Ecology & Zoology

Humboldt Squid Are Still, STILL Not Giant Squid

One of the nice things about studying a big charismatic animal, like the Humboldt squid, is that you don't have to convince anyone that your science is cool. People are already interested in your science as soon as you tell them what you study. Journa ...

Article - Danna Staaf - Jun 24 2011 - 12:00pm

Meet Yoda, the World's Ugliest Dog

Yoda, a 14-year old female dog of mixed breed (chihuahua and Chinese crested dog) has won the World's Ugliest Dog competition, held in Northern California. Abandoned behind an apartment building, the current owner, Terry Schumacher, first mistook Yoda ...

Blog Post - Gunnar De Winter - Jun 27 2011 - 7:33am

Less Activism, More Science In Great Lakes Policy On Asian Carp

You know a problem is real when academics say they don't need 5 more years of funding to know what is going to happen.   But that's the situation in the Great Lakes and the threated posed by Asian carp, according to Bill Taylor, University Distin ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 30 2011 - 12:27pm

What Killed Florida's Giant Squid?

It never fails--I take some time off, and a giant squid shows up! A few years ago, it was a half-eaten carcass found floating in Monterey Bay. Every teuthologist dreams of a giant squid sighting in her backyard, but Fate's wicked sense of humor had me ...

Article - Danna Staaf - Jul 5 2011 - 6:10pm

Defining Dallas: Where Have The Butterflies Gone?

A mystery has emerged in the past three weeks that may have a very simple answer-- but an answer that we're not aware of-- and that's the mystery of w hat happened to the butterflies? ...

Blog Post - Mel. White - Jul 5 2011 - 5:44pm

The Trans-Pacific Squid Boomerang

It's totally a thing! The vast majority of squid caught off the west coast of the Americas, both North and South, is shipped to the other side of the Pacific Ocean to be processed in Asia. Much of it, of course, is consumed there as well, but a non-tr ...

Blog Post - Danna Staaf - Jul 7 2011 - 1:17am

Irish Polar Bears?

Apparently, the female ancestor of present-day polar bears was a brown bear, living in what presently corresponds to Ireland. An international research team has used mitochondrial DNA (see figure 1) to trace back the polar bears (maternal) ancestry. And i ...

Article - Gunnar De Winter - Jul 8 2011 - 8:12am

Tool Use In Fish?

Once upon a time, tool use was considered to be a uniquely human feature, setting us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. But, when Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees using sticks to ‘fish’ for termites (see video 1) in the 1960’s, this idea received ...

Article - Gunnar De Winter - Jul 9 2011 - 6:53am

Going Topless: The Loss Of Top Predators Drives Ecosystem Shifts

I don’t care how long (or short) of a time you’ve spent lounging in the Stanford bubble. If you haven’t popped out yet to see a sea otter, I have an assignment for you: Drop everything and get to the coast. Charismatic fur balls await. Today, sea otters ar ...

Article - Holly Moeller - Jul 13 2011 - 4:04pm

Spider News: Messy Webs and Tarantula Hearts

Good morning/afternoon/evening, and welcome to the Spider News. Today, we have two arachnid novelties for you. Firstly, old age affects us all, even spiders. Researchers have found that, as spiders age, their webs become messier (see figure 1). Figure 1: W ...

Blog Post - Gunnar De Winter - Jul 17 2011 - 4:39am