It’s Sunday.
A holy day.
After another week of frenzied work and frustration, you just want to slow down and get off the out-of-control roller-coaster that is hurtling recklessly down the track that is your life.
You feel the irresistible urge to enter a sacred place, to collapse into the comforting hands of a loving and nurturing higher being.
Here’s the soothing tones of Sir David Attenborough, with a bit of motherly love…
Science
◊ We’ve only seen this once before, ever. And it doesn’t seem to happen today. What is this springtail doing on a Mayfly? Check out the fossilized phoresy!
Figure 1. Mayfly Borinquena parva with a tiny phoretic Collembola syninclusion at the base of the right forewing; Miocene Dominican amber.
A, photomicrograph of specimen in amber; B, close up of A; C, close up CT scan of collembolan in lateral view; D, CT scan of specimen – region as in B; E, CT scan of collembolan and mayfly wing in dorsal view; Abbreviations: a = antenna, ab = abdomen, f = furca, h = head; wing veins: C = costa, RA = radius anterior, Sc = subcosta, ScA+ = costal brace. Body length of Collembola 228 µm.
◊ I’ve always appreciated natural history museums and the work that goes into maintaining the valuable collections that exist there. Now an examination of historic bumblebee collections shows that 11 species of eastern North American bumblebees are in decline. (and find the original $tudy here)
◊ Where do all the painted ladies go?
The butterfly, that is. Vanessa cardui…
That question has been asked by European naturalists for generations. Now the mystery is solved, with the help of citizen scientists and radar. (See the original $tudy)
◊ Think we know them all in North America? A University of Alberta student painstakingly sorts through 30 0000 specimens of dead-wood beetles and comes out 8 new species richer.
Wonder
◊ This is not just an ordinary Daddy-long-legs, this is the Mother of all Daddy-long-legs, if you know what I mean…
Photography
We’ve seen them. Those macro shots that seem to have limitless depth of field, apparently defying the laws of optics. Morten Aagaard shows how its done, and in great detail.
Thanks MA!
And, the final note…
One week to go until JAM 2012! Have you submitted your photos yet?
