Despite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins, says a new study of male-female size differences in extinct big cats.
Zoology
- ScienceDaily: Zoology News
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Male Sabertoothed Cats Were Pussycats Compared To Macho Lions
6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm -
Can Biodiversity Persist In The Face Of Climate Change?
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmPredictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science. -
Scientists Launch Effort To Sequence The DNA Of 10,000 Vertebrates
5 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amScientists have an ambitious new strategy for untangling the evolutionary history of humans and their biological relatives: Create a genetic menagerie made of the DNA of more than 10,000 vertebrate species. The plan, proposed by an international consortium of scientists, is to obtain, preserve, and sequence the DNA of approximately one species for each genus of living mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. -
Airborne Nitrogen Shifts Aquatic Nutrient Limitation In Pristine Lakes
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThe impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and wide-spread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater that previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes. -
Why Nice Guys Usually Get The Girls
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmFor the insects called water striders, the pushiest guys don't always get the girls. New research provides support for the theory of multi-level selection and contradicts previous laboratory experiments that suggested that the most aggressive males are the most successful at reproducing.
- Zoology News
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Museum of the Month: The Grant Museum
6 Nov 2009 | 3:24 pmYes, it's a penis bone. A walrus' penis bone, no less. The very largest in the animal kingdom. -
Professor's home burgled 12 times in just three years
4 Nov 2009 | 10:23 amBy LAURA CUMMINGS AN 87-YEAR-OLD disabled grandfather today told how he has been burgled around a dozen times in the last three years a ' by the same thief. -
Halloween movies: 'Cat People,' 'The Body Snatcher,' 'The Haunting,'...
31 Oct 2009 | 7:39 amHalloween movies: 'Cat People,' 'The Body Snatcher,' 'The Haunting,' two versions of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. -
Pests get the slip
26 Oct 2009 | 10:20 pmCockroaches, termites, ants and other insects that torment Texas and other regions around the globe could be walking on a slippery slope soon if scientists at Cambridge University in England have their way. -
Surprise find at city house
13 Oct 2009 | 11:36 amTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This little brown and yellowish orange spider has mistaken a city house at Maruthankuzhy for a moist deciduous forest.
- Zoology: Journals, Blogs, News and Stories - Recent
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A beautiful spider ...
6 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pm… NOT! The Peacock spider or Gliding spider (Maratus volans) is a species of jumping spider. T » original news -
Airborne Nitrogen Shifts Aquatic Nutrient Limitation In Pristine Lakes
6 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pmThe impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and wide-spread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater that previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes. » original news -
Estimating the snake species richness of the Santubong Peninsula (Borneo) in two different ways
6 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pmThe distribution of Borneo's species across the island is far from well-known. This is particularly true for snakes which are hard to find. Given the current rate of habitat destruction and consequent need for conservation strategies, more information is required as to the species composition and richness of specific areas of potential conservation priority. An example is the Santubong Peninsula, Sarawak, Malaysia, part of which has recently been gazetted as a National Park. In this paper, the snake species richness of the Santubong Peninsula is estimated on the basis of data obtained during… -
Why Nice Guys Usually Get The Girls
6 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pmFor the insects called water striders, the pushiest guys don't always get the girls. New research provides support for the theory of multi-level selection and contradicts previous laboratory experiments that suggested that the most aggressive males are the most successful at reproducing. » original news -
Male Sabertoothed Cats Were Pussycats Compared To Macho Lions
6 Nov 2009 | 4:03 pmDespite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins, says a new study of male-female size differences in extinct big cats. » original news
- MedWorm: Zoology
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Spring migration routes and chronology of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata): a synthesis of Pacific coast studies
6 Nov 2009 | 7:07 amS.E.W. De La Cruz, J. Y. Takekawa, M. T. Wilson, D. R. Nysewander, J. R. Evenson, D. Esler, W. S. Boyd, and D. H. Ward - Understanding interconnectivity among wintering, stopover, and breeding areas of migratory birds is pivotal to discerning how events occurring in each might have a cross-seasonal effect... (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources. -
No evidence for developmental plasticity of color patterns in response to rearing substrate in pygmy grasshoppers
6 Nov 2009 | 7:07 amM. Karlsson, J. Johansson, S. Caesar, and A. Forsman - Color polymorphisms in animals may result from genetic polymorphisms, developmental plasticity, or a combination where some phenotypic components are under strong genetic control and other... (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology) -
Adaptation versus Allometry: Population and Body Mass Effects on Hypoxic Metabolism in Fundulus grandis
5 Nov 2009 | 11:23 amPhysiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Hypoxia has significant effects on organisms, from metabolic reduction to death, and could be an important evolutionary force affecting the variation among populations within a species. To determine intraspecific variation in hypoxic metabolism and the effect of body mass, we examine rates of oxygen consumption ($\dot{\mathrm{M}}\textsc{$o$}_{2}$) at seven oxygen concentrations among seven populations of Fundulus grandis that inhabit a mosaic of habitats with different frequencies and intensities of… -
Outbreaks of viral nervous necrosis in juvenile and adult farmed Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., in Norway
4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm(Source: Journal of Fish Diseases) -
Tapeworm (Hymenolepis diminuta) infection in flour beetles (Tribolium confusum): does it cause a trade-off between host fecundity and egg size?
4 Nov 2009 | 7:42 amAllen W. Shostak - Inter- and intra-specific comparisons commonly reveal an inverse relationship between fecundity and offspring size. Many animals also vary egg size in response to environmental conditions.... (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology)
- ZSL Latest News
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Last of the autumn leaves...
5 Nov 2009 | 8:45 amZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s herd of Asian elephants had great fun playing with fallen autumn leaves during an afternoon stroll. -
The world’s species are slipping away
3 Nov 2009 | 3:20 amThe latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ shows that 17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction -
Brazen baboons: flighty females disrupt group harmony
26 Oct 2009 | 3:40 amFemale baboons on the look-out for love cause havoc in baboon groups by distracting males and breaking down group cohesion, reports a new study in Animal Behaviour. -
Emergency situation in Amur leopard reserve
23 Oct 2009 | 4:00 amA poorly managed reorganization of the protected area in the range of the critically-endangered Amur leopard has left a key Russian reserve without protection and even the most basic funds to fight fires and poaching. -
Fragile Nepal– Conservation seminar and exclusive dinner event
16 Oct 2009 | 7:15 amOn 24th November ZSL is hosting two events to raise both awareness of and vital funds for our conservation work in Nepal.
- Tetrapod Zoology
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Won't someone please think of the coelacanths, and other lamentations
5 Nov 2009 | 5:23 amGoddammit, no time for more reports from Libya, or for more in the toads series, or for articles on hairless Spectacled bears or tiny heterodontosaurids or neovenatorids, or anything really. Here's how things are progressing in view of Saturday's event... Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... -
The Tet Zoo tour of Libya (part I)
3 Nov 2009 | 3:11 amSo, I recently returned from a brief sojourn in Libya. The trip was led by Richard Moody, best known for his work on Cretaceous sea turtles; I was also accompanied by palaeornithologist Gareth Dyke and by a group of people interested in the country's geology. Libya - officially, the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya - is huge: it covers nearly 2 million square kilometres and is the fourth largest African county. However, 90% of the country is desert, and the population is only about 5.7 million (of which nearly 2 million live in Tripoli, the capital). It's a land of spectacular… -
Sea Monsters, the CFI conference
30 Oct 2009 | 8:10 amOn November 7th 2009, the Centre For Inquiry in London is hosting a one-day event titled Monsters From the Deep! It's being held at Conway Hall in Red Lion Square (a venue I know all too well...). I'm giving a talk at the event so wanted to advertise it: for more details please visit the CFI website here. The day kicks off at 11am and will include both talk and workshop sessions. Charles Paxton of the University of St. Andrews, well known for his work on statistical ecology, will be giving a talk titled 'Anecdotes, statistics and sea monsters'. The belief that anecdotal data (in this case,… -
The Natterjack, its life and times
28 Oct 2009 | 4:20 amThe Natterjack Epidalea calamita (introduced in the previous article) is a remarkable animal, well adapted for the dry, relatively saline environments it inhabits (there are places where Natterjacks inhabit saltmarshes, moors, and disused industrial areas). A proficient burrower, it starts digging a burrow with its forelimbs but does most of the work with its hindlimbs (hindlimb burrowing is typical for anurans, whereas forelimb burrowing is highly unusual). The burrows help the toads to gain access to moisture in dry habitats because they typically extend down to damp sediments; a… -
Toads of the world: first, (some) toads of the north
26 Oct 2009 | 7:20 amIf you've been following the toad series, you'll have read articles that introduce toads in general, discuss reproductive biology, and look at cranial anatomy. This can all be regarded as background introductory stuff. From hereon, we're mostly going to look at toad diversity in rough phylogenetic order: that is, starting at the base of the clade and working up to the 'top'of the tree [European common toad Bufo bufo shown here, from wikipedia. This individual has really weird nostrils]. Basal toads are all South American, and include the South American redbelly toads (Melanophryniscus) and…
- WebEcoist
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Water On Lens: Underwater Stage Filming and Photography
5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amIf you were asked to name a truly wonderful British film, chances are it was filmed at Pinewood Studios. Its great reputation has resonated worldwide, the scene for a thousand iconic images. Pinewood Studios recently had an inspiring exhibition, Water on Lens. It featured underwater photographs from movies such asThe Da Vinci Code, Casino Royale, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, as well as television features and music videos. Here are 23 images taken from those underwater shoots as well as a few extra underwater stage filming photos. Pinewood Studios (image… -
Size Matters: Largest Web Spinning Spider Found
4 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amThe largest web-spinning spider in the world has been identified, and she’s a terror. The Nephila komaci was discovered in South Africa and displays some rather fascinating characteristics. Its webs, which can reach up to one meter wide, are impressive. But the most striking feature of the spider is its extreme sexual size dismorphism; in plain English, that means the female of the species is dramatically larger than the male. The average female Nephila komaci is approximately 40 mm long. The male of the species is about one-fifth the size of the female, and is often devoured after… -
Fulgurites: High-Glass Digs Where Lightning Goes To Die
3 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amFew of nature’s elemental phenomena are more powerful yet less permanent than lightning… well, not exactly. Fulgurites, or “petrified lightning”, are the glassy trails of lightning strikes left in sandy soil or exposed rocks. As fragile as they are beautiful, fulgurites are the next best thing to holding a lightning bolt in your hand! Out Of The Blue, Into The Ground (images via: Ross Sea and Highly Allochthonous) The word fulgurite is derived from “fulgur”, which means “thunderbolt” in Latin. That’s just part of the story, though, as the… -
Got Vertigo? Terrifying Towers & Glass Balconies
2 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amAll of your instincts may be screaming for you to avoid looking down at all costs, but when you’re this high in the air, the view is just irresistible. Whether you’re clinging for dear life to a rickety wooden rainforest observation tower or staring straight down through a glass floor at city streets thousands of feet below, frighteningly tall spires and lookouts give us humans a look at our environment that our ancestors would never have imagined possible. CN Tower, Toronto, Canada (image via: shidairyproduct, ilkerender) Do you trust a piece of glass about the thickness of two fingers… -
A Greener Way To Queue: 3 Eco Bus Shelters
1 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pm(Image via: Planetary Gear) Now that Winter is drawing in, we start to appreciate the things taken for granted in the balmier months – such as well-sheltered bus stops. The good news is that the latest designs are more luxurious and more eco-friendly than the soulless gappy cubicles we known so well, as these three designs show. (Image via: Planetary Gear) Firstly, the solar-powered Eye-Stop currently being testing in Italy It is comprised of a dazzling array of interactive screens that let you plan your route, check your e-mail and monitor local air quality. If you want to get updates…













