Toucans are unusual among birds for the sheer size of their beaks. Most species fall into two groups, with either short, wide beaks or long, thin ones. Toucans, by contrast, have a long, wide bill which facilitates variety in feeding and makes up a third of their total body length. Although the beak appears cumbersome, it…
Month: March 2016
#ThrowbackThursday: Reconstructions show that human brains may have evolved more recently than we thought
The human brain may have evolved much faster and more recently than previously thought, researchers suggest from reconstruction of hominid skulls. By scanning the skull of Australopithecus sediba, one of the earliest complete hominid skeletons, scientists could reconstruct the shape and size of the brain from an endocast of the cranium. Essentially, this means they could use the…
Rattlesnake strikes are far more sophisticated than a simple ‘spring’ release
More than half of a rattlesnake’s body may be involved in striking behaviour, particularly where the strike is defensive, and the anterior third of body length is usually active when hunting. The remainder of the body ‘anchors’ the snake to a solid base position. Tracking the kinematics of a single strike reveals that different segments of…
#fossilfriday: Beautifully-preserved amber lizards reveal chameleons’ evolution in ancient Myanmar.
A researcher working in the American Museum of Natural History, New York, has confirmed the age of the world’s oldest known fossil chameleon in part of a bumper find of fossilised lizards. In an almost Jurassic-Park style story, twelve of these ancient reptiles were encased in amber (sap from a coniferous tree) in what is…
Ole’ blue eyes: scallops and clams have unique ‘mirrored’ eyes
It may seem alien, but think about this the next time you enjoy a scallop or a clam: they might be looking back at you. Some species have tens of tiny eyes which line the edges of their characteristic shells. Unlike almost all other adult bivalves, scallops and clams can grow eyes which use a unique…
Water molecule tracking reveals intricate muscle patterns in a tiny heart
The fibres of a mouse heart resemble a neat bird’s nest structure, but their specific orientations and interactions come together to drive blood around the body. The individual muscle strands were visualised using diffusion tensor imaging, which essentially tracks the movement of water molecules through single cells, revealing their position, size and shape. The pattern of…
Photographer captures turtle skeleton and discovers a clutch of eggs
Ted Kinsman, professor of photographic sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology, found this unfortunate expired snapping turtle at the roadside and made it the subject of his next project. What he didn’t expect was to discover a clutch of eggs within, revealed by X-ray. Turtles may have carry up to 30 fertilised eggs from…
#fossilfriday: Head of Romundina , a 415 million year-old fish, gives glimpse into jaw evolution.
One of the most significant evolutionary innovations in early vertebrates was the jaw. Jawless fishes such as lampreys and hagfish have rows of teeth around the mouth opening which are used to rasp at prey, whereas most modern jawed fish and other vertebrates (collectively Gnathostomes) have an upper and lower jaw, with the lower jaw usually…
Sections through tough wombat femur show possible adaptation to digging.
Wombats are marsupial mammals that are only found in Australia. They are fossorial and dig out extensive networks of burrows. Wombats have a variety of adaptations to this lifestyle, which is energetically demanding and unusual in marsupials, including a unique backwards-facing pouch to prevent young being smothered with dirt while digging. This lovely section, which represents a…
In focus: New genetic method proves the importance of wing geometry in ‘superflies’.
What defines the biomechanical performance of an animal? Dr Robert Ray (Francis Crick Institute), in collaboration with Dr Richard Bomphrey’s group at the Royal Veterinary College have just published their findings that by altering the production of just one protein they can change – and even improve – flight agility in fruit flies. This ground-breaking…
Anatomy To You 