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Treehoppers sound like tiny dinosaurs 

8/30/2015

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Animals, including humans, feel sound as well as hear it, and some of the most meaningful audio communication happens at frequencies that people can't hear, like elephants or whales. 

But you don't have to weigh a ton to rumble. In fact, you don't have to be bigger than a pea. Consider, for example, the treehopper, a curious little sap-sucking insect that lives on the stems of leaves.

University of Missouri biologist Rex Cocroft has spent much of his career listening closely to treehoppers.

Scientists have studied their calls by pressing phonograph needles to the leaf stems where the treehoppers are often found. They send chattering, moaning calls through the plant to attract mates and warn other treehoppers about predators, they sound like tiny dinosaurs!! 

The treehoppers are members of the Membracidae family. 

Source: skunkbear


Listen  these noises down below: 
Los animales, incluyendo los humanos, sienten el sonido, así como tienen la capacidad de escucharlo, y parte de la comunicación de audio más significativa ocurre en frecuencias que la gente no puede oír, tal es el caso de los elefantes o las ballenas.

Pero  tu no tienes que pesar una tonelada para producir sonido. De hecho, no tienes que ser más grande que un chícharo. Consideremos, por ejemplo, a un membrácido, un pequeño insecto chupador de savia, muy curioso que vive en los tallos de las hojas.

El biólogo de la Universidad de Missouri Rex Cocroft ha pasado gran parte de su carrera escuchando atentamente a los membrácidos. 

Los científicos han estudiado sus llamadas poniendo agujas de fonógrafo en las hoja de los tallos donde los  membrácidos se encuentran más a menudo. Envían sonidos charlando, gimiendo y llamadas a través de la planta para atraer a sus parejas y advertir a otros membrácidos sobre los depredadores, y ¡suenan como pequeños dinosaurios !

Los "toritos o espinas de rosal" son miembros de la familia Membracidae.

Fuente: skunkbear

Escuchar estos sonidos a continuación:
Photo credits:

Thorn Mimic Treehopper by Yogendra Joshi
Treehopper by H. K. Tang
Alchisme grossa by Robert Oelman
Ant-mimicking treehopper (Cyphonia clavata) by Andreas Kay
Oak Treehopper (Platycostis vittata) by Matthew Cicanese
Oak treehoppers with nymph by Ken-ichi Ueda
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This insect uses farts to immobilize its prey

8/20/2015

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Beaded Lacewing, Photo: Patrick Coin/Cotinis
Photo credit: Robert Lord Zimlich
The unconventional hunting tactics of Lomamyia latipennis, a termite-predating species of Beaded Lacewig. When a baby Lomamyia latipennis gets hungry, it stuns a termite with a “vapor-phase toxicant” released from its anus. That’s a fancy way of saying it farts on it. In fact, their farts are powerful enough to immobilize six termites with one blow.

Once the larva delivers its toxic toot, it can leisurely scuttle over and chow down. If a few extra termites are caught in the backdraft, that’s just extra food.

In laboratory tests, experimenters determined the fecal fume-induced paralysis lasted for three hours, and if not eaten, the termites eventually died. Even more astonishing is that early stage L. latipennis are tiny, about 0.07 mg in size. The average size of their termite prey was 2.5mg. That is some seriously potent flatulence.

Source: wired.com



Las tácticas de caza poco convencionales de  Lomamyia latipennis  que es una especie de Chrysopa. Cuando un bebé de Lomamyia latipennis tiene hambre, aturde a una termita con una "sustancia tóxica en fase de vapor" liberada desde su ano. Esta es una forma elegante de decir que "pedorrea" a su presa. De hecho, sus pedos son lo suficientemente potentes como para inmovilizar seis termitas de un solo golpe.

Una vez que la larva libera su gas tóxico, tranquilamente puede relajarse y esperar. Si unas pocas termitas adicionales están atrapados en la corriente deñ gas contraria, eso es sólo comida extra.

En pruebas de laboratorio, los investigadores determinaron que la parálisis inducida duró tres horas, y si se las comen, las termitas eventualmente mueren. Aún más sorprendente es que las primeros estadios de L. latipennis son pequeños, alrededor de 0,07 mg de tamaño. El tamaño medio de sus presas termitas fue 2,5 mg. Lo que se resume en una flatulencia super potente.

Fuente: wired.com
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Plankton are eating plastic 

8/15/2015

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Un equipo de realizadores e investigadores logró capturar, por primera vez, a un grupo de copépodos (un tipo de zooplancton que se nutre de algas en el océano) alimentándose de partículas plásticas.

Las imágenes, grabadas a través de un microscopio, forman parte de un video creado por Five Films en colaboración con el Laboratorio Marino de Plymouth, en Reino Unido, que trata de crear conciencia sobre cómo la contaminación está afectando incluso a las criaturas más pequeñas del mar.

Cada año, ocho millones de toneladas de residuos plásticos llegan hasta el mar. Con el tiempo los plásticos más grandes se descomponen en trozos muy pequeños.

Fuente: bbc.com


A team of filmmakers and researchers captured for the first time, a group of copepods (a type of zooplankton that feeds on algae in the ocean) feeding on plastic particles.

The images, recorded through a microscope, are part of a video created by Five Films in collaboration with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the United Kingdom, which seeks to raise awareness about how pollution is affecting even the smallest creatures in the ocean. 

Every year, eight million tons of plastic waste end in the sea. Over time the largest plastics break down into very small pieces.

Source: bbc.com
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Members of order carnivora by Emily Schnall

8/8/2015

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At a glance, the order carnivora appears quite diverse.

By juxtaposing modern carnivorans with their common ancestor, the miacid (extinct primitive carnivoramorphan) their underlying similarities come forward. The pairs invite the eye to compare homologous structures between species and project the physical changes wrought by evolution.

Source: behance.net

A primera vista, el orden de los carnívoros parece bastante diverso.

Al yuxtaponer los carnívoros modernos con su antepasado común, los miácidos (carnívos primitivos extintos) sus similitudes subyacentes se hacen notar. Estos pares invitan al ojo a comparar estructuras homólogas entre las especies y proyectar los cambios físicos dados por evolución.

Fuente: behance.net
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Empire State Building In Call for Endangered Species

8/5/2015

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Imagen
New York's most iconic building played host to a stunning art show this past weekend, as the Empire State Building became a canvas for massive images of endangered species.

The Oceanic Preservation Society created the gorgeous light presentation to promote its new documentary, Racing Extinction, for the activist event "Projecting Change: The Empire State Building." The project is led by the Society's Louie Psihoyos, a photographer and documentary filmmaker, and Travis Threlkel, of San Francisco's Obscura Digital. It was conceived with the aim of doing the "the most dramatic thing we could do to get the world to know about what we're losing," 

The piece featured what Psihoyos described as a "Noah's ark"–worth of animals, including the manta ray, the snow leopard, the lemur, and other endangered species.

Source: news.artnet.com


El edificio más emblemático de Nueva York fue sede de una impresionante muestra de arte este fin de semana pasado, el Empire State Building se convirtió en un lienzo de imágenes masivas de especies en peligro de extinción.

La Oceanic Preservation Society creó la magnífica presentación de luz para promocionar su nuevo documental, Racing Extinction  para el evento activista Projecting Change: The Empire State Building. El proyecto está liderado por la Sociedad de Louie Psihoyos, fotógrafo y documentalista, y Travis Threlkel, de Obscura Digital de San Francisco. Fue concebido con el objetivo de hacer el "lo más dramático que podríamos hacer para que el mundo sepa acerca de lo que estamos perdiendo".

La pieza aparece como lo que Psihoyos describe como un "Arca de Noé" - con animales de valor, incluyendo la manta raya, el leopardo de las nieves, el lémur, y otras especies en peligro de extinción.

Fuente: news.artnet.com
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Lego Birds Set

8/3/2015

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Lego announced that they would be producing a set based on Tom Poulsom's Bird project submission to Lego Ideas. Lego did an interview with the creator of Birds. The set uses only existing elements in colors that were already available we get a really quick turnaround on this one. The end result is beautiful and not very far off from the original design, which is a joy. Lego already has the 580 piece set listed in their store for $44.99, so excellent value too at just 7.7 cents per element.

Source: lego.gizmodo.com

Lego anunció que estarían produciendo un nuevo set basado en el proyecto de Aves de Tom Poulsom, el envío este proyecto a Lego Ideas. Lego hizo una entrevista con el creador del set de Aves. El conjunto utiliza elementos en colores que ya estaban disponibles, obtenemos un cambio muy rápido en este caso ya existente. El resultado final es hermoso y no muy lejos del diseño original, que es un deleite. Lego ya tiene el conjunto de 580 piezas que figuran en su tienda por $ 44.99, (como 730 MX ) por lo que es una excelente relación calidad-precio a tan sólo 7,7 centavos de dólar por elemento.

Fuente: lego.gizmodo.com

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The Peculiar Proboscids of Middle-earth and Prehistoric Earth

8/2/2015

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By guest blogger: Katey Duffey 
Picture
Mûmakil of Middle-earth, or “Oliphaunts” as the hobbits know them, are large, elephant-like animals that stand over 9m (30ft) tall at the shoulder. During the War of the Ring in The Lord of the Rings, the Haradrim people used them in battle. The most distinguishing feature of these creatures is their six massive tusks. Two are on the top jaw, two are on the bottom jaw, and two smaller tusks are on each side behind the others. Interestingly, the word “oliphaunt” is a variant spelling of the old English word “oliphant”, which is also the word for “elephant” in Dutch! It’s probably no accident that Tolkien, in all his genius, made that connection. 



Picture
Speaking of connections, it may seem pretty bizarre to imagine a huge pachyderm with six tusks. However, during the late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs 23.5-5.3 million years ago, there was a real life animal that had FOUR huge tusks! This prehistoric mammal is thought to be the earliest ancestor of the modern elephant. It was a transition between a primitive elephant-like Gomphotherum, to the elephants we are familiar with in Africa and Asia today. 

First described by Italian paleontologist Carlo Petrocchi in 1941, Stegotetrabelodon ranged in North Africa, through southern Europe, and parts of Asia. Its past presence is best known in Abu Dhabi. 

In fact, the oldest fossilized elephant tracks that are in the Arabian Desert are from a herd of 13 Stegotetrabelon dating back 7 million years ago! There is even a set of tracks from a solitary male going in the opposite direction, which suggests that these animals had similar social behaviors as modern elephants. 

In Greek, “stego” means “roof”, referring to the roof-like plates on the molars; “tetra beledon” means “four tusks”, referring to the two long tusks on the top and bottom jaws. It belongs to the family Elephantidae, and subfamily Gomphotheriidae. Much smaller than Middle-earth’s Mûmakil, Stegotetrabelodon stood only around 4m (14ft) at the shoulders. The upper tusks were about 2.5m (8.2ft) long, while the bottom tusks were a bit shorter. 

What is a tusk exactly? Tusks are basically just very long, modified teeth, usually incisors or canines, which stick out of an animal’s mouth when it is closed. Their purpose is most often used for digging or as a weapon. Other than elephants, what other species can you think of that sport an impressive set of tusks?  

References
Choi, C.Q. (2012) Fossil Footprints Reveal Oldest Elephant Herd. www.Livescience.com/18581-fossil-footprints-oldest-elephant-herd.html
Ferretti, M.P, Rook, L. & Torre, D. (2003). (Proboscidea, Elephantidae) from the late Miocene of Southern Italy. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 23(3): 659-666.
Lotr.wikia.com/wiki/mumakil
Kalb, J. (2006). Adventures in the Bone Trade: The Race to Discover Human Ancestors in Ethiopia’s Afar Depression. Springer Science and Business Media. Pp 197.
Stewart, J.R. (2005). Miocene Geology and Fossils of Abu Dhabi. In: edited by Mark Beech and Peter Hellyer. Abu Dhabi-8 Million Years Ago: Late Miocene Fossils from the Western Region. www.markbeech.com/pdf/Beech-and-Hellyer-2005-Abu-Dhabi-8mya.pdf 
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Hydatina amplustre

8/1/2015

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Photos: In depth images 

This species is easily recognized by its thin, strongly inflated shell marked with broad flesh-colored bands outlined in black. The animal is translucent cream. Hydatina amplustre is a moderately common species in mixed habitats at protected to moderately exposed sites. 

The animals are nocturnal, burying themselves in sand during the day (often under cobbles). It is found from the low intertidal to depths of 1-2 m (3-6 ft). It feeds on polychaete worms (Kay, 1979) and lays a convoluted, cream egg mass attached by a mucous thread. The eggs hatch in about eight days in the laboratory (Daniel Jennings-Kam, pers. com.). Widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific.

Source: seaslugsofhawaii.com


Esta especie se reconoce fácilmente por su delgada concha, muy inflada marcada con bandas anchas de color piel esbozadas en negro. El animal es de color crema translúcido. Hydatina amplustre es una especie moderadamente comun en hábitats mixtos en sitios protegidos a moderadamente expuestos.

Los animales son nocturnos, enterrándose en la arena durante el día (a menudo bajo los adoquines). Se encuentra desde los lugares bajos intermareales hasta profundidades de 1-2 m (3.6 pies). Se alimenta de gusanos poliquetos (Kay, 1979) y pone una masa de de huevos unidas por un hilo mucoso. Los huevos eclosionan en unos ocho días en laboratorio (Daniel Jennings-Kam, com. Pers.). Ampliamente distribuido en los océanos Indo-Pacífico.


Fuente: seaslugsofhawaii.com
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