In the wake of COVID-19, bats have swooped into the spotlight due to their ecological role as natural reservoirs for viruses. Some of these viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, can cross into different species, becoming zoonotic viruses. But despite the cocktails of viruses existing in bats across over a thousand species, they remain mostly asymptomatic when […]
There is no doubt that seahorses are fascinating creatures. Ranging from the size of a pine nut to nearly a foot long, sporting funky colors and an aura of mythicism, they have long been a source of wonder to human civilizations. Scientists find them intriguing for a host of reasons — their elongated, suction-like snout,
Nature’s miracles: Hippocampi Read More »
In September of 2022, a research team working at the Gogo Formation sedimentary deposit in western Australia discovered the world’s oldest heart, located inside a fossilized prehistoric fish. The fish, classified as a placoderm, had been dead for approximately 380 million years. The placoderm is crucial to studying the evolution of modern-day vertebrates. Because they
The world’s oldest heart: Evolutionary insights from the 380 million-year-old fossil Read More »
The outsides of oysters appear rugged and dreary, but embedded inside lie beautiful, iridescent pearls. Their beauty has made them a sought-after object of vanity and aesthetics in the jewelry industry. However, this gem might be good for more than just earrings and necklaces; scientists are currently investigating its complex formation and how the organization
Are Pearls the Key to the Next Supermaterial? Read More »
The Bajau people of Southeast Asia spend 60 percent of their workday underwater. Commonly known as the Sea Nomads, the Bajau population has survived for over 1,000 years collecting and hunting food through underwater diving. Their extraordinary breath-holding capabilities seem almost humanly impossible. When the brain experiences hypoxia — the deficiency of oxygen in bodily
Spleen or scuba tank? How we hold our breath for longer underwater Read More »
Modern-day folklore is rich with tales of cryptid species: stories of undiscovered animals, lake monsters and strange creatures stalking the night. As fun as these stories are, they don’t represent actual biology research, but in the same woods where people go hunting for bigfoot or the Mothman, one can find real-life cryptic species hiding in
Move over Mothman: Cryptic species and taxonomy Read More »
In February 2015, the internet was afire with debate about a dress. #TheDress, as it became known, was a picture of a dress that people either saw as black and blue or gold and white. A matter of chromatic perspective, and certainly a problem with no right answer, #TheDress was the subject of heated debate
A brief history of memes: The forgotten past of an internet phenomenon Read More »
Upon first sight, transparent animals seem like ethereal creatures from alternate dimensions of the universe. However, thousands of species of transparent animals inhabit regions all across the world — mainly in marine habitats. These animals lack pigment, allowing light to pass through them and scatter instead of reflecting, which gives them their transparency. From the
A closer look at transparent animals — if only we can look! Read More »
Fifth grade science class taught us that chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, but what about other closely-related species who are no longer living? Through millions of years of evolution, Homo sapiens has come to dominate Earth as the only surviving hominid species. However, this wasn’t always the case, and our presence as the dominant
Weathering any storm: What it means to be human Read More »