New species of beaked whale discovered by DNA analysis

A new species of beaked whale has been discovered, according to a new studyin the journal Marine Mammal Science. The black whale, which has yet to be named, ranges across the northern Pacific Ocean, from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to northern Japan.

The species is so rare that one has yet to be seen alive. Of the 178 beaked whales sampled for DNA analysis, five were revealed to be from the new species. One of the five DNA samples— all of which were taken from dead specimens— came from a skeleton hanging in an Aleutian Island high school gym, and another from a dead carcass that washed onshore in June 2014. The latter was found half–buried in sand on the tiny island of St. George off the coast of Alaska by a young biology teacher.

According to lead study author Dr. Phillip Morin, a research molecular biologist at NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center, a new species of whale washing up dead on the beach is unusual, though not unheard of.

“It is fairly rare, but it’s not unexpected given that there is a lot of ocean between -read more

2 new scorpion species found in Arizona; isn't it time to stop looking?

As if there weren’t enough scorpions in the world, two new species has been found in southeastern Arizona by those who leave no stone unturned-over in their ongoing quest to find venomous creatures.

One of the critters was discovered in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and the other in Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains, according to an article published in Euscorpius, a scientific journal dedicated to the study of creatures most people want to avoid.read more

New species of tiny endangered fish found only at Camp Pendleton

 Scientists say a tiny endangered fish found in lagoons and streams along the California coast belongs to two separate species.

The tidewater goby, a 2-inch translucent fish, survives in relatively isolated populations from Del Norte County down to San Diego. The fish spend most of their lives in the same puddles, rarely traveling far from where they spawned.

The southernmost groups, cut off from the north by the rocky headlands of Palos Verdes, show the distinctive genetic and physical characteristics of a new species, which is described by scientists from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and UCLA in a paper published Wednesday in PLOS One.

The southern tidewater goby lives in only a few spots at Camp Pendleton, making the designation as its own species a critical one for its conservation, said David Jacobs, a biologist and geologist at UCLA who helped identify the species with the museum’s Camm Swift.read more

“This [new] species is very, very highly endangered,” Jacobs said. “It can go away in the blink of an eye.”

New species of scorpionfish found in Caribbean Sea

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Scientists have discovered a new species of the vibrantly coloured scorpionfish in the Caribbean Sea.

The bright orange-red fish was found at depth of 95 to 160 metres (310 to 525 feet) in waters close to Curaçao.

The fish, which is the deepest-living member of its genus in the western Atlantic Ocean, was discovered using a manned submersible — the Curasub, operated by the Smithsonian Institute’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP).

According to a new study published in

ZooKeys, conventional scuba divers cannot go beyond depths of 30 to 50 metres below the water surface, but Curasub can go up to 300 metres and is used by marine scientists to study the lesser-known tropical marine fishes and invertebrates occurring at those depths.

“The 50-300 metre tropical ocean zone is poorly studied — too deep for conventional scuba and too shallow to be of much interest to really deep-diving submersibles,” said Carole C Baldwin, lead scientist of DROP. “The Curasub is providing scientists with the technology needed to remedy this gap in our knowledge of Caribbean reef biodiversity.”

The scientists have named the newly discovered scorpionfish

Scorpaenodes barrybrowni in honour of freelance photographer Barry Brown, who “has patiently, diligently, and expertly taken photographs of hundreds of -read more

Psuedouroctonus santarita

People from all over flock to Madera Canyon to look up and spot rare birds. But if they were to look down instead, they might find something new there too.

A new species of scorpion has been identified as inhabiting the canyon – one of two found there in as many years – and named for the local mountain range.

Psuedouroctonus santarita was first described by Richard Ayrey and Michael Soleglad in the December 2015 issue of scorpion research journal Euscorpius. P. santarita appeared in the publication along with P. kremani, a new species from the Santa Catalina Mountains, also being described by Ayrey and Soleglad.

P. santarita, which was found near Bog Springs in Madera Canyon, is about an inch long with a golden to dark rust-brown color. A lot of determining what is or isn't a new species has to do with minute differences in body structure and DNA evidence, but P. santarita is also distinguishable from similar species because the “palms” of its front pincers are fairly wide, Ayrey said Tuesday.

Ayrey, who has been studying scorpions since 1972, and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in wildlife ecology, has specialized in species found in Southern Arizona's sky islands, where scorpions had become isolated on mountaintops from other species for ages. Although Madera Canyon isn't a sky island, the principle is the same, with P. santarita, for example, being separated from other scorpions of the same genus for at least 8.1 million years.read more

A study led by the Western Australian Museum has discovered two new species of extinct kangaroos that climbed trees

Two new species of extinct kangaroos that lived in Queensland rainforests have been discovered by a Western Australian Museum-led study.

Fossils of Gumardee springae and Gumardee richi, which lived between 24 and 18 million years ago, were recovered from several deposits at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in the state's northwest.

The museum says the study is significant because it shows some members of the ancient family of fanged-kangaroos were able to climb trees, while others hopped on the ground.

"It's not well known that kangaroos have had the ability to climb trees, yet today there are several species of tree-kangaroos that live in northeastern Queensland as well as New Guinea and surrounding islands," curator of mammalogy Kenny Travouillon said.

They also had a different taste in diet, not feeding on grass like most kangaroos today.

"Some ate leaves from trees and shrubs, while others ate a wide variety of foods," Dr Travouillon said.

The new species have a set of very long teeth, much like bettongs and potoroos, which use them to chew fungi.

But while bettongs and potoroos weigh between 500g and 3.5kg, the kangaroos were a lot larger at 4-6kg.

A New Species of Ant Found in Cambodia

A new species of ant has been discovered in Cambodia by researchers from Japan. Its name is Crematogaster indosinensis, and it is described inAnnals of the Entomological Society of America.

During the researchers’ field surveys, they collected one colony that contained four worker ants of the new species. The new species was described based on these workers.

In most Crematogaster species, the workers have 11 segments on their antennae. However, there are some species that only have 10, and this new species is the first 10-segmented species to be found in the Indochina region.

Interestingly, the workers also exhibit polymorphism, meaning they do not all have the same size or form. In fact, the largest worker had a head that was nearly twice as wide as the smallest worker’s head.read more

Those arms aren't made for hugging: New species of predatory dinosaur found to have tiny two-foot-long forelimbs just like T-rex

While it may have had a ferocious set of teeth and a terrifying turn of speed, Tyrannosaurus rex is also famed for its absurdly weedy 'arms'.

Now experts have found the dinosaur's small forelimbs are perhaps not as unique as first thought.

Palaeontologists have discovered a new species of dinosaur in northern Patagonia that has similar short arms with two-fingered claws that look similar to those of the famous predator.

However, the newly discovered carnivorous dinosaur is not thought to be closely related to the T. rex, suggesting its stumpy forelimbs may have evolved independently.read more

New species of 'Megaraptor' dinosaur found

A terrifying new dinosaur has been discovered which is part of the 'Megaraptor' family.

The massive Murusraptor barrosaensis had huge claws and light air-filled bones like birds have, meaning it would could run very fast!

Researchers think it would have grown to be more than eight metres long, and lived around 84 million years ago.read more

Twycross Zoo begins great ape heart disease study

Researchers are to look into why great apes are susceptible to heart disease while in the care of humans.

A study of primates at European zoos found the condition was a "major cause" in the death of primates like gorillas and chimps.

Unlike humans, experts do not believe the disease in great apes is linked to poor diet and lifestyle.

It is also hoped the Twycross Zoo project will uncover the specific type of heart disease affecting the animals.

The Ape Heart Project is being carried out in conjunction with experts at the University of Nottingham.

Their work comes after a mortality review of European zoos, between 2003-14, uncovered how the apes had suffered from the condition.

Dr Victoria Strong, from the university's School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, said: "At the moment we're unsure why great apes in human care develop heart disease.

"We have also yet to find out whether their wild counterparts are affected to the same degree.-read more

South Africa's great white sharks 'facing extinction'

South Africa's great white shark population is heading for possible extinction after a rapid decline in numbers, say researchers.

A six year study of the country's coastal waters concluded that only 350 to 500 great white sharks remain.

This is half the level previously thought, the researchers from Stellenbosch University said.

The team said trophy hunting, pollution, shark nets and baited hooks were among the reasons for the decline.

"The numbers in South Africa are extremely low," said head researcher Sara Andreotti.

"If the situation stays the same, South Africa's great white sharks are heading for possible extinction."

The study, the largest of its kind in South African waters, was carried out in the Gansbaai area near Cape Town, a popular cage shark diving spot, and along the country's coastline.

Researchers were able to track the sharks by collecting biopsy samples and photographs of the dorsal fins, whose unique markings served as "shark fingerprints".

"We have come to the conclusion that South Africa's white sharks faced a rapid decline in the last generation and that their numbers might already be too low to ensure their survival," Ms Andreotti said.

The study will now form the first ever database of the country's shark population.

Despite the situation in South Africa, great white sharks can still be found in large numbers in Canada, Australia and the United States.read more

Wild birds 'come when called' to help hunt honey

New findings suggest that the famous cooperation between honeyguide birds and human honey hunters in sub-Saharan Africa is a two-way conversation.

Honeyguides fly ahead of hunters and point out beehives which the hunters raid, leaving wax for the birds to eat.

The birds were already known to chirp at potential human hunting partners.

Now, a study in the journal Science reports that they are also listening out for a specific call made by their human collaborators.

Experiments conducted in the savannah of Mozambique showed that a successful bird-assisted hunt was much more likely in the presence of a distinctive, trilling shout that the Yao hunters of this region learn from their fathers.

"They told us that the reason they make this 'brrrr-hm' sound, when they're walking through the bush looking for bees' nests, is that it's the best way of attracting a honeyguide - and of maintaining a honeyguide's attention once it starts guiding you," said Dr Claire Spottiswoode, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK, and the University of Cape Town, South Africa, who led the study.

She and her colleagues wanted to test what contribution this sound actually made-read more

Rare bog butterfly flutters back from brink

A small bog in Lancashire is once again home to a rare species of butterfly, for the first time in 100 years.

The large heath butterfly has been disappearing from northern England, where it was once common.

But after three years of careful captive breeding, scientists from Chester Zoo say they have established a stable wild colony at Heysham Moss.

Only two other locations in Lancashire play host to this fluffy brown species, which thrives in low, damp boglands.

"They've not been at Heysham for at least 100 years," said Heather Prince, an invertebrate keeper at the zoo.

"They've found museum specimens that date back to the 19th Century, labelled Heysham, so we know they were there historically."

But in Lancashire and elsewhere, disruption of their peatland habitats saw numbers plummet, Ms Prince explained. Drainage is good for farming and housing, but bad for bog-based bugs like the large heath butterfly.

"They used to be so common that one of its names was the Manchester argus. But obviously now in Manchester, you'd probably never ever see it-read more

Transmissions From the International Cryptozoology Museum

We crossed the border into Maine at 1:00 AM while “Five to One” screamed from the speakers.  Jim Morrison howled “no one here gets out alive.”  Not the thing you want to hear when you’re driving into an unknown state on very little sleep.  A few miles in, I saw a sign that read, “Beware of moose in roadway.”  So my demise had been preordained.  Well played, Lizard King.  Well played, indeed.We found a Motel 6 and slept the sleep of the dead.  The bed was small and a little hard for my liking, but, after being on the road for roughly 19 hours, any bed looked good.

My wife and I would be in Portland, Maine for a week.  Before we left, I had made a list of things I wanted to do while I was there.  On the top of that list was the International Cryptozoology Museum; the world’s only such museum.

Cryptozoology is the study of animals whose existence has not yet been proven (translated literally to “study of hidden animals”).  The animals themselves are classified as cryptids.  Some of the more famous cryptids include Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster, Chupacabra and The Jersey Devil.read more

New Spider With Horned Fangs Found in Dinosaur-Era Amber

While creeping through a dinosaur-era forest, two spiders found themselves enveloped in a pool of tree resin. Now, after millions of years of entombment, the well-preserved pair have been identified as members of a new arachnid species.

Thought to be around 99 million years old, the ancient spiders have incredibly long projections extending from their upper shells, or carapaces, as well as complex, horned fangs.read more

Three New Species of Flesh Flies Found in Brazil and Argentina

Two new species of flies in the family Sarcophagidae, which are commonly known as flesh flies because some of them deposit maggots into the wounds of animals, have been discovered in Brazil, and another new species has been found in Argentina. All three belong to the genusLipoptilocnema, and are described in an article in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

The new species were discovered when taxonomists examined museum specimens from the two countries in an effort to revise the genus and its species. The discovery is significant because it may have implications for forensic entomology — when entomologist examine insects found on carcasses and corpses to determine the time of death and other clues — because sarcophagid fly larvae and adults are sometimes found on dead animals. In fact, some of the samples examined for this study were collected from the carcasses of pigs, snails, and rodents, and one was found on a dead human.

When a partly buried body was found in the Villavicencio Natural Reserve in Argentia, entomologists came and collected larvae from the corpse. They then reared the larvae until they emerged as adults, and they were identified as a new species called Lipoptilocnema delfinado. According to the authors, “The species epithet, delfinado, is an Argentinean slang in reference to specimens that were obtained from human corpse.”read more

New Species of Orchid Resembling the Devil Found in Colombia

A new species of orchid found in Colombia is strikingly beautiful in the scariest way possible. The flower features a heart that looks like the devil.

Researchers stumbled across the aptly-named Telipogon diabolicus last year while cataloguing Colombian plants, according to a study published in the journal PhytoKeys. Only about 30 of the flowers remain, growing on a remote patch of land on the border between the departments of Putumayo and Nariño.

Due to its scant population, the blooms have been added to the IUCN Red List as a critically endangered species, according to a release. This elevated status requires a number of criteria, including analysis showing the likelihood of extinction in the wildis at least 50 percent within 10 years or three generations.  

"This species is only known from the type specimens, which represent one location in [a] highly vulnerable habitat near the main road Pasto-Mocoa," the researchers wrote in the study. “It is expected that the current reconstruction of this road will have [a] negative impact on the habitat of T. diabolicus."-read more

New species of predatory dinosaur found to have tiny two-foot-long forelimbs just like T-rex

While it may have had a ferocious set of teeth and a terrifying turn of speed, Tyrannosaurus rex is also famed for its absurdly weedy 'arms'.

Now experts have found the dinosaur's small forelimbs are perhaps not as unique as first thought.

Palaeontologists have discovered a new species of dinosaur in northern Patagonia that has similar short arms with two-fingered claws that look similar to those of the famous predator.

However, the newly discovered carnivorous dinosaur is not thought to be closely related to the T. rex, suggesting its stumpy forelimbs may have evolved independently.read more

a online mag always worth the read-animals and men

http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/animals-men-57-fduiyk9jr.html

Ducklings are smarter than we thought as they can distinguish between 'same' and 'different'

Ducklings are among the most adorable creatures on the planet, but the fluffy baby birds are probably most well-known for the way they unquestionably follow their mothers.

But it seems that baby mallards are more intelligent than had been previously realised, according to a recent study.

Recently-hatched ducklings can understand the concepts of 'same' and 'different' - an ability previously known in only highly intelligent animals, new research has shown Ducklings learn to follow their mother through a learning process called imprinting, where they identify and begin to follow the first thing they see.

As little as 15 minutes after hatching, ducklings will learn to follow any moving object they see first which, on most occasions, is their mother.

Scientists from the University of Oxford imprinted ducklings with a pair of objects either the same as or different from each other, in shape or colour, which moved around in a circle..read more

Matt cook interview

http://ghostmanraines.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/matt-cook-interview.html

New species of ‘ant-mimicking’ spider found

: A new species of spider, which mimics the characteristics of ants, has been discovered in the moist deciduous forest of the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary.

This spider, which lives along with ants in the corrugated bark of large trees, is difficult to differentiate from ants.

The lean male spider almost looks like slender ant (Tetraponera rufonigra), said A.V. Sudhikumar, head of Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE) of Christ College, Irinjalakuda, near Thrissur, who led the team of researchers.

“It’s raised front legs during movement mimics the antennae of the ant. The spider uses this (Batesian mimicry) to escape from predators. As found only with ants, it is very difficult to spot this spider in a group of ants. In case of disturbance, it hides itself in the crevices of tree bark,” he said. It feeds on minute insects present in the crevices of tree bark.

This spider belongs to Aetius genus of the ant-mimicking spider family Corinidae.

Even though there are more than 200 variety of ant-mimicking spiders, this is first time a spider, which is so much similar to an ant, is being discovered, according to researchers.

The researchers noted that the mating process of the spider is also interesting.

“Compared to other members of the ant-mimicking spider family, the reproductive organs of male spider will bulge and turn around during the process of mating. The body of this spider is dark with white and orange tinges.-read more

New species of 'Casper' ghost fish found in Pacific Ocean

Biologists from Okeanus Explorer found the fish during an expedition in the Northern Mariana Islands on Friday. 

In a statement posted by the Okeanos Explorer group, the fishing biologist group were elated to find the species that was known to man, but never before seen.

"This is just remarkable" biologist Bruce Mundy said. 

The transparent slug-looking fish measures 10 centimetres in length and is similar to an eel from the Aphyonidae family.

"It's the fish version of Casper the octopus," biologists said, in reference to a similar ghostly-looking octopus found during a expedition earlier in the year.

It doesn't have scales, and features highly reduced eyes in its head. 

Biologists from the Okeanos Explorer group say they still have a lot to learn about the fish. 

New plant species discovered in SE

A new population of plant species has been discovered in the SE, believed to be the first recording of its kind in SA. 

Nature Glenelg Trust Ecologist Bryan Haywood was mapping dense areas of Yakka for a Natural Resources SE project on Heath Mice when he brushed past a prickly wattle bush.

“I noticed the plant was flowering and thought it strange as it was very early for wattles to be flowering in our region,” he said. 

“I’d never seen it before so I took a few photos to confer with other botanical experts.” 

After consulting with colleagues, the SA Herbarium, and trawling through reference books, the plant was finally identified as Prickly Moses (Acacia ulicifolia).

“Seed will be collected from this small colony and banked with the State Herbarium as a safeguard if the population was to die out,” Mr Haywood said.

“We will also be growing a small number of plants from seed to use for planting in biodiversity corridors linking patches of remnant bush in the region.”

Neanderthals were CANNIBALS and butchered the remains of their dead to use as tools, grisly remains show

Ancient bones discovered in Belgium have revealed the gruesome butcheries carried out by Neanderthals more than 40,000 years ago.

Researchers say the skeletal remains are the first known evidence of cannibalism among groups north of the Alps, and bodies were likely skinned and cut up, with bone marrow extracted.

The Goyet caves have so far produced the greatest amount of Neanderthal remains north of the Alps, providing new insight on the practices of these early peoples; four of the bones found at this site indicate Neanderthals even used the remains of their deceased relatives as tools.-read more

Sea worm fossil gives clues to 'common ancestor'

Fossils of a sea worm that lived on the ocean floor about 500 million years ago are giving new insights into how early creatures evolved.

Tube-like structures once thought to be a type of seaweed were made by a worm that lived a solitary life on the sea bed, say scientists.

The research, published in the journal BMC Biology, suggests the animal, Oesia, was a filter feeder.

Fossil discoveries of this kind are rare.

The research was carried out by academics from the universities of Cambridge, Toronto and Montréal, and at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

Prof Simon Conway Morris, from St John's College, University of Cambridge and a co-researcher on the study, said: "Oesia fossils are pretty enigmatic - they are very rare and until now we could not prove which group they belonged to.

"Now we know that they were primitive hemichordates - perhaps the most primitive of all."

Common ancestor

Hemichordates are a group of creatures that belong to a larger group called deuterostomes, of which vertebrates (including humans) form a separate branch.

Karma Nanglu, from the University of Toronto, and the study's lead researcher, said: "Hemichordates are central to our understanding of how deuterostomes evolved.

"Through them, we can get clues about the anatomy and lifestyle of the last common ancestor that we all share, and this adds further evidence to the hypothesis that the ancestor was a filter-feeder like Oesia."

The specimens, found near Marble Canyon in the Canadian Rockies, are well preserved, giving details of the animal's internal anatomy.-read more

giant octopus sighting part 2

giant octopus sighting part 1

New species of spider discovered 'next door' at the the borders of cereal fields in Spain

The image that comes to mind when we think of new species being discovered is that of scientists sampling in remote tropical forests, where humans have barely set foot in. However, new species waiting to be discovered can in fact be very close to us, even if we live in a strongly humanized continent like Europe.

Scientists Eduardo Morano, University of Castilla-La Mancha, and Dr Raul Bonal, University of Extremadura, have discovered a new species of spider, formally called Cheiracanthium ilicis, in an area which does not match the image of a pristine habitat at all.

The new species was found in a strongly humanized area in central Spain, specifically, in isolated trees at the borders of cereal fields. These trees, mainly Holm oaks (Quercus ilex), are those remaining of the former oak woodlands that once covered the Iberian Peninsula and which have been cleared for centuries.

The systematic sampling revealed the newly discovered spider had a an exclusive preference for Holm Oaks, as all individuals were collected from the trunks and branches of these trees. Therefore, it was named after this tree's scientific name "ilicis".

While adults measure about a centimetre in body length, juveniles are smaller and have greenish colouration that mimics new oak shoots.

The mouthparts are proportionally large, as in the case of other species of the genus, like closely related C. mildei. In the case of the latter, the mouthparts are large enough to penetrate human skin, although the effects of the poison appear mild.

From a conservation perspective, the present study puts forward the need to preserve isolated trees in agricultural landscapes. They are not only a refuge to common forest organisms but to novel species yet to be discovered as well.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-06-species-spider-door-borders-cereal.html#jCp

Humans are driving the evolution of new species — and that could be just as bad as causing extinctions

The London Underground mosquitoes were first noticed during World War II, when tens of thousands of people took shelter in the subway system's tunnels while their city was bombed. The sunless, concrete passageways were different from the mosquitoes' natural habitat — and their normal food source, the blood of birds, was hard to come by. But there were plenty of humans to bite, and abundant standing water to breed in, so the bugs persisted. After seven decades isolated from the outside world, they developed their own feeding and breeding habits and distinct DNA; they can no longer breed with their aboveground kin. The subterranean mosquitoes, known to science as Culex pipiens molestus, are an entirely new species. And their existence is wholly thanks to humans.-read more

new-species-bacteria-found-cause-lyme-disease

A new species of bacteria is causing Lyme disease, adding to worries that the infection will continue its relentless escalation across the United States. Lyme is already the most common tick-borne disease in North America, with new cases peaking every June and July.

“In summary, the news is largely bad,” Paul Mead of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said June 19 at a joint meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Not only is the prevalence of Lyme disease increasing, another tick-borne illness — Rocky Mountain spotted fever — is cutting a deadly path through Mexico.

Public health officials began collecting data on Lyme disease in 1991. Since then, it has spread in all directions from two U.S. epicenters, one in the Northeast and one in the Upper Midwest, according to data Mead presented at the meeting and published last year in Emerging Infectious Diseases. In the early 1990s, 43 Northeast counties had a high incidence of the disease. Today, 182 do. About 30,000 to 35,000Lyme disease cases are reported each year in the United States, up from around 11,000 cases in 1995, the CDC reports.

Until recently, only one bacterium in North America was known to cause the disease: Borrelia burgdorferi. (In Europe, two other species are more common.)This year, researchers at Mayo Clinic testing blood and synovial fluid samples from people infected with Lyme disease discovered six infections that did not trace to B. burgdorferi. In addition to a rash, fever and other classic Lyme symptoms, those patients also experienced confusion, nausea and vomiting. “Not so typical for Lyme disease,” Mead observed.-read more

first amphibious centipede found

Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water—look out for giant, swimming centipedes!

Scientists have recently described the world’s first known amphibious centipede. It belongs to a group of giant centipedes called Scolopendraand grows up to 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long.

Like all centipedes, it is venomous and carnivorous. Thankfully, this new water-loving species appears to live only in Southeast Asia. The creature’s description was published last month in the journal ZooKeys.

Centipede Serendipity

George Beccaloni of the Natural History Museum in London was on his honeymoon in Thailand in 2001. And like any good entomologist, he was looking for bugs.-read more

First Photo of Intact Giant Squid, 1874

I

n Portugal Cove, Newfoundland, a small fishing boat was attacked in the fall of 1873. One of the boat’s occupants—so the story goes—saw vast tentacles rising up from the water and, in an act of heroism, hacked a couple off. Boat freed, the fishermen headed back to shore.

The anglers fed one tentacle to a dog, according to some accounts; the other, measuring 19 feet in length, they carried to nearby St. John’s, to the home of minister and amateur naturalist Moses Harvey. “Harvey was Presbyterian Irish, incredibly homesick for Ireland, and had lost himself in all things natural,” says Matthew Gavin Frank, who explored Harvey’s life and essays on Newfoundland’s flora and fauna in his 2014 bookPreparing the Ghost. “He was known in St. John’s in the mid- and late 1800s as just being crazy after all things from the land and the sea.” Harvey bought the tentacle for $10, says Frank, and estimated the creature it came from to be 72 feet long.

A subject of cautionary tales rather than scientific inquiry, the giant squid was still very much considered part of mythology, Frank says. But the following year, another group of fisherman in Logy Bay near St. John’s port brought Harvey something unequivocally convincing: a whole giant squid that had died thrashing in their nets. “These fisherman had obviously heard that Harvey had paid $10 for a tentacle and thought, ‘Well, goodness, what will -read more

Ancient birds' wings preserved in amber

Two wings from birds that lived alongside the dinosaurs have been found preserved in amber.

The "spectacular" finds from Myanmar are from baby birds that got trapped in the sticky sap of a tropical forest 99 million years ago.

Exquisite detail has been preserved in the feathers, including traces of colour in spots and stripes.

The wings had sharp little claws, allowing the juvenile birds to clamber about in the trees.

The tiny fossils, which are between two and three centimetres long, could shed further light on the evolution of birds from their dinosaur ancestors.-read more