Ecology & Zoology

Noblella Pygmaea- The Dwarf In The Elfin Forests

It fits on a fingertip: Noblella pygmaea is a midget frog, the smallest ever found in the Andes and among the smallest amphibians in the world. Only its croaking was to be heard from the leaves on the mossier ground of the “elfin forests” in the highlands ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 6 2009 - 10:57pm

Regeneration- It's All Fun And Games Even If Someone Loses A Limb

Dave Cooper’s pet mantis, Cinco Zapatos, was a good-looking Giant African Mantis with a notable distinguishing feature: her sixth leg was missing.  It didn’t seem to hamper her much.  Her first weeks as Dave’s insect familiar were uneventful until Dave ret ...

Article - Stephanie Pulford - Apr 10 2009 - 11:35pm

Scorpion Divergence In ''Evolution Canyon''

Scorpions possess resistance to high temperatures and the ability to conserve water for long periods of time, and as a result thrive in hot and arid parts of the world. But is this global distribution also seen at a more local level?   Doctoral student Shm ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 9 2009 - 5:30pm

An answer to a "what if" that's difficult to pass up...

That question, specifically, is: "What if a cuttlefish attacked an octopus?" And the answer can be found here.  It's a pretty amazing video. ...

Blog Post - Mrs. H. - Apr 13 2009 - 5:35pm

Rare Panda Butchered and Eaten

Tormented cries from mother as her cub is butchered and eaten... Does it pull at your heart strings? Mine, too. A rally of cries about a shark attack generally bring something less warm and fuzzy, something closer to terror and visions of a nasty end for ...

Blog Post - Heidi Henderson - Apr 15 2009 - 6:03pm

All Octopuses Are Venomous (Cute Cuttlefish Too)

Once thought to be only the realm of the blue-ringed octopus, researchers have now shown that all octopuses and cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous. The work indicates that they all share a common, ancient venomous ancestor and highlights new avenues f ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 15 2009 - 10:39pm

This is Your Grow-Op Calling...err Twitting

Scientists have developed new technology connecting social media and the hydration needs of plants. Miracle grow, rocks- a message from your plant direct to your social media reader. Who knew? Now if only they could say the police are at the door. In time ...

Blog Post - Heidi Henderson - Apr 17 2009 - 7:32pm

Lumbriculus Variegatus- If One Worm Frequently Using In The Lab Was Actually Two Species...

Researchers know that animals which seem identical can actually belong to completely different species.   But if it's worms used in laboratory testing, that could be important news in research. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, say ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 22 2009 - 11:45am

Oak Toe... Pretty or Ugly?

I can't decide if this image from the Panda's Thumb is pretty or creepy looking? ...

Blog Post - Nicholas Horton - Apr 27 2009 - 5:21pm

Classifying Organisms By Physical Appearance Accurate, Says Researcher

During a seminar several years ago, University of Chicago paleontologist David Jablonski fielded a hostile question: Why bother classifying organisms according to their physical appearance, let alone analyze their evolutionary dynamics, when molecular tech ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 29 2009 - 1:13am