Mad as a Marine Biologist

HRH The Duke Of Cambridge Prince William - CITES CoP16 Statement (by citesvd)

The CITES Convention starts today. The two week long meet will shape the future of countless endangered species. The hype this year surrounds the ongoing ivory trade of Elephants and Rhinos, as well as hopeful new protection measures for shark and ray species. 

Conserving Africa’s Wildlife Through Photography Nick Brandt, a British music videographer turned photographer has focused his work on capturing animals in a state of being, rather than a single dramatic moment. His photographs of African wildlife and it’s decimation are hauntingly beautiful. His latest set of images include portraits of poachers, hauling their inventory of giant ivory tusks, as well as decomposing carcasses of wildlife, including those of flamingos, bats, giraffes, and varied beasts. [EDIT] This picture is of rangers, not poachers, with tusks of Elephants killed in 2011. 

Conserving Africa’s Wildlife Through Photography

Nick Brandt, a British music videographer turned photographer has focused his work on capturing animals in a state of being, rather than a single dramatic moment. His photographs of African wildlife and it’s decimation are hauntingly beautiful.

His latest set of images include portraits of poachers, hauling their inventory of giant ivory tusks, as well as decomposing carcasses of wildlife, including those of flamingos, bats, giraffes, and varied beasts.

[EDIT] This picture is of rangers, not poachers, with tusks of Elephants killed in 2011. 

(via heartof--africa)

Elephant’s sixth ‘toe’ discovered By Rebecca Morelle [Science reporter, BBC News] A mysterious bony growth found in elephants’ feet is actually a sixth “toe”, scientists report. For more than 300 years, the structure has puzzled researchers, but this study suggests that it helps to support elephants’ colossal weight. Fossils reveal that this “pre-digit” evolved about 40 million years ago, at a point when early elephants became larger and more land-based. Lead author Professor John Hutchinson, from the UK’s structure and motion laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “It’s a cool mystery that goes back to 1706, when the first elephant was dissected by a Scottish surgeon.” “Anyone who has studied elephants’ feet has wondered about it. They’ve thought: ‘Huh, that’s weird,’ and then moved on,” he added. But Prof Hutchinson and colleagues used a combination of CT scans, histology, dissection and electron microscopy to solve the puzzle. The researchers said the structure was made of bone, although bone with a highly irregular and unusual arrangement. But closer examination also revealed that it showed a strong similarity with an unusual bone that is found in the front feet of pandas. This bone - which is not quite an extra digit, but does the job of one - helps the panda to grip bamboo, and is called the panda’s “thumb” or “sixth finger”. Moles too have a bone masquerading as an extra digit, which helps them to dig. Read More: BBC

Elephant’s sixth ‘toe’ discovered

By Rebecca Morelle [Science reporter, BBC News]

A mysterious bony growth found in elephants’ feet is actually a sixth “toe”, scientists report.

For more than 300 years, the structure has puzzled researchers, but this study suggests that it helps to support elephants’ colossal weight.

Fossils reveal that this “pre-digit” evolved about 40 million years ago, at a point when early elephants became larger and more land-based.

Lead author Professor John Hutchinson, from the UK’s structure and motion laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “It’s a cool mystery that goes back to 1706, when the first elephant was dissected by a Scottish surgeon.”

“Anyone who has studied elephants’ feet has wondered about it. They’ve thought: ‘Huh, that’s weird,’ and then moved on,” he added.

But Prof Hutchinson and colleagues used a combination of CT scans, histology, dissection and electron microscopy to solve the puzzle.

The researchers said the structure was made of bone, although bone with a highly irregular and unusual arrangement.

But closer examination also revealed that it showed a strong similarity with an unusual bone that is found in the front feet of pandas.

This bone - which is not quite an extra digit, but does the job of one - helps the panda to grip bamboo, and is called the panda’s “thumb” or “sixth finger”. Moles too have a bone masquerading as an extra digit, which helps them to dig.

Read More: BBC

  • BBC