Lady Darwin

smithsonian: Look like a scientist to you? She co-discovered...

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:16:01 -0400

Look like a scientist to you? She co-discovered tritium in 1934.

It’s Women in Science Wednesday! Read more about Edith Kroupa: http://bit.ly/ZtpGaY

science-junkie: Why everything you know about wolf packs is...

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:15:31 -0400

science-junkie:

Why everything you know about wolf packs is wrong
By Lauren Davis

The alpha wolf is a figure that looms large in our imagination. The notion of a supreme pack leader who fought his way to dominance and reigns superior to the other wolves in his pack informs both our fiction and is how many people understand wolf behavior. But the alpha wolf doesn’t exist—at least not in the wild…

Although the notions of “alpha wolf” and “alpha dog” seem thoroughly ingrained in our language, the idea of the alpha comes from Rudolph Schenkel, an animal behaviorist who, in 1947, published the then-groundbreaking paper “Expressions Studies on Wolves.” During the 1930s and 1940s, Schenkel studied captive wolves in Switzerland’s Zoo Basel, attempting to identify a “sociology of the wolf.”

In his research, Schenkel identified two primary wolves in a pack: a male “lead wolf” and a female “bitch.” He described them as “first in the pack group.” He also noted “violent rivalries” between individual members of the packs… Thus, the alpha wolf was born. Throughout his paper, Schenkel also draws frequent parallels between wolves and domestic dogs, often following his conclusions with anecdotes about our household canines. The implication is clear: wolves live in packs in which individual members vie for dominance and dogs, their domestic brethren, must be very similar indeed.

A key problem with Schenkel’s wolf studies is that, while they represented the first close study of wolves, they didn’t involve any study of wolves in the wild… In more recent years, animal behaviorists, including [wildlife biologist L. David] Mech, have spent more and more time studying wolves in the wild, and the behaviors they have observed has been different from those observed by Schenkel and other watchers of zoo-bound wolves. In 1999, Mech’s paper “Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs” was published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology. The paper is considered by many to be a turning point in understanding the structure of wolf packs…

Mech’s studies of wild wolves have found that wolves live in families: two parents along with their younger cubs. Wolves do not have an innate sense of rank; they are not born leaders or born followers. The “alphas” are simply what we would call in any other social group “parents.” The offspring follow the parents as naturally as they would in any other species. No one has “won” a role as leader of the pack; the parents may assert dominance over the offspring by virtue of being the parents. While the captive wolf studies saw unrelated adults living together in captivity, related, rather than unrelated, wolves travel together in the wild. Younger wolves do not overthrow the “alpha” to become the leader of the pack; as wolf pups grow older, they are dispersed from their parents’ packs, pair off with other dispersed wolves, have pups, and thus form packs of their owns.

This doesn’t mean that wolves don’t display social dominance, however… Wolves (and other animals, including humans), display social dominance, it just isn’t always easy to boil dominant behavior down to simple explanations. Dominant behavior and dominance relationships can be highly situational, and can vary greatly from individual to individual even within the same species. It’s not the entire concept of wolves displaying social dominance that was dispelled, just the simple hierarchical pack structure…

Source: io9.com

Images credit: Caninest - Michael Cummings

americanfascism: the-absolute-best-posts: infinitylooper: Somet...

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:15:53 -0400

americanfascism:

the-absolute-best-posts:

infinitylooper:

Something to think about:

The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Let’s scale that to 46 years.
We have been here for 4 hours. Our industrial revolution began 1 minute ago.
In that time, we have destroyed more than 50% of the world’s forests.

This isn’t sustainable.

Capitalism isn’t sustainable.

rhamphotheca: Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:12:12 -0400

rhamphotheca:

Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale)

Camouflage keeps many animals safe from predators, but some say the camouflage of Vietnamese mossy frogs is the most elaborate in the animal kingdom. Its uneven texture of bumps, along with the red, green and black montage of colors, appears to transform this frog into a clump of moss or lichen—blending flawlessly with its habitat. When frightened they fold into a ball and play dead. These frogs have sticky discs at the end of each toe, making them skillful tree climbers. Large eyes give them a broad range of vision…

(read more: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?enc=VsGX+Lst7QbnKObYWWZGbA==)

(photo: T - Monterely Bay Aquarium; M - Jeff Whitlock/St. Louis Zoo; BL - Brian Gratwicke; BR - )

birdandmoon: I made this to try and explain a really, really...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:31:34 -0400

birdandmoon:

I made this to try and explain a really, really complicated part of climate change.

the-star-stuff: tehaerenga: jtotheizzoe: A brilliant series...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:27:50 -0400

the-star-stuff:

tehaerenga:

jtotheizzoe:

A brilliant series of minimalist typographic tributes to scientists and their discoveries. I especially like the Copernicus one :)

Artwork by Kapil Ghagat (on Tumblr at bhagatkapil)

The Einstein one is particularly clever. :)

these are awesome! As in brilliant!

Malnourished sea lion pups have started arriving in Northern...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:57:35 -0400

Malnourished sea lion pups have started arriving in Northern California—by the vanload.

rhamphotheca: The beautiful amphibian from Hell: scientists...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:52:24 -0400

rhamphotheca:

The beautiful amphibian from Hell: scientists discover new crocodile newt in Vietnam

by Jeremy Hance

Researchers have discovered a new species of Vietnamese salamander that looks like it was birthed from an abyssal volcano. Found tucked away in Tokyo’s National Museum of Nature and Science, the scientists described the species in the new edition of Current Herpetology.

Coal-black with orange-tinted toes, the new crocodile newt (in the genus Tylototriton) was determined to be a new species when it showed morphological and genetic differences from near relatives. Despite its remarkable appearance, the researchers say these are typical colors for crocodile newts.

The scientists named the new species Ziegler’s crocodile newt (Tylototriton ziegleri) after Thomas Ziegler of Cologne Zoo who works with reptiles and amphibians in Vietnam. The new species is small, with males measuring 5.4 to 6.8 (2 to 2.6 in) cm and females measuring 7.1 cm (2.7 in). While genetic testing proved that it was a new species, the morphological differences were key…

(read more: MongaBay) (photos: Tao Thien Nguyen)

wtfevolution: “Hey, remember the gastric brooding frog?” “Which...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:15:32 -0400

wtfevolution:

“Hey, remember the gastric brooding frog?”

“Which one was that again?”

“You know, the cute little one where I cleverly arranged for it to incubate its eggs inside its stomach and then regurgitate the hatchlings through its mouth.”

“Ugh, right. What is it with you and frog hatching, evolution? Anyway, didn’t the baby-vomiting one go extinct?”

“Yeah, it did. But now the humans are trying to resurrect it!”

“What? Why?”

“Because everything deserves a second chance.”

“Really? Everything?”

“Man, I knew I was keeping those big-brained weirdos around for something.”

knowhomo: LGBTQ* Zoology and Biology Lessons You May Not Have...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:45:30 -0400

knowhomo:

LGBTQ* Zoology and Biology Lessons You May Not Have Learned in School

Can you name what all of the above species all have one thing in common?

They are each species which have been documented as having a biological sex change occur during their lifecycle. Each species varies in frequency but many cases have been recorded and monitored for each (as to not call it a fluke/mutation of nature).

It’s a natural process.

lamamama: “But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:15:26 -0400

lamamama:

“But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything.”

- Charles Darwin, in a letter dated October 1, 1861 [x]

Even he had those days.

"An official says Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban for promoting girls’ education, has..."

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 22:29:34 -0500

“An official says Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban for promoting girls’ education, has urged Pakistan to reverse a decision to rename a college in her honor to avert militant attacks on students. The 15-year-old who became a symbol of youth resistance to the Taliban made the request after students broke into the school, tore down Malala’s pictures and boycotted classes in her home town of Mingora. They say renaming the college endangers their lives.”

- Malala Yousufzai, Girl Shot By The Taliban, Asks Pakistan Not To Rename College For Her.

Did you read that, raging liberals of Pakistan and the West? Malala does not want the attention. She does not want to be a symbol. She does not want to lose her life because your obsession with symbolizing Muslim women into icons of resistance render damage to their very lives. If you genuinely care, try to understand the context and gravity of the situation.

{via mehreenkasana}

And for God’s sake, stop reblogging that ridiculous comic strip that completely cartoonizes her.

(via spittingonhegel)

That comic has over 100,000 notes. This has less than 2,000 so far. Malala has been asking people to stop for awhile now. I guess respecting women is a bit too difficult when it’s easier to use them and their experiences to push your own narrative. (via mohandasgandhi)

Honestly, this reminds me so much of Tawakkol Karman and how she was lauded as an international hero for opposing Saleh’s repressive regime and even hailed as the face of revolution and “the iron lady of Yemen” for supporting democracy. When she publicly denounced drone strikes however, many people didn’t show her the same adulation, because her words aligned directly against the actions of the West. Whatever strokes the ego of American exceptionalists.. I suppose.

(via maarnayeri)

vegansaurus!: Welcome to protection under California's Endangered Species Act, great white shark!

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:30:43 -0500

vegansaurus!: Welcome to protection under California's Endangered Species Act, great white shark!:

vegansaurus:

Great whites are the scariest sharks ever, thanks to movies and television and their natural aura of gruesome death, but of course also despite the protections we already had in place for them, commercial fishing is reckless and whoops, we’re accidentally killing them so fish-eaters can…

super-goo: foxyflowerchild: Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:17:37 -0500

super-goo:

foxyflowerchild:

Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants Entire 1,360 Acre Forest!

Read his AMAZING story:

A little over 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acre of jungle that Payeng planted single-handedly.

It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.

“The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” says Payeng, now 47.

While it’s taken years for Payeng’s remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn’t take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deers, rhinos, tigers, and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss elsewhere.

Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng’s project, Forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they’ve come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough.

“We’re amazed at Payeng,” says Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia. “He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”

Source

so amazing

climateadaptation: My open letter to the New York Times to...

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:40:35 -0500

climateadaptation:

My open letter to the New York Times to dedicate more resources to environmental coverage.

Dear New York Times,

You have failed the American public.

Last week, you cowardly announced at 5pm Friday evening as your staff slithered away for the weekend, that you closed your one and only “Green Blog.” The “Green Blog” was dedicated to environmental reporting and opinion.

Yet, you insist on keeping open - 9 sports blogs, 9 fashion blogs, 4 business blogs, and 5 tech blogs. These blogs are in addition to your regular features and daily coverage.

Why did you kill your ONE environmental blog while the rest of the world’s leading newspapers have tripled and quintupled resources towards regular environmental reporting?

Because your chiefs are out of touch. The above screen shots demonstrate how incredibly out of touch you have become.

Dedicate more resources to environmental coverage.

Right now, leaders of 177 countries (that’s 91% of the world’s 194 countries!) have gathered in Bangkok to discuss the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Case in point: The above screen shots were taken minutes ago. The NYTimes has TWO articles on the same topic: scary Chinese people who eat everything. And not a single Times’ reporter is covering the CITES.

Instead, the Times’s focus is on British tabloid-esque trash full of articles referring to virgins, gays, junk food, diets, and scary Chinese boogie-men.

Al Jazeera, on the other hand, is currently running dozens of polished, tactful, and brutally honest articles covering the environment. The environment is one of the most discussed topics around the world. Al Jazeera knows this, and has dedicated massive resources to creating epic content.

Today, right now, you can read incredibly desperate and equally touching pieces by expert journalists who have the full support of the organization.

Al Jazeera, right now, has invested heavily in environmental coverage. Above, you can see this manifested in countless opinions, info-graphics, banners, videos, tweets, slide-shows, interactive maps, and hard-nosed, boots-on-the-ground editorials and features.

Its coverage of the most important environmental disaster stories of 2013 and beyond - CITES - is an utter embarrassment to the NYTimes.

Coverage at The New York Times? Zero.

Dedicate more resources to environmental coverage.

What should the NYTimes do?

1) Look at the above screen shots. Just look at them. Contemplate what you’ve truly become. The NYTimes reads like a lazy gossip rag, while Al Jazeera supports, nurtures, and sends their reporters into the field.

This should be the reverse. And I shouldn’t have to write this post against the Times.

2) Retire Jill Abramson. She is the bane of your existence as Alec Baldwin painfully exposed last month on his podcast. I know on good authority what many of the Times’s reporters really think of Abramson. And, I’m told, their private misgivings and opinions are couched in fear - fear of retribution and punishment. As such, reporters instead publicly crow Abramson as some sort of wise sage who gets a free pass.

Baldwin’s interview exposes Abramson as someone living in the 1980s and has clearly edged into senility. I highly recommend that you give the interview a listen (and if your butt hurts afterward, it’s because you were inadvertently forced to perform Kegels for 40 minutes listening to her cringe inducing responses).

3) Revamp your open-door policies. The purpose of a Free Press is to speak truth to power. The NYTimes cannot be taken seriously if your own reporters feel terrorized by internal politics, petty retribution, and shaky job-security.

4) Reporters: Stand up to your chiefs. Don’t feed a culture of internal reprise. Make the case that the Times is going to die unless it begins to take seriously what is really happening in the world.

5) Replace Jill Abramson with a public-facing, diverse, savvy, and active executive editorial board that can take risks and weather lumps. Staff this board with a diverse mix of hyper-intelligent reporters, editors, and managers from across newsrooms. Abramson is famously hell bent on Washington politics. Her myopic management framework is stale and it just has to stop.

Off the cuff suggestions (I’m winging this): Hire Andy Capper of Vice Magazine and shower him with money. Get advice from Jay Rosen and also that young dude who founded Tumblr. Poach Scott Rosenberg from Grist and, perhaps, some of the excellent editorial staff at the LA Times. Partner with Al Jazeera, the BBC, and the Guardian to create a shared international bureau. (And my gods, do something better with the stunningly brilliant Sam Tennenhaus).

In other words, let go of the precious past and get with reality.

6) Please, please end your racist, naive, fear-mongering coverage of China. China is not a boogie man bent on taking over the role of the world’s biggest bully (the U.S. are masters of this already). Instead, report on why economic growth requires massive pollution. Explain how integral economic growth cannot occur without a culture and legal framework built on the polluter pays principle. Show the world that you understand that environmental damage and species extinction is complex and nuanced. Blaming a foreign nation exposes you as lazy frauds with a conservative agenda. Instead, create dialog and inform your readers the ugly ills of fast growth and the need for strong environmental policies across the developing world.

7) Listen to your readers. A search of the phrase, “An Open Letter to the New York Times,” returns over 8 million hits. Most of these letters rail against the talking heads of the Opinion Pages. Very few have asked the paper to reflect on how it can better itself.

8) Dedicate more resources to environmental coverage. No excuses.

The world needs and loves the New York Times. And, as we witness its death, it has the opportunity to revamp, reshape, and rebuild on its original mission to Report with Integrity, Speak Truth to Power, be Connected to a Diverse and Changing World, and Inform and Empower Citizens.

With best intentions,

Michael Cote

fuckyeahherpetology: smithsonianmag: Snakes in a Frame:...

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:12:29 -0500

Pit Viper.

Rowley's Palm Pit Viper.

Red Spitting Cobra.

Royal Python.

Reticulated Python with Alligator.

fuckyeahherpetology:

smithsonianmag:

Snakes in a Frame: Stunning Photographs of Slithering Beasts

Mark Laita captured plenty of photographs of snakes striking, their mouths agape, in the making of his new book, Serpentine. But, it wasn’t these aggressive, fear-inducing—and in his words, “sensational”—images that he was interested in. Instead, the Los Angeles-based photographer focused on the graceful contortions of the reptiles.

“It is not a snake book,” says Laita. As he explained to me in a phone interview, he had no scientific criteria for selecting the species he did, though herpetologists and snake enthusiasts will surely perk up when they see the photographs. “Really, it is more about color, form and texture,” he says. “For me, a snake does that beautifully.” - Continue reading at Smithsonian.com.

MORE PHOTOS »

By Megan Gambino

If you want to shell out the money for it, I highly recommend his book, Serpentine.

redpaendeo: Care for the red pandas! Love them!

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:15:08 -0500

redpaendeo:

Care for the red pandas! Love them!

brsis: lets talk about this fella here a moment this baby is a...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:15:08 -0500

brsis:

lets talk about this fella here a moment

this baby is a ribbon eel, part of a group of fish called the moray eels. moray eels are basically hilarious because they are always fucking delighted (they can’t actually close their mouths so basically they’re grinning from ear to ear every moment of their lives).

wait i hear you say, if they can’t close their mouths how do they eat. pharyngeal jaws, my friend, pharyngeal jaws. don’t know what those are?

have you ever seen alien?

i shit you not, moray eels have a second set of teeth in the back of their throats that are spring loaded to jump out and grab things that swim into their mouths.

now if that wasn’t awesome enough, the ribbon eel is the only protandric moray. that means that although this little fella is clearly, by his colouring, a young adult male, give him a long enough lifespan and he’ll get bigger, turn yellow-brown, and become female.

that’s right, this is a species made entirely of young pretty men and powerful older women.

also if you put them into captivity they stop eating and die within about a month. the ribbon eel lives to be free~

Scientists want climate plans changed in Vietnam

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 10:01:16 -0500

Scientists want climate plans changed in Vietnam: