parrot, Psittacus erithacus,
who worked with Irene Pepperberg for more than 30 years.
Image: Illustration by Andrew Kuo, Photograph by John Woo.
An article about Alex, the African grey parrot who worked with Irene Pepperberg, has been reprinted on the Seed magazine site. This piece was originally published in 2004 and reappears now as a memorial to Alex. It includes lovely images, such as the one above.
Alex is an African Grey parrot, but in all…
grrlscientist | September 12, 2007tags: chocolate, addiction, alcoholism, craving
Orphaned image.
Weirdly, I just learned that recovering alcoholics, especially those who are early in the recovery process, are recommended to eat chocolate to curb their craving for alcohol. According to my sources, this recommendation is included in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, which is also known as "The Big Book" to those who are in recovery. Why is this?
Some people hypothesize that chocolate is helpful because it contains a variety of alkaloids that are linked to alcoholism, so by eating chocolate, the alcoholic can get these same…