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Ecographica
111 posts
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- March 2, 2009
- 12:00 AM
- 815 views
Vertebrate Proxies of Climate Change
by Johnny in Ecographica
Vertebrate Proxies of Climate Change ... Read more »
Elizabeth A. Hadly. (1997) Evolutionary and ecological response of pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) to late-Holocene climatic change. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 60(2), 277-296. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1997.tb01496.x
- April 16, 2009
- 10:00 PM
- 707 views
New Study Merges Genetics, Demography and Paleoanthropology
by Johnny in Ecographica
Mitochondrial DNA from twelve Neanderthal fossil assemblages was sequenced, compared and correlated with morphological data from fossil skulls, limbs and dentary remains to render evidence for multiple demes of Neanderthals from across Asia and Europe.... Read more »
Fabre, V., Condemi, S., & Degioanni, A. (2009) Genetic Evidence of Geographical Groups among Neanderthals. PLoS ONE, 4(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005151
- April 11, 2009
- 08:33 AM
- 691 views
Phylogenomics and Metazoan Evolution
by Johnny in Ecographica
During the course of constructing a “Tree of Life” based on more than 120 gene sequences and fifty-five different species, a group of scientists led by Gert Wörheide of Munich have reached two conclusions; one, all Porifera (sponges) share a common sponge-like ancestor, and two, that ancestor did not give rise to the Bilateria.... Read more »
Shubin, N., Tabin, C., & Carroll, S. (2009) Deep homology and the origins of evolutionary novelty. Nature, 457(7231), 818-823. DOI: 10.1038/nature07891
- March 29, 2009
- 04:20 PM
- 680 views
The Hunting Modes of a Wolf Spider
by Johnny in Ecographica
Taking a break from stalking prey amid the jungle of leaf litter in my front yard, this spider sprinted across my patio last Monday night. I managed to drop my compass next to him (the edge of which has a two inch ruler) and approximate his Cephalothorax-to-spinneret length at about 7/8 of an inch.
... Read more »
Casas, J., Steinmann, T., & Dangles, O. (2008) The Aerodynamic Signature of Running Spiders. PLoS ONE, 3(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002116
- January 31, 2009
- 12:00 AM
- 674 views
Sex with Flexible Partners: Socio-Ecological Reproductive Strategy #1
by Johnny in Ecographica
Reproductive strategy, simultaneous hermaphroditism... Read more »
Verena S. Brauer, Lukas Schärer, & Nico K. Michiels. (2007) PHENOTYPICALLY FLEXIBLE SEX ALLOCATION IN A SIMULTANEOUS HERMAPHRODITE. Evolution, 61(1), 216-222. DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00018.x
Eric A. Fischer. (1987) Mating behavior in the black hamlet — gamete trading or egg trading?. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 18(2), 143-148. DOI: 10.1007/BF00002602
- March 28, 2009
- 12:00 PM
- 626 views
The Rise of “Homo egocentricis”
by Johnny in Ecographica
Although it was literally a dark and stormy night, such weather conditions were but a novelty to the speaker – a scientist whom had spent the majority of his life scanning barren rocks and desiccated landscapes for fragments of fossil bone beneath the unrelenting and scorching sun of an East African desert. Yet, I can’t help but think that some level of instinctual fear naggingly tickled at his stomach as he approached the waiting crowd…
... Read more »
Reed, K. (2008) Paleoecological patterns at the Hadar hominin site, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution, 54(6), 743-768. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.08.013
- January 11, 2009
- 12:00 AM
- 624 views
Keep your mimics close, but your mutualists closer: Mutualism and competition among Ithomiinae
by Johnny in Ecographica
Mutualism and competition among Ithomiinae... Read more »
Marianne Elias, Zachariah Gompert, Chris Jiggins, & Keith Willmott. (2008) Mutualistic Interactions Drive Ecological Niche Convergence in a Diverse Butterfly Community. PLoS Biology, 6(12). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0060300
- May 20, 2009
- 10:30 AM
- 622 views
Ida and the Jurassic Park Effect
by Johnny in Ecographica
Though after only a cursory flip through, I find myself rather confused...? The article in hand appears to be of a scientific nature, with an abstract, introduction and discussion section – what’s the deal? Based on recent hype I was of the understanding that Ida was a scarcely clothed partygoer and heiress to the Hilton Hotel chain?
Ok, well maybe Ida isn’t all that, but I must admit, based on the photographs glanced so far, “daddy likes what he sees.” Talk a........ Read more »
Franzen, J., Gingerich, P., Habersetzer, J., Hurum, J., von Koenigswald, W., & Smith, B. (2009) Complete Primate Skeleton from the Middle Eocene of Messel in Germany: Morphology and Paleobiology. PLoS ONE, 4(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005723
- July 3, 2009
- 11:15 AM
- 614 views
Cretaceous Billabong Yields New Dinosaurs
by Johnny in Ecographica
Two newly identified sauropods and a new theropod have been excavated from the base of the Winton Formation near central Queensland. Fossilized pollens in-strata with the vertebrate remains indicate a Phimopollenites pannosus palynomorph Zone sequence and are thought to be Albian in age - about 100 million years old. In regards to ecology, cursory examinations of taphonomy and sedimentology show that the depositional conditions associated with the finds are akin to those found in modern oxbow ........ Read more »
Hocknull, S., White, M., Tischler, T., Cook, A., Calleja, N., Sloan, T., & Elliott, D. (2009) New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia. PLoS ONE, 4(7). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006190
- June 21, 2009
- 12:22 PM
- 610 views
Conservation Decisions – The General Patton Approach
by Johnny in Ecographica
It was General George Patton who originally said, “A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan later.” Though Patton was referring to military planning, some scientists and policy makers believe that such a strategy should also be applied to ecology and conservation.... Read more »
Richardson, D., Hellmann, J., McLachlan, J., Sax, D., Schwartz, M., Gonzalez, P., Brennan, E., Camacho, A., Root, T., Sala, O.... (2009) From the Cover: Multidimensional evaluation of managed relocation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(24), 9721-9724. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0902327106
- May 21, 2009
- 09:00 AM
- 609 views
A Nine-spotted Predator in my Backyard
by Johnny in Ecographica
Throughout the United States native coccinellid populations are on the decline. The primary factor in this decline is most likely the establishment of exotic ladybeetles which compete, and out compete, the locals for vital food resources. For native Florida ladybugs, those food resources are aphids, and with the exception of Neoharmonia venusta, which is a predator of psyllids (jumping plant lice), all of beetles listed above find them quite delicious.... Read more »
Moser, S., & Obrycki, J. (2009) Competition and Intraguild Predation Among Three Species of Coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 102(3), 419-425. DOI: 10.1603/008.102.0310
- January 24, 2009
- 12:00 AM
- 605 views
Fire Ants Attack: Lizards Adapt
by Johnny in Ecographica
Genetic mutation leads to social polymorphism in invasive Solenopsis, reptile fauna struggles to adapt... Read more »
Tracy Langkilde. (2009) Fence Lizard. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 90(1), 36-37. DOI: 10.1890/0012-9623-90.1.36
M. J. B. Krieger. (2005) Molecular Evolutionary Analyses of the Odorant-Binding Protein Gene Gp-9 in Fire Ants and Other Solenopsis Species. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 22(10), 2090-2103. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msi203
- May 10, 2009
- 10:13 AM
- 594 views
Frog Ears and Ultrasonic Playback
by Johnny in Ecographica
The “hole-in-the- head” frog (Huia cavitympanum) - so called because of its recessed ear drums- resides in hillside forest ecosystems of Borneo and Southeast Asia at elevations between 250 and 1000 meters. It is unique among the Ranidae for its ability to vocalize and hear ultrasound calls – well outside of the human range of hearing. ... Read more »
Arch, V., Grafe, T., Gridi-Papp, M., & Narins, P. (2009) Pure Ultrasonic Communication in an Endemic Bornean Frog. PLoS ONE, 4(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005413
- June 5, 2009
- 12:37 PM
- 593 views
Ecological Divergence in the Swallowtail
by Johnny in Ecographica
The influence of climate change on the Earth’s ecology can be as conspicuous as a hurricane, or it can be as subtle as a butterfly’s preference in oviposition sites… The interaction between environmental condition and evolutionary trajectory represents a complex and dynamic system in which the slightest deviation can be compounded to produce remarkably substantial outcomes. The idea that slight perturbances in a system’s initial state can result in large effects, is a ........ Read more »
Mercader, R., Aardema, M., & Scriber, J. (2008) Hybridization leads to host-use divergence in a polyphagous butterfly sibling species pair. Oecologia, 158(4), 651-662. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-008-1177-9
- April 25, 2009
- 12:24 AM
- 585 views
Resilience in Acropora Corals
by Johnny in Ecographica
Great news - local management of water quality and other factors may significantly contribute to the survivability of coral reefs that have been negatively impacted by climate change.
A massive bleaching event took place on the Great Barrier Reef approximately three years ago and devastated a huge number of inshore reefs, but the corals made an unprecedented comeback – in only a year’s time!
... Read more »
Diaz-Pulido, G., McCook, L., Dove, S., Berkelmans, R., Roff, G., Kline, D., Weeks, S., Evans, R., Williamson, D., & Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (2009) Doom and Boom on a Resilient Reef: Climate Change, Algal Overgrowth and Coral Recovery. PLoS ONE, 4(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005239
- April 26, 2009
- 12:30 AM
- 578 views
How Discriminating Ants Choose
by Johnny in Ecographica
In addition to merging sci-fi art with the reality of science ('tagged ant' image below), researchers at the School of Biological Sciences within the University of Bristol have demonstrated that the ‘irrationality’ associated with contextual decision making is avoided in the ant Temnothorax albipennis as it chooses between alternative nesting sites.
... Read more »
Robinson, E., Smith, F., Sullivan, K., & Franks, N. (2009) Do ants make direct comparisons?. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0350
- May 25, 2009
- 10:19 AM
- 578 views
The Devonian Fishes that Got Away
by Johnny in Ecographica
In addition to remembrance ceremonies paying tribute to the men and women of the armed services, Memorial Day has become a day in which Americans head to the great out-of-doors to enjoy friends, family, picnics and nature. With this tradition in mind, I thought it fitting to tell a couple of fish stories. These not so tall-tales are about a couple of good catches from the past year that somehow managed to get away from me.... Read more »
Long, J., Trinajstic, K., & Johanson, Z. (2009) Devonian arthrodire embryos and the origin of internal fertilization in vertebrates. Nature, 457(7233), 1124-1127. DOI: 10.1038/nature07732
- May 24, 2009
- 08:54 AM
- 577 views
A Pliocene Hominin as Prey Item
by Johnny in Ecographica
With all of the fanfare over human origins and primate evolution the last few days, I thought that it would be appropriate to take a quick look at an article recently published in The American Journal of Physical Anthropology. The article, “Plio-Pleistocene eagle predation on fossil cercopithecids from the Humpata Plateau, southern Angola,” discusses the taphonomic evidence for the taking of primates by predatory bird around the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary at the renowned Taung site in Sou........ Read more »
Gilbert, C., McGraw, W., & Delson, E. (2009) Brief communication: Plio-Pleistocene eagle predation on fossil cercopithecids from the Humpata Plateau, southern Angola. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21004
- April 11, 2009
- 10:35 PM
- 568 views
Cretaceous Multituberculata from Australia
by Johnny in Ecographica
Several mammalian families have been identified from the Aptian formation (where the current fossil was found), most of which are believed to represent species endemic to Australia; however one family – the Ornithorhynchidae – have also been found in Argentina.... Read more »
Beck, R., Godthelp, H., Weisbecker, V., Archer, M., & Hand, S. (2008) Australia's Oldest Marsupial Fossils and their Biogeographical Implications. PLoS ONE, 3(3). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001858
- May 2, 2009
- 11:04 AM
- 562 views
The Blitzkrieg of Ungulates in Levant
by Johnny in Ecographica
The region of the Middle East referred to as “Levant” includes modern day Israel, Palestine and Jordon, and there are few places on earth more intensely studied by archaeologists than the birthplace of monotheistic religion. In addition to yielding a vast record of human occupation, culture and war, the archaeological sites within this region also document the decimation of several mammalian species. A couple of days ago (April 29), several Israeli scientists published an article in PLoS One........ Read more »
Tsahar, E., Izhaki, I., Lev-Yadun, S., & Bar-Oz, G. (2009) Distribution and Extinction of Ungulates during the Holocene of the Southern Levant. PLoS ONE, 4(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005316
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