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Southern Fried Science
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- September 21, 2011
- 10:08 PM
- 556 views
In sexual selection and thermoregulation, bigger is better, at least for fiddler crabs
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Sexual dimorphism in fiddler crabs. Female (A) and male (B) Uca panacea. Scale bars indicate 1 cm. From Darnell and Munguia 2011 Imagine yourself a fiddler crab. For this exercise, imagine yourself a male fiddler crab. Are you with me? Great. Check out your right claw, it’s a sleek, slender machine, perfect for picking [...]... Read more »
Darnell MZ, & Munguia P. (2011) Thermoregulation as an alternate function of the sexually dimorphic fiddler crab claw. The American naturalist, 178(3), 419-28. PMID: 21828997
- September 13, 2011
- 11:30 AM
- 741 views
The importance of failure in graduate student training
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Running the winch at dusk The A-frame shuddered as the box core, heavy with mud and reeking of sulfur, emerged from the water. We knew that it had found its mark 2300 meters below. Soft sediment from the seafloor oozed out the sides as I slid the safety pins into the spade arm. [...]... Read more »
Thaler, A., Van Dover, C., & Vilgalys, R. (2011) Ascomycete phylotypes recovered from a Gulf of Mexico methane seep are identical to an uncultured deep-sea fungal clade from the Pacific. Fungal Ecology. DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2011.07.002
- August 30, 2011
- 02:05 PM
- 685 views
Climbing Mount Chernobyl
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Chernobyl Reactor 4, after the explosion In the last century, humans have made dramatic changes to both local and global ecosystems. Some of these changed have been subtle and remained unnoticed until very recently, while others have be so visible and so destructive that their names are indelibly etched into our collective consciousness. [...]... Read more »
Balonov MI. (2007) The Chernobyl Forum: major findings and recommendations. Journal of environmental radioactivity, 96(1-3), 6-12. PMID: 17493715
Baker, Robert J., & Ronald K. Chesse. (2000) THE CHORNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER AND SUBSEQUENT CREATION OF A WILDLIFE PRESERVE. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 1231-1232. info:/
Moller AP, & Mousseau TA. (2007) Species richness and abundance of forest birds in relation to radiation at Chernobyl. Biology letters, 3(5), 483-6. PMID: 17698449
Møller, A., Mousseau, T., de Lope, F., & Saino, N. (2008) Anecdotes and empirical research in Chernobyl. Biology Letters, 4(1), 65-66. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2007.0528
HAVLICK, D. (2011) DISARMING NATURE: CONVERTING MILITARY LANDS TO WILDLIFE REFUGES*. Geographical Review, 101(2), 183-200. DOI: 10.1111/j.1931-0846.2011.00086.x
Richards, Z., Beger, M., Pinca, S., & Wallace, C. (2008) Bikini Atoll coral biodiversity resilience five decades after nuclear testing. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 56(3), 503-515. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.11.018
- July 6, 2011
- 10:53 PM
- 969 views
Rumors from the Abyss: visions of a future without deep sea conservation
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Bathymetric map, click for GEBCO high resolution image The deep benthos is simultaneously the largest and least explored ecosystem on the planet. Covering nearly 60% of the Earth’s surface, it supports an almost unimaginable reservoir of biodiversity, rivaling all terrestrial habitats combined. Its microbial and metabolic diversity have revolutionized our view of [...]... Read more »
George A. Wolff, David S. M. Billett, Brian J. Bett, Jens Holtvoeth, Tania Fitz, George-Balfour, Elizabeth H. Fisher, Ian Cross, Roger Shannon, Ian Salter.... (2011) The Effects of Natural Iron Fertilisation on Deep-Sea Ecology: The Crozet Plateau, Southern Indian Ocean. PLoS One. info:/
- May 23, 2011
- 06:23 PM
- 1,006 views
The Global Extinction Crisis – species area relationships, habitat loss, and population dynamics
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
We are in the midst of a global extinction crisis. Biodiversity is in decline as species after species disappear. Some estimates predict that up to 50% of species will be committed to extinction by 2050. Other estimates claim the current rate of extinction may be 10,000 times the background rate. Many ecologists and conservationists have declared the [...]... Read more »
He F, & Hubbell SP. (2011) Species-area relationships always overestimate extinction rates from habitat loss. Nature, 473(7347), 368-71. PMID: 21593870
Neigel, J. (2003) SPECIES–AREA RELATIONSHIPS AND MARINE CONSERVATION. Ecological Applications, 13(sp1), 138-145. DOI: 10.1890/1051-0761(2003)013[0138:SARAMC]2.0.CO;2
- May 13, 2011
- 11:13 AM
- 1,105 views
The moldy kingdom get a new neighbor
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
A diagrammatic tree depicting the organisation of most eukaryotes into six major groups. The relationships amongst most of the major groups and the position of the ‘root’ of the tree are shown as unresolved (note however, the grouping of Opisthokonta and Amoebozoa). The arrow shows a possible precise placement of the root, [...]... Read more »
Simpson A, & Roger A. (2004) The real ‘kingdoms’ of eukaryotes. Current Biology, 14(17), 693-696. info:/
Jones, M., Forn, I., Gadelha, C., Egan, M., Bass, D., Massana, R., & Richards, T. (2011) Discovery of novel intermediate forms redefines the fungal tree of life. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature09984
- April 14, 2011
- 02:28 PM
- 1,115 views
A rig by any other name, could it be an artificial reef?
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
There are currently more than 7,500 offshore oil platforms actively probing the earth’s crust for black gold. Their relatively minimal appearance at the surface belies the shear magnitude of human construction beneath the waves. Oil platforms are among the world’s tallest man-made structures. Compliant tower platforms reach up to 900 meters in depth (in contrast, [...]... Read more »
Macreadie, P., Fowler, A., & Booth, D. (2011) Rigs-to-reefs: will the deep sea benefit from artificial habitat?. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1890/100112
Mason B. (2003) Doubts swirl around plan to use rigs as reefs. Nature, 425(6961), 891. PMID: 14586435
- April 11, 2011
- 01:19 PM
- 1,074 views
Spanning the Bordeaux Belt – what does local mean in a global economy
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
A small news article from Science has been taped above my desk for the last few years. I don’t remember who originally gave it to me, or why I even hung it up, but there it is, nestled between a couple XKCD cartoons. The article is titled “The Wine Divide” and it raises many [...]... Read more »
Tyler, Colman, & Päster, Pablo. (2009) Red, White, and 'Green': The Cost of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Global Wine Trad. Journal of Wine Researc, 20(1), 15-26. info:/
- April 8, 2011
- 12:00 PM
- 1,097 views
Is it time for a sustainable pet movement?
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
The world is rapidly approaching 7 billion people and the challenges of food supply, security, and sustainability will, along with climate change, be the defining issues of the 21st century. While the issues of the wealthiest nations revolve around the quality of our food, the environmental impact or our farming practices, and the value we place [...]... Read more »
Trotz-Williams LA, & Trees AJ. (2003) Systematic review of the distribution of the major vector-borne parasitic infections in dogs and cats in Europe. The Veterinary record, 152(4), 97-105. PMID: 12572938
Sleeman JM, Keane JM, Johnson JS, Brown RJ, & Woude SV. (2001) Feline leukemia virus in a captive bobcat. Journal of wildlife diseases, 37(1), 194-200. PMID: 11272497
Roelke ME, Forrester DJ, Jacobson ER, Kollias GV, Scott FW, Barr MC, Evermann JF, & Pirtle EC. (1993) Seroprevalence of infectious disease agents in free-ranging Florida panthers (Felis concolor coryi). Journal of wildlife diseases, 29(1), 36-49. PMID: 8445789
- April 5, 2011
- 11:00 AM
- 1,082 views
Book Review: A year at Lazy Point
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
I adored Song for the Blue Ocean. The first time I read it was a formative moment in my development as a young marine biologist and conservationist. When I picked up Eye of the Albatross and, later, Voyage of the Turtle, I expected that same magic, but could not find it. Safina’s subsequent books [...]... Read more »
Saraux C, Le Bohec C, Durant JM, Viblanc VA, Gauthier-Clerc M, Beaune D, Park YH, Yoccoz NG, Stenseth NC, & Le Maho Y. (2011) Reliability of flipper-banded penguins as indicators of climate change. Nature, 469(7329), 203-6. PMID: 21228875
- February 11, 2011
- 03:00 PM
- 1,051 views
Nothing to plunder – the evolution of Somalia’s pirate nation
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
The droughts that shook the west African nations in the mid-1970′s and again in the 1980′s decimated the traditional nomadic clans of Somalia, leaving them without live stock to feed their families. Tens of thousands of the dispossessed, primarily of the Hawiye clan, were relocated to coastal areas. Fishing communities took root and began [...]... Read more »
Bakonyi, J. (2010) Between protest, revenge and material interests: a phenomenological analysis of looting in the Somali war. Disasters. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7717.2010.01156.x
Treves, T. (2009) Piracy, Law of the Sea, and Use of Force: Developments off the Coast of Somalia. European Journal of International Law, 20(2), 399-414. DOI: 10.1093/ejil/chp027
- January 24, 2011
- 08:00 AM
- 932 views
Conservation and the Concept of Species in a Biodiversity Crisis (Part 1)
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
In The Mass Extinction of Scientists Who Study Species, Dr. Craig McClain argues that we are loosing a fundamental unit of biological science – the Taxonomist. He’s right, of course. Taxonomy is a shrinking field. Entire phyla sit, unstudied, as the expertise necessary to understand them retires and expires. With few to train the [...]... Read more »
Jody Hey. (2001) The mind of the species problem. TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution, 16(7), 326-329. info:/
- November 15, 2010
- 08:30 AM
- 1,168 views
Shades of Gray: Gray literature, peer-review, and the struggle for data in fisheries management
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
The dissemination of science follows the conventional route of rigorous peer-review followed by publication in an accredited scientific journal. This process has been the standard foundation from which the general public can trust that the science is, at the very least, valid and honest. Of course this system is not without its flaws. Scientific papers of questionable authority, [...]... Read more »
Flor Lacanilao. (1997) Continuing problems with gray literature. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 1-5. info:/
- November 3, 2010
- 05:15 PM
- 1,035 views
Watch me heal, day 1 – 4
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Those of you following me on twitter have probably heard that I had a little accident this weekend. And by “little accident”, I mean I got hit in the head with a machete. And by “got hit in the head” I really mean hit myself in the head while clearing brush. This has afforded me two [...]... Read more »
Bruggemann, H. (2003) The genome sequence of Clostridium tetani, the causative agent of tetanus disease. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(3), 1316-1321. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0335853100
Montecucco, C., & Schiavo, G. (1994) Mechanism of action of tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins. Molecular Microbiology, 13(1), 1-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb00396.x
Martin, P. (1997) Wound Healing--Aiming for Perfect Skin Regeneration. Science, 276(5309), 75-81. DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5309.75
- October 20, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 1,219 views
Grampa Hagfish: say hello to your greatest uncle
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Image from http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/labs/biomaterials/slime.html
Today is Hagfish Day! Who knew?
What is a hagfish?
Hagfish are primitive eel-like chordates make famous for their relative unattractiveness*, profuse production of slime, and charismatic ability to tie themselves in knots. They are perhaps the only ‘fish’ that possesses a skull, but no vertebral column. But the question “What is a hagfish?” goes [...]... Read more »
Heimberg, A., Cowper-Sal{middle dot}lari, R., Semon, M., Donoghue, P., & Peterson, K. (2010) microRNAs reveal the interrelationships of hagfish, lampreys, and gnathostomes and the nature of the ancestral vertebrate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1010350107
- October 11, 2010
- 09:00 AM
- 911 views
Bed Bugs: better bitten than smitten
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Common bed bug Cimex lectularius
Bed bugs, the nasty nocturnal nursery rhyme nightmares than are making a comeback throughout the northeastern United States. Infestations, previously relegated to the status of urban legend in much of the developed world, are on the rise due to a combination of more frequent travel, pesticide resistance, and the end of [...]... Read more »
Morrow, E., & Arnqvist, G. (2003) Costly traumatic insemination and a female counter-adaptation in bed bugs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 270(1531), 2377-2381. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2514
Ryne, C. (2009) Homosexual interactions in bed bugs: alarm pheromones as male recognition signals. Animal Behaviour, 78(6), 1471-1475. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.09.033
Stutt AD, & Siva-Jothy MT. (2001) Traumatic insemination and sexual conflict in the bed bug Cimex lectularius. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98(10), 5683-7. PMID: 11331783
Siva-Jothy, M. (2006) Trauma, disease and collateral damage: conflict in cimicids. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 361(1466), 269-275. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2005.1789
Abele, L., & Gilchrist, S. (1977) Homosexual rape and sexual selection in acanthocephalan worms. Science, 197(4298), 81-83. DOI: 10.1126/science.867055
- September 17, 2010
- 11:49 AM
- 832 views
What’s Killing California’s Sea Otters?
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Sea Otters are turning up dead in central California. In 2007, 11 sea otters were recovered from Monterrey Bay. Over the last three years, dead otters washing up on beaches has reached a record high?
What could be causing all these otter deaths? Are there new predators in the area? Is there some kind of disease? [...]... Read more »
Miller, M., Kudela, R., Mekebri, A., Crane, D., Oates, S., Tinker, M., Staedler, M., Miller, W., Toy-Choutka, S., Dominik, C.... (2010) Evidence for a Novel Marine Harmful Algal Bloom: Cyanotoxin (Microcystin) Transfer from Land to Sea Otters. PLoS ONE, 5(9). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012576
- September 16, 2010
- 01:00 PM
- 1,116 views
Non-Monophyly within Syngnathidae
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Objective 1: Develop the least publicly accessible title for a blog post about seadragons, mate selection, and evolution
Objective 1 Status: complete
Objective 2: Draw in whatever readers push passed the unwieldy title with an unconventional narrative structure.
Objective 2 Status: complete
Objective 3: Hook the reader with a fascinating, though brief, background on seahorses, seadragons, and pipefish.
Female [...]... Read more »
Wilson, N., & Rouse, G. (2010) Convergent camouflage and the non-monophyly of ‘seadragons’ (Syngnathidae: Teleostei): suggestions for a revised taxonomy of syngnathids. Zoologica Scripta. DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00449.x
- September 8, 2010
- 04:00 PM
- 1,245 views
Our favorite sea monsters – The Giant Manta Special Edition
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
Sea Monsters, mythical beasts of legend and lore that ply the world’s oceans, sinking ships, terrifying sailors, swallowing entire crews whole. Sea monsters occupy a special place in our imagination. The ocean is huge, unfathomable. Of course mighty beast could dwell within, undetected.
Every once in a long while, the myths, the legends, the stories, turn [...]... Read more »
ANDREA D. MARSHALL1, LEONARD J.V. COMPAGNO, & MICHAEL B. BENNETT1. (2009) Redescription of the genus Manta with resurrection of Manta alfredi (Krefft, 1868) (Chondrichthyes; Myliobatoidei; Mobulidae). Zootaxa. info:/
- September 8, 2010
- 11:03 AM
- 1,220 views
Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Can methane bubbles sink ships?
by Southern Fried Scientist in Southern Fried Science
One of the often cited causes for ships that mysteriously and quickly disappear are methane bubbles, released from sub-seafloor gas pockets. The story goes that as methane rises to the surface, the bubbles cause the density of seawater to drop, and any ships in the area suddenly lose buoyancy and spontaneously sink. This effect has [...]... Read more »
May, D., & Monaghan, J. (2003) Can a single bubble sink a ship?. American Journal of Physics, 71(9), 842. DOI: 10.1119/1.1582187
Hueschen, M. (2010) Can bubbles sink ships?. American Journal of Physics, 78(2), 139. DOI: 10.1119/1.3263819
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