The Dinosaurs of the Turtle World Are Actually 3 At-Risk Species
Alligator snapping turtles look pretty intimidating. These massive, prehistoric-looking reptiles can reach more than 66 centimeters in length and weigh more than 100 kilograms.
Modern Sharks May Not Be "Living Fossils" After All
Analysis of a 325 million-year-old fossil suggests that modern sharks have evolved extensively, rather than remaining unchanged since prehistoric times
Crows Aren’t Just Smart, They’re Also Jokers
Corvid cleverness is making news lately. Two of my favorite science writers, Sharon Begley and James Gorman, describe a variety of experiments--reported in PLOS One by researchers in New Zealand–in which crows mimic the hero of Aesop’s ancient fable “The Crow and the Pitcher.” By dropping objects into containers of water, crows raise the water’s [...]
Sperm RNA Carries Marks of Trauma
Stress alters the expression of small RNAs in male mice and leads to depressive behaviors in later generations
The Power of Dad in Shaping Childrens' Lives
In the 1994 film Junior, a male scientist becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl. It's a rather ridiculous tale, but if any man could be given the superpower of giving birth, my dad should have been the one.
The Ten Most Endangered and Distinctive Birds in the World
The world’s 100 most endangered and unique birds have been ranked in a newly published study, and the list includes a corpse-eater with legendary skills of decapitation, a shameless self-inflator, and the world's heftiest parrot.
Hunger Gains: A New Idea of Why Eating Less Increases Life Span
Researchers propose a new evolutionary reason for why many underfed lab animals live longer
Guest post: I am my mother’s chimera
This weeks post is a guest post from the wonderful E.E. Giorgi of Chimera blog I AM MY MOTHER'S CHIMERA. CHANCES ARE, SO ARE YOU For years now the concept of a "genetic chimera" has sparked the imagination of writers: the idea that an individual could harbor his/her own twin is creepy and intriguing at the [...]
Turtles that eat bone, rocks and soil, and turtles that mine
I have had extensive turtle guilt of late - that is, there just haven't been enough turtles on Tet Zoo for a while… by which I mean, there haven't been any.
Fighter Jet Moves Help Flies Evade Predators
High-speed video reveals why flies are so hard to swat
Four-Eyed 'Daddy Longlegs' Fossil Discovered
A spider-like arachnid fossil helps explain the evolutionary path of modern harvestmen, often called 'daddy longlegs'
Mini 'Tasmanian Tiger' Took Down Large Prey
Analysis of an ancient thylacinid's skeleton suggests that the marsupial had a very powerful bite despite its small size