A Clockwork Naturalist

Otto’s First Christmas - BrianKesinger on deviantART. See...

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:17:18 -0500

Otto’s First Christmas - BrianKesinger on deviantART.

See more of his work here.

Spanish dancer in Red Sea (by newsonbijou). Eloquence in motion:...

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:56:04 -0500

Spanish dancer in Red Sea (by newsonbijou).

Eloquence in motion: the Spanish Dancer, (Hexabranchus sanguineus), is an amazing creature - a large nudibranch, or sea slug, notable for its flamboyant coloration and hypnotic method of locomotion. While, like most nudibranchs, H. sanguineus spends the majority of its time crawling along the seabed, it is also a strong swimmer, capable of moving from place to place in a series of showy rippling, swirling motions, reminiscent of the movement of a Flamenco dancer’s skirt.

karhunvartija: Kunstformen der Natur (German for Art Forms of...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 03:12:43 -0400

karhunvartija:

Kunstformen der Natur (German for Art Forms of Nature) is a book of lithographic and autotype prints by German biologist Ernst Haeckel. Originally published in sets of ten between 1899 and 1904 and collectively in two volumes in 1904, it consists of 100 prints of various organisms, many of which were first described by Haeckel himself. Over the course of his career, over 1000 engravings were produced based on Haeckel’s sketches and watercolors; many of the best of these were chosen for Kunstformen der Natur, translated from sketch to print by lithographer Adolf Giltsch.

I'd forgotten about the giant isopod mixtape! Also, didn't I draw one on a birthday card for you once?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:55:17 -0400

Wow, I have not been on tumblr in forever; sorry! Yes, you did! I still have that, actually, alongside The Science of Hypnotism.

Anyone good with mushrooms?

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:33:00 -0400

So, after years and years of never seeing a single mushroom in my yard, (apart from the odd Panaeolus foenisecii), I find myself suddenly overrun with some very peculiar specimens. I’m weak on fungi, and identification sites have been no help, thus far, so I’m hoping that someone out there might recognize them. For reference, I live in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley region.

These grow in an aligned cluster, sort of like fingers on a hand. They’re about an inch to two inches tall, and the cap of each is a half-inch wide, or less.

This picture might be a bit too “arty” to be of any use; sorry. Stemmed, obviously, with lavish gills and an overall frilly appearance, between two and three inches tall.

The world’s least appetizing bowl of spaghetti. Grows on or close to the ground near a tree stump, and is currently about three inches in diameter.

Any clues you can provide as to what these might be would be appreciated!

Behold! A giant isopod!

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:42:01 -0400

One of my, and the internet’s, favorite animals.

[Photo credit: Wikipedia]

B. giganteus, or the giant isopod, is a deep-sea benthic, carnivorous, scavenging crustacean that can grow to a length of 79cm, (30in). As you can see from the photo, it sort of resembles a massive wood louse/pill bug - unsurprising, as wood lice are also isopods, and are considered something of a “cousin” to the sea-dwelling varieties. In fact, like terrestrial isopods, the giant isopod can curl up into a ball when disturbed or threatened.

[Photo credit: SeaPics.com]

B. giganteus is found worldwide, typically from the sublittoral zone, (170m/550ft), to the lightless bathypelagic zone, (2,140m/7,020ft). Its impressive size - most isopod species, marine or otherwise, rarely grow larger than 5cm - is an example of a phenomenon known as abyssal or deep-sea gigantism, the tendency of deep-sea dwellers to grow to much larger sizes than their shallower-dwelling relatives, the reasons for which are still not fully understood.

[Photo credit: Wikipedia]

Giant isopods are described as being pale lilac in color - a surprisingly delicate hue for something that a lot of people consider to be high octane nightmare fuel. Maybe the innocuous color just makes it more unsettling? I don’t know. Personally, every time I see one of these, I am struck by an overwhelming urge to pet it. If you feel the same way, the internet offers countless ways to show your isopod love, (though my favorite one is no longer in production).

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this:

Oh, it’s real.

Invasive Loricariidae in South Florida

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:14:00 -0400

[Image credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; source]

South American armored catfish appear to be South Florida’s newest non-native headache. Given that various species of the family Loricariidae are popular algae-cleaners, (sold as “plecos”), in the aquarium trade, this is hardly surprising. In absence of environmental restrictions, this type of catfish has no fixed growth limits - many a hobbyist has started out with a specimen of about an inch or so in length, only to wind up with a two-foot monster, just a few years later. Releasing an animal one can’t handle - and, arguably, one shouldn’t have in the first place - into the wild is no solution, however, as it results in exactly this problem. Although they lack the vicious reputation of America’s favorite invasive fish species, the Northern Snakehead, (C. argus), Florida’s Locricariidae - which are estimated to number in the millions and have no natural predators in Florida lakes - are causing coastal erosion and destroying native plant life, which means diminished food reserves for native fish species. Additionally, according to a 2010 paper published by the Sea to Shore Alliance, (click here for a .pdf), a specific species of Locricariidae - P. disjunctivus, or the Vermiculated Suckermouth Sailfin Catfish - has been attaching itself to manatees and causing disruptions in their normal behavioral patterns. That fish of the Locricariidae family are also extremely difficult to catch - their sucker-like mouth parts make them impossible to hook on a traditional fishing line - further complicates the problem, as removal of the non-native fish from Florida’s lakes at a rate faster than they can reproduce is highly unlikely.

Photo

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:41:18 -0400

mad-as-a-marine-biologist: climateadaptation: “This photo...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:42:36 -0400

mad-as-a-marine-biologist:

climateadaptation:

“This photo comes from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It show a school (?) of nautiluses devouring some chicken. Allen owns a large yacht called the Octopus, which has a couple of ROVs on board. This photo was taken by one of the ROVs at a depth of 876 feet, near the Pacific island of Palau.”

Cool shot of very focused Nautiluses munching on chicken seen from Octopus ROV at a depth of 876 feet off Palau. http://pic.twitter.com/8l33KOxY

Via BoingBoing

Ah the elusive deep sea chicken…. a natural prey of the Nautilus. Lucky it wasn’t a piece of chemical ridden terrestrial chicken brought to depth by the ROV for our viewing pleasure right?

Entire Mammal Genus on Brink of Extinction

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:13:00 -0500

Entire Mammal Genus on Brink of Extinction:

From National Geographic daily news:

Critically endangered African antelope is last species of its kind.

Photo credit: John Warburton-Lee, Alamy

For the first time in 75 years, an entire genus of mammal may go the way of the dodo—unless a new conservation effort shepherded by Somalian herders succeeds.

The hirola, a large African antelope known for its striking, goggle-like eye markings, is the only remaining species in the genus Beatragus—and its numbers are dwindling fast, conservationists say. [full story]

McRib Lawsuit Pits Humane Society Against Smithfield Farms, McDonald's Over Animal Welfare

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:06:38 -0500

McRib Lawsuit Pits Humane Society Against Smithfield Farms, McDonald's Over Animal Welfare

Astronomers Discover Complex Organic Matter Exists Throughout the Universe

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:38:48 -0400

Astronomers Discover Complex Organic Matter Exists Throughout the Universe:

A spectrum from the Infrared Space Observatory superimposed on an image of the Orion Nebula where these complex organics are found. (Credit: Image courtesy of The University of Hong Kong / Background: Hubble image courtesy of NASA, C.R. O’Dell and S.K. Wong (Rice University))

ScienceDaily, Oct. 26 2011 -

Astronomers report in the journal Nature that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars. [full story]

blackandwtf: Date...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:33:12 -0400

blackandwtf:

Date unknown

Halloween

(billyjane and theboatlullabies)

archiemcphee: When science and art meet, awesome things are...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:22:31 -0400

archiemcphee:

When science and art meet, awesome things are bound to happen. Such is the case with Luke Jerram’s incredible sculpture made by taking a 9 minute excerpt from the seismogram of the 2011 Tōhoku Japanese earthquake and tsunami and transforming it into a three-dimensional work of art.

“By using computer technology, Jerram rotated the seismogram to find a successful 3-D image. He then created the image with the use of a rapid prototyping machine. The piece is a little under 1 ft. x 8 in. and will be on exhibit in the Jerwood space in London, as part of the Terra exhibit which focuses on how data is read and represented.”

[via My Modern Metropolis]

Lungfish Provides Insight to Life On Land: 'Humans Are Just Modified Fish'

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:03:24 -0400

Lungfish Provides Insight to Life On Land: 'Humans Are Just Modified Fish':

ScienceDaily (Oct. 4, 2011) — A study into the muscle development of several different fish has given insights into the genetic leap that set the scene for the evolution of hind legs in terrestrial animals. This innovation gave rise to the tetrapods — four-legged creatures, and our distant ancestors — that made the first small steps on land some 400 million years ago. [full story]

(Credit: Cole et al., PLoS Biology, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001168)

From @algore: the impact of climate change on animals

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:51:48 -0400

From @algore: the impact of climate change on animals:

“A Brown University study examines whether animals will be able to adapt and migrate as the climate warms.” [more]

Photo

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:48:39 -0400

Why Giant Bugs Once Roamed The Earth

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 05:27:02 -0400

Why Giant Bugs Once Roamed The Earth:

Image credit: Ned M. Seidler, National Geographic

Ker Than for National Geographic News; August 8, 2011 -

Predatory dragonflies the size of modern seagulls ruled the air 300 million years ago, and it’s long been a mystery how these and other bugs grew so huge.

The leading theory is that ancient bugs got big because they benefited from a surplus of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere. But a new study suggests it’s possible to get too much of a good thing: Young insects had to grow larger to avoid oxygen poisoning.

[full story]

Offshore Wind Farm Shelters Marine Life

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 05:27:28 -0400

Offshore Wind Farm Shelters Marine Life:

Discovery News, Tim Wall, August 8, 2011 -

A North Sea wind farm may be beneficial to wildlife while producing clean energy for humans. The wind farm created new marine habitat as well as a sanctuary from shipping traffic, said researchers studying the offshore wind farm near Egmond aan Zee off the coast of the Netherlands. [full story]

Photo

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:58:48 -0400