Biology Fact of the Day

[bcarl]

Actually SSY, you've mixed up homologous and analogous features. homologous features share similar structure indicating common descent, such as the same skeletal components in the forelimb of man, dog, whale, bat, etc. (divergent evolution) analogous structures may result from convergent evolution, resulting in similarly functioning structures in organisms which do not share recent common ancestry. for example, a bat wing and a butterfly wing.

[Sophus]

A Japanese salmon species thought to be extinct for 70 years is alive and well in a lake near Mount Fuji, a science professor said Wednesday.

[Recusant]

I thought about posting this in its own thread, but it works for this one...

BBC: Ancient humans, dubbed 'Denisovans', interbred with us

This is the first I've heard about these Denisovans.  I guess I should be keeping my ear to the ground better!

Another BBC article about the discovery from this past March.




It's too bad, but I guess not all that surprising, that we're the only species of homo left around.  In another way, it's probably just as well though.  Just imagine the prejudice they would suffer if they were still sharing the world with us. It's likely that xenophobia is one of the main reasons that all we have from them is a contribution to our DNA.

[Sophus]

Crows can use tools. Seriously cool video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtmLVP0HvDg

[Recusant]

:cool:

[Sophus]

I agree, it's a very cool little video.  I've flogged it on this forum at least twice (corvid enthusiast that I am).  I'm glad that somebody else has seen its worth. :eek2:

[karadan]

Yeah, crows are awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPGknpq3e0

I tried to find a specific clip but it isn't on youtube. A few years back i saw a programme about crows. There was a service station up north where some clever crows had divised a way to retrieve food from open-topped bins. Basically, their wing span was too wide to let them escape the confines of a bin after getting in there. So, working together, a few crows would stand on the lip of the bin whilst a few others lifted the bin liner a tad. They would then stand on the part of the liner pulled up to anchor it. They would repeat the process until the bottom of the bin liner (and the refuse contained therein) was close to the top. They'd then grab all the goodies and throw it on the ground for the others.

Bloody clever.

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

Crows can use tools. Seriously cool video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtmLVP0HvDg

I've seen this before. Clever little bastards.

[The Black Jester]

The Fusiform Face Area of the Fusiform Gyrus in the Temporal Lobe is responsible for the ability to identify faces.  Without it, you can't.

[Tank]

The Southern Right Whale has the largest testicles of any creature, weighing in at one ton for the pair. They are attached to a 12 ft long prehensile penis! 

[xSilverPhinx]