tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31343015589883787542024-02-07T01:43:34.581-06:00Cabinet of CuriositiesI think a lot of evolutionary stories are really cool.Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-41100800945700667232011-06-23T15:03:00.000-05:002014-12-11T18:07:33.976-06:00Bacteria Make it RainWell, I'm not dead. The latest amazing thing I've learned about is:<br />
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<a href="http://www.livescience.com/2333-earth-clouds-alive-bacteria.html">http://www.livescience.com/2333-earth-clouds-alive-bacteria.html</a><br />
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Clouds. Filthy filthy bacteria ridden places!</div>
Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-55445012385497245232010-11-16T14:11:00.000-06:002010-11-16T14:11:18.307-06:00Big things are happening in Neuroscience!If you haven't heard of TED.com, you've been missing out.<br />
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<object height="326" width="446"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/SebastianSeung_2010G-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SebastianSeung-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=967&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=sebastian_seung;year=2010;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2010;theme=new_on_ted_com;event=TEDGlobal+2010;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="446" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/SebastianSeung_2010G-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SebastianSeung-2010G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=967&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=sebastian_seung;year=2010;theme=how_the_mind_works;theme=a_taste_of_tedglobal_2010;theme=new_on_ted_com;event=TEDGlobal+2010;"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-40730845080334623592010-11-16T14:08:00.001-06:002010-11-16T14:09:03.978-06:00The biggest and the littlest.A while back I posted a little information about <i><a href="http://kabinetofcuriosities.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-is-biggest-flower-in-world.html">Amorphophallus titanum</a></i>, the world's largest flower. Just a few days ago while peeking around on Ebay, I discovered (and bought!) <i>Amorphophallus ongsakulii, </i>which I have heard is the smallest member of the genus. It was discovered in 2004 in the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Khammouane Province of Laos by Alan Galloway and Annop Ongsakul, and described to science </span></span>in 2006. <i>A. titanum </i>requires a corm (bulb) at least 30 lbs to produce its incredible flower. And, it can only produce this flower when it isn't busy growing its enormous single leaf. <i>A. ongsakulii, </i>in an incredible act of rebellion, flowers with a corm less than 1 cm long and weighing less than a gram. Further bucking evolutionary tradition, this miniature Aroid creates its itty bitty non-smelly flower right alongside its single leaf. Right now mine are in dormancy until spring, but hopefully some day I'll be able to take a photo similar to:<br />
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Photo from: Plant Delights Nursery, where you can buy your own!<br />
<a href="http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Plants/Amorphophallus-ongsakulii-coll-AGA-1534.html">http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Plants/Amorphophallus-ongsakulii-coll-AGA-1534.html</a>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-60569463894473671822010-10-25T19:24:00.002-05:002011-03-23T14:41:53.061-05:00God must have a sense of humor......since Chiggers defecate through their skin.<br />
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</div><div>This was a funny side note in my Acarology class, so I found a paper with an enlightening Abstract:</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>It is impossible for trombidiform mites to defecate because they lack both an anus and a hind gut. Digestive residues remain in the mid-gut lumen and there are great differences in the capacity of species to transfer and store digestive residues in specific mid-gut lobes. The chigger mite species with the most precise pattern of faeces storage spontaneously ruptures the body wall in a narrowly defined region and extrudes a faeces-filled gut lobe through the rupture. This seems to be a normal function in the field and in healthy reproducing laboratory cultures and the process, named schizeckenosy, may be a secondarily evolved substitute for defecation.</b>"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Schizeckenosy: The substitute for defecation in chigger mites </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Mitchell and Nadchatram 1969)</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span></span></div><div>Chiggers are a parasitic life-stage of mites from the family Trombiculidae. Occasionally they infect people, causing quite the itch. The image below is an excellent representation of an animal .007 inches, less than half a millimeter, long.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lastrefuge.co.uk/images-database/david-spears/big1/trombicula-autumnalis-HM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.lastrefuge.co.uk/images-database/david-spears/big1/trombicula-autumnalis-HM2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-52698033763742486542010-09-22T12:24:00.000-05:002010-09-22T12:24:44.104-05:00On Board the Gos HawkAn excellent video my friend posted to Facebook. It's unbelievable how these birds maneuver. I wonder if they process visual data via some novel brain circuits?<br />
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<object height="240" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p-_RHRAzUHM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p-_RHRAzUHM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="240"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-55504898291585838592010-09-12T01:44:00.003-05:002010-09-22T12:19:08.511-05:00The Immortal JellyfishRecently I watched a great TED talk by Rachel Sussman, in which she details her journey to photograph the world's oldest living organisms. As an aside, she mentioned the Immortal Jellyfish, the only species known to revert from a sexually mature individual back to the polyp stage. From Wikipedia--<br />
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"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">This ability to reverse the life cycle (in response to adverse conditions) is probably unique in the animal kingdom, and allows the jellyfish to bypass death, rendering</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Turritopsis nutricula</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> potentially </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Biological immortality">biologically immortal</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Image from:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/fishing/2010/06/chad-love-thoughts-immortal-jellyfish">http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/fishing/2010/06/chad-love-thoughts-immortal-jellyfish</a></span>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-25012357347675802602010-07-24T11:17:00.000-05:002010-07-24T11:17:58.089-05:00The Strangler Fig Does not FallIt's been about a year since I originally watched The Private Life of Plants, and now I'm watching it all over again. One of my absolute favorite scenes decribes the natural history of the Strangler Fig. Take it away Sir Attenborough:<br />
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<object height="240" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UCUtpmwacoE&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UCUtpmwacoE&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="240"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-45988727678571347832010-07-05T16:53:00.000-05:002010-07-05T16:53:36.491-05:00Half blind, half death, with 1/4 human reaction time.Not to mention its muscles have been reduced practically to ribbons! Modern Sloths are great, but they are but a shadow of the clade's former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_sloth">gigantic</a> and/or <a href="http://coo.fieldofscience.com/2008/04/swimming-sloth.html">marine</a> members.<br />
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<object height="240" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ndMKTnSRsKM&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ndMKTnSRsKM&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="240"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-51427428748051283292010-06-28T14:57:00.003-05:002010-06-28T14:58:43.683-05:00Time to find Gelastocoris oculatus!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Recently on my walks around riparian areas in central Texas I've noticed tons of tiny toads, but as of yet, no </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Gelastocoris oculatus. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">T</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">he Big-Eyed Toe Bug has been on my list for several years, but for some reason I've never been in the right place at the right time. Superficially these funny little bugs resemble toad-lets, but it is hard to imagine they are gaining much benefit from this appearance. Some might suspect that <i>Gelastocoris</i> mimic toads because of the toxic secretions amphibians posses, but I can't wrap my head around the idea that this entire genus would be forced to adopt a certain gestalt for the sake of avoiding a few visually guided predators. In any case, I'll be watching for a toad that isn't really a toad.</span><br />
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Image thanks to bugguide: <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/269515/bgpage">http://bugguide.net/node/view/269515/bgpage</a></div>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-2673431097298719752010-06-02T16:07:00.004-05:002010-06-02T16:15:52.870-05:00One Year Later, Coccinella novemnotataAbout a year ago, my friend <a href="http://www.ellenwoodsphotography.com/">Ellen Woods</a> took a picture of the increasingly rare Nine-Spotted Ladybug, <i>Coccinella novemnotata. </i>Once the most common native coccinellid, I believe this species is now extinct from large swaths of North America.<i> </i>At the time the photo was taken, only 13 captive specimens were known in the world. Dr. John Losey and I had just collected all of them in rural Oregon thanks to <a href="http://www.lostladybug.org/">The Lost Ladybug Project</a>. Ellen's photos made <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news171307054.html">big news</a>, and not long after Nine-Spotted Ladybugs began hatching in New York <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(where they are the state insect!)</span> for the first time since the 1980s. Since I was watching the first clutch of eggs endlessly, I was lucky enough to capture that Kodak moment, below.<br />
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<object height="240" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ul2TSvUDog&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ul2TSvUDog&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="240"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-37570032306742964482010-05-11T17:41:00.002-05:002010-05-17T19:18:58.069-05:00Largest Living Earthworm...that we KNOW of!Feeling like you don't know enough about the Giant Gippsland Earthworm? Let David Attenborough teach you everything you need to know!<br />
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<object width="400" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DZig6EL5B6A&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DZig6EL5B6A&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="240"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-61048021817851797152010-05-02T13:03:00.003-05:002010-05-02T13:06:50.972-05:00Larger Pygmy Mole Grasshopper?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i>Neotridactylus apicialis</i> is one weird looking grasshopper from the family Tridactylidae. Not much information is available on these guys, but their morphology suggests they spend a significant amount of time under ground. And they must be larger than <i><a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/44170/bgpage">Neotridactylis archboldi</a></i>, the plain old pygmy mole grasshoppers. <i>N. apicialis</i> appear to have converged on a similar morphology as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_cricket">Mole Crickets</a>. The genus<i> Ellipes</i> is a close relative which I recently found on the sandy banks of a medium sized stream- their standard habitat. Amazingly tiny, they were still accomplished jumpers.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Image:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/images/Tridactylidae/Neotridactylis.apicallis.jpg">http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/images/Tridactylidae/Neotridactylis.apicallis.jpg</a></span></span>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-36813109358291892152010-04-16T12:32:00.003-05:002010-04-16T12:34:27.927-05:00Blob Fish Demands Human Sacrifice30 relatively unknown fish species make up the family Psychrolutidae. The most famous of the group, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>Psychrolutes marcidus,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> happens to be the aptly named Blob Fish. At the depths these fish inhabit off the Australian and Tasmanian coasts, water pressure is immense. The Blob Fish has solved this problem by ditching the gas bladder most fish utilize for buoyancy control...instead the whole body has become a gelatinous mass just slightly less dense than water. The Blob Fish is one lazy species; it almost completely lacks muscle definition, and lives by floating just above the sea floor, gobbling up morsel passers by. The Blob Fish could be more exciting than we know...its close yet not as ugly relative </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">P</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;">sychrolutes phrictus <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">apparently breeds in aggregations on the sea floor, where individuals guard their nests of up to 100,000 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(or more!)</span> eggs.</span></span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245955/Worlds-miserable-looking-fish-danger-wiped-out.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245955/Worlds-miserable-looking-fish-danger-wiped-out.html</a></span></i></span>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-36678485745891216432010-04-14T20:42:00.001-05:002010-04-14T21:00:11.496-05:00Flat-headed CatCats hate water....it's like a rule. But one cat swims in stark contrast to its relatives, <i>Prionailurus planiceps</i>, the Flat-headed Cat. This secretive cat lives in forested areas of Indonesia and Malaysia. How secretive are they--only two captive individuals were known in 2008 (400 captive Cheetah are known in North America alone). The Flat-headed is one of only two cat species with webbed feet, the other being the Fishing Cat. But <i>Prionailurus planiceps </i>has more complete webs, indicating more adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle. This beast will eat whatever small animals it can catch and kill, perhaps as large as rats or chickens. That's pretty good for an animal with a maximum weight of 5 pounds. Weirdly enough, it's one of only cats unable to retract the claws....and, of course, individuals have particularly flat heads. The picture below appears to come from a motion sensor camera, which makes it particularly cool.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sabah.gov.my/htan_caims/Class%20VII/Tabin/Flat-headed%20cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://www.sabah.gov.my/htan_caims/Class%20VII/Tabin/Flat-headed%20cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
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Image from:</div><div><a href="http://www.sabah.gov.my/htan_caims/Class%20VII/Tabin/tabin7_wildpics.htm">http://www.sabah.gov.my/htan_caims/Class%20VII/Tabin/tabin7_wildpics.htm</a></div>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-64356855479128499842010-04-08T09:47:00.000-05:002010-04-08T09:47:46.903-05:00Another new 'human' species?I turned around again and <i>another</i> species popped up! Meet <i>Australopithecus sediba. </i><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2010-04-08-new-hominid_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip">Article here.</a><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.usatoday.net/tech/_photos/2010/04/08/hominidx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.usatoday.net/tech/_photos/2010/04/08/hominidx.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2010-04-08-new-hominid_N.htm?loc=interstitialskipEric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-77212912385054414612010-03-26T12:05:00.003-05:002010-03-26T12:07:17.847-05:00A new human species?!Yesterday, 'high impact factor' journal Nature published an article concerning the discovery of Hominid remains. The most exciting finding is that the mitochondrial DNA of the fossils is distinct from modern humans and Neanderthals, even though this animal would have lived contemporaneously with both. That means this is either a new species, or at least a distinct genetic lineage from Africa which probably left no offspring <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(males of the group may have contributed some genetic information to modern humans- and this would be undetectable using mitochondrial DNA)</span>. It seems every time I turn around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardipithecus">a new major discovery</a> in our lineage is made! The Russian cave where the famous finger bone was found:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100324/images/_tmp_articling-import-20100324092859932132_464472a-i1.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100324/images/_tmp_articling-import-20100324092859932132_464472a-i1.0.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100324/full/464472a.html">http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100324/full/464472a.html</a>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-52315264505678733942010-03-21T17:52:00.001-05:002010-03-21T17:53:34.677-05:00Don't miss, LIFEThe newest epic nature documentary is finally here! And although I doubt it will be perfect...due to severe lack of David Attenborough, the footage promises to be mind blowing. Who knows, Oprah Winfrey may just have what it takes to give voice to nature. Don't miss it.<br />
<object width="400" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nNQOgwtzI60&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nNQOgwtzI60&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="340"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-56393465165035627002010-03-19T12:49:00.000-05:002010-03-19T12:49:41.494-05:00Large plants, revisited.How big are these waterlilies?<br />
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Some are 6 feet across, so large that their leaves need air filled sacs to keep them afloat.<br />
The <a href="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=lily+trotter">Lily Trotter</a> lives the majority of its life walking along them.<br />
The flowers are a solid foot across.<br />
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Also they are beetle pollinated, which is somewhat rare and pretty cool. How does the flower change color though?<br />
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<object width="400" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/igkjcuw_n_U&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/igkjcuw_n_U&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="350"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-29984911352351841312010-03-18T23:43:00.002-05:002010-03-18T23:44:45.674-05:00"This is the biggest flower in the world"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Amorphophallus titanum </i>is one extreme flower. I have to laugh at the etymology of this name, 'amphorous' or without form, + 'phallos' or penis, and finally 'titan' meaning large or giant. This flower is named giant formless penis, and it smells "very strongly of dead fish". Also it's 9 feet tall and 3 feet across...and David Attenborough's crew were the first to figure out what insects pollinate this species:</span></span><br />
<object height="300" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FHaWu2rcP94&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FHaWu2rcP94&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-69094949158648711602010-03-15T13:38:00.002-05:002010-03-15T13:40:23.106-05:00Your friends the DemodexRecently I came to the conclusion that mites are one of the most under-appreciated groups. Still, I was shocked to find out about <i>Demodex folliculorum</i>, a weirdly elongate mite that lives only in the hair follicles of humans. <i>Demodex brevis</i>, possibly a sister species, lives only in our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebaceous_gland">sebaceous glands.</a> Adults max out at a whopping .4mm, small enough to allow many to lay eggs on your eyelids <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(apparently a preferred location)</span> without you even knowing they existed. What are the chances you are infected by <i>Demodex</i>? It depends on your age. Young children are estimated to be infected 1/3 of the time while approximately half of adults are infected. Other than some minor skin irritation the mites cause almost no harm to their host.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.avls.nl/_main/images/stories/gezondheid/gezondheid%20demodex%20mijt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://www.avls.nl/_main/images/stories/gezondheid/gezondheid%20demodex%20mijt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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First image: a colored SEM of <i>Demodex</i>.<br />
From:<a href="http://www.avls.nl/_main/images/stories/gezondheid/gezondheid%20demodex%20mijt.jpg">http://www.avls.nl/_main/images/stories/gezondheid/gezondheid%20demodex%20mijt.jpg</a><br />
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Second image: <i>Demodex </i>life cycle described from human eyelid.<br />
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Third image: <i>Demodex</i> elongated abdomen visible at the base of a hair.<br />
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Second and third images from:<br />
English, F. <i>et al</i>. (2006) The natural history of demodectic mites on the skin of the eyelid margin.<i> Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. </i>2(2) 132-136Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-11773975035026900682010-03-07T23:28:00.001-06:002010-03-07T23:28:49.590-06:00Nature PhotographersBecoming a famous nature photographer is impossible, unless you submerge yourself in a watering hole and wait for lions to come take a drink. For three months. This man deserves a medal.<br />
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Image from:<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1253935/Photographer-captures-amazing-images-lions-watering-hole-submerging-months.html?ITO=1490">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1253935/Photographer-captures-amazing-images-lions-watering-hole-submerging-months.html?ITO=1490</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/26/article-1253935-087A1382000005DC-89_964x649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/26/article-1253935-087A1382000005DC-89_964x649.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-41235695454611219102010-03-03T23:03:00.000-06:002010-03-03T23:03:51.091-06:00National Geographic is still keeping it real.I might have to find a copy of this issue. Redwood forests were thought to be devoid of animal life, but recently all sorts of new species have been discovered living in composted soil trapped high in the trees. Including a crustacean (<a href="http://www.reef-eden.net/Amphipod1.jpg">amphipod</a>)...and you have to wonder how that got up there.<br />
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<object width="400" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C9LHjV48e9s&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C9LHjV48e9s&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-85495763666480614262010-02-25T13:30:00.002-06:002010-02-25T13:38:54.723-06:00When you make strange noises here, seabirds...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Check out the nose on that Petrel. I'll have to re-watch this episode because for the life of me I can't remember the secret behind the tube.</span></span><br />
<object height="300" width="370"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UgHch5Bg9Jg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UgHch5Bg9Jg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="370" height="300"></embed></object>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3134301558988378754.post-48557189110025006302010-02-22T16:53:00.003-06:002010-02-22T16:55:23.243-06:00Pass the earthworm, please.<i>Pollenia rudis</i> is known as the attic or cluster fly because of its tendency to overwinter <i>en masse</i> in human structures. <i>P. rudis </i>belongs to the family Calliphoridae, and most calliphorids feed on carrion <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(or occasionally living flesh)</span> as larvae. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">{that's not completely true, some Australian Calliphoridae:Rhiniiae are </span><a href="http://kabinetofcuriosities.blogspot.com/2010/01/pure-awesome.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">myrmecophiles</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">}</span> Taking the road less traveled, <i>P. rudis</i> larvae seek out earthworms. For the first two instars, they feed internally, although apparently larvae may leave an unsuitable host and find a new worm to consume. Third instar maggots are larger and have been known to feed externally on worms. How this life strategy was adopted from feeding on carrion seems to be a big mystery. Gradualist (classic) views of evolution are often hard-pressed to answer these questions, which is why I'm a big fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopeful_Monster">hopeful monsters</a> (think bulldog or chihuahua) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuated_equilibrium">punctuated equilibrium</a>. These ideas theoretically allow for a small number of individuals to experience a rapid change in form and function....which makes it easier to understand increasingly common situations such as this lizard population which <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417112433.htm">evolved new digestive tract valves in less than 40 years</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bugguide.net/images/raw/ZRWHLR8HDHMHAH4HBH4HCHUH1ZXL9ZHL5Z8H8Z0LDH8H5ZIL3H7L9Z4L6Z8H5Z7HFH6HFHNHJH6HAZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://bugguide.net/images/raw/ZRWHLR8HDHMHAH4HBH4HCHUH1ZXL9ZHL5Z8H8Z0LDH8H5ZIL3H7L9Z4L6Z8H5Z7HFH6HFHNHJH6HAZ.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br />
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<i>P. rudis</i> image from: <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/362910/bgimage">http://bugguide.net/node/view/362910/bgimage</a>Eric Denemarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818159931685343293noreply@blogger.com0