Biology

The masked trogon (Trogon personatus) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the trogons. Fairly common in humid highland forests in South America, mainly in the Andes and on tepuis, it is resident in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela. It is a mid-sized trogon, averaging 27 centimetres (11 in) in length and 56 grams (2.0 oz) in mass. Like all members of its family, it displays sexual dimorphism. The male has upperparts, head and upper chest of variously green or reddish-bronze colouring, with a red belly and lower breast, while the female is brown above, with a pinkish to red belly and breast. Like all trogons, it feeds on both fruits and insects. It makes its nest by excavating into the soft wood of a rotting vertical tree trunk. This masked trogon of the subspecies T. p. temperatus (the highland trogon) was photographed at San Isidro Lodge near Cosanga in Napo Province, Ecuador.

I just finished Oliver Sacks’ excellent Everything in Its Place. In it, he mentioned as an aside that the Ginkgo biloba tree is hundreds of millions of years old, and its phenotype has been practically frozen since then – a living fossil.

The European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), also known as the European souslik, is a species in the squirrel family, Sciuridae. Like all squirrels, it is a member of the order of rodents, and it is found in central and southeastern Europe, with its range divided into two parts by the Carpathian Mountains. It is a colonial animal and mainly diurnal. The European ground squirrel excavates a branching system of tunnels up to 2 metres (6 ft) deep, with several entrances. This requires a habitat of short turf, such as on steppes, pasture, dry banks, sports fields, parks and lawns. Its short, dense fur is yellowish grey, tinged with red, with a few indistinct pale and dark spots on the back. Adults typically measure 20 to 23 centimetres (8 to 9 in) with a weight of 240 to 340 grams (8.5 to 12.0 oz). It has a slender build with a short, bushy tail, and makes a shrill alarm call that causes all other individuals in the vicinity to dive for cover. This European ground squirrel was photographed in Obrovisko Family Park, near Muráň, Slovakia.

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Sabellastarte spectabilis, commonly known as the feather duster worm or the fan worm, is a species of benthic marine polychaete worm in the family Sabellidae. It is native to tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea but has spread to other parts of the world. It is a filter feeder and inhabits holes and cracks in reefs, rocky shores, coral and lava, under boulders in still water, and in tidal pools and channels exposed to heavy surf. S. spectabilis is buff in colour with purple specks, around 8 centimetres (3 inches) in length and up to 1.2 centimetres (0.5 inches) in width. It lives in a tough, leathery tube covered with fine mud, from which projects a branchial crown of branched tentacles. The worm is popular in aquariums because of its distinctive appearance and its ability to remove organic particles and improve water quality. This S. spectabilis worm was photographed in the diving resort of Anilao in Mabini, Batangas, in the Philippines.

Scientists once thought only humans could use their imagination, but a new study suggests apes can, too.

Istiophorus platypterus is considered to be the fastest fish in the ocean over short distances, and can reach the speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). The dorsal fin (or the so-called “sail") may serve as a cooling and heating system for this fish.

Have you ever wished you could swim like a fish? How about speak like one?

Interesting and super complex article about a fairly unpopular but long lasting strain of idea within the study of dinosaurs that mid-sized predatory sauropods existed in the triassic and even gave rise to certain theropods.

Theropods and ornithopods were once depicted in the classic kangaroo stance. Just realized that other bipedal archosaurs have been depicted in this way as well. Behold:

Homosexual behavior in primates has a deep evolutionary basis and is more likely to occur in species that live in harsh environments, are hunted by predators or live in more complex societies, scientists said Monday.

Abstract In this research the involvement of autophagy in the development of microsporogenesis in shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) as a representative of dicotyledons and in Siebold’s plantain lily (Hosta sieboldiana) and Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) as representatives of monocotyledons was investigated. It was shown that microsporogenesis in the studied species is accompanied by the activation of autophagy, which is associated with both the onset and completion of meiosis and corresponds to the accumulation and degradation of regulators involved in meiotic division and tapetogenesis. The presence of cytomixis in meiosis prophase may serve as additional confirmation of the regulatory role of autophagy in meiosis. It was confirmed that autophagy is involved in the functioning and degradation of the tapetum. The activation of autophagy may accompany the formation of tetrads of microspores (C. bursa-pastoris), the functioning and degradation of the tapetum (H. sieboldiana), as well as the formation of tetrads and the final degradation of the tapetum (T. virginiana). This may be because the studied species differ in the type of tapetum (secretory and plasmodial). This difference between tapetum types is not clearly diagnosed, and varieties are differentiated in terms of reorganization, intensity of autophagy, and time of degradation of the tapetum tissue within the secretory type. The obtained results allow for the conclusion that, in general, the functioning and degradation of the tapetum in the studied monocots are accompanied by more intense autophagy than in the representative of dicot.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C. in 2020.

Just found this artist through credit on a PBS Eons video and had to share.

Authors:

Date: July 6, 2025

Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians around the world face mounting threats from a devastating fungus, climate change, habitat loss -- and road mortality. Among these, roads pose a uniquely immediate danger by cutting through critical migration corridors, allowing vehicles to crush millions of animals each year.

Scientists have attempted to map the human cell since the first microscope was invented more than 400 years ago. But many components of the cell still remain uncharted.

The world has been gripped by the case of Australian woman Erin Patterson, who was charged with the murder of three people after allegedly serving them a lunch of beef wellington containing poisonous death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides).

Presented by Dr. Brian Davis, University of Louisville, April 10, 2025.

Archived (Wayback Machine): - earth.com article - full study in Nature as webpage and PDF

Here's a direct link to the journal article.

Scientists have debunked the belief that using tools is unique to mammals and birds, after documenting tropical fish that smash shellfish against rocks to open and eat the meat, in a fascinating new study published in the journal Coral Reefs on 26 March 2025.