Lukas VFN 🇪🇺

#PostDoc in #Evolution of #Microbes. In #Brest, #BZH, FR. From #Prague, CZE. He/Him. #StandWithUkraine #ClimateCrisis #TransRights #NoAI

Hire me as a science consultant for your creative project: https://lukasnovak.eu/science-consulting/

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npub1964kxexwv9murkda45hq742s6npy57mlmdpn6mxnstzsxnvstxcsqpev8m

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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqsza2mrvn8xza7pmx766ts024gdfsj20dlakseadnfc93grfkg9nvgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qk8kll9

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relay.ditto.pub

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npub1964kxexwv9murkda45hq742s6npy57mlmdpn6mxnstzsxnvstxcsqpev8m

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Last Notes

2026-08-24 18:28:53 GMT

Cyclamens are in bloom in Brittany! That means autumn is here. Sorry, I don't make the rules.
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/117/151/888/346/904/012/original/ee4f3d1cf3c27d94.jpg

2026-08-21 08:02:29 GMT

Rock-eating fungi flourish deep below our feet https://news.umich.edu/rock-eating-fungi-flourish-deep-below-our-feet/
Deep subsurface organic-rich shale supports abundant, diverse, and novel fungi https://academic.oup.com/ismej/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ismejo/wrag184/8744037
"the water was last in contact with the surface 11,000 years ago. The abundance of melting glacial water likely carried #fungi and #bacteria down through porous and fractured rock layers until they settled in cracks of the Antrim Shale, where they began munching on the organic material trapped in the rock."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/117/132/439/688/319/096/original/963d49b1095c87d3.jpg

2026-08-20 06:48:20 GMT

Two new papers from our team! Both about #DeepSea #Bacteria living on #sulfur. By @nprofile…4h9c
#Genomics of Desulfobulbaceae B35, a new hydrothermal vent mesophilic bacterium that disproportionates sulfur and respires Fe(III): Marie Hemon et al. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874778726000322
Advancing the Resolution of the Sulfur Disproportionation Puzzle in Dissulfuribacter Thermophilus Through Quantitative Label-Free Comparative #Proteomics: Marilina Fernandez et al. https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1758-2229.70406
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2026-03-05 16:11:10 GMT

Two #marsupials believed extinct for 6000 years found alive https://www.newscientist.com/article/2518082-two-marsupials-believed-extinct-for-6000-years-found-alive/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea paper: https://journals.australian.museum/flannery-2026-rec-aust-mus-781-1734/
"#Indigenous people in #Papua, Indonesia, have helped scientists track down two #animals that were thought to have gone #extinct thousands of years ago: a relative of Australia’s greater glider and a palm-sized #possum with a bizarre, elongated finger"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/177/431/787/429/078/original/e64e0faaa2f5eff8.webp

2026-03-04 08:56:45 GMT

Ancient plant-eater with a twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth was a 'living fossil' in its own time https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-eater-jaw-sideways-teeth.html
An aberrant stem tetrapod from the early #Permian of Brazil https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2066/20252106/480542/An-aberrant-stem-tetrapod-from-the-early-Permian
"In Tanyka, the lower jaw was twisted, so that the teeth pointed out to the sides. The part of its jawbone that, in humans, faces the tongue, in Tanyka is facing up towards the roof of its mouth. This surface is covered in smaller teeth forming a grinding surface like a cheese grater"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/170/051/586/537/592/original/8235a3001eec13cf.jpg

2026-03-02 12:59:44 GMT

New paper from my second PostDoc is out!
Novak et al.: Sulfur disproportionation occurs globally across anoxic habitats and has multiple mechanisms of independent evolutionary origin https://academic.oup.com/ismej/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ismejo/wrag042/8503335
Some #bacteria are able to gain energy by metabolizing elemental #sulfur alone—no other chemical needed. We investigate which genes may be responsible for this unique #metabolism and speculate about its evolutionary origins.
#Microbes #Evolution #DeepSea
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2026-03-01 10:54:53 GMT

#SilentSunday: Tachenn natur Bodonoù, #BZH
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2026-02-24 18:44:20 GMT

Thunderstorms conjure ghostly coronae in treetops, observed outdoors for the first time https://phys.org/news/2026-02-thunderstorms-conjure-ghostly-coronae-treetops.html paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL119591
"For the first time, researchers have observed and measured weak electrical discharges on #trees during #thunderstorms. A new study describes the near-invisible sparkles appearing similarly on branches of several #tree species... implying that thunderstorms may paint entire canopies with a scintillating blue glow, too faintly for human eyes to see"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/127/076/868/295/887/original/ba133cca1b5a4e6f.jpg

2026-02-23 09:30:54 GMT

Globe-trotting ancient sea-salamander fossils rediscovered from Australia's dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs https://phys.org/news/2026-02-globe-ancient-sea-salamander-fossils.html paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2025.2601224
"The end-#Permian mass #extinction prompted the emergence of modern marine ecosystems... this involved the earliest appearances of sea-going #amphibians and #reptiles... A new study of 250 million-year-old fossils from the Kimberly region has uncovered a surprisingly diverse marine amphibian community with worldwide trans-oceanic links."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/119/240/618/677/694/original/55fc481d5963a775.jpg

2026-02-12 07:58:08 GMT

Acoustic communication—an overlooked driver in #boxfish evolution https://phys.org/news/2026-02-acoustic-communication-overlooked-driver-boxfish.html paper: https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article-abstract/146/2/blaf079/8268841
"All species are capable of producing sounds, but acoustic data are lacking, particularly for Atlantic species whose sound mechanism was unknown until now... researchers demonstrated a novel sound apparatus, called the sphaera sonica. It consists of two globular masses of tissue surrounded by fast sonic muscles... like spheres used in swimming pools to generate waves"
#fish
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/056/575/954/731/072/original/039430cfb3694d18.jpg

2026-02-07 19:58:55 GMT

#Bermuda snail thought to be #extinct now thrives after a decade’s effort https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/07/bermuda-snail-thought-to-be-extinct-now-thrives-after-a-decades-effort
"The greater Bermuda #snail was found in the fossil record but believed to have vanished from the archipelago, until a remnant population was discovered in a damp and overgrown alleyway in Hamilton, the island capital, in 2014... Since 2019, generations of the captive-bred snails have been returned to islands... After a decade-long effort, the species has been confirmed as safe from #extinction."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/031/114/347/041/687/original/58855938392b876a.jpeg

2026-02-05 23:02:19 GMT

Huayuan biota decodes Earth's first mass extinction https://phys.org/news/2026-01-huayuan-biota-decodes-earth-phanerozoic.html
"#CambrianExplosion was cut short around 513 million years ago by the #SinskEvent—with an #extinction rate on par with the planet's 5 most severe mass extinctions. #Biodiversity remained low for 50 million years... While paleontologists have uncovered dozens of #Cambrian soft-bodied fossil sites... no equivalent deposit had been found from the critical post-Sinsk Event interval... That changed over the past 5 years"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/116/020/504/586/799/510/original/e7a61db3b44c2a83.jpg

2026-01-29 22:05:35 GMT

How fire-loving #fungi learned to eat charcoal https://phys.org/news/2026-01-fungi-charcoal.html
Gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and trait trade-offs drive #evolution of postfire resource acquisition in pyrophilous fungi https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2519152123
"We knew certain fungi were heat resistant, that some could grow quickly in scars where competitors have been burned away, and that others could consume nutrients in charcoal. Now we know the genetics behind these incredible abilities."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/980/649/376/354/456/original/4b5753cc994a1993.jpg

2026-01-26 17:21:25 GMT

Harvestmen #arachnids apparently use fluorescent patterns for species recognition https://phys.org/news/2026-01-harvestmen-arachnids-apparently-fluorescent-patterns.html paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-36335-2
"5 closely related species show species-specific, strongly fluorescent structures on their backs, especially visible under UV light... these patterns serve for species recognition—particularly at dusk and in moonlight... they can perceive their own glow in the blue-green range... their eyes are sensitive enough to detect high-contrast patterns at close range"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/962/545/260/536/587/original/9f1eacca233dca56.jpg

2026-01-22 23:21:16 GMT

Scientists may have discovered a new extinct form of life https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-extinct-life.html
Prototaxites fossils are structurally and chemically distinct from extinct and extant Fungi https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec6277
"#Prototaxites was the 1st giant organism on the terrestrial surface, represented by #fossils of up to 8m from the #Devonian... fossils of P. taiti were chemically distinct from contemporaneous #Fungi, structurally distinct from all known Fungi. This casts doubt upon its fungal affinity"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/941/293/307/632/292/original/a3cd6dc964845ed0.jpg

2026-01-09 10:23:18 GMT

New Zealand's rare flightless parrot begins breeding again https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20260109-new-zealand-s-rare-flightless-parrot-begins-breeding-again
"#NewZealand's critically endangered #kakapo, started breeding last week for the first time in four years... Only 236 of the parrots remain in three breeding populations on some of the most remote southern islands... That includes 83 breeding age females, with high hopes this year could bring the most hatched chicks since records began... The first chicks are expected to hatch in mid-February"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/864/644/181/167/269/original/9c5128b6f1d057ff.jpg

2025-12-14 13:10:37 GMT

Woodpeckers grunt and brace their bodies like athletes to maximize drilling power https://phys.org/news/2025-11-woodpeckers-grunt-brace-bodies-athletes.html paper: https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/228/21/jeb251167/369678/Neuromuscular-coordination-of-movement-and
"drilling #woodpeckers turn themselves into hammers by bracing their head, neck, abdomen and tail muscles to hold their bodies rigid... the #birds synchronize their breathing with their movements each time they strike wood, like ace #tennis stars that grunt noisily to stabilize core muscles when they take a shot"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/718/081/421/625/855/original/4ee08649834bee23.jpg

2025-12-14 12:32:21 GMT

#SilentSunday: Étang de Trébel, Côtes d'Armor, #Breizh
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2025-11-23 12:13:47 GMT

#Pigeons detect magnetic fields through their inner ear https://www.bi.mpg.de/news/2025-11-nordmann https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea6425
"neurobiologists have identified a dedicated pathway for processing magnetic information that originates in the #InnerEar. This supports an inductive mechanism first proposed over 100 years ago, a concept that science forgot... Genetic analysis of inner ear tissue revealed cells with highly sensitive electric sensors, the same ones used by #sharks to detect their prey"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/598/947/994/153/740/original/7bad55d19806b49e.webp

2025-10-11 10:54:07 GMT

The sticky battle between microscopic #worms and predatory fungi comes with a genetic trade-off https://phys.org/news/2025-09-sticky-microscopic-worms-predatory-fungi.html
"predatory #fungi use specialized traps—adhesive nets—to capture their nematode prey... the nematode gene nhr-66 controls the production of cuticular #collagens that enable #PredatoryFungi to adhere and capture the #nematodes.. While reduced collagen expression helps nematodes evade fungal traps, it also weakens their protective cuticle, highlighting an evolutionary trade-off"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/355/153/903/015/209/original/e7af7edc70573e36.jpg

2025-10-10 13:35:53 GMT

Rare #Moss Transplanted to New Sites in Hope of Saving it From Extinction https://thehighlandtimes.com/rare-moss-transplanted-to-new-sites-in-hope-of-saving-it-from-extinction/ https://www.nature.scot/conservationists-boost-survival-chances-scotlands-rarest-moss
"Round-leaved bryum was rediscovered at Threipmuir Reservoir, near Balerno in #Edinburgh, in December 2023... Since then, experts from NatureScot and RBGE have cultivated thousands of new shoots and relocated them to North Third and Loch Coulter reservoirs, near Stirling, areas confirmed to have the right conditions for survival."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/350/121/516/918/950/original/f2c5a2f7dabb5b7e.jpg

2025-10-03 19:47:54 GMT

Unique videos show how #trawling restrictions bring back life to the sea https://phys.org/news/2025-10-unique-videos-trawling-restrictions-life.html paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.72091
"The marine wildlife in #Kosterhavet National Park has changed rapidly in recent years... Trawling restrictions not only benefit #fish and #shellfish; #anemones and #corals are also becoming more common"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/311/958/173/952/981/original/b5c94d4145295360.jpg

2025-10-03 08:39:07 GMT

Bearded Vulture nests found to have hoards of cultural artifacts—some up to 650 years old https://phys.org/news/2025-10-bearded-vulture-hoards-cultural-artifacts.html
The #BeardedVulture as an accumulator of historical remains https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70191
"the same nest is used for centuries... researchers in Spain had the opportunity to examine 12 of these nests in detail... The hoard included items like a slingshot made from esparto grass, shoes, a crossbow bolt, a decorated piece of sheep leather and a wooden lance."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/309/323/518/625/484/original/fd558684938b9245.jpg

2025-08-27 20:04:10 GMT

Deep sea worm fights poison with poison to survive high #arsenic and sulfide levels https://phys.org/news/2025-08-deep-sea-worm-poison-survive.html
A #DeepSea worm detoxifies arsenic and sulfur by intracellular #biomineralization of orpiment (As2S3) https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003291
"A hydrothermal vent worm survives the high levels of arsenic and sulfide in its environment by combining them to form a less hazardous mineral... #orpiment—the same toxic, golden mineral produced by this worm—was once prized by medieval and Renaissance painters"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/102/516/312/202/105/original/332c7c649d379b02.jpg

2025-08-26 05:35:51 GMT

Rising Deep-Ocean Oxygen Levels Opened Up New Marine Habitats, Spurred Speciation https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/rising-deep-ocean-oxygen-levels-opened-new-marine-habitats-spurred-speciation
Mid-#Devonian ocean oxygenation enabled the expansion of #animals into deeper-water habitats https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2501342122
"390 million years ago in the ancient #ocean, marine animals began colonizing depths previously uninhabited. New research indicates this underwater migration occurred in response to a permanent increase in #DeepSea oxygen, driven by the aboveground spread of woody #plants"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/093/435/328/335/403/original/c8dc26f82ca0506c.jpg

2025-08-21 09:42:39 GMT

Only the #HumpbackWhale is capable of bubble-net feeding, study finds https://phys.org/news/2025-08-humpback-whale-capable-net.html
The key to bubble-net feeding: how humpback #whale morphology functionally differs from other #BaleenWhales https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-abstract/228/16/jeb249607/368911/The-key-to-bubble-net-feeding-how-humpback-whale
"among 7 species of baleen #whales, only the humpback is capable of the high-performance turns required for its signature bubble-net feeding strategy... its large pectoral flippers can generate nearly half of the force needed to turn, making them highly efficient"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/066/094/036/360/303/original/59db9da0020279ab.jpg

2025-08-20 21:50:22 GMT

Spectral #bats greet each other with hugs and share food https://phys.org/news/2025-08-spectral-food-video-reveals.html
Cooperative behaviors and social interactions in the carnivorous bat Vampyrum spectrum: Marisa Tietge et al. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0321338
"The largest carnivorous bat has a surprisingly rich social life, displaying affectionate greetings and providing food to family group members... The videos revealed a greeting similar to a hug, where one bat would greet another by wrapping its wings around the returning bat's body"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/115/063/293/916/542/910/original/c768d1e54d9828ff.png

2025-08-09 09:41:32 GMT

How a rare cycad's wax crystals conjure blue without pigment
https://phys.org/news/2025-08-rare-cycad-wax-crystals-conjure.html paper: https://academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jxb/eraf115/8071570
"The endangered South African cycad Encephalartos horridus... carries a biochemical legacy inherited from its distant ancestors—#plants that once thrived alongside #Jurassic fauna... its spiky, silvery-blue leaves owe their color not to pigment, but to a wax-based optical effect produced by a lipid compound that may date back to the dawn of land plants."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/998/145/420/463/588/original/13631b2533fc842c.webp

2025-08-07 07:31:48 GMT

Novel research reveals thriving microbial life in trees https://phys.org/news/2025-08-reveals-microbial-life-trees.html
A diverse and distinct #microbiome inside living trees https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09316-0
"A single tree hosts about one trillion #bacteria in its woody tissue... #microbes are partitioned between heartwood and sapwood with each having its own unique microbiomes with minimal similarity to other tissues... They are actively producing gases and cycling nutrients... these communities may have coevolved with #trees over time"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/986/294/569/703/799/original/8db632bb2b4bcd7b.jpg

2025-08-06 10:12:11 GMT

A tiny carnivore with a voracious appetite https://botany.one/2025/08/a-tiny-carnivore-with-a-voracious-appetite/
Remarkable prey capture diversity in P. crenatiloba, one of the smallest #butterworts https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11829-025-10167-9
"A tiny #butterwort in #Mexico has surprised scientists with its ability to catch prey... when they visited near the end of the growing season they found the #plants had caught as much as plants 10× its size... It has to be efficient as it has only a brief time to get everything prepared for the next generation"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/981/267/313/863/576/original/4b2582a9299c231c.webp

2025-08-05 09:37:08 GMT

New long-necked marine reptile species discovered in Germany's famous #Jurassic fossil beds https://phys.org/news/2025-07-necked-marine-reptile-species-germany.html paper: New long-necked marine reptile species discovered in Germany's famous Jurassic fossil beds https://phys.org/news/2025-07-necked-marine-reptile-species-germany.html
"The #NewSpecies Plesionectes longicollum represents a previously unknown type of plesiosauroid—the group of long-necked marine reptiles that inhabited Earth's oceans during the age of dinosaurs."
#PaleoArt by Peter Nickolaus
#Plesiosaurs #Fossils #Animals
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2025-08-02 12:56:58 GMT

Elusive giant #StickInsect species discovered in #rainforests of Far North Queensland https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-31/giant-stick-insect-acrophylla-alta-wet-tropics-discovery/105596666 paper: https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5647.4.4
"They live in high-altitude #forest, high in the canopy, and unless a bird or a storm knocks one down we just can't find them up there... Weighing at up to 44 grams, A. alta is believed to be the heaviest #insect in #Australia... due to the elusive nature of the species, scientists are yet to find and describe a male."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/959/261/026/818/362/original/4c272b76e0028b80.jpeg

2025-08-01 19:49:17 GMT

- reply

@nprofile…aaya I love that deep blue color! Did they change the design recently, by any chance? Or did I just forget how the sign boards look?

2025-07-29 00:19:17 GMT

Animals boost tropical forests' carbon absorption by aiding seed dispersal
https://phys.org/news/2025-07-animals-boost-tropical-forests-carbon.html paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500951122
"following #deforestation, naturally-regrowing tropical #forests, with healthy populations of seed-dispersing #animals, can absorb up to four times more carbon than similar forests with fewer seed-dispersing animals... by digesting the #seeds and defecating somewhere else, animals can help with the germination, growth, and long-term survival of the plant."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/933/647/194/495/669/original/d4e2354117258e66.webp

2025-07-28 21:07:24 GMT

Research on glasswing butterflies remaps their evolutionary tree https://phys.org/news/2025-07-glasswing-butterflies-remaps-evolutionary-tree.html paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2410939122
"in glasswing #butterflies, even the most closely related species produce different pheromones. Given that all of these butterflies look the same (to convey to #birds that they are all toxic), this allows the butterflies to find a compatible mate... glasswing butterflies can undergo rapid radiation, where many new species arise from the same ancestor in a short period of time"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/932/893/011/981/901/original/35d846892a265b85.jpg

2025-07-27 09:13:21 GMT

Behind the ballistics of the explosive squirting cucumber https://phys.org/news/2025-07-ballistics-explosive-squirting-cucumber.html
"To reduce direct competition for space and resources between parent and offspring #plants, there is an evolutionary drive for plants to disperse their seeds as far as they possibly can... the #SquirtingCucumber uses high-pressure explosions to eject its #seeds at high speed across large distances... the seeds can achieve speeds up to 46 km/h and reach shooting distances up to 12 m"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/924/418/753/988/474/original/9b0bfbc6e3f23979.mp4

2025-07-27 08:55:22 GMT

Forest #trees and #microbes choreograph their hunt for a balanced diet under elevated CO2 https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/forest-trees-and-microbes-choreograph-their-hunt-for-a-balanced-diet-under-elevated-co2
"In conditions mimicking a future atmosphere, 180-year-old #EnglishOaks traded-off do it yourself ways to access nutrients with outsourcing to #soil microbes... a 63% increase in the release of a cocktail of small organic molecules early in spring and autumn, which prime soil microbes to release nutrients... a 17% increase in the amount of symbiotic root-associated #fungi in autumn"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/924/347/987/825/777/original/9e96fb3af8bf08fc.webp

2025-07-25 16:07:07 GMT

The Oldest Known Pterosaur in North America https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-bone-bed-from-the-dawn-of-the-dinosaurs-has-revealed-the-oldest-known-pterosaur-found-in-north-america-180986939/ by Riley Black
"the 1,468 fossils include a range of #Triassic organisms. Scaly fish swam through the channels as early frogs kicked through the shallows. Crocodile-like phytosaurs watched the shoreline for prey; the dragon-like Vancleavea foraged for small critters; and armadillo-like crocodile relatives called aetosaurs munched on plants and bugs along the banks. Above their heads flew the early pterosaur Eotephradactylus."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/914/713/628/642/659/original/51072395bce5da56.webp

2025-07-25 05:56:07 GMT

Hidden black or white feather layers intensify songbird plumage colors https://phys.org/news/2025-07-hidden-black-white-feather-layers.html paper by Rosalyn Price-Waldman et al.: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adw5857
"Carotenoid-pigmented plumage (red, yellow) is paired with a hidden white layer, while structurally colored plumage (blue, violet) is paired with a black layer... the white layers help to increase brightness, saturation by reflecting more of the reds & yellows... the black layers increase color saturation, decrease brightness"
#birds
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/912/317/247/475/989/original/967e8d3812f46cc4.jpg

2025-07-24 19:30:47 GMT

Study reclassifies ancient squid-like creatures as early relatives of arrow worms
https://phys.org/news/2025-07-reclassifies-ancient-squid-creatures-early.html
A fossilized ventral ganglion reveals a chaetognath affinity for #Cambrian nectocaridids https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu6990
"the simple marine #ArrowWorms had ancestors with much more complex anatomies and a predatory role higher up in the food chain... #Nectocaridids have complex camera eyes just like ours. Living arrow #worms can hardly form an image beyond working out roughly where the sun shines"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/909/854/438/120/312/original/9637abaa8c9f0064.jpg

2025-07-24 19:05:35 GMT

Hidden in sacred forests: Microendemic #gecko discovered in Madagascar
https://phys.org/news/2025-07-hidden-sacred-forests-microendemic-gecko.html
"A #NewSpecies, Paragehyra tsaranoro, has been discovered in #Madagascar's Tsaranoro valley. It has only been found in 3 small forest fragments, all ~15 km of one another, remnants of a once-larger continuous forest... these fragments are known locally as Forêts sacrées because they host boulders—ancestral tombs for the #Betsileo people. Protecting cultural heritage has helped safeguard local species"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/909/766/384/894/692/original/508a62739081d6d8.jpg

2025-07-24 08:20:32 GMT

Tiny elusive gecko rediscovered on one of the #Galapagos islands https://www.newscientist.com/article/2489025-tiny-elusive-gecko-rediscovered-on-one-of-the-galapagos-islands/ paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0324659
"The leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus maresi), just 8 cm long, was previously only known to have existed on Rábida from 5000-year-old fossil records. But expeditions collected live specimens in 2019 and 2021, which have now been confirmed as this species... By 2012, invasive rats were successfully removed on Rábida, with nature immediately bouncing back, including the #geckos"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/907/230/417/110/474/original/d80d503ecd0185c3.webp

2025-07-23 20:53:42 GMT

Treehoppers' spectacular headgear is both an electrical warning system and a bioelectric cloak https://phys.org/news/2025-07-treehoppers-spectacular-headgear-spidey-electrical.html paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505253122
"#Treehoppers, related to #cicadas, are notable for their strikingly massive, otherworldly pronotum that can resemble horns, spikes, parts of plants, etc... the electric fields detected around the most protruding portions were 50x stronger than the baseline... the helmet-like morphology decreased detectability to any electroreceptive predators"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/904/510/072/599/676/original/5c0c96466ec52d47.jpg

2025-07-23 16:35:05 GMT

Spectacular #Triassic reptile had an early kind of feathers https://www.newscientist.com/article/2489437-spectacular-triassic-reptile-had-an-early-kind-of-feathers/
Triassic diapsid shows early diversification of skin appendages in reptiles https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09167-9
"A 247-million-year-old fossil reptile boasted an enormous crest on its back made from feather-like appendages, long before the appearance of feathered #dinosaurs."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/903/511/383/041/635/original/68975d8ef1f33264.webp

2025-07-23 08:04:27 GMT

Fossilized nervous system points to ocean origins for #spiders & relatives https://phys.org/news/2025-07-fossilized-nervous-ocean-spiders.html
#Cambrian origin of the arachnid brain https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00822-X
"The first creatures to come onto land were probably millipede-like and insect-like creatures... a Mollisonia-like arachnid also became adapted to terrestrial life, making early #insects and #millipedes their daily diet... the 1st #arachnids on land may have contributed to the #evolution of a critical defense mechanism: insect wings"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/901/482/665/310/552/original/c187273b71bbcd4b.jpg

2025-07-22 12:21:58 GMT

436-million-year-old #brachiopods used bristles to avoid crowding neighbors https://phys.org/news/2025-07-prehistoric-social-distancing-million-year.html paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2509354122
"Unlike some brachiopods, Nucleospira calypta lacked a stalk and had a smooth, disk-shaped shell—traits that likely let them slide slowly, mm at a time... When 2 individuals got too close, their setae would touch, prompting gradual adjustments over time. The result was a stable arrangement that minimized competition—critical for #FilterFeeders"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/896/843/213/636/766/original/a1e5cf879488a09a.jpg

2025-07-20 19:30:18 GMT

Little spotted kiwi found on #NewZealand's mainland for first time in 50 years https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/567038/little-spotted-kiwi-found-on-new-zealand-s-mainland-for-first-time-in-50-years
"#Kiwi pukupuku are extremely vulnerable to introduced predators. Until now, it was believed they only survived in offshore islands and fenced predator-free sites. An estimated 2000 of the threatened #birds remain, though the population is increasing thanks to the #conservation efforts... Despite years of searching, the last known sighting of a #KiwiPukupuku on the mainland was in 1978."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/887/211/479/271/959/original/97d0f0123559cda4.jpg

2025-07-17 20:05:25 GMT

Study points to #Skagerrak as nursery area for the enigmatic Greenland shark https://phys.org/news/2025-07-skagerrak-nursery-area-enigmatic-greenland.html paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.71564
"It can live for several centuries and, measuring at least 5.5 m from snout to tail tip, is one of the world's largest carnivorous #sharks. The #GreenlandShark is usually associated with the cold deep waters of the #Arctic, where it lives a slow life shrouded in mystery... the study shows that the shark is found much closer to #Denmark than most people imagine"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/870/361/749/303/256/original/b0f6c12e70091689.jpg

2025-07-17 10:04:54 GMT

How an ancient predator snuck up on its prey https://www.sciencenews.org/article/marine-predator-snuck-up-on-prey #paleoart by @nprofile…z79r
Adaptations for stealth in the wing-like flippers of a large ichthyosaur https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09271-w
"Scientists analyzed an impression of a front flipper of the large marine reptile Temnodontosaurus, 183-181 million years old. The trailing edge was curiously corrugated... the serrations might have helped manipulate the flow of water around the flipper, dampening the sound of the animal’s swimming"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/867/982/595/087/328/original/1074ccf5aaa48852.webp

2025-07-17 08:06:19 GMT

#Mammals Evolved into Ant Eaters 12 Times Since Dinosaur Age https://news.njit.edu/mammals-evolved-ant-eaters-12-times-dinosaur-age-study-finds
Post K-Pg rise in ant and termite prevalence underlies convergent dietary specialization in mammals https://academic.oup.com/evolut/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/evolut/qpaf121/8155241
"the #ConvergentEvolution among mammals toward myrmecophagy emerged following the extinction of non-avian #dinosaurs, which reshaped ecosystems and set the stage for ant and termite colonies to rapidly expand worldwide, driving extreme shifts in feeding modes for certain species."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/867/534/540/033/644/original/12086aadf20370a1.jpg

2025-07-16 12:16:26 GMT

Coral once feared #extinct rediscovered in the #Galápagos after 25 years https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/07/coral-once-feared-extinct-rediscovered-in-the-galapagos-after-25-years/
Rediscovery of Rhizopsammia wellingtoni in Galápagos after two decades https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-025-04679-4 by Inti Keith et al.
"The species was almost completely wiped out following the 1982-1983 #ElNiño warming event... rather than going extinct, the #coral possibly survived in the deep sea, where temperatures are cooler. Then, when conditions improved in shallower water, the #corals reoccupied those areas."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/862/850/083/087/851/original/8ae439ed02eb75b2.webp

2025-07-16 08:39:38 GMT

Sugars from the ocean are responsible for a large part of the ice nuclei over southern hemisphere https://phys.org/news/2025-07-sugars-salty-ocean-responsible-large.html Paper by Susan Hartmann et al.: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c08014
"ice-forming molecules (affecting cloud formation) produced by #fungi & #protists in seawater can enter the atmosphere... there was a lack of knowledge about the chemical identity of these molecules... polysaccharides could be the missing piece of the puzzle"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/861/998/165/513/557/original/b96946ecf9f6fb73.jpg

2025-07-15 15:41:28 GMT

Two #NewSpecies of wart sea slugs discovered from North Sulawesi https://phys.org/news/2025-07-species-wart-sea-slugs-north.html paper by Heike Wägele et al.: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/153046/
"Wart #SeaSlugs in the family #Phyllidiidae are common inhabitants of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, preying on #sponges and stealing #toxins from their prey for their own defense."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/857/992/277/934/518/original/8f2eacf55f2f56ee.jpg

2025-07-13 15:19:07 GMT

This flat-bodied South African #gecko was a lost species. It's been found again after 34 years https://phys.org/news/2025-05-flat-bodied-south-african-gecko.html
"They were dropped off on the top of one of the canyon's rocky outcrops with sheer cliffs more than 100 m high... the exact same outcrop where they were found in 1991. Pietersen & Davies only had 3 days to find the #geckos, 8-9 cm long when fully grown... they saw 20-30 specimens and captured & photographed 7, giving the world a glimpse of a lost gecko 3 decades in the making."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/846/590/862/798/248/original/4393969e8aaf4a74.jpg

2025-07-13 11:30:14 GMT

The genetic prison that traps a ghost plant https://botany.one/2025/06/the-genetic-prison-that-traps-a-ghost-plant/ paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pei3.70060
"M. humile gets energy from #fungi... Even though they don’t photosynthesise, ghost #plants still have leaves... it must have a flower to attract the #insects & get pollinated. But this leads to a genetic problem. The petals and sepals are specialised forms of leaf. Some of the genes that shape the petals and sepals also work on the ghost plant’s leaves... Without the leaves there is no flower."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/845/686/242/162/137/original/06003bfc055bb60e.webp

2025-07-13 09:04:12 GMT

- reply

Oh to be a simple animal with short, round body and limited senses slurping biofilms on the Ediacaran seafloor

2025-07-13 08:59:13 GMT

Complex animals living millions of years before the #Cambrian Explosion revealed by seabed tracks https://phys.org/news/2025-07-complex-animals-millions-years-cambrian.html
"from ~550 million years ago, there are simple tracks with abrupt turns. These have been made by simple #animals with short, round bodies and limited senses... About 545 million years ago, smoother tracks with fewer abrupt turns appeared... short animals were gaining greater control of movement... At about the same time, smooth trails similar to those of worms appear"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/845/095/600/540/513/original/21acd0cb741856e3.jpg

2025-07-11 11:06:20 GMT

Dinosaur wrist bone discovery reshapes understanding of flight evolution https://phys.org/news/2025-07-dinosaur-wrist-bone-discovery-reshapes.html
Reorganization of the theropod wrist preceded the origin of avian flight https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09232-3
"the pisiform moved into its bird-like position not within #birds but by the origin of a group called Pennaraptora—a group of theropod #dinosaurs that includes dromaeosaurids like the Velociraptor, troodontids, and oviraptorosaurs"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/834/263/193/686/508/original/2c249fac470f93a1.jpg

2025-07-10 08:15:04 GMT

Ancient #BoneEatingWorms ate mosasaur, ichthyosaur and plesiosaur skeletons https://phys.org/news/2025-07-ancient-bone-worms-ate-mosasaur.html paper by Sarah Jamison-Todd et al.: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0326451
"These bone-eating communities are ancient, and have been on Earth for at least 100 million years. Before #whales existed, bone-eating #worms were eating into the skeletons of #mosasaurs, #ichthyosaurs and #plesiosaurs... New research has named seven of these burrow types... some are very similar to the burrows of living #Osedax worms."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/827/922/161/298/160/original/12da518d1f962639.jpg

2025-07-07 10:39:38 GMT

Subterranean life in the groundwaters of northern Australia https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2025/June/Stygofauna
"#Stygofauna are creatures specifically adapted to life in underground aquatic habitats... Often dwelling in darkness, many have lost their eyes and have developed a range of unique features to thrive in these environments, frequently low in nutrients and oxygen... They contribute water purification and nutrient cycling within aquifers, which directly impact the quality and availability of our resources."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/811/514/711/799/620/original/70840f35ba57ea40.jpg

2025-07-06 08:36:37 GMT

Taronga Zoo releases northern corroboree #frogs into Brindabella National Park https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-04/corroboree-frogs-released-into-brindabella-national-park/105493730
"More than 500 northern corroboree frogs bred by Taronga Zoo have been released into Brindabella National Park... Fewer than 1,200 are estimated to remain in the wild... the release was a significant step towards repopulating the species in the national park"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/805/371/098/884/738/original/dbea256b20dc66a8.jpeg

2025-07-04 20:28:45 GMT

How #cyanobacteria expand #SoilCrusts in harsh desert environments https://phys.org/news/2025-06-cyanobacteria-soil-crusts-harsh-environments.html paper: https://www.cell.com/the-innovation/fulltext/S2666-6758(25)00150-X
"Microcoleus vaginatus constructs microscopic, tunnel-like structures within the crust. These tunnels connect M. vaginatus, located approximately 300 µm below, to the crust's surface. Upon wetting, M. vaginatus begins migrating toward the surface within minutes, moving within the tunnels. This enables cyanobacteria to secure soil particles and thrive in arid environments."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/796/838/505/714/946/original/0056660094561470.jpg

2025-07-02 14:01:58 GMT

New interstellar object candidate heading toward the sun https://earthsky.org/space/new-interstellar-object-candidate-heading-toward-the-sun-a11pl3z/
"We only know of 2 other interstellar objects that have entered into our solar system before. And now we may have a 3rd interstellar visitor: #A11pl3Z. Its trajectory suggests it didn’t originate inside our own solar system"
Astronomers may have found a third interstellar object https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/07/astronomers-may-have-found-a-third-interstellar-object/
"Early on Wednesday, the European Space Agency confirmed that the object did indeed have interstellar origins"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/783/995/013/441/818/original/75f9554e1f85fd45.jpg

2025-06-28 18:05:57 GMT

Mysterious #fungi: Researchers pinpoint hotspots of dark taxa across Earth's underground ecosystems https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mysterious-fungi-hotspots-dark-taxa.html
The biogeography and conservation of Earth’s ‘dark’ ectomycorrhizal fungi: Laura van Galen et al. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00426-9
"As much as 83% of ectomycorrhizal species are so-called dark taxa — species known only from sequences"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/762/297/210/503/708/original/6a52179b2afcbf32.jpg

2025-06-28 13:01:08 GMT

#Worms form living towers in nature to hitch rides to new habitats https://phys.org/news/2025-06-worms-towers-nature-hitch-habitats.html
Towering behavior and collective dispersal in #Caenorhabditis #nematodes: Daniela Perez et al. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00601-3
"If food runs out and competition turns fierce, they slither towards their numerous kin. They climb onto each other and over one another until their bodies forge a living tower that twists skyward where they might hitch a ride on a passing animal to greener and roomier pastures."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/761/113/416/133/511/original/738a2fe5a0dded5a.jpg

2025-06-28 09:12:42 GMT

Desert #Lichens Offer New Evidence for the Possibility of Life on Other Planets https://spacebotany.uk/blog/desert-lichen-offers-new-evidence-for-the-possibility-of-life-on-other-planets/ @nprofile…lvst
UVC-Intense #Exoplanets May Not Be Uninhabitable https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ast.2024.0137
"The discovery that #lichen has evolved this protective layer to UVC radiation was surprising because it isn’t necessary for their survival. Earth’s atmosphere was already filtering out UVC rays by the time lichen appeared, so the protection is a mere bonus thanks to their remarkable UVA & B protection"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/760/215/643/151/011/original/80c5452de89f69fb.jpg

2025-06-26 08:17:09 GMT

Experiment confirms spikes on scaly tailed #squirrel's tail let it perch on Iroko #trees without slipping down https://phys.org/news/2025-06-spikes-scaly-tailed-squirrel-tail.html
Scaly-tail organ enhances static stability during Pel’s scaly-tailed #FlyingSquirrels’ arboreal locomotion https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2024.0937
"In addition to membranes between their front and hind legs that help them to remain aloft as they jump between trees, the #squirrels also have two rows of pointed, raised scales along the underside of their tails."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/748/665/788/894/881/original/bf4fa827694cab8e.jpg

2025-06-24 12:28:54 GMT

Crowdfunding: Czech 🇨🇿 satellite to watch skies over Ukraine 🇺🇦
"Help us launch the Dragon satellite, which is being developed in Brno by Czech space companies. The satellite will patrol Ukrainian territory and provide high-resolution imagery to Ukraine's armed forces."
https://www.misedrak.cz/en
#StandWithUkraine #Ukraine #Satellites #Space #Spaceflight #SpaceIndustry
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/738/333/850/018/424/original/97e5a589a337a3d4.jpg

2025-06-10 06:51:50 GMT

Mussel power: how an offshore #shellfish farm is boosting marine life https://theconversation.com/mussel-power-how-an-offshore-shellfish-farm-is-boosting-marine-life-251192
"Over many years, the studies have shown how some #mussels from the farm have fallen to the seabed and regenerated lost shell reefs. The farm has also boosted populations of #crabs, #lobsters, #scallops, #starfish, #fish, conger #eels, #sharks and #rays... By creating structure and excluding the damaging effects of bottom-towed fishing, offshore #MusselFarms can restore degraded #fishing grounds"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/657/735/637/369/402/original/6a4c3aaee5992a14.jpeg

2025-06-03 18:00:24 GMT

Baboons walk in line for friendship, not survival https://phys.org/news/2025-06-baboons-line-friendship-survival.html paper: https://academic.oup.com/beheco/advance-article/doi/10.1093/beheco/araf022/8071582
"Surprisingly, the consistent order we see for the #baboons isn't about avoiding danger like we see in prey #animals when they position themselves in the middle of their group, or for better access to food or water like we see in the movements of plains zebra. Instead, it's driven by who they're socially bonded with. They simply move with their friends, and this produces a consistent order."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/620/728/899/605/706/original/27d3fd69c8817d08.jpg

2025-06-03 13:54:56 GMT

Historic village water tanks provide a lifeline for amphibians
https://phys.org/news/2025-06-historic-village-tanks-lifeline-amphibians.html paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70294
"In the quiet mountain villages of northern #Portugal, centuries-old stone water tanks and irrigation channels... are providing critical breeding and refuge sites for #amphibians, as natural #wetlands are increasingly under pressure... Surprisingly, these tanks even supported a higher diversity of species compared to natural habitat types."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/619/767/130/766/294/original/7876e3628cffa132.jpg

2025-05-31 18:13:45 GMT

Europe's most complete stegosaurian skull unearthed in Teruel, Spain https://phys.org/news/2025-05-europe-stegosaurian-skull-unearthed-teruel.html
New insights into the phylogeny and skull #evolution of stegosaurian #dinosaurs: An extraordinary cranium from the European Late #Jurassic https://vertebrate-zoology.arphahub.com/article/146618/
"The detailed study of this exceptional fossil has allowed us to reveal previously unknown aspects of the anatomy of #Dacentrurus armatus, the quintessential European #stegosaur, which in 2025 marks 150 years since its first description."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/603/785/730/279/009/original/f67c36fb3df9111a.jpg

2025-05-30 11:01:43 GMT

The great comeback of the Iberian lynx https://www.rewildingmag.com/the-great-comeback-of-the-iberian-lynx/
"At the beginning of the 21st century, the #IberianLynx was listed as critically endangered, with the unfortunate sobriquet of the world’s most threatened cat... Conservationists, politicians, landowners, scientists, and communities have come together to save #Lynx pardinus, and they have been extremely successful. From that nadir of just 52 there are now more than 2,000 individuals living in the wild in Iberia."
#Conservation
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/596/430/346/969/867/original/48cd66e92996d70f.jpg

2025-05-23 19:30:36 GMT

Rare giant "shrimp" is more widespread than previously believed, new findings reveal https://phys.org/news/2025-05-rare-giant-shrimp-widespread-previously.html
The supergiant #amphipod Alicella gigantea may inhabit over half of the world’s oceans https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241635
"#Amphipods like A. gigantea are #shrimp-like #crustaceans known for their narrow frames and a signature hump-backed curl in their posture. They roam the #DeepSea, from the abyssal depths (3,000–6,000 m) to beyond hadal zones (>6,000 m)"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/558/800/964/380/619/original/5c1f0e1cc0227500.jpg

2025-05-23 06:01:31 GMT

Mystery of very odd #elasmosaur finally solved: One of North America's most famous #fossils IDd as new species https://phys.org/news/2025-05-mystery-odd-elasmosaur-north-america.html
"Long-necked and measuring in at 12m, #Traskasaura sandrae possessed heavy, sharp, robust teeth, ideal for crushing... Its unique suite of adaptations, a strange mix of primitive and derived traits, enabled it to hunt prey from above, perhaps one of the first #plesiosaurs to do so... The 85-million-year-old fossils are not new to science, though, far from it"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/555/615/802/615/233/original/578f93315967d1aa.jpg

2025-05-22 11:02:08 GMT

Teeth first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient #fish, fossil scans find https://phys.org/news/2025-05-teeth-evolved-sensory-tissue-armored.html
The origin of vertebrate teeth and #evolution of sensory exoskeletons: Yara Haridy et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08944-w
"dentin, the inner layer of teeth that transmits sensory information to nerves inside the pulp, first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/551/137/236/281/086/original/b7e327121dd94004.jpg

2025-05-22 07:53:15 GMT

New species of octopus discovered in a deep-sea canyon https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/News/2025/May/New-species-of-octopus-discovered-in-a-deep-sea-canyon
"The Carnarvon Flapjack #Octopus is a gelatinous #DeepSea octopus that grows to around 4 centimetres diameter... It's the 10th and latest #NewSpecies to be described from specimens collected during a 2022 voyage by RV Investigator... The #FlapjackOctopus is a deep-sea shape shifter with the ability to flatten its body to resemble a pancake—or flapjack—or to pull itself up to look like a tiny gelatinous umbrella."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/550/394/459/473/336/original/936ce2215245a56f.jpg

2025-05-22 07:26:03 GMT

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@nprofile…aaya Becherovka vodka or "we can't even be bothered to mix flavorants in your booze anymore"—I see things are developing in the right direction in the ol' country

2025-05-22 06:57:21 GMT

#TIL thanks to #PBS Eons (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEkbSV8aYrs&t=514):
"#Earthworms do not have ears, but #Darwin still tested their sense of hearing. He used a metal whistle and had his son play his #bassoon loudly. Darwin even shouted at the #worms" https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/22-charles-darwin-and-earthworms

2025-05-21 09:16:16 GMT

Ancient fossil sperm #whale may have been active predator https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ancient-patagonian-fossil-sperm-whale.html
Awakening #Patagonia's sleeping #SpermWhale: a new description of the Early #Miocene Idiorophus patagonicus. By Florencia Paolucci et al. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.70007
"Its snout features point to a lifestyle quite different from modern sperm #whales. It was likely an active predator of large #fish and possibly #seabirds, while extant #SpermWhales feed mostly on #cephalopods or small fish through suction feeding"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/545/055/454/002/196/original/7b4edac16b255738.jpg

2025-05-20 18:52:59 GMT

For #LongTailedTits, it really does take a village https://phys.org/news/2025-05-tailed-tits-village.html paper by Jennifer Morinay et al.: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.14237
"about 70% of long-tailed tit nests are destroyed by predators every year... By early May, the season is too advanced to re-nest, and if a pair has lost their brood they give up for the year... they often become helpers, moving to another nest and assisting... Around half of all broods have helpers, typically just one or two, but up to eight at a single nest."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/541/668/182/922/262/original/92eb6a65257e9c38.jpg

2025-05-17 08:23:15 GMT

Slow-growing #bacteria respond more sensitively to their environment https://phys.org/news/2025-05-bacteria-sensitively-environment.html
"When cells are growing rapidly, they ignore the environmental noise. When things are going badly, they listen very carefully, exploring the environment and deriving new survival strategies... the growth rate sets the rate at which signaling molecules within the cell are diluted... In slow-growing cells, the molecules persist longer and can accumulate more easily, making the cells more sensitive."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/522/199/008/798/208/original/82da779e206fd144.jpg

2025-05-11 12:16:13 GMT

#StandingStoneSunday: Ti-ar-c'horriquet / Allée couverte de Lesconil / Covered Alley of Lesconil, Finistère, #BZH
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/489/143/680/212/381/original/f721c1cbd2f81071.jpg

2025-05-07 21:07:40 GMT

Sea pigs, icefish and trilobites: #Antarctica’s mysterious marine life – in pictures https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2025/may/08/antarctica-marine-life-denman-glacier-rsv-nuyina-in-pictures
"True trilobites went extinct more than 250m years ago, but the Southern Ocean is home to a living lookalike: Ceratoserolis trilobitoides. They have a segmented, armoured exoskeleton, which helps protect them from predators... after a marine science voyage, a team aboard Australia’s icebreaker, #Nuyina, has collected some remarkable species from the waters around the Denman Glacier"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/468/586/717/316/237/original/082959ce10570282.webp

2025-04-29 16:06:09 GMT

Fossil of a new #mammal species from the age of #dinosaurs discovered in #Mongolia's Gobi desert
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-fossil-mammal-species-age-dinosaurs.html
New Late #Cretaceous zhelestid mammal from the Bayanshiree Formation, Mongolia https://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app012132024.html
"The suggested age corresponds to the early spread of flowering plants in terrestrial ecosystems. The robust nature of the molars resembles those of seed- and fruit-eating #mammals"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/422/093/831/723/180/original/f28dbf04aa7d496a.webp

2025-04-28 05:21:23 GMT

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@nprofile…g5sf Well that's a bit ironic, isn't it... "dubnovy blazen" is absolutely not april fools in (my native) Czech. It's an overly literal translation of the English term and doesn't exist in my language where we say simply "apríl" (archaic word for the month of April) or "aprílový žert/žertík" (April joke, again a bit archaic). So a mathematician, while trying for a gotcha with a BS generator, produced BS that ignores cultural context... but is now out there, polluting our information space.

2025-04-18 08:00:13 GMT

Highly endangered sunflower star finds refuge in Canadian fjords
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-highly-endangered-sunflower-star-refuge.html
Fjord oceanographic dynamics provide refuge for critically endangered #Pycnopodia helianthoides: Alyssa-Lois Madden Gehman et al. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.2770
"in the summer, there is a lot of glacial runoff, dumping a lot of really cold water into the #fjords. Then, because the #SeaStars do not like cold water, they go deeper. And that may be shielding them from #SeaStarWastingDisease"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/357/906/007/410/659/original/6773e6e8f00fe12f.webp

2025-04-16 03:44:40 GMT

First Confirmed Footage of a #ColossalSquid—and it’s a Baby!
https://schmidtocean.org/first-colossal-squid-footage/
"The 30-centimeter juvenile #squid was captured on video at a depth of 600 meters by the #ROV #SuBastian. The sighting occurred on March 9 on an expedition near the #SouthSandwichIslands in the South Atlantic Ocean."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/345/565/336/567/272/original/8c75ad55de986e5f.jpg

2025-04-11 20:26:40 GMT

Once-dying Mexican river delta slowly nursed back to life https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20250408-once-dying-mexican-river-delta-slowly-nursed-back-to-life
"#conservationists secured land as well as #irrigation permits, cleared invasive shrubs and planted thousands of native #trees... After years of this type of work, we now have a #forest of #poplars and #willows on 260 hectares on a stretch of the #ColoradoRiver. Fauna has returned. Many #birds have returned. The rejuvenation has also brought back the #beaver—a species that had largely disappeared in the area"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/321/205/475/066/543/original/6b9b8232ab22463b.jpg

2025-04-09 12:49:56 GMT

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@nprofile…hy00 dire rhea: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-warning-over-aggressive-escaped-rhea-bird-on-the-loose-in-nottinghamshire-10345553.html

2025-04-08 11:01:57 GMT

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@nprofile…s9ap Well, they can still produce a bunch of sad hairy elephants and let them suffer in some oil baron's game reserve in Siberia. Being full of bs doesn't stop anyone from doing a lot of damage... as we can see with AI.

2025-04-08 10:16:17 GMT

#Deextinction is a BS scam and a distraction from real conservation work. It's the AI of biology. They are genetically modifying animals to superficially resemble extinct species while vaguely gesturing towards sci-fi ideas about finding/reconstructing entire genomes. We are nowhere near this stage, and it's doubtful we ever will. And guess what, that still wouldn't bring anything back, because living things are much more than their DNA on so many levels.

2025-04-05 11:25:36 GMT

#Flies are masters of migration https://theconversation.com/flies-are-masters-of-migration-its-about-time-they-got-some-credit-253254
Dipteran migrants are diverse, abundant and ecologically important https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.70017
"All over the world, it’s mostly females that migrate. They have been recorded migrating through mountain passes high in the Himalayas, on ships hundreds of miles out to sea in the Gulf of Mexico & in their millions through western Europe. Forcipomyia midges use their soft foot hairs to stick to dragonfly wings to hitch a lift over the Indian Ocean"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/285/103/281/106/302/original/064d0a1723af99fd.jpeg

2025-04-03 06:27:44 GMT

Bats' echolocation strategy: How dense colonies avoid mid-air collisions
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-echolocation-strategy-dense-colonies-mid.html paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2407810122
"When exiting the cave, #bats experience a cacophony of calls, with 94% of echolocations being jammed. Yet, within five seconds of leaving the cave, bats significantly reduced the #echolocation jamming... they fanned out and they emitted shorter and weaker calls at higher frequency... to gain detailed information about their near neighbors... to avoid collisions."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/272/608/693/989/112/original/487c9234c0e40984.webp

2025-04-02 17:32:30 GMT

#Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid https://phys.org/news/2025-04-mammals-life-trees-ground-dinosaur.html
Down to earth: therian mammals became more terrestrial towards the end of the Cretaceous https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pala.70004
"plant life changed toward the end of the #Cretaceous, with flowering #plants creating more diverse habitats on the ground... The vegetational habitat was more important for the course of Cretaceous mammalian #evolution than any influence from #dinosaurs"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/269/552/091/103/303/original/cd2fb61a23f27777.jpg

2025-03-28 20:26:57 GMT

Fish use sharks as shields to ambush prey https://phys.org/news/2025-03-fish-sharks-shields-ambush-prey.html
To see and not be seen: Carangids hide behind sharks to prey on fish https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70028
"Previous research has shown that some #fish shadow #sharks to remove parasites and hide from predators. However, they have never before been seen hiding behind sharks to ambush their prey."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/241/930/965/231/724/original/bbe235ac31481b1e.jpg

2025-03-26 08:01:12 GMT

#Hummingbird chick acts like a #caterpillar to survive
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-hummingbird-chick-caterpillar-survive.html
"Unlike most #hummingbirds, the jacobin chick was covered in long brown feathers... they saw a predatory #wasp approach the chick when the mother was away. As the wasp hovered above the nest, the chick started to twitch its body vigorously, swinging its head from side to side. A few seconds later, the wasp flew away... many #caterpillars in this region have similar-looking brown hairs that can give painful stings"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/227/676/373/296/402/original/ac709b36397add4c.jpg

2025-03-24 18:32:07 GMT

Pink snow tints the edges of Antarctica https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2025-03-24/pink-snow-tints-the-edges-of-antarctica.html
"The #algae that covers Mount Reina Sofía in patches is Sanguina nivaloides, a species first described in 2019. The meaning of its scientific name in Latin is eloquent: blood in the snow. Each creature has a single cell, about 20 thousandths of a millimeter in size, with a molecule inside that gives it its characteristic red color: #astaxanthin... the same pigment that produces the color of salmon"
#Antarctica #Protists #Microbes
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/218/833/436/905/516/original/f6f4540409e45076.jpeg

2025-03-24 17:16:58 GMT

Fossil of ancient crustacean gathering reveals new insights into their lives
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2025/march/fossil-ancient-crustacean-gathering-reveals-new-insights-into-their-lives.html
Gregarious behaviour in #Carboniferous cyclidan #crustaceans https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0734
"With legs emerging from underneath rounded shells, #cyclidans looked not unlike an underwater beetle. Earliest species were a few mm in size and form #fossils that look like a tiny bunch of grapes. Over millions of years they evolved larger species, and by the #Triassic they were about as wide as a human hand"
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/218/538/651/141/432/original/d0daebee5b9488fd.jpeg

2025-03-21 16:48:50 GMT

Massive, long-lived #trees discovered in the #Tanzanian rainforest are a new species https://phys.org/news/2025-03-massive-trees-tanzanian-rainforest-species.html
Tessmannia princeps (Fabaceae), a #NewSpecies of rainforest tree from the #Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.694.2.1
"In addition to its massive girth, the tree grows a little taller than others around it in the rainforest... some of the newly discovered trees could be up to 3,000 years old. They are also slow growing, taking up to 15 years to add 1 centimeter of girth."
https://cdn.masto.host/scholarsocial/media_attachments/files/114/201/431/081/281/086/original/7b863e8f825a5eaf.png