94 posts · 128,479 views
this blog covers evolution, ecology, animal behavior, genetics, ornithology, parrots and birds in general along with stories about other animals, mental illness, atheism and politics.
GrrlScientist
94 posts
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- December 17, 2008
- 05:46 PM
- 1,966 views
Why Do We Yawn?
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: yawning, thermoregulation, budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus, animal behavior
Yawning human, Homo sapiens serving as a perch for a domestic budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus.
Image: Wendy (Creative Commons License).
Yawning. Everybody does it. In fact, I am yawning now as I write this piece. Yawning is interpreted to have a variety of meanings, ranging from tiredness to boredom. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that yawning is contagious among humans, at least: watching someone........ Read more »
A GALLUP, M MILLER, & A CLARK. (2009) Yawning and thermoregulation in budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus. Animal Behaviour, 77(1), 109-113. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.09.014
Andrew C. Gallup, & Gordon G. Gallup Jr. (2007) Yawning as a Brain Cooling Mechanism: Nasal Breathing and Forehead Cooling Diminish the Incidence of Contagious Yawning. Evolutionary Psychology, 5(1), 92-101. DOI: http://www.epjournal.net/filestore/ep0592101.pdf
- December 18, 2008
- 04:30 PM
- 1,924 views
Austroraptor cabazai: They Just Don't Make Big Scary Dinosaurs Like They Once Did
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: Austroraptor cabazai, dinosaurs, Dromaeosauridae, birds, fossils, taxonomy, evolution
The newly unveiled Austroraptor cabazai (left) attacks a juvenile sauropod dinosaur in an artist's interpretation.
The giant raptor, found in Argentina, measured between 16.5 and 21 feet (5 to 6.5 meters) long, making it one of the largest raptors to roam Earth 70 million years ago, a new study finds.
A dramatic new carnivorous dinosaur that was bigger than a car was unveiled yesterday in public at the........ Read more »
Fernando E. Novas, Diego Pol, Juan I. Canale, Juan D. Porfiri, & Jorge O. Calvo. (2008) A bizarre Cretaceous theropod dinosaur from Patagonia and the evolution of Gondwanan dromaeosaurids. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. DOI: http://journals.royalsociety.org/content/90n26424nr722374/fulltext.pdf
- September 25, 2008
- 03:37 PM
- 1,903 views
Love, Sex and War in the Seychelles
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: bpr3.org/?p=52, Seychelles magpie-robin, Copsychus sechellarum, behavioral ecology, conservation biology, endangered species, population dynamics, ornithology, birds
Seychelles magpie-robin, Copsychus sechellarum.
Image: Tony Randell (Wikipedia) [larger view].
Every once in awhile, I read a paper that surprises me. Today, I read one of those papers, and it surprised me because it analyzes a phenomenon that is so obvious that I wonder why no one ever thought of studying it in a systemati........ Read more »
Andrés López-Sepulcre, Ken Norris, & Hanna Kokko. (2008) Reproductive conflict delays the recovery of an endangered social species. Journal of Animal Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01475.x
- January 27, 2009
- 03:09 PM
- 1,849 views
Meet the Great Speciators: The White-Eyes
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: evolution, speciation, diversification rate, Zosterops, White-eyes, ornithology, birds, molecular phylogeny, South Pacific Islands
The Splendid (Ranongga) White-eye, Zosterops splendidus,
endemic to Ranongga Island in the Solomon Islands archipelago.
This species' home range is smaller than Manhattan Island.
Image: Chris Filardi [larger view].
For many decades, the white-eyes (Family: Zosteropidae) were known as the "Great Speciators" in honor of their apparent ability to rapidly g........ Read more »
Robert G. Moyle, Christopher E. Filardi, Catherine E. Smith, & Jared Diamond. (2009) Explosive Pleistocene diversification and hemispheric expansion of a ‘‘great speciator’’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(4).
- December 19, 2008
- 03:55 PM
- 1,815 views
Dinosaurs: A Bunch of Mister Moms
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: evolution, behavioral ecology, parental care, egg incubation, dinosaurs, birds
The Oviraptorid dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae,
on a nest of eggs that was unearthed in the Gobi desert
of Mongolia by the American Museum of Natural History.
Image: Mick Ellison, American Museum of Natural History.
Oviraptors ("egg seizer") were given their name because their fossil remains were first discovered on top of a pile of eggs. Because of their close proximity to clutches of dinosaur eggs, it w........ Read more »
D. J. Varricchio, J. R. Moore, G. M. Erickson, M. A. Norell, F. D. Jackson, & J. J. Borkowski. (2008) Avian Paternal Care Had Dinosaur Origin. Science, 322(5909), 1826-1828. DOI: 10.1126/science.1163245
- October 7, 2008
- 04:59 PM
- 1,787 views
Singing to Females Makes Male Songbirds 'Happy'
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: dopamine, behavior, evolution, rewarding affiliative behaviors, brain reward pathways, songbirds, birdsong, zebra finch, Poephila guttata, neurobiology
A pair of wild Zebra (Chestnut-eared) Finches, Poephila guttata.
Image: Adelaide Zebra Finch Society [larger view].
People have been known to "sing for joy" and we often experience happiness when others sing for us. Additionally, birdsong has often brought joy to those who have listened, but what about the birds themselves? Do birds exp........ Read more »
Ya-Chun Huang, Neal A. Hessler, & Kenji Hashimoto. (2008) Social Modulation during Songbird Courtship Potentiates Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons. PLoS ONE, 3(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003281
- December 4, 2008
- 11:29 AM
- 1,782 views
The Psychology Behind Wrapping Paper [Reprise]
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: peer-reviewed paper, psychology, gift wrapping, wrapping paper, behavior, holidays, holidaze
Besides bright lights, my favorite thing about the holidays is wrapping gifts. I love covering a boxed gift with colored papers (or even with plain brown paper bags), I get tremendous satisfaction from folding the paper so it makes precise corners and then I especially enjoy decorating the wrapped gift with bows, ribbons and toy flowers and birds, christmas ornaments or other decorations. I also e........ Read more »
Daniel J. Howard. (1992) Gift-Wrapping Effects on Product Attitudes. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1(3), 197-223. DOI: 10.1207/s15327663jcp0103_01
- September 12, 2008
- 07:29 PM
- 1,737 views
Are Mad Cow Disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Identical?
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE, mad cow disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, CJD, pathogenic mutation, prion protein gene
Image: Orphaned.
Mad Cow Disease, technically known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), is one of a group of transmissible diseases that destroy brain tissue, collectively known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs are an unknown agent(s) that act by damaging the structure of brain proteins known as "prions" (PREE ons). In turn, thes........ Read more »
Jürgen A. Richt, S. Mark Hall, & David Westaway. (2008) BSE Case Associated with Prion Protein Gene Mutation. PLoS Pathogens, 4(9). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000156
- November 12, 2008
- 09:42 AM
- 1,735 views
Invasive Exotic Species: More than Meets the Eye
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: ecology, exotic species, introduced species, non-native species, invasive species, monk parakeets, quaker parrots, Myiopsitta monachus, Michael A Russello, Michael L Avery, Timothy F Wright
Monk (Quaker) parakeets, Myiopsitta monachus, with nest.
Image: Arthur Grosset [larger view].
Invasive species are everywhere: from plants such as Scotch (English) broom, Cytisus scoparius, whose yellow flowers bloom prolifically along roadways of North America, Australia and New Zealand to mammals........ Read more »
Michael A Russello, Michael L Avery, & Timothy F Wright. (2008) Genetic evidence links invasive monk parakeet populations in the United States to the international pet trade. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 8(1), 217. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-217
- March 25, 2009
- 03:15 PM
- 1,734 views
Evolution of Squeaker Catfishes in Africa's Lake Tanganyika
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: evolutionary biology, speciation, species flocks, molecular phylogeny, behavioral ecology, Synodontis species, squeaker catfish, cuckoo catfish, Lake Tanganyika, peer-reviewed paper
False Cuckoo Catfish, also known as the Dwarf Lake Synodontis, Synodontis lucipinnis [Siluriformes: Mochokidae]. Endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Zambia.
Image: Destination Tanganyika [larger view].
One of the groups of fishes that I worked with as an aquarist for nearly my entire life are the synodontids, of........ Read more »
DAY, J., BILLS, R., & FRIEL, J. (2009) Lacustrine radiations in African Synodontis catfish . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22(4), 805-817. DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01691.x
- January 25, 2008
- 01:01 AM
- 1,733 views
Berry Butts: Parasitized Black Ants Resemble Red Berries
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: bpr3.org/?p=52, neotropical ants, Cephalotes atratus, parasitic nematodes, Myrmeconema neotropicum, tetradonematid nematode, evolution, coevolution, fruit mimicry
A neotropical black ant host, Cephalotes atratus,
infected with the newly described parasitic nematode,
Myrmeconema neotropicum.
The ant's infected and swollen abdomen does not actually take on a red pigment.
It becomes a translucent amber. With the yellowish parasite eggs inside and a touch
of sunlight, it appear........ Read more »
George Poinar, & Stephen Yanoviak. (2008) Myrmeconema neotropicum n. g., n. sp., a new tetradonematid nematode parasitising South American populations of Cephalotes atratus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with the discovery of an apparent parasite-induced host morph. Systematic Parasitology, 69(2), 145-153. https://commerce.metapress.com/content/v1331781v6632602/resource-secured/?target
- December 24, 2008
- 01:58 PM
- 1,725 views
What Parrots Tell us About the Origin and Evolution of Birds
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: parrots, Psittaciformes, evolution, molecular phylogeny, ornithology, Neornithes
Red-crowned Amazon parrot, Amazona viridigenalis, at Elizabeth Street Parrotry, Brownsville, Texas.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 7 April 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
One of the most contentious issues among scientists who study the evolution of birds is identifying precisely when the modern birds (Neornithes) first appeared. Thi........ Read more »
T. F. Wright, E. E. Schirtzinger, T. Matsumoto, J. R. Eberhard, G. R. Graves, J. J. Sanchez, S. Capelli, H. Muller, J. Scharpegge, G. K. Chambers.... (2008) A Multilocus Molecular Phylogeny of the Parrots (Psittaciformes): Support for a Gondwanan Origin during the Cretaceous. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 25(10), 2141-2156. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msn160
- October 28, 2008
- 08:05 PM
- 1,714 views
Why Are Female Blue Tits Unfaithful?
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus, extrapair fertilization, genetic benefit hypothesis, genetic similarity, plumage color, birdsong, ornithology, behavioral ecology
Blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus.
Image: Paul Hillion, 26 April 2008.
Even though most bird species form social bonds with their mates, they are not always faithful partners to each other. It's easy to figure out why male birds engage in extrapair copulations: this increases the number of their offspring -- and this increases thei........ Read more »
A. N. DREISS, N. SILVA, M. RICHARD, F. MOYEN, M. THÉRY, A. P. MØLLER, & É. DANCHIN. (2008) Condition-dependent genetic benefits of extrapair fertilization in female blue tits . Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 21(6), 1814-1822. DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01578.x
- December 5, 2008
- 03:55 PM
- 1,711 views
The Evolution of Poisonous Birds
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: evolution, Phylogeny, ornithology, chemical defense, Batrachotoxin, poisonous birds, Pitohui, Ifrita, Pachycephalidae, New Guinea
The Hooded Pitohui, Pitohui dichrous, endemic to New Guinea, is very unusual because it has poisonous plumage.
Image: John Dumbacher.
I have been in love with New Guinea since I first read about it as a kid. Everything about this tropical island is exotic and fascinating to me, from the large numbers of endemic bird and plant species to the tremendous number........ Read more »
J DUMBACHER, K DEINER, L THOMPSON, & R FLEISCHER. (2008) Phylogeny of the avian genus Pitohui and the evolution of toxicity in birds. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 49(3), 774-781. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.09.018
- January 23, 2008
- 11:01 PM
- 1,678 views
Women, Science and Writing
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: bpr3.org/?p=52, Female Scientists, science publishing, science blogging, gender bias, sexism, feminism
A biochemist at work.
Image: East Bay AWIS.
In the wake of the Science Blogging Conference in North Carolina, which I was unable to attend due to financial reasons, The Scientist's blog published a piece today that asks "Do Women Blog About Science?" This article was written partially in response to the kerfuffle that was triggered last year after The Scientist ask........ Read more »
A BUDDEN, T TREGENZA, L AARSSEN, J KORICHEVA, R LEIMU, & C LORTIE. (2008) Double-blind review favours increased representation of female authors. Trends in Ecology , 23(1), 4-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.008
- November 8, 2008
- 07:34 AM
- 1,676 views
Tiny Gecko Species Discovered in Vanuatu Rainforest
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: Lepidodactylus buleli, new species discovered, Vanuatu gecko, reptiles, Ivan Ineich, Natural History Museum Paris France
French scientist, Ivan Ineich, displays a never-before-seen species of gecko at France's Natural History Museum in Paris. This gecko, formally described with the Latin name, Lepidodactylus buleli, was born in Paris from an egg that was removed from the rainforest canopy on the west coast of Espiritu Santo, one of the larger islands of the Vanuatu Archipelago, east of A........ Read more »
Ivan Ineich. (2008) A new arboreal Lepidodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu: from egg to holotype. Zootaxa, 26-38. DOI: 1175-5334
- December 11, 2008
- 01:39 PM
- 1,655 views
The Evolution of Avian Clutch Size
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: evolution, avian clutch size, ornithology, birds, avian
The Little Tinamou, Crypturellus soui,
usually lays two eggs in a small depression on the forest floor.
Image: Cagan Sekercioglu [larger view].
Anyone who has ever watched birds closely or who has bred them in captivity knows that different species of birds have different clutch sizes, with some species laying only one egg while others produce as many as ten eggs per clutch or more. Why is there such a tremendous difference in ........ Read more »
Walter Jetz, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, & Katrin Böhning-Gaese. (2008) The Worldwide Variation in Avian Clutch Size across Species and Space. PLoS Biology, 6(12). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0060303
- November 14, 2008
- 06:49 AM
- 1,620 views
Singing in Slow Motion
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: neurobiology, neuroscience, animal communication, birdsong, premotor nucleus HVC, brain temperature, neural circuitry, motor behaviors, bioacoustics
Captive-bred Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata, at
Bodelwyddan Castle Aviary, Denbighshire, Wales.
Image: Adrian Pingstone/Wikipedia [larger view].
Birdsong is the primary model system that helps scientists understand how the brain produces complex sequences of learned behavior, such as playing the piano. In songbirds, there are many int........ Read more »
Michael A. Long, & Michale S. Fee. (2008) Using temperature to analyse temporal dynamics in the songbird motor pathway. Nature, 456(7219), 189-194. DOI: 10.1038/nature07448
- October 15, 2008
- 06:38 PM
- 1,614 views
Research Suggests Bipolar Children Likely to become Bipolar Adults
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: bipolar disorder, manic depression, mental illness, psychiatry, psychology, children
Image: Myself43.
If you are like me and suffered from unrecognized bipolar disorder as a child only to later have this mood disorder diagnosed upon reaching young adulthood, you might be pleased to learn that current research suggests bipolar disorder is increasingly being diagnosed as beginning in childhood. As a result, these bipolar kids are more likely to receive proper treatment and support such tha........ Read more »
Barbara Geller, MD; Rebecca Tillman, MS; Kristine Bolhofner, BS; Betsy Zimerman, MA. (2008) Child Bipolar I Disorder: Prospective Continuity With Adult Bipolar I Disorder; Characteristics of Second and Third Episodes; Predictors of 8-Year Outcome. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(10 ), 1125-1133. DOI: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/65/10/1125
- March 22, 2009
- 09:52 PM
- 1,572 views
Genetic Compatibility Drives Mate Choice in Gouldian Finches
by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
tags: evolutionary biology, mate choice, sex determination, genetic compatibility, behavioral ecology, Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae, peer-reviewed paper
Image: Sarah Pryke, Macquarie University.
People often worry that our increasing medical and technological prowess will allow humans to routinely choose the sex of our babies, along with a suite of other characteristics. But according to a remarkable and elegant new study, female Gouldian finches, Erythrura gouldiae, have long been choos........ Read more »
Pryke, S., & Griffith, S. (2009) Genetic Incompatibility Drives Sex Allocation and Maternal Investment in a Polymorphic Finch. Science, 323(5921), 1605-1607. DOI: 10.1126/science.1168928
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