As winter approaches here in the northern hemisphere, the nights grow longer, the trees barer, and the weather a touch gloomier. It’s the perfect excuse to stay cozy indoors and take a break from the world outside.Still, we have to get on with life, and to do that, we require a little energy and plenty of good mood. That’s why we’ve put together a collection of fascinatinganimal factsfrom the Instagram pageAnimal Pulse. They’re not quite vitamin D, but they’ll definitely brighten your day and teach you something new along the way!This post may includeaffiliate links.
As winter approaches here in the northern hemisphere, the nights grow longer, the trees barer, and the weather a touch gloomier. It’s the perfect excuse to stay cozy indoors and take a break from the world outside.
Still, we have to get on with life, and to do that, we require a little energy and plenty of good mood. That’s why we’ve put together a collection of fascinatinganimal factsfrom the Instagram pageAnimal Pulse. They’re not quite vitamin D, but they’ll definitely brighten your day and teach you something new along the way!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
NOTE! The Bird displayed on this picture is not a crow but it’s a Grackle and it was used because of the angry face and it’s a lil bit similar to a crowCrows never cease to amaze with their incredible intelligence, and it isn’t confined to recognizing threats and holding grudges.Prior research indicates that crows possess the talent to devise tools and even count.Stories abound of crows dropping nuts onto busy roads, waiting for cars to crack them open, and then retrieving the food once the traffic stops.Some crows have even figured out how to use sticks to extract insects from tree bark or fashion hooks from twigs to fish out food from hard-to-reach places.The study from the University of Washington undeniably contributes to affirming the crows’ place in the intelligence hierarchy among birds.Crows, it appears, are creatures of memory, holding on to grudges and recalling threats even after a lengthy span of 17 years.
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It’s pretty obvious that animals can feel grief. Dogs mourn their owners and each other, and cats mourn the food they were supposed to get 20 minutes ago but didn’t because their human servant tried to sleep in on a Saturday. But one thing that animals don’t do is hold funerals. Cats would probably think it’s sign of personal weakness.Actually, some animals do hold funerals, and one startling example of an animal that does this is the humble magpie. According to The Telegraph, magpies have been observed engaging in behavior that not only looks like grief, but also a lot like a memorial service. A magpie that encounters the body of another magpie might approach it and peck at it carefully, as if saying, “Frank! Frank! Wake up!” If the body doesn’t respond, the magpie will fly off, and then come back a few minutes later with a few blades of grass, which it will lay next to the body. But researchers haven’t just observed a single bird doing this — other magpies will join in the ritual, each one bringing its own offering of grass. Then the magpies will stand next to the body for a little while before flying away.This behavior has also been observed in crows and ravens, so not only is it not an anomaly, it isn’t even a behavior that’s confined to a single species. Anthropomorphism rules.
Ever wondered why your heart seems to beat in sync with your dog’s? This is not a figment of imagination, but rather, a scientific fact. Pioneering research from the University of Jyväskylä has made incredible revelations about the profound physiological connection between dogs and their owners.
Armed with nothing more than an iPhone 7, Lokia launched his project two years ago, determined to make an impact. “I’m still using it today because, for me, the priority is spreading awareness and sharing my love for animals,” he explained.
Every day, we share our cities with an array of wildlife. From birds and insects to squirrels and raccoons, these creatures navigate the concrete jungles alongside us.But in Los Angeles, a global city of over 18 million people, there’s another species sharing the living space – the elusive mountain lion.A recent study from the University of California (UC), Davis, Cal Poly Pomona, and the National Park Service highlights an intriguing aspect of urban wildlife.The researchers found that mountain lions of Los Angeles are shifting their activities, avoiding typically human-frequented spaces to maintain a safe distance.
Margays are small, wild cats that live in the evergreen and deciduous forests of Central and South America. They live primarily in trees and use their long, heavy tails for balance.Mostly nocturnal, Margays hunt in trees and eat birds, eggs, fruit, and small mammals. Female Margays produce a litter of only one kitten every two years. This, along with the fact that Margays have been hunted for their coats, makes these majestic cats endangered.
For Lokia, the most fulfilling part of runningAnimal Pulseis connecting with an audience that shares his curiosity and enthusiasm. “It’s incredibly rewarding to bring amazing facts aboutanimalsto light and see others get excited about them,” he said.However, updating the page with new and exciting material requires plenty of effort behind the scenes. “Gathering these facts does take time, but I rely on a combination of reputable sources such as scientific journals, documentaries, and credible publications,” Lokia added. “I also keep up with recent discoveries and trends in the field to keep everything accurate and relevant.”“The process of research and content creation is as fulfilling as sharing it with others,” he noted.
For Lokia, the most fulfilling part of runningAnimal Pulseis connecting with an audience that shares his curiosity and enthusiasm. “It’s incredibly rewarding to bring amazing facts aboutanimalsto light and see others get excited about them,” he said.
However, updating the page with new and exciting material requires plenty of effort behind the scenes. “Gathering these facts does take time, but I rely on a combination of reputable sources such as scientific journals, documentaries, and credible publications,” Lokia added. “I also keep up with recent discoveries and trends in the field to keep everything accurate and relevant.”
“The process of research and content creation is as fulfilling as sharing it with others,” he noted.
A solitary dolphin in the Baltic Sea appears to be talking to himself, potentially because he’s lonely, according to a new study.Over 69 days between Dec. 8, 2022 and Feb. 14 2023, the researchers detected 10,833 sounds, including several usually related to communication. These included 2,291 whistles, 2,288 burst-pulses — a rapid series of clicks sometimes associated with aggression — 5,487 low-frequency tonal sounds and 767 percussive sounds. The findings were published in a new study on Oct. 31 in the journal Bioacoustics.Among these noises, the dolphin produced three distinctive whistles. “Bottlenose dolphins have what are known as signature whistles, believed to be unique to each individual, much like a name,” Filatova said. “If we hadn’t known that Delle was alone, we might have concluded that a group of at least three dolphins was engaged in various social interactions.”
Through his work, Lokia hopes to encourage more support and involvement in wildlife protection. “The beauty of our world lies in its diversity, and animals are a vital part of that,” he said. “To educate ourselves about them is to step closer to understanding the delicate balance of life on Earth.”He’s particularly passionate about drawing attention to species that are endangered or struggling because of habitat destruction. “Loving animals isn’t just about admiration—it’s about action. Protecting habitats, supporting conservation efforts, and spreading awareness are how we ensure their survival,” he went on.“Every creature, from the tiniest insect to the largest predator, plays a role in sustaining ecosystems. When we respect and care for them, we’re also securing our planet’s future.”“Remember, saving one species could mean saving countless others, including ourselves,” Lokia said. “Let’s act now!”
Through his work, Lokia hopes to encourage more support and involvement in wildlife protection. “The beauty of our world lies in its diversity, and animals are a vital part of that,” he said. “To educate ourselves about them is to step closer to understanding the delicate balance of life on Earth.”
He’s particularly passionate about drawing attention to species that are endangered or struggling because of habitat destruction. “Loving animals isn’t just about admiration—it’s about action. Protecting habitats, supporting conservation efforts, and spreading awareness are how we ensure their survival,” he went on.
“Every creature, from the tiniest insect to the largest predator, plays a role in sustaining ecosystems. When we respect and care for them, we’re also securing our planet’s future.”
“Remember, saving one species could mean saving countless others, including ourselves,” Lokia said. “Let’s act now!”
A wildlife center has developed a way of stopping an abandoned newborn red fox from becoming too used to humans: By feeding it wearing a fox mask.The Richmond Wildlife Center in Richmond, Virginia, shared a video of the center’s founder, Melissa Stanley, feeding milk to the tiny female kit — the term for a juvenile fox — while wearing the mask in an attempt to prevent imprinting, where animals form a strong bond shortly after birth with the first other animal it receives care from.“It’s important to make sure that the orphans that are raised in captivity do not become imprinted upon or habituated to humans,” the center said in a Facebook post Tuesday.“To prevent that, we minimize human sounds, create visual barriers, reduce handling, reduce multiple transfers amongst different facilities, and wear masks for the species,” the update said.The center added that it was able to find other fox kits the same age and weight as the rescued fox.
New Zealand’s birds must love the ground. The round-faced kākāpō, also known as an owl parrot, is another species of endemic flightless bird, the only flightless parrot on Earth. It’s wings help with balance and to ‘parachute’ when jumping from tall trees to the forest floor. The birds are known to freeze when they feel threatened, to blend into the forest greenery and escape predators. Māori and European settlers used to keep the birds as pets. They’re now listed as Critically Endangered, largely due to habitat loss and predatory invasive species.Where to see? The small number of remaining kākāpō exist on a handful of predator-free, sanctuary islands, under close supervision, mostly near Stewart Island, Fiordland and Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The general public’s currently unable to view this species in the wild, due to restrictions on protected habitats.
In 1958, Chairman Mao waged war on an unlikely enemy. Noticing that tiny sparrows frequently stole a little bit of grain, he saw an opportunity to increase grain production. ‘Birds are public animals of capitalism’ roared Mao’s government, launching a campaign to exterminate them. Professional hunters and ordinary folk alike chased sparrows, leading many birds to die of exhaustion. People destroyed their nests and smashed their eggs. Unfortunately, Mao didn’t realize sparrows also ate insects that did far more damage to agriculture. The resultant ecological imbalance exacerbated the Great Chinese Famine, which k*lled between 15 and 45 million people.
The leaf sheep sea slug (Costasiella kuroshimae), also known as the “leaf slug,” is a tiny, adorable marine creature that resembles a cartoon sheep with leafy “ears.” Found in waters around Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia, it’s famous for its unique ability to perform photosynthesis, a process more common in plants. The leaf sheep feeds on algae and absorbs the chloroplasts from it, allowing the slug to harness energy from sunlight – a rare ability called kleptoplasty. Its vibrant, green leaf-like appearance and cute features make it popular among marine enthusiasts and on social media.
The Japanese flying squirrel is a tiny, nocturnal creature that looks like something out of a fairytale. With its big, round eyes and soft, fluffy fur, this squirrel is irresistibly cute. Its small paws and puffy tail make it look like a living plush toy, while its gliding membrane allows it to effortlessly glide between trees. When perched, its wide-eyed expression and petite size create an endearing sight, making it one of the most charming animals in the wild!
Researchers have pulled the mummy of a newborn saber-toothed cat that died at least 35,000 years ago from Siberia’s permafrost — and the kitten still has its whiskers and claws attached.A new analysis of the kitten’s stunningly-preserved head and upper body shows it was just 3 weeks old when it died in what is now Russia’s northeastern Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia. Scientists found pelvic bones, a femur and shin bones encased in a block of ice together with the mummy. The circumstances of the animal’s death are unknown.It is extremely rare to find well-preserved remains of saber-toothed cats, and this one belongs to the species Homotherium latidens, according to a study published Thursday (Nov. 14) in the journal Scientific Reports. Saber-toothed cats of the extinct genus Homotherium lived across the globe during the Pliocene (5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago) and early Pleistocene (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) epochs, but evidence suggests this group became less widespread toward the end of the Pleistocene (also known as the last ice age).
Cats can definitely recognize the sound of words coming from people, and more and more studies prove that cats rely on interaction with humans in problem-solving,” Dr. Carlo Siracusa, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania, told Live Science. There is even limited evidence that cats can respond to pointing, and research in the past five years has shown that cats can recognize not only their own names but also those of familiar humans and animals. But can they associate words and objects more generally?To test this theory, Saho Takagi and her team at Azabu University in Japan gave 31 adult cats a simple word game used to investigate the same ability in babies. The cats were shown two nine-second cartoon clips with recordings of their owners repeating a made-up word over each image. The sequence of clips — a red sun labeled “paramo” and a blue unicorn with the word “keraru” — was repeated until the cats appeared to get bored and paid 50% less attention to the screen.
Make sure you check out the video on this one, and not just because we could watch these foxes do their snow-jumping routine all day long. It’s pretty impressive, watching them pad their way across the surface of the snow, then stop, dive headfirst, and come up with a meal. For a long time, we thought they were just listening for their prey. Now, we know they have the equivalent of a state-of-the-art targeting system that relies on their ability to sense Earth’s magnetic field. The details on what’s going on here are still a little hazy, but researchers found that, when foxes did their snow-jump, they aligned themselves in a position that meant they were jumping about 20 degrees northeast of magnetic north. As long as they were facing this direction, they came up with a k*ll about 73 percent of the time. Any other direction, and that dropped off to about 18 percent. You don’t have to like math to know that’s a huge difference, and it’s thought that the fox is relying on a few different senses to pinpoint the oblivious prey hiding beneath the snow. Their directional sense works like a targeting system, relying on their sense of hearing to detect the prey, then switching over to magnetic targeting. Researchers think that foxes are outfitted with cells in their eyes that are sensitive to the planet’s magnetic field. These cells likely reflect a sort of aura onto their eyes, allowing them to calculate the arc of their jumps, and change direction in midair if they need to. Exactly how it works is still unknown, and while they’d be the only mammal that can do this, there are other precedents for the ability. Birds have “magnetite crystals” in their brains that help them navigate, and that’s impressive, too. But Terminator-style targeting? That’s just awesome.
In January 1925, doctors in the isolated Alaskan city of Nome saw signs of an impending diphtheria outbreak. The nearest anti-diphtheria serum was 500 miles away in Anchorage. At the heart of winter, getting the serum seemed all but impossible. In such thick snow, only sled dogs could make the journey. Volunteers set up a relay of sled teams to make the journey as quick as possible, called the ‘Great Race of Mercy‘. The final stage of the journey saw Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog, Balto, arrive in Nome in the nick of time, saving the city from deadly disease.
In the depths of the southwest Pacific Ocean, researchers have discovered the largest coral ever documented. Spanning an impressive 111 feet (34 meters) in width, 105 feet (32 m) in length, and standing 18 feet (5.5 m) tall, this colossal organism — so large it’s even visible even from space — resides near the Three Sisters Island group in the Solomon Islands.The coral, identified as Pavona clavus, is a single, standalone structure, unlike the sprawling networks that typically form coral reefs. Scientists estimate it’s around 300 years old, making it not just a biological marvel that spans the size of two basketball courts, but also a record of centuries of oceanic conditions.“It is a natural monument that has seen the arrival of the first Europeans to these waters,” San Félix, an underwater cinematographer for National Geographic Pristine Seas who was first to spot the giant coral, said in a statement.
The basking shark is one of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures, known for its massive, open mouth that helps it filter plankton from the water. Despite its intimidating size, this gentle giant poses no threat to humans, showcasing the wonders of marine life and the importance of preserving their habitat
It was the annual Kukur Puja festival in Nepal on Thursday, and dogs across the nation were draped in marigold garlands, marked with celebratory vermillion pigment and presented with overflowing platters of treats.Like Diwali in India, the five-day Hindu festival of Tihar, being celebrated this week in Nepal, is a festival of lights. Unlike Diwali, Tihar includes the worship of creatures, and Kukur Puja, on its second day, is dedicated to dogs.
As surprising as it sounds, it seems that our online addiction to cat videos, photos, and memes isn’t just for mindless entertainment; it can also feed into environmental awareness.A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Communication showed how social media has the immense potential of rallying support for wildlife.And who’s the internet’s favorite feline this time around? It’s the caracal – a wild cat native to Africa with whimsical tufted ears.
The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted to protect western burrowing owls throughout California as a “candidate” species under the California Endangered Species Act.“After decades of effort to safeguard declining burrowing owl populations in California, the species has finally been afforded interim state protections where they’re most needed — at least for the time being,” said Pamela Flick, California program director with Defenders of Wildlife. “With burrowing owls no longer found in one-third of their former territory statewide, these temporary protections aren’t coming a moment too soon.”Burrowing owls statewide will be protected while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife conducts a full status review, which could last 12 to 18 months. The commission will then vote on whether to protect the burrowing owls as endangered or threatened under state law.“At long last, there’s a glimmer of hope for California’s rapidly disappearing burrowing owls, who desperately need protection,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Burrowing owls have dwindled and vanished at an alarming rate around the state as their homes are bulldozed for irresponsible sprawl development. I’m thrilled they’re safeguarded for now and look forward to these adorable little owls getting permanent protection.”
Just imagine a world where humans no longer exist, who would take over? Well, it may not be another mammal. Believe it or not, octopuses could be the ones to dominate Earth after humans.Scientists have recently made a riveting claim that these eight-limbed, marine invertebrates could become the dominant species on Earth should homo sapiens vanish from existence. It’s an intriguing idea, but how is it possible?
While the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) may not have the same fame as the great white shark, it holds an impressive distinction: it is the longest-living vertebrate species known to science. These remarkable sharks can live for up to 400 years, surpassing the previous record-holder, the bowhead whale, which can reach around 211 years. A Greenland shark alive today could have been swimming the oceans as far back as the 1600s — more than four centuries ago!Despite their ancient existence, the Greenland shark was only recently recognized as the longest-living vertebrate, primarily because scientists had long struggled to determine its age. Unlike most sharks and other vertebrates, which have hard tissues like spines that form growth rings (much like the rings inside a tree trunk), Greenland sharks lack these structures, making age estimation a challenge. It wasn’t until Danish scientists stumbled upon a breakthrough involving human cadavers and some forensic ingenuity that the mystery of the shark’s age was finally unravelled.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to encounter a vicious Velociraptor — or a version closer to the man-sized “Jurassic Park” ones than the turkey-sized, scientifically accurate ones — then look no further than the southern cassowary. According to the official website of the Queensland Government, it is the “heaviest flightless bird” in Australia, and the only one among the three known cassowary species found in the country. It also happens to be the Guinness World Record-holder for the title of “most dangerous bird,” and rightly so: It can k*ll you with a single, well-aimed kick. Standing over 6 feet tall, the southern cassowary sports bristly black plumage, a dark blue neck, a lighter shade of blue on its head, and two red skin flaps hanging from its neck. On top of its head sits a hollow, crest-like casque, making this bird a truly striking sight. You’ll want to stay out of striking range, though, as it also possesses strong, muscular legs and three-toed feet with sharp claws. Its inside claw is easily the most dangerous one, growing up to 5 inches long. In one swift, powerful motion, it can cut its target wide open, damaging the organs and causing the victim to bleed out. Fortunately, the cassowary isn’t known to be aggressive and will only attack if it feels the need to defend itself, its chicks, or its nest (via Scientific American).
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An angry-looking myna bird has become a viral video star after landing directly in front of a highway traffic camera in New Zealand.The black-and-yellow tropical bird stares curiously into the camera overlooking a section of road near Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, its beak open as it appears to squawk loudly. It then flies off before returning for a few more seconds.
The tarsier’s an animal that seems to be taking the phrase ‘eyes bigger than your stomach’ as a literal challenge. The little, leaping primates have massive eyes, long, thin alien-like fingers and heads that rotate like they’re auditioning for a part in a remake of The Exorcist. Sadly, their cuteness has made them popular over the years as pets or as props forced to pose for tourist photos, causing them distress.Where to see one? The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists more than a dozen species of tarsier across South-East Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, several of which are Endangered or Critically Endangered. Bohol in the Philippines is a good place to see tarsiers; try one of the local sanctuaries, such as Tarsier Conservation Area.
Scarlet macaws are a symbol of fidelity and virtue to many people because they are thought to mate for life—but it turns out that they also “play favorites” when feeding their young, making them excellent mates, but neglectful parents.Fortunately, Texas A&M scientists have developed a way to ensure the birds’ bad parenting results in fewer chick deaths.Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences have discovered that scarlet macaws purposefully neglect feeding the youngest chicks in most broods, even when resources are plentiful. This results in only one or two chicks being able to fledge—the process in which parents teach their young to fly and survive on their own—even though broods may contain up to four chicks.“Scientists have known for years that scarlet macaws hatch more chicks than they fledge,” said Dr. Donald Brightsmith, a professor in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. “We found that 26% of second chicks in scarlet macaw broods and nearly all third and fourth chicks die before fledging.“We tested several theories as to why these younger chicks don’t survive, and we found that it’s not sibling rivalry or a lack of food. The parents just stop feeding certain chicks, so they starve to death,” he said.
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If there is one fish that roams the freshwaters of Africa that is to be feared above all others, it is the goliath tigerfish. Thought to be a cousin of the piranha, the goliath tigerfish has inspired fear among the locals of the dangerous Congo River where it dwells. Though it lurks on the murky depths, the sight of one of these fish is likely to send you paddling back to shore in a hurry. With massive jaws and teeth capable of ripping anything to shreds, these river monsters are the only known African freshwater fish that has attacked people.Accounts vary, but as a story from the Animal Planet show “River Monsters,” goliath tigerfish will attack out of nowhere, leaping out of the water and sinking their enormous teeth into a person. According to the Daily Mail, these fish are fearless and will routinely attack, and eat, foe that are far bigger than it, such as crocodiles.Any sporting angler who is fishing on the Congo River will need to be wary of hooking one of these fish. Their brute strength combined with their ferocity make them a formidable challenge. If you do not know what you’re doing when you catch one, you could end up bloodied and wounded.
King Philip (1116-31) ruled France with his father, Louis the Fat (c.1081-1137). Like many teenagers, he refused to listen to his dad, or anyone else, really. One day, as he rode his horse along the River Seine in Paris, a little black pig ran out from a dung heap. Philip’s horse tripped over it and crashed to the ground. Philip hit his head, and never regained consciousness. Louis VII succeeded Philip and helped launch the Second Crusade, in which many thousands of people died horribly. If only that ruddy pig had stayed put in the dung heap
Research sheds light on how coyotes, North America’s most successful predators, are responding to various environmental pressures, including human development, hunting and competition with larger carnivores. Surprisingly, the study’s findings suggest that human hunting practices may actually contribute to increasing the number of coyotes.
A malnourished emperor penguin appeared on a beach in Australia, thousands of miles from its home in Antarctica. Wildlife experts rescued the bird and took it to a rehabilitation center.A beachgoer at “a popular tourist beach in Denmark, Western Australia,” noticed the out-of-place emperor penguin on Friday, Nov. 1 and alerted wildlife experts, the region’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said in a news release shared with McClatchy News on Nov. 8.Carol Biddulph, an “experienced local seabird rehabilitator,” arrived to check on the lost penguin. Photos show the 3-foot-tall black and white bird standing on the sandy beach.“The bird sort of turned at an angle and I could see its backbone protruding and I thought this bird is well undernourished,” Biddulph said in an interview shared with the release. “Between the condition of the bird and the activity that might have happened on the beach the following day, I thought it was best to bring the bird in.”“Getting it back to the car was quite a challenge,” she said. “We got it into a carrier, a large canvas pet carrier, nice and soft, and got it into the car.”Biddulph took the bird home to her “dedicated penguin enclosure,” she said. There, the penguin was weighed and treated. A local vet and department officials also helped with the animal’s care.“I’ve never had to deal with a large penguin like this before,” Biddulph said. “They’ve always been a lot smaller—our local little penguins.”Emperor penguins are the world’s largest penguins, known for their iconic looks and “stately demeanor,” according to Britannica. They typically live on the ice shelves of Antarctica, thousands of miles from Australian beaches.
In a remarkable encounter off the coast of Alaska, human scientists had what they describe as a “conversation” with a humpback whale named Twain. Dr. Brenda McCowan from the University of California Davis was at the heart of this unexpected exchange.Dr. McCowan and her team, known as Whale-SETI, have been studying how humpback whales communicate. They’re aiming to understand whale communication systems to help in the search for life beyond Earth.
On October, 2, 1920, King Alexander of Greece took a stroll through the grounds of the Tatoi estate. Suddenly, a domesticated Barbary Macaque attacked his dog, and when Alexander intervened a second Macaque appeared and bit him. The bite gave him sepsis, and on October, 25, he died. The resultant squabble over his successor drew attention away from war with Turkey, which Greece eventually lost with heavy casualties. Greece simultaneously lost conquered territory in Turkey. According to Winston Churchill, ‘it is perhaps no exaggeration to remark that a quarter of a million persons died of this monkey’s bite’.
At human drinking establishments, there’s usually at least one dude drowning his sorrows in a glass of scotch. Now, we wouldn’t want to stereotype or anything, but a common theme for those lonely, drunken evenings seems to be romantic rejection. It may be pathetic, but at least it’s something that separates humans from animals, right? Wrong! In fact, it doesn’t even separate humans from fruit flies. Yes, according to National Geographic, a male fruit fly who has not been successful in finding a mate will seek out food that contains alcohol. Males who did find a mate, meanwhile, are perfectly happy hanging out at the barbecue with a bottle of O’Douls.In case you’re wondering where fruit flies find alcohol, it’s present in just about every rotting, fermenting piece of fruit you leave sitting out on your countertop, which is why fruit flies always seem to find their way to that part of your house. Scientists think the rejected male fruit flies seek out the fruit with the higher alcohol content because they’re looking for some sort of reward that they weren’t able achieve when courting the ladies. As it turns out, alcohol is also useful to fruit flies in other ways — females will lay their eggs in fermenting fruit to protect them from predatory wasps, who don’t have the same love of alcohol (it’s toxic to the teetotaling wasps).
For the first time, transcriptomes — essentially the complete sets of RNA transcripts from an organism — have been reconstructed for an extinct species, providing unprecedented insights into the biology of the Tasmanian tiger.Emilio Mármol, the study’s lead author and a dedicated researcher at SciLifeLab, underscores the importance of this venture .“Resurrecting the Tasmanian tiger or the woolly mammoth is not a trivial task and will require a deep knowledge of both the genome and transcriptome regulation of such renowned species, something that only now is starting to be revealed,” he enthused
Koi, or Nishikigoi, are ornamental varieties of the common carp and hold immense cultural significance in Japan. Their vividly colored scales and elegant swimming patterns have earned them the title of “living jewels” or “swimming flowers”.In 2018, a wealthy collector from Taiwan acquired a unique Koi, christened “S Legend,” for an astounding $1.8 million at an auction in Japan. This beautiful and rare 3-feet long red Koi was the most expensive ever sold, illustrating the high value associated with these symbols of love and friendship.
The research, published Nov. 13 in the journal Biology Letters, suggests that while working dogs may have more complex abilities compared with other breeds, they’re organized into a more compact space in the brain. This differs from what’s seen in evolutionary history in wild mammals, where as brains get bigger relative to body size, cognitive skills tend to become more complex.“In other groups [of species] relative brain size is indicative of higher cognitive abilities — here we see the opposite,” said Ana Balcarcel, lead author of the new study and an evolutionary biologist at the Montpellier Institute of Evolutionary Sciences in France.
After Henry I’s male heir died in 1120, he spent many years trying to have another. When success looked increasingly unlikely, he made the controversial move of naming his daughter, Matilda, as his heir. He got all his barons to swear loyalty to her and thought the matter settled. In November 1135, Henry followed a day’s hunting with a hearty dinner. But after gorging himself on lampreys, an eel-like fish, he died. The official cause of death: ‘a surfeit of lampreys’. Perhaps inevitably, many barons broke their promise to support Matilda, and a long and brutal civil war erupted.
The legendary “doom fish” has returned to California.A long, ribbon-shaped oarfish, rarely seen and believed to signal disaster, has washed up on California’s shores for the second time this year.PhD candidate Alison Laferriere from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego discovered the nearly 10-foot-long oarfish on a beach in Encinitas, in southern California, last week.Oarfish are elusive creatures that dwell in the deep ocean — often as far as 3,300 feet below the surface — in the mesopelagic zone, a dark region beyond the reach of sunlight.
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