biology – Kettinki

2024-12-11 @ 11.36.35 ∈ In English

Study challenges assertion that mealworms break down polystyrene

The capability of mealworms to digest and break down plastics has been challenged in a study led by researchers from The University of Western Australia.

2024-11-09 @ 17.35.40 ∈ In English

(11:31)

Bad News: The Ocean Is Full of Spiders*

*Sea spiders are not actually arachnids, although they certainly look the part. They’re weird guys, and the specifics of their strangeness may actually help us to better understand how all invertebrate groups evolved.

2024-10-31 @ 17.09.07 ∈ Suomeksi

Luontotohtori | Järvestä nousi laituriankkurin mukana korallia muistuttava möhkäle, jota asiantuntijakin ihailee

Kyseessä on yksi järviemme erikoisimmista ja hienoimmista eliölajeista[,] järvisieni. Se ei nimestään huolimatta ole sieni lainkaan, eikä kasvikaan[,] vaan lasketaan kuuluvaksi eläinkuntaan.

2024-07-12 @ 14.23.50 ∈ In English

A Rough Breakup - Observation of the Week, 7/11/24 · iNaturalist

Our Observation of the Week is this remarkable scene captured by @cumaliyesil in Turkey: a female Goblet-marked Damselfly (Erythromma lindenii) with a male’s dismembered abdomen still attached to her body!

2024-07-08 @ 17.36.22 ∈ In English

Brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolutionary trend

"For more than a century, scientists have assumed that this relationship was linear—meaning that brain size gets proportionally bigger, the larger an animal is. We now know this is not true. The relationship between brain and body size is a curve, essentially meaning very large animals have smaller brains than expected."

2024-07-05 @ 10.15.23 ∈ In English

Identifier Profile: @k8thegr8 · iNaturalist

If you’re photographing a caterpillar, Kate recommends getting at least three photos: one the top of the caterpillar, one of the side showing all the sets of legs, and a photo of the face (aka head capsule). It’s also really important to note the host plant (or make an observation of the host plant and get it identified on iNat). Even then, she reminds us that not all caterpillars (or adults) can be identified to the species level from photos alone.

2024-06-10 @ 18.13.35 ∈ In English

Excessive vegetation in Arabia triggered massive butterfly migrations in 2019 across Europe and Africa: Study

Pollen analysis showed that butterflies collected in Scandinavia had visited flowers of typically Mediterranean or Eastern European plants, while those collected in the Iberian Peninsula showed pollen from Northern Europe.

2024-06-08 @ 14.40.11 ∈ In English

Tiger shark vomits echidna, shocking Australian scientists

The tiger shark was unharmed after its spiky snack and scientists fitted it with an acoustic tracker before releasing it back into the water.

2024-04-02 @ 11.07.11 ∈ In English

Saving a Sea Monkey Sanctuary | Hakai Magazine

If Great Salt Lake were to disappear, an annual five million tonnes of farmed fish and shrimp could disappear with it. That’s roughly equal to the wild seafood the United States and Canada combined manage to catch in a year.

2024-03-08 @ 18.24.38 ∈ In English

Egg-laying caecilian amphibians produce milk for their young, find scientists

The research team observed that the young of the Brazilian caecilian Siphonops annulatus consumed milk for over two months, which appears to be secreted in response to tactile and acoustic stimulation from the mother's cloaca. The milk consists mainly of fats and carbohydrates and is produced in the glands of the female's oviduct.