The Past Few Days

Hey everyone, sorry I've been quiet the past couple of days, but I have an excuse: calculus. Seriously, calculus has pervaded every facet of my daily life for the past few days, haunting my dreams, wearing me down to a weary, broken shell of a man...and my final was this morning. I'll say simply that it didn't go well. For further explanation, I defer to Nicolas Cage. Fastfoward to 1:19 in the following video:

I wanted to do that. It was bad. I mean, I studied, but the simple fact is that I don't have high school calculus to back me up, and this class has been brutal. The final was worse than I suspected, and frankly, I admit defeat. I'm just going to hope the curve saves me, and if not, I'll retake the course next quarter. It's not fun, and I'm really embarrassed to truly fail at a class, something I've never done before, but that's life. If I want to be a zoologist, I just have to tough it out and keep fighting Newton's challenging legacy tooth and nail...

Blogging Among Friends

So, those of you that read me on here (and I fear that number may be low, as my absence has no doubt discouraged you) tend to have your own blogs as well, or at least be connected with a few others, so it's hard to find new ones out of the blue without some prior personal knowledge. The converse is also true: unless your friends start reading it, having a blog at the start is like having a journal which is open to googling. Point being: it's nice to be connected to other people on here.

That brings me to my point. See, I have a friend here at Davis, Evan. He too is in the Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity department, and he too spends some of his rainier weekends plunging his hands into muddy buckets in search of salamanders, just like me. We are friends. And now he has a blog! I find it quite entertaining, so if you would like to get a taste of this wonderful internet opportunity, pop on over to "Ramblings of a Young Biologist". Yes, he too rambles, and he too is a young biologist. We're like twins without the same mom part.

Fun Fact 12/2

So it's a rainy evening here in Davis, and I'm currently enjoying a Diet Coke and some rest in my dorm before heading off to Calculus, followed by a couple hours of work at the fish lab. So, I decided to blog a little bit before I go, seeing as I've underutilized these interludes for most of the quarter. Needless to say, a fun fact for today is in order. So, for inspiration, I turned to my room mate Trevor, who sits about 10 feet from me at his desk. I asked him what his favorite animal was, and after some pondering, he concluded that he likes tigers. So, rather than doing one long fact about these big cats, I figured I'd give you a small list of things to digest about tigers.

• Tigers belong to the genus Panthera, which includes all other big cats. It's latin name is Panthera tigris, but there are also several subspecies of tigers, nine in all. Three of these, sadly, are extinct, but the other six still exist, despite critical endangerment in some areas. The largest of the living subspecies is the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
• Tigers are the largest of all big cats, weighing in excess of 500 pounds in some imstances
• Tigers are notorious in some parts of the world for having developed a taste for human flesh. In one part of India and Bangladesh, a large swamp known as the Sundarbans boasts huge numbers of tiger attacks. In one case, a tiger actually leaped up into a boat from the water to attack a man.
• Tigers can take down very large prey. In India, they often hunt Sambar deer, sneaking up on them and then pouncing on their backs, attacking the neck with their powerful jaws. Bites to the neck can sever the spinal column, deprive the brain of oxygen, and cut through the jugular vein, all of which are fatal.
• stripes on these animals serve to break up its pattern in dense brush and forest. Few realize how effective this is until seeing it in action. Try to find the tiger in the following photo:
• Tigers can sprint between 30 and 40 miles per hour
• To avoid tiger attacks, many people in India and elsewhere would wear masks resembling human faces on the back of their heads, believing that these would convince hunting tigers that the element of surprise had been lost.
• The only place where tigers can be found alongside lions is in India, where small pockets of the endangered Asiatic lion (Panthera leo perscica) can be found along with Bengal tigers
• Tigers are highly solitary and territorial animals, with home ranges extending (in males) up to 100 square kilometers

So yeah, that's some of my tiger facts. If you want more, email me or something. I'm going to get ready to go to Calculus discussion, but you have a nice evening.

NASA Finds new life...in Mono Lake

Mono Lake, for those of you who haven't been there, is a pretty extreme place. Located downslope of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, north of Mammoth and right near the entrance to Yosemite National Park at Tioga Pass, it's a lake characterized by amazingly high salinity and alkalinity. Very little lives in it, save for some species of shrimp. It is also a breeding ground for over 90% of seagulls in the state, making it a pretty important place.

But as of an announcement today, this place also apparently has some residents which are pretty mind-blowing. Researchers from NASA, the US Geological Survey, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found a microbe that uses something in its biological structure that no other organism on earth can: arsenic. See, every living thing on earth, from you to your cat to a squid, uses the same six elements for life: Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorous. But a particular strain of Gamaproteobacteria found in Mono Lake completely changes that assumption. The researchers grew this particular bacterium in the lab, feeding it these elements, including phosphorus. But when they removied phosphorus and added arsenic instead, something astounding happened: the bacteria kept growing. Somehow, though more work needs to be done, the bacteria are incorporating the normally extremely poisonous element into their cellular structure.

This is a big deal, mind you. It may not sound like much, but this creates a whole other view of how life can exist, both here on Earth, and (for astrobiologists) on other planets. I'm pretty excited to see where this goes from here!

Fun Fact 12/1

Ah yes, fun facts, those are back.
Well, today I decided to enlighten you all to a fact which is another common misconception. I often like to do these sorts of fun facts, since it may help my small readership avoid making otherwise commonplace errors in zoological discussion. Today's clarification falls similarly into the vein of the sorts of taxonomic errors pertaining to species distinctions. Namely, the differences between two very well known amphibious creatures: Crocodiles and Alligators.

So, what is the difference? Well, I'm going to tell you how to tell the difference, but I'd also like to delve into reptile classification a bit as well so you can see not only how but also why there is a distinct difference between using those two names. First off, lets get the easy part done. Let's say you're in a swamp somewhere in the world, or a wetland of some sort, and a scaly, toothed creature swims past you. Now, those of you who don't already know the difference, both anatomically and geographically, might be inclined to peg the reptile you see as a "crocodile". But you might feel equally inclined to call it an "alligator" as well. They're both green, scaly, and bitey, aren't they? Cartoons often depict them identically, right? Well, no. And knowing the difference in this hypothetical situation could in fact save your life!

Anatomical Differences:
So, first off, take a peek at the creature's head. Almost all the distinguishing characters for your ID are around the animal's head. So, if it's an alligator, several things should be clear. For one, the snout should be rounded. If you look at the lower picture there on the left, observe just how broad the individual's snout it. Now compare that to the upper image, the crocodile. See how it's jaws are shaped more like a triangular death machine? Here's a better picture:

An additional difference on the head can be seen from the side. Namely, these critters have dental differences as well. With an alligator, if you were to lay down alongside it and peer at its impressive jaws from the side when they were closed, you would notice that only upper teeth are visible when it has its jaws closed. The lower teeth fit inside the mouth when the animal has its jaws closed. In crocodiles, this is not so. Their lower teeth are clearly visible in several places along the jaw. Additionally, crocodiles are typically lighter in color than alligators.

Taxonomic Differences:
So, that was my long winded way of explaining just what the very basic differences are between crocodiles and alligators. It could have been a short paragraph. "But Charlie!", you implore your computer screen, "those are so basic! I want a complete understanding of this topic so that I can know for sure!". I'm glad you asked. So, as you can imagine, differences in the animal kingdom are not sorted simply by looks. Indeed, the practice of sorting animals according to their most accurate relations is called taxonomy, and it may spice up this seemingly easy clarification to explore some taxonomy this afternoon. So, to begin, let us first establish the basic group that crocodiles and alligators belong to. They fall, like all reptiles, into Class Reptilia. And from there, we narrow it down to Order Crocodilia. Crocodilia contains our two topics of discussion, as well as caimans and gharials, pictured below:

Aren't they precious? At any rate, these groups all fall under this order, which in turn is broken down into three superfamilies (which is an overarching category for the family):

• Gavialoidea: This group contains family Gavialidae, which encompasses the gharial of India, as well as the false gharial of southeast Asia.
• Alligatoroidea: This group contains one family, Alligatoridae, which in turn contains two subfamilies: Alligatorinae and Caimaninae
• Crocodyloidea: this contains family Crocodylidae, which again in turn contains subfamily Crocodylinae, which encompasses crocodiles.

Whew. So, they are in different groups. So what? Well, this distinction encompasses the fact that each has been shaped by different forces of evolution, as well as the fact that there are distinct variations across the whole group. Alligators and caimans are very similar, whereas crocodiles get their own Superfamily. But more importantly, there are also departures from one another in diversity. There are only two species of alligator: the well known American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the highly endagered Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis). Though, the group does get a boost from the closely related caimans, of which there are eight species. Compare this to crocodiles, which boast a more impressive species count at 13. Total, there are 23 species in the Order altogether.

Geographic differences:
So, with taxonomy covered, how about that question of where they live? Go back to out hypothetical wetland. You may be able to figure out what the animal is simply by looking, but with so many species out there, and some species looking alike (like Alligators and Caimans often do), that may not do you a whole lot of good. So, let's discuss the geographic variations among the Crocodilians. To begin, Alligators are found in small pockets in China and in very high numbers across southeastern North America. Caimans are found in much of South America, with their range extending into parts of the Caribbean as well. Gharials are more limited, with their natural range only occuring in India and parts of Southeast Asia. Finally, Crocodiles. Crocodiles occur very widely, on 5 continents. They are the only crocodilian species in Australia and Africa, and they share continents with other groups.

However, keeping in mind the relatively limited scope of the original question, the only place on earth where you would be able to see both a crocodile and an alligator would be right here in the good ol' US of A, in Florida. There, the extremely numerous American alligator actually overlaps the range of the aptly named American Crocodile, which is found primarily in Central America, but extends into Florida.

Behavior Differences
Lastly, I wish to briefly touch upon the fact that there is also a pretty big difference in how dangerous these critters are as well. Alligators are generally the safer of the two, but some species of crocodile, namely big ones like the Nile, Saltwater, and Mugger can be pretty bad news should you stumble upon one in some waterway. Nile crocodiles kill a surprisingly huge number of people in Africa each year, and attacks in Australia by Saltwater crocodiles are also rather high, particularly compared to many other large, traumatogenic animals.

This could be due to alot of reasons. My guess would be that, in the wild, alligators typically hunt pretty easy to eat prey, such as turtles, waterfowl, and the occasional deer. Compare this to the diet and ecosystem of a Nile crocodile, which makes a living munching on wildebeest, cape buffalo, and zebras, all of which have evolved to fight predators on the savannah. Additionally, Africa is filled with competitors: lions, hyenas, leopards, you name it. As a result, Nile crocodiles are probably a much more "take what you can get" type of animal...not to mention more than ready to kill you for food. All in all though, this is also due to the fact that so many people live around and use water across Africa for a variety of things, and so put themselves right next to crocodiles.



So, in short, that's the difference. I hope you enjoyed the MEGA Fun Fact! Have a good evening.

My Oatmeal.

It has little dinosaurs in it! I'm eating it right now, rather than trudging all the way to the dining commons. So far, the species lurking amongst the brown sugar and oats include: Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, what appears to be an Ankylosaurus, Triceratops, and an unidentified lump presumably scarred by the heat and stirring of its brutal microwaved environment. This is awesome.

I have my floormates to thank for this bountiful paleontological feast of course, they gave me a box of this wonderful stuff as a birthday present. The dinosaurs hatch out of eggs as you stir. So magical.

Some Rearrangements

Hey all, just letting you know about some rearrangements here on the ol' blog. I have a new email address, see, and this means I have a new Google account as well. I'd like to link this blog to my new address, but the process is a headache. I'm going to try it, but I may lose some info in the process, mainly followers. So, if you follow the blog and you're reading this, just resubscribe if it disappears. I'll let you know how the changeover goes.

UPDATE: It worked, surprisingly well. I'm all linked up and ready to go!

Ok...so....

Wow. It has been a while, hasn't it? And I mean that in the "months" sense of the phrase, not the "weeks" sense of it. And even after I promised to keep up posting! Alas, I feel I have let my small readership down, I must admit. But today I'll change that. Today is my birthday, first of all, and turning 18 should endow a certain degree of responsibility in me, blogging included.

So, let me fill you in, should you care to listen. I'm a student at UC Davis now. Not "going to be" or even "just about to be", I flat out am ladies and gentlemen. And it's great! The quarter is nearing its end, and I've had a blast along the way. Let me summarize:

Classes:
Geology has been fun, though most of the material we've covered isn't exactly new, I tightened up alot of the things I vaguely recall about basic geoscience, and its been really interesting studying it in a class to be sure.

Wildlife Ecology has been without a doubt my favorite class. We have guest lecturers on everything from zebra stripes to great white sharks, and I have yet to attend a class where I don;t feel totally engaged. I've learned alot about conservation as well, which is pretty awesome. Also, I got to meet Peter Klimley, author of my favorite shark book, and professional shark nut. It was great!

Calculus. Oh Calculus. Calculus is that great invention of Newton's, passed down over the centuries as a noble application of numbers and theory to the heavens. Calculus is central to many things in physics, it is a true scientific innovation. And here, in the 17A lecture series for this class...I despise it. It has been brutal. I've been barely getting by, and frankly, I'm a little worried if I mess up the final, I may have to retake the class. But at the same time, I am glad I'm taking it, in a funny way. It's a challenge, but I'm going to feel so much more accomplished having finished this one up than any of my other classes.

Communism. Basically, it was a reiteration of Dr. Reti's history class from last year. With donuts and a kindly Romanian lady. But I enjoyed it.

Research:

Ah-ha! The fun stuff! Well, research here has gone, if you'll pardon the partially appropriate pun, swimmingly. I'm currently involved in work under two labs: The Wainwright Fish Lab and the Shaffer Herpetology Lab. For the Wainwright lab, I work for a great gut named Chris Martin, and I measure African cichlid skull features on a computer! They're undergoing speciation in the wild, see, and in order to determine just when and where this happening, its important to collect appropriate measurements of their phenotypes...and that's where I come in!

In the herp lab, I get to have even more fun! On rainy days, I get to go out to Jepson Prairie Reserve and check salamander traps for the elusive and adorable California Tiger Salamander! We use drift fences, which are essentially staked tarps running along the ground with gaps filled by buckets. Salamanders are migrating this time of year as it gets wetter and wetter. The adults are moving to the growing vernal pools for breeding, while the freshly metamorphosed juveniles are dispersing outwards from their summer homes on the pools' fringes. They hit our fences, find the gaps, and fall in the buckets. Fun stuff!

Whew...so that's my brief summary, here to assure you that I'm back, and I'll begin to post again.

The Blog Shall Rise Again

I'm not dead. Neither is this place, this electronic temple of my ramblings, I assure you. I'm in Davis now, typing from my dorm room with a week of residence hall living and classes behind me. And in the tumult of this change, it has been easy to overlook my dear blog. But, just as the birds survived the mass extinction of 65 million years ago and moved on into the Cenozoic, so shall I write anew amidst my new and updated college life! In short, I plan on resuming regular logging of thoughts, fun facts, and all else here. So, if you're still reading, fear not, for (like the birds) I am still here. =)

By the way: UC Davis is AWESOME.

Fun Fact of the Day 8/27: Stream of Consciousness

First off, let me tell you about something that, while a fact, is not at all fun: i got all four of my wisdom teeth unceremoniously torn from my skull yesterday, and though numb and frantically breathing in laughing gas from the mask they gave me, I was still a bit too lucid through the whole thing...I just tried not to think about what exactly all that clicking, tapping, and immense pushing actually entailed n terms of damage to my poor mouth. I instead attempted to focus on other things, anything actually...unicorns, that one person I like (she came up alot, damn laughing gas), Stephen Jay Gould's paper I was reading in the lobby, and lots and lots of dinosaurs. Anyway, the point is, it reminded me of a past couple of fun facts I've done, in which I relate a barrage of random facts rather than one long one. Just like my brain clicked and whirred to a bunch of different places while the dentist tore my jaw apart, so I shall now impart on you, dear readers, a series of randoms much in the same manner. And so, with my analogous and biographical introduction typed out, let us begin. **inhales deeply**

• Godzilla, both the American and Japanese versions of the monster, is actually impossible: his weight and nuclear organ (yes, he has one) would cause him to explode like bomb upon surfacing, making a great mess of the harbor, but leaving alot to be desired in the vein of classic urban destruction
• Zebras' stripes serve as a means of blurring together their outlines when they are in a group, making the group appear large and threatening to a potential predator
• While most populations of African lions display sexual dimorphism, in which males have manes and females do not, there is an area in Kenya called Tsavo where the males are maneless, and also hunt with the females. These lions are also infamous for attacking and eating humans
• The largest fish in the world is the Whale Shark, which feeds on plankton and can reach over 5o feet in length
• Vultures are bald so that they are able to insert their heads inside of carcasses without their feathers becoming coated in fluid and becoming a hindrance
• Bats are the only mammals native to the Hawaiian islands, colonizing them with their also distinctive gify among mammals, flight
• Every flying animal has a different anatomical configuration for wing design. In bats, the wing is formed of the extended finger bones, for example. But in pterosaurs, the flying reptiles of the Mesozoic, the weight of flight was actually borne by the equivalent of the bone of the pinky finger, which could be several feet long
• The lines seen on the chins and bellies of many species of whale (all with this "pleating" belong to the Rorqual family of whales) are actually small folds that allow the animal to distend it's mouth when feeding, providing extra water volume
• The largest carnivore living on earth currently is the Sperm whale
• When the evidence of dinosaurs was first discovered, some scientists actually believed it to be evidence of the previous existence of giant birds. Only in the late 20th century, when science shed light upon just how bird-like dinosaurs really were, does this very early supposition actually appear ironically correct in some capacity
• Killer whales are not whales at all, but large dolphins
• Some of the most venomous species of snakes are the sea snakes, but biting for them is difficult because they are rear-fanged, with tiny teeth in the back of the mouth delivering the venom
• The bite of a shrew is mildly venomous
• California was once home to several species of wolves, lions, and mastodons during the Pleistocene era. During the time of the dinosaurs, over half of the state was underwater, including the spot from which I type, here in Palmdale. At least we had it better than the central US, which was entirely underwater at the time
• There are rumored to be moths in the Amazon rainforest which feed on the fluids in one's eyeball. A victim of such a moth would likely awake in the morning to find their eye a shriveled, tiny sac, devoid of fluid.
• Some species of catfish deep in the amazon and mekong rivers, in South America and China respectively, can reach lengths of over 10 feet, and are rumored, at least in the Amazon, to have eaten human children
• Constrictor snakes (boas and pythons) kill their prey with immense strength as they wrap around them. Contrary to popular belief, however, it is usually not suffocation that kills the prey, but the rupturing of capillaries in the brain by the immense increase in blood pressure
• Portugese ManO'War are not actually single organisms, but entire colonies of specialized organisms, much like coral. This stands in contrast to jellyfish, which are singular organisms.
• Aquaman can swim at speeds of over 150 miles per hour, and , in some versions, is immune to bullet fire on land because of his ability to survive immense pressure while submerged.
• The evolution of color vision in primates was largely driven by the need to distinguish between poisonous and safe leaves and fruits to eat, a determination usually made by subtle differences in coloration.
• Only female mosquitoes suck blood, males eat nectar
• We have explored less than 10% of the ocean floor, and new species are discovered almost every time trips are made down there
• The Mariana trench is the deepest part of the ocean, reaching 6.85 miles deep at it's lowest region
• Tyrannosaurus Rex teeth have tiny serrations, which end in pinhole slits. These pinholes absorb force and prevent the serrations from breaking
• Badgers are rumored to dig so fast, that they seem to disappear straight into the ground in a shower of dirt
• Asian elephants, among other differences, have only one lip on the end of their trunk, while African elephants have two, allowing them to pick up objects easier

And, that will be all for tonight. Until tomorrow, dear readers, thank you for reading.

Oh Hey...CrikeyF**k! It's been a while!

Hello, all. Well, I've been a bit remiss since I got back from SNARL: catching up with people, adjusting to the disgusting heat here, etc. But I like blogging too much, and if anyone reads this, I owe them the usual regimented posting pattern I've adhered to since picking up blogging. So, let me begin by regaling you with my trip, the long two-week Odyssey to Davis and halfway back...

First off, orientation. I left for Davis on August first more than a little stressed out, I must admit. My IB scores were missing, I couldn't figure out some code they needed me to have, and I was worried about both my score on the math placement exam and taking the chem exam. So, I piled groggily into the car early that morning with my dad and headed up there. And, perhaps to my surprise, the whole affair turned out to be pretty nice. I won't go through the whole process with you, nor do I want to type it out, but basically I spent three days doing a variety of things. Firstly, and most importantly, our orientation leaders familiarized us with the class catalog and how registration works beforehand, and how to line up major and GE courses we wanted. Secondly, it gave me the chance to meet some new people. Within my major (Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity, one of seven for the College of BioSci, which had three ~500 person orientations), there were only seven people, and I got to know all of them personally, which was kind of cool. One guy reminded me, if I may be so bold, of myself, and I really liked talking to him. We also got to see the campus, and get our placement exams squared away (I passed both of mine, but chem was full when I registered, so I'm only taking Calculus this quarter). All in all, it was a busy, but worthwhile three days, and I'm glad to be al registered. Here's my schedule:
--Math 17A, Calc. for Biology
--Geology 1, The Earth
--Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
--And a freshman seminar on electrical issues...it was the last out of like 50 open...

After Davis though, my Dad didn't take me home. Instead, he drove me up through the mountains and down into the Eastern Sierra and dropped me off for my first official employment at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, or SNARL. My job there consisted essentially of what I've been volunteering to do for the past few summers, by helping with squirrel research up in Rock Creek Canyon. I did that back in June, but because one of the other employees had to leave early, the professor running the study was nice enough to offer me an 11-day job up there. When I got there, it was me and one other employee in the cabin, she was also doing squirrel work, and we'd ride to Rock Creek every day with Andy, the phd student who's finishing up the study for the summer (The professor left in July, so it was just Andy, Page, and Me, and then Page left a few days after I got there).

Daily work consisted of trapping squirrels and processing them: weighing them, getting fecal samples, noting sex and age, etc. Then, if Andy hadn't caught the squirrel recently or at all, he'd put it through a brief behavior test of curiosity called the holeboard, which examines how many holes the squirrel investigates in a set amount of time. Behavior observations, and thus dye-marking, were already done for the season. Back at SNARL, we also had a few sets of captive squirrels in the lab, and Andy would test them in a more elaborate version of the holeboard which examined their reluctance to emerge from an artificial burrow system after a predator is sighted (in this case, a Frisbee thrown over the holeboard). We also did some tests with hormone blockers, so I had to get up a couple mornings and clean the cages (we traded off), and in addition, feed the squirrels drugged peanut butter.

As for daily life at SNARL, I'll admit, at first it was a bit hard to adjust to. After Page left, I had Q8, my cabin, all to myself, and with work finishing at about noon each day, it got pretty lonely...
Ok, not that lonely, but it was a bit depressing at times. I missed people, and it was dark as hell up there and creepy at night. But I got used to it, my mom came to visit one weekend, and I rented some movies to watch. And, the thursday before I left, I got a whole slew of roommates from UCSB doing amphibian research, and they were really nice. One was even a doppleganger for Sheldon, from "The Big Bang Theory". And I must say, do biologists ever like to drink. I didn't know what a prairie fire was before I went to SNARL, until I watched them do one with tequila and hot sauce. I did not partake...but it was interesting to watch.

In short, SNARL was a good experience in solitude, field research, and meeting new people, all useful things for college if I may tack on a life lesson here. It was a good two weeks, and I hope you enjoyed hearing my paraphrased version of it here on my blog.

In other news:
Back in palmdale for the past week, it has been pretty fun as well. I went to the beach at Point Dume last Tuesday, and was witness to both how freezing the Pacific is even in August and a variety of sealife: purple-striped jellyfish, dolphins, and several species of birds. I also went to Magic Mountain last Friday, which was short on wildlife, but still pretty fun (I got a picture with Batman =D). In less exciting and more nerve-wracking news, I get my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow evening. No anesthetic, only laughing gas, two are impacted...it's gonna be a long weekend...

So, that's my recap, thanks for reading: fun facts and more will resume shortly.

Happy Shark Week!!!

Ok, so I'm here at SNARL, many many miles from the ocean or even a man-made swimming pool. But, while it is nice here (despite the dreariness that it maintains in the afternoon), I am a bit distressed to be missing one of my favorite weeks of the entire year: Shark Week, courtesy of the Discovery Channel. Sharks have always been my favorite animals, and having a week of shows dedicated to them is something I absolutely love. But, unfortunately, there is no t.v. here for me to view these spectacular animals all week, so I'm afraid I'll have to catch up on the 15th when I come home. But, I do wish to give you some shark tips for Shark Week:

• First off, while I adore Shark Week, I do wish for you to pay attention to some of the programming carefully. You see, the one downside to this week is that many of the programs are devoted entirely to shark attacks, rather than to a more balanced and realistic picture of the animals portrayed. Sometimes shows focus on bloody, scary attacks with lots of music and flashy reenactments, but it is important to remember that for every shark attack, almost no people have ever been eaten by a shark. Indeed, most attacks are the result of exploratory or defensive bites, delivered with power the shark can't control. Even a quick nip can be powerful enough to open arteries and kill a person, when the shark really isn't attempting to eat the person at all. And even with fatalities, remember you are more likely to: be killed by a pig, be killed by a toilet, be killed by falling airplane parts, get struck by lightning, or be killed by sand than killed by a shark. So, for all the splendor of shark week, don't let the sensationalism get to your head: sharks prefer to leave us alone, and we do far more damage to them than they ever do to us.
• Try to learn from these shows as much as you can, because sharks are one of the most fascinating groups of animals on earth and they deserve your attention
• Record the shows. For me.
• Tell me how it was when I get back!
• If you have any shark questions, email me. Seriously, my roommate leaves SNARL tomorrow, so I'll be alone and very lonely up here all next week. Shark emails would be something to do (If you want to, just ask for my email in the comments).

So yeah, despite my absence, I wish to impart upon you, my readers, a love of sharks and an enthusiasm for Shark Week '10. Now run to your couch and begin watching! It's already been several days!

Additionally, my computer does not have working internet here, it's having some connection issues. I'm on a communal-use laptop. So, posts may still happen, but I don't know about daily, my apologies.

Hello All

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, Bass Lake and this past week have been busy full of studying and fun, inversely. At any rate, I'm off to UC Davis tomorrow for my three day orientation! It should be fun at the same time that it is stressful (chemistry test and potentially a math test...joy, explains the studying I've been doing). And after that, I head straight to SNARL to start my job as a squirrel researcher! So, I'll be back on the 15th of August. I won;t have internet or time at Davis, but I may have it in SNARL, and if I do, expect from me a steady stream of fun facts to make up for it. Have a nice evening, I'll post when I can!

Fun Fact of the Day 7/19

Well, due once again to my proximity a lake, I'll share another freshwater fun fact with you all this evening. I was playing "Crush The Castle 2" earlier today, and later on in the fantastic flash adventure that comprises that game, one of the fling-able weapons given to the player by a wizard is a jar of electric eels, used to elctrocute targets inside the castle walls via metal parts of the structure. As morbidly joyous of an experience as shocking enemies until they explode into little crimson showers was, the biologist inside of me did detect an error: electric eels can't generate anywhere near that much electricity. So that got me thinking: I should inform my readership about these animals for my fun fact today. And here I am.

Electric eels, despite their misleading name, are actually not eels at all. Actual eels belong to the order Anguilliformes, and this order includes such well-known species as the moray eel, and the enormous Atlantic conger eels. Electric eels, however, are closer related to catfish and carp than to true eels. Specifically, they belong to the family Gymnotidae, or the naked-backed knifefish. Unlike many true eels, the electric eel instead dwells in the freshwater of the Amazon river, like many of it's knifefish kin. Unusually for a fish, this animal also breathes air, rising to the surface every ten minutes or so to "gulp" it, obtaining 80% of it's required oxygen in this manner. They live in still or even stagnant water, feeding on invertebrates and small fish. They also have really quite interesting breeding manners as well. During the dry season, a male electric eel will make an actual nest out of his saliva, and the female will deposit a large number of eggs into it.

Now, all these things aside, the aspect that draws many people to electric eels is their namesake: their ability to generate electricity, known as bioelectrogenesis. Such a concept may inspire some pretty far-fetched images. But, sadly (SyFy, I'm talking to you.) images of electric eels setting whole stretches of water aglow with bright bolts of sizzling electricity, shocking all in sight with steaming glory are, perhaps obviously, defunct. But nonetheless, electric eels are impressive examples of the ability to do this. Now, overall, electricity did not evolve as a weapon. Knifefish, as a group use electricity not to attack or defend, but to navigate. Minute electrical fields on either side of the animal detect interruptions, allowing it to detect the direction of prey and orient itself even in pitch black conditions. And, to some degree, the electric eel can use it's shocking ability to do this as well. There are three portions of the eel's body devoted to electrical impulse production: the main organ, the hunter's organ, and the sachs organ. All three of these areas are located in the eel's tail, which makes up around 80% of it's body in the anterior portion. All three organs are comprised on a cellular level by specialized electrical cells called electrocytes. Electrocytes are flat, disc-shaped cells, with a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other. On their surface, they have acetylcholine receptors. When an electrical impulse begins, it originates in the so-called "pacemaker organ", a bundle of nerve cells that controls the rate of electrical impulses by sending and receiving them. When the electric eel detects prey, or a threat, this organ sends an impulse to the electrocytes, which are stacked like the inside of a battery to produce a current. When the nerves fire, they release ACH (acetylcholine), which binds to the ACH receptors on the cell surface. This in turn causes ATP powered protein pumps to actively transport large amounts of potassium and sodium ions out of the cell, creating an electric charge. Since the cells are stacked together, each one produces a charge of about 0.15 volts, but in current form, the organs can produce larger volts. The organs can produce both low and high voltage impulses, both of which vary in intensity based on the size of the eel. High voltage impulses from large adult eels can reach voltages of up to 650 volts, and 1 ampere of energy, which is potentially enough to kill an adult human. They use these impulses to locate food, to communicate, to hunt, and to defend themselves against predators.

Fascinating, isn't it? I love biology...

Fun Fact of the Day 7/18

Well, I'm spending the next extended week next to a lake, so it seems only appropriate that I share a fun fact about a little known freshwater animal that I find quite remarkable: Himantura chaophraya, the Giant Freshwater Stingray. I first read about this particular fish last summer, and I was blown away by just how immense it was. Look at the picture! Isn't that amazing? They're found in sandy river environments across Southeast Asia, particularly in the deltas of the Mekong, Bongpakong, Tachin, Tapi, Nan, and Chao Phraya rivers. It feeds on other benthic, or bottom dwelling animals, including fish and invertebrates. These animals are remarkably elusive, and their conservation status is frighteningly uncertain. Females give live birth to one baby at a time, so their reproductive cycle is remarkably slow. In short, these stingrays are quite fascinating, and I hope more is learned about them in the future, so future fun facts can fill in some detail.

Fun Fact of the Day 7/17

Well, I sometimes use these fun facts as a means of imparting on my limited readership aspects of zoology which many people do not notice or often mistake. In other words, I have "pet peeves", things that people often mix up or forget about certain animals. The difference between apes and monkeys, for example. Today, I'll highlight another such common misconception: the notion of a "panther". Now, first let us define what makes a panther. Basically, a panther is a big cat, one that specifically displays dark (nearly black coloration). Now, as I understand it, it is a common misconception that the panther is a species all it's own, but the real answer's a bit less impressive. Now, there is such thing as a florida panther, which a subspecies of cougar, but the black individuals in discussion here are not. In fact, "panther" as it relates to an all-black big cat is just a nickname for a particular genetic variety of two species of cats: the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the leopard (Panthera pardus). As most people well know, both of these cats are tan or yellow with brown and black spots covering their fur. The jaguar has larger spots, with smaller dots inside, and is found in South and Central America. The leopard has smaller spots, and is found throughout Africa, Asia, and even parts of the middle east. Now, both of these animals typically have this color pattern, but both also contain genes for melanism, which is the term for the all-black version of fur coloration. In the jaguar, this gene is recessive, and in the leopard, it is dominant. It is rare, but when expressed, it produces an all black version of the animal, thus creating a "panther". Therefore, panther is not actually a species, but rather just a black version of either a jaguar or a leopard. In fact, if one looks closely, you can actually still see spots on black jaguars and leopards, further evidence to their genetic components. So, now you know, if you, didn't before.

Bass Lake

Well, I'm currently in Bass Lake, CA, for a family reunion of sorts. My uncle (step-uncle if you want to be technical, but I consider him as close as an uncle) and aunt own a lake house up here, and so I'm privileged enough to enjoy swimming, boating, and excessively rough and violent inner tubing every July. It's alot of fun, and I also get to see my cousins and extended on my dad's side every summer as well. Bass lake is man-made, a former pasture now kept submerged by a large dam at one end, so the lake is not exactly a pristine part of nature, but it does have it's natural advantages. Both Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and a pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) inhabit the woods around the lake, and I've seen them swoop down after fish in the water on numerous occasions. Also present around the area are raccoons, Great egrets, Great blue herons, Canada geese, Mallards, and several species of fish (including the lake's namesake, bass). Additionally, the lake is also situated only about half an hour outside Yosemite National Park's west entrance, so it's neato for day hikes into the valley as well. All in all, I'm glad to be up here, and I'm looking forward to a pleasant week.

Not to worry though, I still will be posting fun facts daily ;)

Fun Fact of the Day 7/16

So, a few days ago, I was at a pool party at one of my friends' houses. In addition to having a pool (which was chilly, explaining my procrastination in entering it until much later that night), she also had a sizable Koi pond in her backyard, containing around 20 of the fish. I have always found fish fascinating. Well, hell, I find all animals fascinating, but I suppose for simple aesthetic intrigue, the fluid movements and interesting lifestyles of aquatic animals have always been a thrill to watch or learn about. Fortunately, with the koi, I had the chance to do both. Inside the house, I was looking at books on the coffee table, and I found one all about koi. Most of it was arcane stuff on their care and maintenance, with some sections even devoted to the professional showing of koi. But there was a chapter leading up to their healthcare that discussed in pleasing detail their biology and physiology. Needless to say, I read it all, and am pleased to say I now know much more about koi fish than I did before, so let me share a brief overview of the animals for my fun fact this evening.

The perhaps foremost, possibly obviously so, fact about koi is that they are not wild animals. It's impossible for one to wander off to some distant pond and find schools of koi plying the waters there, just as one wouldn't expect to find packs of golden retrievers hunting caribou in the forest. But, that being said, they are domesticated animals, and this means that they are an intriguing example of what Darwin himself drew the inspiration for his theory from: artificial selection. In this form of selection, a breeder allows only certain offspring to reproduce, those that bear the characteristics which said breeder is looking for. Instead of the most overall fit animal reproducing the most, as in natural selection (the engine of evolution), the animals bearing the most developed traits desired by the breeder are instead selected. Darwin himself did this with pigeons in his backyard, and it wasn't long before inspiration hit him that nature could do the same, only better. In koi, color and overall aesthetic appearance is selected for, leading over the years to the bright orange and yellow fish that swim in fancy ponds. But, just as golden retrievers were once wild wolves back along their breeding tree, so koi also have a wild origin as the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). The common carp is, well, common all throughout the rivers of Asia and Europe, and this made it easy for breeders to to their thing with it. That sounded wrong. I meant "breed" as in farm and select, not...you know...

Moving on after that long introduction (I'm hyper and I feel like a long discourse), we now arrive after years of breeding at the koi which now adorns ponds around fancy places today, and the one which I read all about. Most of this stuff is nothing too new, as I've read about fish before, but the refresh in such a tight context was interesting nonetheless. Koi are remarkably adapted to their watery home, as I learned in detail. They have exceptional eyesight, even under low light conditions. Their sense of touch is compartmentalized into a structure called the lateral line, a shallow groove which runs the length of both sides of the body. This groove is filled with tiny pores, which are in turn filled with tiny, sensitive, hair-like structures. Disturbance in the water around the fish pushes pressure waves into the pores, allowing the koi to detect even minute impulses and vibrations in a directional manner, such as the footsteps of an approaching person. They have no teeth, but instead have rings of bony plates set into the flesh of the mouth, which allow them a wide diet and versatile chewing. Koi also have a remarkable system for buoyancy, making use of a swim bladder. This is a segmented organ lying below the vertebral column, which is filled with air, transported dissolved from the gills. In response to depth, the bladder releases and takes on air, allowing the fish to move up and down in the water column. Their gills are also quite interesting, essentially serving as exposed lungs, with gases diffusing across their membranes. but in order to keep this diffusion going, the fish actually have to actively transport ions into their cells in order to maintain a concentration gradient for water levels, called osmoregulation.

Anyway, that's my fact-vomit about koi, I hope you enjoyed it =)

"Inception"

I usually don't post about the menial events that make up my every day life, but if something comes along worth some interest, I'll definitely share it. And so I figured I'd share one interesting part of my day today: I saw "Inception", the new directorial effort by Christopher Nolan (who, might I add, also directed "The Dark Knight", the best Batman movie ever). And let me just say this: it was awesome. Seriously, go see this movie if you get the chance. I won't give away the plot, but let me just say that the ending will have you thinking for quite some time. Totally worth $9. Honestly.

Play This

This game is pretty fun.

Fun Fact of the Day 7/15

Hello all, so sorry about my week of inactivity, I just have been starting posts and never finishing them, and this has led to several days of, well, nothing. And I feel bad! So, let me at least post a fun fact this evening to make up for it.

Well, a few minutes ago, I was walking home and I had to navigate through my backyard in order to get a spare key. I was with friends, and I told them to watch for black widow spiders along the way, since we have alot in my backyard. Then I ended up explaining the stages of symptoms one would display if bitten by a female black widow. That got me thinking about venoms and whatnot, and so I figured I'd talk about something of the sort for this post.

Now, it's difficult to quantify what would qualify as the most venomous animal on earth, because of the variance in animals with venom. Some have highly toxic venom but deliver it in small amounts. Some is more corrosive, but less toxic. Others are less likely to bite or sting, and so on and so forth. But if one were to look into it, almost all sources would pinpoint the title of "most venomous" as belonging to Australia's Box jellyfish, members of the class Cubozoa. Of this class, only a few species are truly dangerous, the most common of which is the so-called "sea wasp", Chironex fleckeri. Also extremely dangerous is the tiny Irukandji jellyfish, of which there are two species.

The venom of these species is legendary for it's lethality, and in places such as the Philippines, 20-40 people die annually from stings. It is rumored that a sting from one of these species of box jellyfish can kill a person within five minutes and indeed, it is speculated that the chances of survival if stung while swimming alone are "near zero". But how exactly, the inquisitive among you may ask, does this venom work? Well, to understand this, you have to understand the process of injection on a cellular level, which is really quite fascinating when you get right down to it. See, cnidarians (a phylum of animals that includes jellyfish) often use venom of varying toxicity as a means of defense or to subdue prey. To utilize these toxins, they must have a means of actually injecting them into prey. And with the absence of jaws or any other sting or fang-bearing parts, cnidarians instead use specialized cells called cnidocytes, also known as nematocytes. The purpose of these cells is to detect contact with the tentacle or skin and inject venom upon contact. To do so, they contain organelles within the cell called nematocysts. Each nematocyst is a bulblike structure surrounded by a coiled tube structure. There is a hair-like trigger on the external part of the cell called a cnidocil. When the cnidocil is activated, it causes the release of calcium ions from the inside of the coiled nematocyst. The result is a rapid influx of water into the cell itself from the outside, creating osmotic pressure which then forces the coiled nematocyst our of the cell, with water righting the needle-like center and forcing it into the target organism. The bulb contains venom, which is then injected. Several thousand or more of these cells fire their toxic payloads within nanoseconds, making them one of the fastest reactions in the animal kingdom with an acceleration of over 5 million Gs. Fascinating, isn't it?!

So, hopefully this interesting fact makes up for my inability to complete composed posts, but not to worry, I'll get back into the regular swing of things. Thanks for reading, and swim safely...

Go Carl Sagan!

Food for thought.

Pay Attention, Nick Fedorko

Well, I've been posting alot today, mainly to account for the periods of inactivity over the last couple of weeks, but also because there's been alot of cool news to catch up on as well. And the latest piece of news I'll share is concerning that animal which I so often dub Nicholas Fedorko: the whale (It's a running joke, Nick's as fit as an Olympic athlete, but I always call him fat for giggles sake). This particular story concerns an ancient whale, however, and an awesome one at that. It's a species called Leviathan melvillei, a species named for "Moby Dick" author Herman Melville. And the name is entirely fitting as well. Measuring around 60 feet in length, with teeth more than a foot long, this whale was likely an extremely powerful predator when it lived in the seas of Peru 13 million years ago. As seen at right, the scientists who discovered Leviathan believe that the prehistoric whale (which was closely related to modern sperm whales) likely preyed on smaller baleen whales. In short, this animal was really awesome, and if you want some more pictures, read all about it here.

Super Strength Smilodon

Smilodon is an animal you may better know by it's colloquial name, the "saber-toothed tiger". These animals lived in the Pleistocene epoch, from around 1.8 million years ago to ten thousand years ago, and inhabited both North and South America. Anyone who has been to the La Brea Tar Pits (lucky people, I still haven't been there) has likely seen the skeleton of one of these imposing felines, most notably their enormous front fangs, which could reach around 11 inches in length. Despite their large size, these canines were actually rather weak, and in a new study published last week, it was revealed that these teeth required assistance in their function from other parts of the body. See, most modern feline teeth have conical cores, providing them with a great deal of strength against the stresses they encounter during biting and piercing. Smilodon, however, had oval-shaped teeth, and this made them more vulnerable to breaking during use. Additionally, Smilodon's jaws had smaller zygomatic arches, which reduce the thickness of the temporalis muscles, and thus reduce the available bite force.

But in the study, scientists have discovered that this was not a huge problem for Smilodon, as it had immensely powerful front limbs to account for this. The study plotted the rigidity and strength of the arm bones of Smilodon against several other species, and it was revealed that the comparative strength of these was remarkably powerful. They had thicker forelimbs and thicker cortical bone, which would have allowed the animal a great deal more flexing power with the front limbs. This means that, despite it's decreased ability to use it's bite as a weapon, Smilodon could have easily wrestled prey to the ground with it's beefy arms, and then let the jaws finish the prey off.

Just goes to show, evolution is a much better body-builder than any human being. (Especially me, I tried doing pull-ups this morning, and I could barely finish two of them before my arms just about exploded...)

Vampires!

So I saw "Eclipse" yesterday...no, don't get me wrong, I'm not a Twilight fan, but it was something to do and I have a running joke about having a crush on Edward, so it was obligatory to see the movie. It was pretty corny, I'll say that much, but that's to be expected. But what always gets me further is the fact that the science in these movies is horrendous. I mean, yes, they're not supposed to be realistic, but the anatomical constraints of transforming into a giant wolf in under a second are...ridiculous. At any rate, I figured I'd at least interject a little bit of science into the whole affair, with this paper I read a couple of months ago by population ecology graduate student: Enjoy!

Fun Fact of the Day 7/7

So, while up in San Luis Obispo, I went with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, to one of my favorite places on the central coast: the Piedras Blancas elephant seal colony. So, I figured I'd share some basic information on elephant seals, because they're pretty awesome.

First off, there are two species of elephant seals: northern and southern. The southern species is larger, and is in fact larger than all other pinnipeds, and dwells south of the equator, usually in sub-antarctic waters. The northern species (Mirounga angustirostris), while smaller, is no dwarf, especially by seal standards. They can reach around 14 feet in length and weigh over 5,000 pounds, at least in the larger males. Elephant seals display what is called sexual dimorphism, wherein the males and females differ anatomically from one another. Elephant seal males are much larger, and they bear an enormous nose, which gives the species it's name. Females are smaller, and lack the large nose, looking more like normal seals. If you look at the above image, a female is pictured on the left, a male on the right.

Elephant seals also have a remarkable yearly behavior cycle. When at sea, they spend a large amount of time underwater, and can dive to incredible depths to hunt squid, often in excess of 1,000 feet below the surface. To aid in this, the seals have specially adapted blood vessels which store carbon dioxide, allowing them to not become poisoned by it, and then expelling it upon surfacing. Their breeding cycle is one of two events that brings them to land. In late fall, males will first hit the beach, and immediately begin to establish territory by fighting with other males over space. These fights can be very violent, and males usually have a large amount of scar tissue on their chests from such encounters (I personally saw one when I was around 7 that drew a huge amount of blood, with one male eventually fleeing, bloody, into the surf). Later in the winter, around December, the females then come ashore. It is at this point that the previously established space becomes important, as each female soon settles into a particular area around a male, forming groups of "harems" for each male. The females then give birth, and spend the next few weeks nursing their pup on extremely rich milk, promoting rapid growth. Then comes weaning, in which (sadly) the female will then mate with the nearby male and head out to sea. She may have lost nearly a third of her body weight by this time from nursing, as she does not eat on land at all, and she immediately feeds. The pups are left on the beach to figure it all out, and will eventually enter the ocean themselves, though some linger until spring. The males also depart to feed after mating, and the breeding season ends. They also come back in the summer to molt, which is what I saw this past monday, with the males arriving and shedding first, and the females in late summer. So, there you have it, these are cool animals, and you should really go check them out if you're ever near Cambria or Hearst Castle.