The Biggest Bite

Stop watching Jurassic Park! Stop watching Jaws! Step into my time machine and see a predator with an even more terrifying bite! Set the switch so that we travel backwards through time four hundred million years and we will observe the Dunkleosteus terrelli. It weighs in at approximately four tons and has a body that is thirty-three feet long.

The Dunkleosteus terrelli had the strongest bite of all fish. Its power may even surpass that of an Alligator’s or a sharks. Using its bladed jaws and 80,000 pounds of force per square inch this fish was a vertebrate capable of eating anything it came across. It is classified as a placoderm; an assortment of armored predators who dominated during the Devonian period, 415 to 360 million years ago.

The studies that discovered this information were done by a fossil skull of this vertebrate. They built a biomechanical model by studying the structure of the fossils, recreating the creature’s musculature to see its jaw was highly kinetic; supported by four joints that rotated to create the slamming shut action of its mouth. This study is important because it demonstrated the usefulness of mechanical engineering theory in studying animals that we can only observe through fossil records. Chicago based researcher said:

“"We cannot actually watch these animals feed or interact, but we can understand the range of possible behaviors by examining how the preserved parts are shaped and connected to each other."

If you were Jaws you’d probably be dead meat except for the fact that Dunkleosteus and the shark coexisted until the Dunkleosteus died out. Not only did it have incredible biting power but it was able to open its jaws in one fiftieth of a second. The speed of this movement created a vacuum effect, sucking in the fleeing prey. Once captured, the Dunkleosteus terrelli would slam its jaws shut. The force, great as it was, was only sent into a small area; between its fang tip on the top and bottom of its jaw. They had no teeth but the force from the fang tips was strong enough to break through even bone.

It, as well as well as all other Placodermi was the first jawed fish. The Placodermi died off together in an unexplained extinction. I couldn't even find speculation. Perhaps it was indeed due to their large size and demand for prey that was their downfall, occurring before even dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The sharks, free of the Dunkleosteus terrelli were able to reproduce easier, causing sharks to evolve into different types. The Dunkleosteus however has no modern descendants and its type of bite was not passed on through generations.

I find this vertebrate particularly interesting. Successful predators usually gain their power by either having a strong bite force or by being able to bite very quickly. The Dunkleosteus had both of these features, making it extremely dangerous. If you're looking for the biggest and the baddest bite, search no further than the Dunkleosteus terrelli.

Posted by EZP (13)

Bomb Sniffing Bees

It is commonly known that the olfactory senses of dogs are very fine-tuned. We use dogs to sniff out buried people, drugs and bombs. Although this method has been proved successful in the past, scientists wonder if their olfactory senses are the best of the best. In the past scientists have tried to train wasps and bee’s for the detection of bombs but have been unsuccessful due to lack of technology. Recently, new technology has allowed scientists to finally harness the incredible ability of the common honey bee.

At the U.S. Military research facility, they have been testing and training the common honey bee to sniff out bombs. The Stealthy Insect Sensor Project was created to fine tune the detection of bombs in improvised explosive devices. Scientists used the Pavlov method, by exposing the insects to the odor of explosives and offering a sugar water reward, researchers said they trained bees to recognize substances ranging from dynamite and C-4 plastic explosives to the howitzer propellant grains used in improvised explosives in Iraq. When the bees detect the scent of a bomb, they stick out their proboscis as if they sense nectar.

Researchers also examined the bees protein expression and to isolated genetic and physiological differences between those bees with good olfaction and those without. They also determined how well bees could detect explosives even if the scent is mostly covered by something like lotion, or gas. These researchers also looked at speeding up the evolution process by examining the bee’s antennae, if improvements needed to made in order to increase the longevity of their lives.

Not only can bee’s fly, but they are so small of an insect that a bomber wont even see it and even if he/she does, they may try and swat it away not thinking it could be a secret weapon. The military plans to place this trained bee’s in small compartments, so they can carry them around to sniff out explosive vapors on the belts of suicide bombers. It’s too bad the military didn’t train the bee’s to attack after they detect an explosive.

Posted By: EJH (13)

Mr. Ed is Back!

My friend took me to her sister's barn where she trains horses and gives lessons. I've taken some riding lessons so I'm pretty sure I know how to stay on the horse. Of course all these horses were trained and follow human instructions pretty well. Horses are the most familiar equines to humans and the more we know about them the more we get to know about other equines like zebras and donkeys. Seeing as to how most people have domesticated horses and feel comfortable around them, researchers have started to show interest in their vocalization patterns.

Horse talk , in particular their whining, would be a way to figure out the stress level of the horse. This database known as the Equine Vocalization Project would correlate "horse noises" with behavior which would lead to categorizing stress levels. This would help improve their living situations and make the communication between man and horse more accurate when training them.

High stress can occur when horses fight and when the horse feels it's in danger. The horse feels calm and makes only calm whines when it's vision is restricted like in the old days when horsemen used to cover their horses eyes...not just to keep dust out but to calm them down.

Horses show much more complex vocalization then other animals who have monotonal vocalizations. They have a wider bandwidth and a broader frequency which changes in their different whines. This new area of acoustics would help to get a sense of the horse's physical condition.

According to present research, two elements have been noticed when the horse whines. There seems to be "a constant tone with varied harmonics that increase as the animal becomes more agitated, and a variation in frequency that may be associated with communication or expression."

This research also leads to questions about their visual memory with people and other animals. Researchers want to know if the whines also correlate when they recognize people they like. Decoding the horses vocalization patterns would help with the handling of horses and also help understand the social organization of equines.

Posted by AAH (12)

Lousy Dates and Mooching roommates; Not Just For Humans Anymore

Ladies, do you ever pick up a guy and take him home only to realize the next morning how big of a mistake it was, or have you ever paired up with a roommate to find out too late that they'’re a slob that never pays the rent and mooches off you? Well apparently, Bees know this all too well after they have had to deal with a certain kind of beetle.

A recent study showed that groups of parasitic blister beetle larvae will band together to lure in male bees by mimicking female bees in order to get a ride back to the beehive.

After hatching, the worm like larvae will first group together into the rough shape of a bee. The beetles then emit a pheromone similar to that of the female bee. According to Leslie Saul-Gershenz, who worked on the study, the combined pheromones of the larvae are strong enough in signal strength to mimic the female bees. The larvae will then extend the upper part of their body, which has specialized grasping claws, and latch onto the back of a male bee looking for some love from a female who he'll be disappointed to find isn'’t there. With the beetle cargo in toe, the male bee will eventually find and mate with a female bee. Without the bee's knowledge, the larvae will be transferred to the female bee who will then unknowingly give them a free ride back to the beehive. Once inside the beehive, the beetle larvae will settle in, eat the bee's eggs and hard earned food, grow, and mature into adults that will leave to start the whole mooching cycle all over again, all the while getting protection and shelter from the bees while their living in their hive.

Scientists working on the study said that their findings confirmed their early suspicions about the nature of the chemical cues of the beetle larvae. They are currently looking into how the groups of larvae communicate with each other; they suspect that certain larvae will act as leaders in the group.

Source Article: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/09/12/beetle_ani_02.html?category=animals&guid=20060912100030


Posted by JMSieer (12)

My turtle wants to have sex with a piece of plastic

I like turtles. A lot. I like small turtles, and big ones. And I like my pet turtle named max.

I cant even begin to explain how confused I was when I dropped a little plastic toy turtle (about an inch long at most) into his tank one day and did this for me on camera. We learned in class this semester that the behavior being performed by my little turtle max is a fixed action mating behavior that sun turtles (such as my red-eared slider max) do.

So what does this fixed action patter actually accomplish? The turtle is supposed to shake his hands in that manner when he find himself a mating partner.MATING PARTNER?! Please do me a favor and watch the video again, and then tell me that the plastic turtle looks even REMOTELY close to an actual red eared slider. I didnt have a clue how he could think that this little plastic turtle was a living breathing fellow species member.

I thought that this blog entry would be kind of wierd since I am posted about a personal experience of behavior, but I decided that it was such an awesome thing to see the stuff that we are learning about in class actually happening in my home that I would have to share that with everyone. I really still have no clue as to what the sign stimulus for his behavior is, but I thought it would be interesting to see if anyone had any thoughts on what it may be?

I'm guessing that it is the color and shape of the body, even though it is clearly much smaller than an actual turtle would be. In fact, the females of this species of turtle are larger than the male.

Go figure....



Posted by: Abbott (12)

If Only Lando Griffin Could Save The Poison Frogs

I’m not sure how many of you are fans of Family Guy, but if you are, do you remember the episode (Let’s Go to the Hop) where there’s a craze in the high school and the kids are licking toads to get high? Well, I’m not sure how many of us would actually want to lick a toad, and personally I wouldn’t do it for sanitary reasons, (who knows what other toxins could be found on the skin?), but I’m not surprised if anyone out there has done so. Of course, if they knew that the toad is poisonous, then it’s very likely that they wouldn’t even bother licking it. And if humans would avoid poisonous or toxic things, then similarly, animals would avoid them as well.

One such example would be that of the poison frogs found in Madagascar. Toxic frogs like these are usually avoided by predators for obvious reasons, and the poison itself is used as a defense mechanism against said predators. However, recent studies have shown that these frogs are actually losing their toxicity due to human development.

How is human development a threat, you ask? Well, these poison frogs consume alkaloid-containing insects, and in turn, the alkaloids will accumulate in their bodies, thus providing a defense mechanism that would be lethal. However, with the result of human development, the habitats of these frogs have been altered, and so, possibly, their diet was also affected; thus resulting in the decrease in toxicity.

Valerie C. Clark of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, studied frogs in three different habitats:

1. an unaffected forest habitat
2. a forest patch surrounded by agricultural fields
3. a “moderately disturbed” habitat

She found that frogs from the first habitat had about 30 different alkaloids in their skin, as compared to a measly number of 12 different alkaloids found in the skin of the frogs from the second habitat. As for the “moderately disturbed” habitat, she found about 15 alkaloids on the frogs. Whether it’s 12 or 15, the differences are quite high when compared to 30.

John Daly, a pharmacologist at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at Bethesda, Maryland, studied some frogs from a Panamanian island, and he confirmed that there are decreases in alkaloids found in their skins. In fact, he even stated that he and his colleagues found new alkaloids in their skins as well. It was later to be discovered that the alkaloids came from a millipede.

And so, with the result of human development, the potential threats of these poison frogs are dwindling. As Cornell University’s Clark states, “predators currently trained to avoid the brightly colored poison frogs may learn they have nothing to fear and start attacking the newly defenseless amphibians.” This situation, she adds, “may alter the ecology and geographic distribution of poison frogs” and also noted that “additional research are necessary.” If this proves to be true, it would further explain the results of John Daly, and the addition of new alkaloids in the frogs’ skins.

The findings of both Clark and Daly leave another gaping hole in human activities. Do we, now that we have some brief information about these poison frogs, continue disrupting their habitats, or do we leave them alone? Though there aren’t enough studies done to prove that we are the cause of the changes in the frogs’ toxicity, it should still be noted that we are a threat to these frogs, let alone the other organisms in this world.

posted by kkaye (12)

"Not Tonight Dear, I Have a Headache"

Sex for the female diving beetles, Dytiscus lapponicus and Graphoderus zonatus verrucifer, is so rough that they have come up with a more permanent solution of avoidance than the simple headache excuse. They have actually altered their physical appearance so that they could get away from their aggressive counterparts more easily. This is not to say that the sex is bad, its just that its one sided, with the males not taking into consideration the hardship that it causes the females.

The male diving beetles have a varying amount of suction cups on their legs which they use to hold the females under water without air for about 15 minutes during sex and this is only after they have shaken the female back and forth during swimming until she was to tired to resist them. Although the males aren't completely without some decency since they do bring the female back up to the surface to breathe when they are done with her. It is a very tiring experience for the female and with more than one male to contend with, anyone could see how she would develop a headache. In response to this, the females have developed furrows and granulation to their otherwise smooth backs so that they could simply get rid of these intent males. Since it is harder for the males to hold on to their rough backs, this also ensures that only the males with the most amount of suction cups will prevail in mating, which gives the females a break with the amount of partners they have to deal with and also allowing them to be less physically worn out in the process.

Of course as this battle between the sexes rages on, the male diving beetles will meet this challenge by adapting some form of change themselves to overcome the females response to deter their advances and the cycle of will continue. It will be interesting to see what type of adaptation evolves next and in which one, male or female and if this continues until a whole new species emerges. It seems that a little tylenol and therapy might not help these couples.

Posted by: KVC (12)

Police Are Not Soley a Human Invention

The life of wild animals seems like an appealing alternative to many of us, as it is devoid of the many rules and regulations all too present in human society. Police form an especially loathsome part in our lives, as they are the ones visibly reponsible for the enforcement of some of the less pertinent rules. Yet if we look close, real close, we see that some animal societies emulate these practices to an event greater extent close to that of dictatorship.

Animal societies such as paper wasps, ants, and termites seem to exhibit our idealized society, one based on cooperation and altruism. In actuality, these three species are quite opposite and the colonies cooperate not through will, but by coercion. In Asian paper wasp nests, only the queen is allowed to breed and this is very heavily enforced. When other wasps with lower rankings attempt to breed, their eggs are often devoured by the queen herself or by her lackies. Other theories suggest that the queen suppresses the ovarian development of the other workers. Fortunately for the workers in the paper wasp societies, many eggs evade the notice of this miniturized police force. In beehives the scenario is not so lucky, and almost all eggs are eaten or killed. Some social insects are organized so many of the castes are impotent and cannot reproduce, yet this is not always the case. In paper wasps, if by any chance the "alpha" queen dies, a "beta" female will assume her position. Also, some nests are known to have more than one queen.

By performing such behavior, the queen maintains a reproductive monopoly over the rest of the nest, and the only permittable offspring is from the queen's own chambers. Furthermore, the threat that the queen and her lackies pose prevents most workers from ever producing offspring. Workers, deprived of their ability to reproduce therefore attempt to further the fecundity of their mother. Although successful, a society based on fear is not the idealized society one imagines when they picture the carefree life of animals in nature.

Posted by TSK (11)

Cancer, the STD?

Most of us know that cancer comes from mutated cells in our body. But scientists have found a cancer in dogs that is derived (or rather transmitted) through sexual contact. The cancer disfigures the face and genitals of the dog but then diminishes. To find the reason, researchers at University College London looked at the DNA of the different species of dogs and the DNA of the cancer to find some answers.

After examining hundreds of dogs of varying breeds around the world, Claudio Murgia was able to tie the cancer to wolves and a breed of dogs in Asia. Genetic differences in the cancer and wolves suggested the cancer has been living continuously for 200 years old from one original source. Analysis of older samples collected years ago also suggests that the cancer was more effective on attacking its host. What actually happens as Murgia found was that the cancer was able to stall the dog’s immune system as it invaded but eventually the immune system was able to identify and neutralize the cancer.

This article brings up a number of key points worthy of further discussion. The article seems to skim over the idea of evolution as a factor in the dog’s ability to rid itself of the cancer. The cancer is genetically more similar to wolves and thousands of years of mutations, genetic drift, lack of gene flow with wolves and artificial selections had set dogs apart from wolves. Therefore, the cancer was not able to blend in with the host’s body. It's DNA was unique enough that after the immune system recovered it was able to spot and target the cancer. Another point that the article skirts over as a possibility was that the dog or even the cancer was able to evolve enough to cope with one another so that the host can live long enough that the cancer can move on.

As to how cancer travels through sexual contact, that’s all relative. Diseased cancer-causing cells can be transmitted in humans through organ transplant or even sexual contact if the immune system is weak enough.

Resources:
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060807/full/060807-13.html

Posted by Tony (11)

Improving Learning and Memory in Rats under Stress Using Gene Therapy

Have you ever wished that there was a drug you could take during stressful situations to maintain your intellectual accuracy and awareness? Well now, according to several Stanford University neuroscientists, this idea may not be as far-fetched as originally assumed. In a recent article published on the Science Daily website entitled “Scientists use Gene Therapy to Improve Memory and Learning in Animals”
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061108122235.htm), a specific gene was inserted into rat test subjects that proved to successfully improve both their learning and memory when faced with the negative hormonal impacts resulting from stress.

Throughout this study, the neuroendocrinologist, Robert Sapolsky, and his partners examined the effect of stress on the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain designated to learning and memory. The nerve cells that make up this part of the brain have receptors that are sensitive to particular types of steroid hormones, called glucocorticoids. When a male or female becomes stressed, these hormones are released into the bloodstream and become attached to the receptors in the hippocampus, contributing to the gradual destruction of its nerve cells. As a result, both memory and learning become weakened. Estrogen, however, is a known hormone that actually promotes memory in humans and is therefore believed by many scientists to counteract the negative impact that corticoids have on the brain.

In order to verify the beneficial impacts of estrogen on the brain during times of stress, the scientists in this article performed gene therapy on numerous laboratory rats. By artificially creating a strand of DNA composed of both a glucocorticoid-receptor gene from a rat and an estrogen-receptor gene from a human, the scientists were then able to inject the man-made gene, or “chimera”, into the hippocampus of the rat to observe its effects. As originally hoped, the gene proved to create new protein receptors that immediately transformed glucocorticoids (which promote stress) into estrogen signals (which protect the brain’s memory against stress). Having proved that gene therapy is successful at the molecular level, the scientists then wanted to see how the artificial gene would impact the behaviors of the rats during times of stress.

To determine this question, the scientists used a Morris Water Maze set-up, which is composed of a circular pool that is five feet wide and filled with two feet of water. Below the surface, there is a hidden platform exiting the water, which the rats are trained to find with repeated exposure. Once they have been trained to find it, the scientists will then remove the platform to measure how many times the rats will continue to swim over its previous location. This is a measure of the rats’ persistence. The goal of the scientists for this particular experiment was to see if the rats treated with the chimeric gene, mentioned previously, would perform differently than rats not treated with gene therapy when exposed to stress. The rats were subjected to such factors as cold temperatures in order to reach a stressful state and were given stress tests both before and after the experiment. As it turned out, the rats that were given the estrogen-induced gene swam to the area where the platform used to be faster, and donated more time looking for it than rats without the gene did.

The findings from this experiment are drastic. Not only do they imply that this form of gene therapy can successfully counteract the negative impacts of glucocorticoids on the brain, but they also show that it can improve spatial memory and learning in rats, even during times of stress. The scientists involved in this experiment are already focusing their findings on future implications. They hope that with further testing, similar forms of gene therapy can be used to promote brain activity in patients suffering from such diseases as multiple sclerosis, who must take large doses of corticoids, which in turn alter their learning and memory abilities drastically. Sapolsky and his partners are optimistic that one day, the negative cognitive side effects of stress can be prevented all together.

Additional Comments: In regards to certain comments made on this blog, I would like to add that no additional effects were noted by the researchers when observing the rats' behaviors. The males did not take on any evident feminine qualities as a result of the estrogen, even though this was not specifically tested for. Further research is being done by scientists to develop the findings of this experiment.

Posted by EJM (11)

New Bird Discovered Leads to the Discovery of Other New Species

This year a new bird was discovered in northern Columbia on an unexplored mountain range. This was not only a great find for the research team, but also sets the precedent for future discoveries in this unexplored area.
The new bird that was discovered is the Yariguíes Brush-Finch (Atlapetes latinuchus variguierm) and is named for the Yariguíes people who inherited the northern Columbia mountain range. This finch differs from its relatives because it has a black back and no white markings on its wings. According to Blanca Huertas, “The description of a new bird is a rare event in modern times,” therefore the recent discovery of this large finch with black, yellow, and red plumage was a rare find for the team.
One specifically interesting aspect of this newly found species is the fact that this is the first time a live specimen has been used for the description of a new bird. Two birds were caught by the research team and with one of them released unharmed, the team was able to collect a DNA sample and take photographs. The team is starting to describe new taxa in this region since the discovery of the Yariguíes Brush-Finch and the Serranía de los Yariguíes was declared a national park. Huertas has also discovered several new taxa of butterflies that will be described.
The discovery of the new bird and the national park created in northern Columbia are going to help identify more new species in the area. I think it is a wonderful aspect that while the researchers discovered a new species, the bird also gives them more insight into the other species of the unexplored region.

Resources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061006072224.htm

Posted by ALC (11)

Elephants Needs Mommies Too

It is an interesting concept to think that adult elephants keep young elephants in check and provide guidance on how to be responsible. But thanks to us Humans their quality of life has been diminished. From forcing them into lives as entertainers and workers to poaching and outright slaughter, these animals have certainly gotten more than they deserve at the hands of humans. Yet, with the research conducted, it seems that our treatment of this social animal has had effects.

Much like us, in the absence of adult supervision, elephants will grow up wild and tend to be violent without the support, training and care of their complex social order. We find ourselves wondering why an elephant may be particularly hostile but yet in most cases, when the story of the individual’s life is revealed, there was more than likely an incident in its life that had a negative effect and the character of the elephant cannot be written off as “it’s a wild animal”. Rouge elephants do not tend to be the result of bad genetics or due to some random chance. The problem is that we have to really understand the reasons for these animals behaving this way and try to effect changes in how we interact with them if we want our relationship with these animals to improve. One of the explanations for this behavior is that when elephants are young their brains are developing and if their parent or mentor is taken away these basic social neuronal path ways are not allowed to develop. Unfortunately, in a world dominated by money and greed, we are far less likely to take the time to make amends even for this animal that can be “rehabilitated” from traumatic stress.

It is interesting (and perhaps selfish), then, that we are appalled and shocked when an elephant seemingly takes revenge. Who is the killer? Who started the “war” between man and beast? While the answer logically seems to be to point at ourselves, it seems pretty hard to convince many of the people in Africa to stop the way they are treating wildlife when they themselves hold little value in even human life. More to my point, the article makes reference to an elephant that had a bad disposition that eventually killed a human. This particular elephant after killing the man, took the body covered it with dirt and branches and stayed by the corpses side in an act of mourning as if it felt bad for the death. Perhaps we are reminded about or lack of compassion in living things by this act – but who will actually listen to or believe the message and who will change because of it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/magazine/08elephant.html?fta=y

Posted by KJCV (10)

Ever Wish You Could Dissapear Into Your Surroundings? Fiddler Crabs Do!

You’re fifteen minutes late to a 35 person class. Right about now you’re probably wishing there was some way to sneak in undetected. Unfortunately for you, no matter how hard you try, you’re going to be conspicuous. Fast forward to the beach. Lucky you, you’re a Fiddler crab. While basking in the sand you can avoid being someone’s lunch. How, you ask? It’s all about camouflage.
As I’m sure you know, there are several benefits to being able to roam a habitat undetected. For the Uca vomeris crab, this carries extra weight. Living on an open mud flat, this species of Fiddler crab is especially vulnerable to attack from birds. Fortunately for them, they have developed chameleon like shells. It has been noted in the past that ordinarily, these shells remain various depths of blue. When the crab feels that it is in danger, its shell morphs into a muted brown.
Jochen Zeil, a researcher at the Australian National University studied the cause of this interesting behavior. Taking two crabs, both of notable bright blue color, he separated them with a screen. The variable subject was bombarded with a foam ball attached to fishing line. This was enough stimuli to make the crab feel threatened and catapult it into survival mode. Soon enough, the crab’s shell had lost its blue brilliance, and turned brown. Upon repeating the trial, the results were duplicated.
This led Zeil to further investigate full colonies of this species of crab. He and his collogues found that entire groups of these crabs were less blue than their geographical neighbors. This led researchers to believe that this coloration is dependant on the ratio of predators in the area. Sure enough, areas that had more birds feeding on the crabs contained the individuals with the least blue coloration.
I think this study was interesting but still leaves many questions unanswered. Is the blue coloration a sign of fitness? Or only a weakness to the owner? How does this behavior compare to other techniques employed by the species to avoid predators? In the future, Zeil plans to study the effect of color in the relation between colonies of Uca vomeris.

Posted by JLB (10)

Parents Help Praire Pups with Problems

Listen up, class is in session. Today the students will be about a foot and a half tall, and will have lunchboxes filled with bugs. Did you ever want to know what school was like out in the prairie? Regardless of your intrigue, the Meerkat will let you know what that experience is like. Alex Thorton and his research team from the University of Cambridge in England did a study of the majestic Meerkat and the ability of the adults to teach it’s young about hunting and handling prey to eat. Adult Meerkats care for their young in so many ways, but to teach the young how to handle their food is almost human in some respects.

Young animals will usually learn how to perform a task like capturing and eating prey by watching an adult. The adult Meerkat takes it one step further by showing young Meerkats what their prey looks like, then the adults will demonstrate how to capture the prey. If need be, the adult Meerkats will remove stingers before giving the prey to the young. You may be wondering if the adults will get a piece of the prey that it just captured. I’m sorry to say that the adult doesn’t benefit from this behavior, it’s all for the pups. Thorton wonders why Meerkats would do this if the adult doesn’t get anything in return. The answer to why they do this may never be answered because it involves getting into the Meerkats brain and finding out what it thinks. We all know the Meerkat will never sit down and tell us what it is thinking.

This research is just the tip of the iceberg. Thorton believes that this behavior could be true for other animals like lions, tigers, mongooses, and birds of prey. The research has not been done for any of these animals, but Thorton is sure his study will fuel other researchers to study the relationship between a parent and its offspring much more in depth. Learning how to handle prey is key for Meerkats because their prey is likely to fight back. They eat scorpions, lizards, and small mammals. If the young Meerkats did not know how to handle their prey they could be in serious trouble. If the young are ignorant about handling harmful prey, that could have serious negative impacts on the young's survival and survival of the group. Class dismissed.

Posted by MJP (10)

“The Birds And The Bees”

How many times have you heard about safe sex? Hundreds, thousands, or perhaps millions of times? Constantly, parents are always warning us about the dangers of having sex; pregnancy, STDs, infections, and so forth, but they always fail to mention one important aspect: being eaten. One day you are a nice piece of booty and the next day you are breakfast, lunch, or dinner, take your pick.

In a study, Jonathan Lelito and William Brown studied the male praying mantises’ behavior by varying the risk of cannibalism and recording the results of the behavior accordingly. Studies have concluded that the hungry females in many cases choose a decent meal over mating. To say the very least, these females are not scared as they lead a head- on attack allowing them to use her front legs.

Despite the stereotypical “dumb” and “irrational” males contained within our society, male praying mantises are a little wiser when they approach a female that could potentially eat them. When nearing a female praying mantis and with death lurking; studies have shown they slow their approach, begin to do courtship behavior more often, and mount from a further distance avoiding danger at all costs. These two sexes have issues and as Brown thus said, “this is an example of extreme conflict between the sexes.” May the better one win; of course, it will be us females.

Copulation for praying mantises lasted on an average of six hours and on average sexual cannibalism occurred five to thirty- one percent of the time. Female praying mantises eat their sexual partner as a means of survival, say she has not eaten something in a while; you got to do what you got to do. Also, females are known to eat the males because she can gain a boost of energy to produce her eggs, even though many people think she is just flat out mean and with some of the females I have seen; this is probably true too. We are mean and yell at men, sometimes more often than not. When males are out of control a female praying mantis will bite off his head, literally bite off his head and the male will continue to reproduce waiting, just waiting to be eaten. That’s all he can do. These types of species give others a bad name. (2)

Sexual cannibalism seems uncommon, but actually about thirty different animal species in all orders of arachnids and in three orders of insects partake in this type of activity; such as a redback, orweb, and black widow. Not only are us females looking to kill the other sex, but in many cases men “try” to feed on us females in sexual cannibalism. Victims, that what the poor men are that try to have sex with females.

Next time you dare to have sex, question whether you may be the next victim of sexual cannibalism and maybe, just maybe, you will think about sex twice. The stupid male praying mantises are somewhat aware of the situation of possibly being eating, yet many times like boys tend to do, they let their hormones take over; costing them in the end something as valuable as life. Be careful of us females; you just never know…

Resources:
1) http://www.sfu.ca/~msr/Papers/BISC/mantis.html
2) http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f02/web1/mdoughty.html

Picture Resource: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/science/05cann.html?ex=1315108800&en=c90525a93ea63f7f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

CMB (9)

Innovative Populations


In watching history unfold and learning of social change it is evident that an entire population's attitude or understanding can eventually change. Population changes could include abandoning racism or sexism, developing tool use, or utilizing a new environment or food source. Whatever the change is, in order for this large scale shift to occur someone has to initiate it. In animal behavior the establishment of a new behavior not previously seen in a population is called innovation.

In a recent literature review Simon Reader compiled information from multiple sources on the topics of innovation and the evolution of new behaviors. He looked at the qualities of individual innovators, types of populations which have a tendency toward innovation and characteristics of species that are prone to high innovation rates. Reader also discussed the concept of novelty response, as the initial response to a new object or environment and raised the point of context specificity, that says an individual may be more likely to approach a new object in a known environment. Both social and asocial learning are significant to this topic as asocial learning allows for new behaviors and social learning allows for the spread of recently established behaviors.

Through experiments involving novel tasks, correlations were established between individuals who perform well, as innovators, and those who are neophilic, or likely to explore new objects, aggressive, high in dominance rank, and skilled at social learning. Populations which feed in groups are more prone to develop new behaviors because the significant competition promotes asocial learning. Species that use tools and have enlarged regions of the brain dedicated to multimodal integration are characterized by high innovation rates. Innovation is a hugely important aspect of animal behavior as it allows for adaptation and expansion into new niches. This gives species flexibility to their ecology as well as options if habitat is limited or threatened.

Posted by EBW (9)

I am a Pretty Pretty Pachyderm

You know that age old Zen-achieving thought, what if you are really the reflection of the person in the mirror? Well elephants have figured it out. Sort of.

Three female elephants at the Bronx Zoo in New York were given an eight foot by eight foot mirror in their pen and the outcome was observed for an unclear amount of time by researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University and the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. What they found was pretty unique.

The elephants would first go up to the new object and, encountering another elephant that seemed to move when they did, would go through a series of repetitive motions, learning that the elephant in the mirror was in fact themselves. This separates them from other animals that might try and interact with the reflection as if it were another elephant.

Their recognition of themselves was proved by experiments such as the mark test, where a colorless spot of paint and a colored spot of paint was painted onto a place the elephant could not normally see. One of the elephant subjects saw itself in the mirror and touched the colored spot. There were also other proofs. Sometimes the elephants would check the insides of their mouths in the mirror, another place they cannot normally see.

The running theory is that animals with complex brains and complex social structures seem to gain the ability to figure out a mirror. Thus far, only elephants, humans, great apes, and dolphins seem to have the ability to be aware of their reflections.

Posted by heckers (9)

Size Matters to Female Fiddler Crabs

Imagine it took you over 100 different people to find the one for you, but looks and personality were not the criteria. What if you determined your partner solely on the size of their home? If humans did this they would be considered “gold diggers,” but to female crabs this is essential for the survival of their offspring.

Many females in the animal kingdom choose a male according to his size , as a larger male’s genes are preferred for the female’s offspring. In a study led by Dr. Catherine deRivera, from the University of California San Diego, she and her research team discovered that female fiddler crabs, Uca crenulata, have the highest standers when it comes to selecting a mate. In one case, a female selected a male after going through 106 other potential suitors; however, it wasn’t necessarily the crab itself that the female was interested in.

Female fiddler crabs are unique to other females, as they have been identified as the choosiest animal when it comes to selecting a mate. They determine a mate on the size of the male’s burrow, as the burrow in turn determines the size of the male crab; therefore, larger crabs have larger homes.

In order for males to attract females to their home, male fiddler crabs signal to the female fiddler crabs by waving their larger claw, which is 1-2 inches in length, as if telling the female to “come here.” If she shows interest she will investigate the home of the male crab, most of the time rejecting the male without ever entering his burrow. Even if she desires further investigation by entering the burrow, that does not guarantee she will stay. However, once she finds the home that fits her standards, the male and female crab mate, and a few days later the female will exit the burrow leaving her eggs behind.

The reason a female crab is so finicky when locating a perfectly sized burrow is because the size of the burrow determines the amount of heat it will receive. Therefore, certain sized burrows allow for better incubation of the larvae before they are swept away by the next incoming tide.

Hence, the female fiddler crab is not necessarily a “gold digger” by human standards, but rather a concerned mother; since the size of the male’s home can have a significant impact on her offspring’s survival.

Posted by Guess (9).

Run Mike, Run!

On my quest to find the weirdest animal behavior, I have come across an old article from the mid 40’s. Have you ever heard about Mike, the headless chicken? Personally I was very surprised when I saw the article. I have witnessed chicken’s head being cut off before; usually after you cut off the chicken’s head it runs around for a couple of minutes, and dies. Mike on the other hand lived for 18 months after he’s head was cut off.

On Monday September 10, 1945 a farmer, Lloyd Olsen, of Fruita, Colorado, was expecting his mother-in-law around for supper. Lloyd was sent out to the yard by his wife to bring back a chicken, but he faild this relatively simple task. Olsen failed to completely decapitate the five-and-a-half month old bird named Mike, leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact. Noone expected the chicken to live for a long time or any time at all. Much to everyone’s surprise Mike lived for 18 month.

Some people didn’t believe that it could be possible. Therefore, Mike became famous and went on shows, he raised up to $50,000 a month. The rooster died in Pheonix, 18 months later after a show. He is still famous in the town of Fruita, where they have annual “Mike the headless chicken day”.

The real secret for Mike’s survivel is quite simple, “Post mortem, it was determined that the axe blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was severed, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since basic functions (breathing, heart-rate, etc) as well as most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem, Mike was able to remain quite healthy."

Posted by LYRS