The male wrinkle-faced bat uses an elaborate display, including a facemask and a combination of echolocation sounds, wingbeats, and whistles to attract females.
Category: biology
Play Helped Dogs Be Our Best Friends – Scientific American
Dogs are amazingly diverse. Selective breeding for a variety of traits created the breeds we have today. Play between humans and dogs was a key part of this process.
Blue Whale Song Timing Reveals Time to Go – Scientific American
Blue whales switch from singing at night to singing during the day when they’re about to migrate.
Cows with Eye Images Keep Predators in Arrears – Scientific American
Cows painted with eyespots kept predators at bay.
Old Art Offers Agriculture Info – Scientific American
A biologist and an art historian have teamed up in search of old artworks that shed light on how fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains have changed through selective breeding over time.
Civil War Vaccine May Have Lessons for COVID-19 – Scientific American
What virus was used to vaccinate soldiers against smallpox during the Civil War?
Zombie Crickets Possessed by Water Worms – A Graphic Novel – San Diego Natural History Museum
A graphic novel I researched and co-wrote for the Coast to Cactus exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Donut Sugar Could Help Stored Blood Last – Scientific American
Don’t let the title fool you, tardigrades and sea-monkeys also figure prominently in this story.
Birds on Rhinos’ Back Help Them Avoid Poachers – Scientific American
Red-billed oxpeckers serve as lookouts for black rhinos, sounding the alarm when poachers approach.
Squid Glowing Skin Patterns May Be Code – Scientific American
E-readers are cool. But what if you’re an e-squid?
Tiny Wormlike Creature May Be Our Oldest Known Ancestor – Scientific American
Meet your oldest animal relative.
Swamp Wallaby Reproduction Give Tribbles a Run – Scientific American
Swamp wallabies are always pregnant.
Stress from Undersea Noise Interferes with Crab Camouflage – Scientific American
Loud noise from ships thwarts shore crab camouflage.
Indigenous Amazonians Managed Valuable Plant Life – Scientific American
Tropical forests keep a record of the history and culture surrounding them.
Sign Languages Display Distinct Ancestries – Scientific American
Linguists studied the evolution and dispersal of sign languages using tools from evolutionary biology.
Moths Flee or Face Bats Depending on Toxicity – Scientific American
Being toxic makes tiger moths lazy when predators approach.
Ant Colonies Avoid Traffic Jams – Scientific American
Ants are less selfish and therefore better at managing traffic than we are. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ant-colonies-avoid-traffic-jams/#transcripts-body
Odd Bird Migrates Twice To Breed – Scientific American
The phainopepla has bright red eyes, a pointy topknot, and jet-black feathers. But its most unusual characteristic may be its rare reproductive strategy – breeding in two different places during a single season. Listen to my 60-Second Science podcast at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/odd-bird-migrates-twice-to-breed/#transcripts-body
Tardigrade Protein Protects DNA from Chemical Attack – Scientific American
A protein unique to these hardy creatures protects them from damage from radiation and other perils. Listen to the Scientific American 60-Second Science podcast: podcast: https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/tardigrade-protein-protects-dna-from-chemical-attack/#transcripts-body
Teeth Tell Black Death Genetic Tale – Scientific American
It took centuries for the population of Europe to recover from the devastation wrought by the Black Death, aka, the plague. A new study looks at its genetic origins.
Susanne Clara Bard 