Kandyan dwarf toad removes itself from the IUCN Red List
Posted 21 Jun 2012 / 0New Scientist “Lost toad comes back from the dead” ScienceShot “‘Vanished’ Toad Sighted“
A Minor Post, Conservation Biology, Extinction, WebLonger telomeres imparted by older fathers may forestall senescence
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences “Delayed paternal age of reproduction in humans is associated with longer telomeres across two generations of descendants” Science Daily “Offspring of Older Fathers May Live Longer” What I find fascinating here is the hypothesized adaptive value of this genetic discovery: telomeres may be a molecular mechanism by which Read More
A Minor Post, Articles, Genetics, Human Evolution, SenescenceBrian Czech warns ecologists against drinking the “sustainable growth Koolaid”
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Steady State The Daly News “Real Dichotomies Are Not Made ‘False’ by Soft Science or Political Pandering” What’s really valuable here is the clarification of what is cultural construction (‘there does not have to be a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection’) and what is scientific reality (‘there is actually an empirically-demonstrable conflict between Read More
A Minor Post, Anthropogenic Change, Conservation Biology, Economics, Ethics, Sustainability, WebHoney bees harbor a remarkably diverse community of mutualistic gut microbes
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences “Functional diversity within the simple gut microbiota of the honey bee“
A Minor Post, Articles, Coevolution, MutualismLyme disease extensification may have more to do with foxes than deer
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences “Deer, predators, and the emergence of Lyme disease“
A Minor Post, Articles, ParasitismPeacocks communicate via the (ultra)sounds they make with their feathers
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Science News “Peacocks ruffle feathers, make a rumble“
A Minor Post, Adaptation, Communication, MSCI-363, Biological Origins of Sound & Music, WebIs Alzheimer’s disease caused by prion proliferation?
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences “Purified and synthetic Alzheimer’s amyloid beta (Aβ) prions“
A Minor Post, Articles, SenescencePBS short profiles Pratt Institute
Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0Channel Thirteen “Treasures of New York: Pratt Institute” Obviously this a big promotional piece for Pratt, but it did make me appreciate the historical context of Pratt (some of which I was unaware). Seeing the school’s accessible and prosocial origins, I hope that we can move the school back into the same kind of public Read More
A Minor Post, Film, Television, & Video, Pratt Institute“Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence” exhibit at the American Museum on Natural History
Posted 19 Jun 2012 / 0Today I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter’s fourth grade class to the “Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence” exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. Beyond making sure that all students returned home safely, I was also interested in how this exhibit explained bioluminescence as an evolved adaptation. When I teach Evolution, one Read More
A Major Post, Adaptation, Behavior, Coevolution, Competition, Convergence, Cooperation, Evolution, Interactions, Marine Ecosystems, Museum design, Museums & Zoos, Mutualism, Phylogenetics, Predation, Sex and Reproduction, TerrestrialOur brains are too smart to be tricked: diet sodas just make your body crave more calories
Posted 19 Jun 2012 / 0Science News “Diet Sodas May Confuse Brain’s ‘Calorie Counter’“
A Minor Post, Health & Medicine, Mismatch theory, Neuroscience, Web