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Natural History - Blog Posts
Anyone who watches nature documentaries knows this legend!
Sir David Frederick Attenborough,
born 8 May 1926 is an English veteran broadcaster and naturalist. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural history documentary series that form the Life collection. This collection of programmes collectively form a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth. He is also a former senior manager at the BBC, having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the only person to have won BAFTAs for programmes in each of black and white, colour, HD, 3D and 4K.
@anime-and-sometimes-other-stuff for more animation/cinema content.
I still haven’t gotten over the fact that Hampshire College in Massachusetts has the worlds first non-human resident scholar.
THIS IS REAL
HOW IS THIS REAL
Yesterday afternoon I dragged my friend to Denge Wood forest. While there, I spotted one of my top five favorite beetles. These lustrous and magnificent little guys are green tiger beetles (Cicindela campestris).
They are incredibly fast predatory beatles that hunt down and eat other insects. The larvae of this beetle live in individual burrows in sandy soil. They flick out the sand around them creating a pitfall that other insects fall into.
So beautiful but deadly.
I was wearing the lichen themed hair clip I made, while on a walk yesterday. I spotted some beautiful lichen and moss and decided to have an impromptu photo shoot. So here are a whole bunch of pictures of my hair clip alongside the organisms that inspired it, just because.
Plus 2 bonus pictures of lichen because I love it.
I wanted to enter an embroidery competition that was run by Domestika. And this is what I ended up coming up with. It is a lichen themed French barrett hair clip.
Prior to planning and making my embroidery I went on some walks and took some photos for inspiration.
I really love lichen it's such a strange thing. The physical structure of lichen is a fungi that clings to tree branches, rocks, and other solid surfaces. The fungi provides a home for a colony of tiny algae or cyanobacteria. The algae or cyanobacteria photosynthesize producing sugars and other molecules that they share with the fungi. These are what give the lichen its colours. So lichen isn't really one thing. It is a living collaboration of two completely unrelated organisms. It can survive desiccation and bounces right back with a little rain.
It looks a bit like coral and can be used to indicate air quality. Overall a fascinating and splendid amalgam.
I needed to find a relatively inexpensive horticulturaly adjacent activity for little kids. It needs to go alongside a plant sale, face painting and other horticulture and animal care related activities that will be taking place at an open day at work. So after dinner I cracked out my art supplies and had a bit of a play about.
I was trying to do some pastel rubbings, of bark and leaves, but then I whacked out my printmaking bits and bobs to see what they looked like when printed and I decided to go with that. I've since looked online and there are some beautiful examples of leaves being used in printmaking.
If you're doing it with little kiddy-winks then I would suggest using sturdy leaves that aren't too waxy. Really young, tender leaves will work but they tear easily and they get a bit floppy. You can apply ink with a roller to the top or bottom surface off the leaf though the bottom side usually gives better impressions of the veins. Once your leaf (or leaves) are inked up, place them on a scrap piece of paper (inked side up) and then put a piece of paper over the top. You then want to rub the back of the paper with a spoon or barren until the ink has transferred. Then you can peel away the paper and put it somewhere to dry.
I went fossil hunting down at the Warren (in Folkestone, Kent, UK) on Thursday last week. These are some of my favourite finds from the trip (I washed them up at home).
Fossil hunting is great fun. If you live in the UK, and fancy giving it a shot, then there are some really handy websites that you should check out. https://ukfossils.co.uk/ and http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/fossil-locations-of-great-britain/
If you don't live in the UK but still want to give it a go then I would recommend looking for local fossil hunting clubs, societies and websites. Failing that you should try to look for areas where sedimentary rocks are being eroded. For instance, cliffs by the sea, rivers, old quarries, etc.
Just make sure you don't trespass or go anywhere too dangerous. For instance, if you are fossil hunting under cliffs at the beach, don't get to close to the cliffs (falling debris and cliffs collapsing) and plan around the tides (you don't want to get cut off).
Behold the blue glaucus (Glaucus atlanticus), a tiny sea slug that packs a powerful punch! Growing only about 1.2 in (3 cm) long, it’s also known as the blue dragon, and it specializes in eating venomous siphonophores—like the Portuguese man o' war. It then repurposes the toxic chemicals from its prey as a defense for itself. The blue glaucus’ sting has been known to induce nausea, vomiting, and agonizing pain. Their venom can remain active even after death!
Photo: drmattnimbs, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
Meet “the sheep of the Mesozoic,” Protoceratops andrewsi. This herbivore was a very common animal and is remarkably well-represented in the fossil record.
I wish i had someone who'd discuss human anatomy and history of cities or any other interesting things at the middle of the night..even though i have little to no knowledge regarding any of these things...lol
Musee pacr Dinosaures
Part 2. An amazing place!
Musee Parc Des Dinosaures
A great place!
I WROTE A BOOK
READ IT
English translation here 👇
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=libraryscience
The surfacing of earth's early formations, the chemistry in geology, Science is a constant continuation of learning. Enjoy
This research, recently published in the journal Nature Geoscience, suggests that studying volcanic ash during eruptions could be used as a tool to forecast tremor intensity.
Continuing work by the research team, which now includes students from the Museum’s Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program, aims to better understand this mechanism at La Palma and worldwide. Read more about their findings in our blog post.
Remembering my days as a Montessori Teacher in Vienna at 'The Children's House' http://www.montessori-vienna.at
Had such a fantastic time there and learned so much - which I use to this day when working as part of the learning team at the NHM. I can see how I might alter some of the activities I developed, now that my understanding of science has deepened. However, I look back fondly at these photos from the Cultural Studies room - where children learned about complex topics such as the beginning of life on earth.
BIG NEWS: Apex is now on view at the Museum! Thought to be the largest and one of the most complete Stegosaurus specimens ever found, this 150-million-year-old fossil can now be seen in the Museum’s Griffin Exploration Atrium.
Apex will be studied as part of a new research initiative by scientists in the Museum’s Division of Paleontology focused on Stegosaurus biology, including the unique ornithischian dinosaur’s growth and life history. This work will require taking a small sample from a thigh bone of the specimen, which will become part of the Museum’s permanent scientific collection. All resulting 3D digital models, including the internal structures of its skull from new CT scans taken at the Museum, will be made available as a scientific resource for the wider community of researchers.
Photo: Alvaro Keding & Daniel Kim/ © AMNH
Pink gropper
Have you ever seen a pink grasshopper? Though the meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) is typically distinguished by its green and brown coloration, a genetic mutation called erythrism leaves some individuals looking pretty in pink! Erythrism is the overproduction of red pigment. While these rare insects are beautiful to look at, pink grasshoppers are hindered by their vivid coloring because it makes hiding from predators much more difficult.
Photo: Back from the Brink, CC BY-NC 2.0, flickr (Meadow grasshopper nymph pictured)
Beautiful Tulips and Daffodils at American Museum of Natural History
Lovely Tile Art at the 81st Street C and B train in New York City at Museum of Natural History, shot with higher resolution this time
The entrance that the older page showed is now closed for work
DiNoSaUr!!!!
It’s Fossil Friday! Take a bite out of the weekend with Dilophosaurus wetherilli, a carnivorous dinosaur that lived some 194 million years ago during the Early Jurassic. This dino acquired its name, which means “double-crested reptile,” from the paired crests on its skull. They were possibly used for display. This specimen was found in 1942 at the Kayenta Formation in Tuba City, Arizona. You can see it in the Museum’s Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs!
Photo: © AMNH
Today we are going to start with a family that is loved by many. Is not my cup of tea but I have learned about them and they are indeed fascinating. The equines. Domestic Horse
The domestication of horses is believed to occurred around 4000 to 3500 BCE, possibly in what is today Kazakhstan. However, there is some debate among experts about the exact time and location of horse domestication, as evidence of early horse domestication is limited and sometimes difficult to interpret. It is generally agreed, however, that horses were first domesticated for their meat, milk, and hides, and that they were later used for transportation, agriculture, and warfare.
There are numerous breeds of domestic horses, which are classified into three categories: Hot Blood, Cold Blood, and Warm Blood. These majestic creatures have played a crucial role in human evolution. The horse was one of the first animals to be domesticated, and their partnership with humans has allowed us to travel greater distances, carry heavy loads, cultivate crops with greater efficiency, and conquer the world. In short, without the taming of horses, we would not have been able to achieve the level of progress and development that we have today. It is also a very recurrent animal in art as we have seen it in many paintings and sculptures throughout history. It is commonly connected with strength, power, speed, and freedom. It is clear that this animal awakened an ongoing fascination that has been represented on numerous occasions. _________________________________________ Photo Credits: www.freepik.es.
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As you know my plan is to do all mammals and every time I finish one, I feel that I am closer to my goal. I don't need to rush. Step by step I will get where I want to. Soon, I'm releasing a digital collectible sticker album through Patreon. The idea is to find ways to support my work. What do you think of this idea? Please let me know. Rothschild's Giraffe This animal classification is a little bit tricky. Some consider it a subspecies while others consider it an ecotype of the Nubian Giraffe. An ecotype is a species that develops physical differences due to its surroundings. However, genetically is the same species. The term is a little ambiguous because I think describes in many cases, a subspecies or the beginning of one. Rothschild's Giraffe is also known as the Baringo Giraffe or the Ugandan Giraffe. It is known to be one of the largest subspecies. Also, its sight, smell and hearing is well developed and its body is specially built for speed. However, the easiest way to differentiate this giraffe from the other subspecies is that it has five ossicones. Yes, five! (Ossicones are the name for the horns of the giraffes). The normal two that all giraffes have, one in the middle of the head and one behind each ear. Incredible. Is critically endangered despite being one of the best-evolved giraffes. That just can mean that is not the environment the one that is putting in danger the survival of this animal but us. Nature takes over the weakest, we humans, take over the strongest. Dwarf Giraffes? Well yeah. I just discovered that these subspecies have Dwarf Giraffes. They are about 3 meters high, which is close to two meters less than the normal size of these animals. However, scientists speculate their size was caused more by inbreeding due to species decline. ______________________________________________ Credits: Rothschild's Giraffe Rothschild's Giraffe Dwarf Giraffes Photo Credits: Ellen van Yperen ______________________________________________ Thank you guys for all the support. If you like the content please like and subscribe. Rebblogs are also very much appreciated. Thank you to all of you who help me spread the word. Have a happy New Year and I wish all your projects come to fruition. Best!
Please let me know if you like the idea of making a collectible sticker album. I am already working on the book and creating the stickers. I think it will be digital first using my basic knowledge of that stuff but the goal is to have a team to make it an app.
Drawing giraffes is fun and somehow easier than others animals. Because they are so long, the amount of details somehow reduces considerably, and still, the animal will look great. Differentiating this one is probably the hardest so far. I felt that the spots and color of the giraffe aren’t so characteristic as other ones like the Niger or Reticulated Giraffe. On the other hand, the close relationship that has with the Rothschild’s Giraffe (you will see in the next giraffe post) make things a little harder. Nubian Giraffe According to what I read, this is the nominate subspecies which in other words means that was the first subspecies to be described. Therefore, its Latin name is repeated twice (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis). This giraffe is Critically Endangered. It is believed that there are less than 2150 in the wild. However, about 1500 are from Rothschild’s Giraffe, leaving the Nubian Giraffe with less than 650 individuals. It is extinct in the wild in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, and Eritrea. In captivity, is bred at Gia Zoo in Egypt and the Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates. ___________________________________ Credits: Nubian Giraffe Nubian Giraffe ___________________________________
Thank you guys for your support! If you like the contact please like and subscribe. Reblog is also very much appreciated. Please help me spread the word! Cheers!!
Perfect Balance Between Chaos I Before start working on my Great Grand Father’s book I did a series of drawings mixing different animals in an intrinsic way. I started drawing a part of a bird and then I switch to another bird. The composition was done accordingly I was adding birds. I called “The Perfect Balance in Chaos” and depicts the way the nature moves violently but always keeping the perfect balance (That is why I did it in a square shape canvas”.
QUETZALCOATLUS
Quetzalcoatlus goes down in history as the largest flying organism of all time, with a wingspan of 12 metres, which is larger than some planes. Quetzalcoatlus was the undisputed king of the Late cretaceous skies, so it seems fitting that its name is derived from an Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl. Although its wingspan is impressive, Quetzalcoatlus also had a huge 2.5 metre long skull, that is the average height of an Asian elephant! To get such a huge animal in the air, a complex system of air sacs was needed inside the bones, this meant that Quetzalcoatlus probably weighed no more than 250kg. Quetzalcoatlus, along with many pterosaurs, was originally thought to spend most of its time gliding over the oceans, skimming fish out from the surface of the water with their elongated beaks. However, due to the skull and beak morphology and the presence of fossils far inland it has become more widely accepted that Quetzalcoatlus stalked prey far below on the land. The fore and hind limb morphology of Quetzalcoatlus also suggests that they were competent walkers on the land, they would have stood up to 3 metres tall.
The feeding habits of Quetzalcoatlus still remain something of a mystery. It was originally thought to be more of a scavenger, but the blunt beak was unsuited to stripping and picking flesh of a bony creature. It is more likely that Quetzalcoatlus hunted like modern-day storks, stalking the land from the skies above for smaller animals and then swooping down to eat them whole.