biology Archives

Autumn Leaves: Last, Loveliest Smile

October 27, 2015October 26, 2015 Science Connectedbiology, botany, leaves, nature photography

By Steven Spence Going Out in a Blaze of Glory Autumn … the year’s last, loveliest smile. (William Cullen Bryant) Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, but foremost among them is the joy I feel when surrounded by thousands of patches of light in a cacophony of colors all rustling in the wind. There are only a few special weeks each year to enjoy this transition from the searing heat of summer to winter’s icy grip. Whenever something captivates my imagination (or optic nerves) I want to learn…

Environment

Recipe for the Perfect Coral Reef

August 17, 2015August 8, 2022 Science Connectedbiology, climate change, coral reef, ecology, environment, marine life, oceans, reefs

The latest health check on the world’s coral reefs wasn’t all doom and gloom; it’s shown us we have a plan for preservation that works.

Worms and slugs: A slug Arion spec. commonly found in northern Germany, now known to be used by hitch-hiking nematodes for transportation (Carola Petersen, Hinrich Schulenburg, Kiel University)

Biology Zoology

Worms Use Slugs as Public Transit

July 22, 2015September 2, 2015 Science Connectedanimals, biology, parasites, weird science

By Kate Stone Nematode Worms on the Move Buses and trains may not always be the cleanest ways to get around, but at least they aren’t as messy as slugs, which are a mode of transit in our gardens. According to a new study, slugs and other invertebrates provide essential public transport for small worms in search of food. Nematode worms (including Caenorhabditis elegans) are about a millimeter long and often live in temporary environments, such as a piece of decomposing fruit or other rotting plant material. Because their habitats…

Diaphonization work of Sadie Stednitz (Photography ©Chad Lowe)

Biology Science and Art

The Artful Science of Diaphonization

July 20, 2015April 5, 2021 Science Connectedbiology, science and art

Diaphonization, or the artful science of preserving soft-tissue scientific specimens, is something few have heard of but many have seen.

Biology Oceanography Zoology

Shelf Life Episode 8: Voyage of the Giant Squid

June 25, 2015April 4, 2021 Science Connectedanimals, biology, cephalopods, ecology, fish

Find out how natural history museum staff transport the body of a giant squid. These animals grow to the size of a school bus, or longer. This episode of the Shelf Life video series focuses on a simple transportation problem– how to transport the body of a rare giant squid. But long before they were a quandary for customs officials, these mysterious cephalopods fueled fear and folklore all over the world. While they may not breathe fire or devour large ships, the animals that inspired their mythological counterparts are no…

Electric Blue Cichlid (Courtesy of Criminalatt)

Oceanography Science Videos Zoology

Hey Cichlid, Check Out My Sandcastle

June 16, 2015September 2, 2015 Science Connectedbiology, ecology, fish, marine biology

By Tom Evans (@AquaEvans) Here is a healthy reminder that all those other fish in the sea aren’t so bad. I’d like to justify my belief that Lake Malawi cichlids are considerably more charming than most human companions. Before we go on, I am not encouraging you to leave your wife/husband and run to the nearest lake. Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake. It is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Cichlid Love Cichlids are charismatic lovers, and…

Biology Science and Art

Embryogenesis: How to Build a Human

May 28, 2015 Science Connectedbiology, science art, science infographics

Embryogenesis Illustrated This embryogenesis gif illustrates human embryo and fetus development from fertilization to birth. It is the work of graphic artist/biologist Eleanor Lutz. Here is what she has to say about this piece of science art: I’m actually really happy with how this turned out. I made this using 44 animations that are 9 frames each. That’s 396 sketches total – probably the most complicated GIF I’ve made so far. I am a little sad that I wasn’t able to show size properly though. For example. the 24 week fetus is…

Archaeology Science Videos

Language Detectives of the Americas

May 21, 2015September 2, 2015 Science Connectedanthropology, biology, language, linguistics, science videos

Shelf Life: The Language Detectives This episode of the Shelf Life video series details how two curators at the American Museum of Natural History, Peter Whiteley and Ward Wheeler, have been working to trace the evolution of Native American languages. From the American Museum of Natural History The researchers focused on the Uto-Aztecan family of languages, which have been spoken in Central and North America for millennia. Languages from this group were used in the bustling streets of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan—a city larger than 16th-century London—and spoken by nomadic…

Dolphins at sunset along the Indian River Lagoon (Photo courtesy of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University)

Biology Oceanography Zoology

Dolphins and Their Social Networks

May 7, 2015September 2, 2015 Science Connectedanimals, aquaculture, biology, earth science, freshwater biology, veterinary science, zoology

By Kate S. They don’t have Twitter accounts, but dolphins are able to form highly complex and dynamic networks of friends, according to a recent study by scientists at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) at Florida Atlantic University. Indian River Lagoon Dolphins Dolphins are known for being highly social animals, so the research team took a closer look at the interactions between bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon and discovered how they mingle and with whom they spend their time. The Indian River Lagoon is a narrow 156-mile long…

Biology

Biologist Explains How We Learn to Catch

May 5, 2015April 3, 2021 Science Connectedbiology, brain, sports

Would you like to know how our brains process the information we need to catch or throw? It has to do with how we perceive time.