zoo:logic

"As our numbers increase, so space for other animals and plants decreases. Our skills and..."

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:48:17 +0100

“As our numbers increase, so space for other animals and plants decreases. Our skills and technological ingenuity seem to know no bounds. Having ventured to every corner of our planet, we are now beginning to look beyond it. We are conducting experiments to find out how to grow food to sustain ourselves should we manage to extend the territory of our species to Mars.
Men impressed their footprints on the moon a mere three and a half million years after the first of them to walk upright left theirs across a field of volcanic ash in Africa. This is a mere blink in the eye of evolution. In that short time we, alone among all animals, have discovered how to exploit our environment to produce more and more food to sustain our unparalleled numbers. In so doing we have denied the earth to other species to such an extent that many have been driven into extinction and many more are now trembling on the brink.
Perhaps the time has come, when we should put our aspirations into reverse. Perhaps now, instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of our population, we should find ways of controlling our population to ensure the survival of our gravely threatened environment.”

- DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, The Life of Mammals

Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchelli) by zoo-logic

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:58:09 +0000

Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchelli) by zoo-logic

Dear followers,

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 11:32:00 +0000

I’m really sorry that I don’t have time to blog at the moment! I will hopefully get some time to start up again when summer comes around - the blog is not dead and will be back in action as soon as possible, I promise! In the meantime I want to thank you all for following and for continuing to follow despite my lack of recent posts. I’m about to hit an absolutely unbelievable follower milestone - I had no idea when I started this blog that it would become so popular! Thank you all again for reading and I’ll be returning as soon as I can. Hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New Year,

Best wishes
z:l

"Spend a little time in the company of animals, even the ones stretched out on the bottom of your..."

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:31:52 +0100

“

Spend a little time in the company of animals, even the ones stretched out on the bottom of your bed, and you’ll start to see the world differently. Look into their eyes and try to think what they’re thinking. It’s impossible, of course, which is what makes it so compelling. Whatever else we discover, however close we come to understanding the inner workings of the universe, we’ll never, ever know what it feels like to live life as a cat, still less an ant, or a starfish.

Animals have fired our imaginations like nothing else, not God, not the weather, not other humans. From the first moment we discovered we could daub shapes on cave walls, we’ve been painting, writing and thinking about them. The magical rituals of hunter-gatherer peoples, their creation myths and healing practices are all one long dialogue with the animal kingdom. To take on the power of an animal - the sight of an eagle, the speed of an antelope, the strength of a lion - these were the original superpowers. Most animals are still tirelessly exercising the same skills they’ve done for millennia. As a species, we’re very new kids on a very old block.

”

- John Mitchinson & John Lloyd, The QI Book of Animal Ignorance

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) by zoo-logic

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:28:00 +0100

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) by zoo-logic

Amazing new research has shown that we can detect what species...

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:22:44 +0100

Amazing new research has shown that we can detect what species of fish are found in different parts of our seas simply by collecting samples of the local seawater. The key to identifying which species are present is in traces of DNA - known as environmental DNA (eDNA) - which are left in the surrounding water by fish that pass through. Just half a litre of seawater from a temperate marine ecosystem in Denmark provided DNA fragments from 15 different fish species, including some that were rarely recorded by more invasive conventional methods, as well as 4 bird species. Experiments show that even small fragments of eDNA degrade to the point that they are no longer detectable within days, suggesting that the method gives an up-to-date and accurate recording of the species that inhabit the area at that point in time. A further study looking into the possibility of marine mammal detection using the eDNA method suggests that greater volumes of seawater are needed to be analysed in order to detect them, but that eDNA has the potential to support current visual and acoustic methods of species detection for marine mammals as well as fish.

Ref: Thomsen P. F. et al., 2012. Detection of a diverse marine fish fauna using environmental DNA from seawater samples. PLOS One [link]
Foote A. D. et al., 2012. Investigating the potential use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for genetic monitoring of marine mammals. PLOS One [link]

"It is easy to understand why so many of us are so fond of birds. They are lively; they are lovely;..."

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:38:00 +0100

“It is easy to understand why so many of us are so fond of birds. They are lively; they are lovely; and they are everywhere. They have characters with which we can easily identify - cheeky and shy, gentle and vicious, faithful - and faithless. Many enact the dramas of their lives in full view for all to see. They are part of our world yet, at a clap of our hands, they lift into the air and vanish into their own with a facility that we can only envy. And they are an ever-present link with the natural world that lies beyond our brick walls. It is hardly surprising that human beings have studied birds with a greater dedication and intensity than they have lavished on any other group of animal.”

- David Attenborough, The Life of Birds

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) cygnets by zoo-logic

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:32:18 +0100

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) cygnets by zoo-logic

Wallace100

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 12:10:36 +0100

Wallace100:

Thought I’d share this fascinating blog that follows Natural History Museum curator George Beccaloni and comedian Bill Bailey as they investigate the life and work of Alfred Russel Wallace in preparation for the 100th anniversary of his death in 2013. A great chance to learn more about the man that is often forgotten in the shadow of colleague Charles Darwin despite also making huge contributions to the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) by zoo-logicThere have...

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 20:25:03 +0100

Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) by zoo-logic

There have been so many butterflies on our buddleia this summer! The peacocks seem to have disappeared now and have given way to these beautiful red admirals enjoying the sunshine (when we get some).

Incredible new findings show that the organs of the Burmese...

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:27:42 +0100

Incredible new findings show that the organs of the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), including the heart, grow up to twice their normal size each time a snake consumes a meal - the bigger the prey, the bigger the organs become in order to digest it. By just 12 hours after the kill is made, the organs have begun to grow, and they peak at their maximum size at around 76 hours, before returning to normal at around ten days. Whilst the organs are enlarged, metabolic rate is boosted to an astounding 40 times greater than normal - the equivalent of the increase seen in a racehorse when galloping compared to at rest - except in the Burmese python, this lasts for days on end, rather than just minutes. Studying the physiological basis of this amazing rapid addition and removal of tissue to the body’s organs could prove clinically useful, including in learning to treat atrophy-based heart disease in cancer patients and astronauts as well as in reducing size in disease-enlarged hearts.

Ref: Rizzo J., 2012. Gross Anatomy. National Geographic Magazine August 2012

"Set against the consuming blackness of space, the earth is a beguiling blue-green ball. Barely two..."

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:52:03 +0100

“Set against the consuming blackness of space, the earth is a beguiling blue-green ball. Barely two dozen people have ever experienced the emotion of seeing our planet from the moon and beyond, yet the fragile beauty of the pictures they sent back home is engraved in the minds of a generation. Nothing compares. Petty human squabbles over borders and oil and creed vanish in the knowledge that this living marble surrounded by infinite emptiness is our shared home, and more, a home we share with, and owe to, the most wonderful inventions of life.”

- Nick Lane, Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution

Common blue damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) by zoo-logic

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:39:46 +0100

Common blue damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) by zoo-logic

Hi, I've always loved animals since I was very young (especially primates) and I was just wondering if you could give me any advice on how I could approach university in order to become a conservationist/primatologist.

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:49:16 +0100

Hi there :) first of all you need to decide what course you want to go for. There are currently a huge range of different biological science degree titles on offer - Biology, Zoology, Animal Behaviour, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Conservation Biology, etc. In choosing a degree course it’s really all down to personal preference and what course structures sound most interesting to you, as in the long run for a career in conservation any of them will give you a good base from which to start. Even if you don’t take a specifically conservation biology-titled degree, almost all biological science courses nowadays will offer modules in the subject. Aside from your academic course, as with a lot of careers, the best thing to do during your university years is to use your long summer holidays to get some experience - take an internship, or do some volunteering - there are so many options out there for field experience in conservation! (Though bear in mind many are provided by charities, so you may have to pay considerable fees for the experience, particularly if you are going abroad.) Also, be sure to get involved in any related societies at your university, and if none exist, then set one up! It’s a great way to show your dedication to conservation and to start gaining skills in fundraising and in educating and inspiring others to give their support. As primatology is fairly niche, you probably won’t be able to specialise down to that level until you reach Masters or PhD level, though it is worth having a look through the research profiles of staff in the department on university websites to see if any might have some experience or a particular interest in primate research. If you did manage to find someone, that could really help you out as there is then the potential for getting work experience with them or having them supervise a primatology-related final year project for you. Good luck with everything and drop me another message any time if you have any more questions!

Juvenile common toad (Bufo bufo) by zoo-logic

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:15:15 +0100

Juvenile common toad (Bufo bufo) by zoo-logic

"The word ‘natural’ is meaningless. Animal strategies for feeding, reproducing or just..."

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:05:39 +0100

“The word ‘natural’ is meaningless. Animal strategies for feeding, reproducing or just getting about are so madly various, so utterly, gloriously perverse that you end up believing that absolutely anything is possible.”

- John Mitchinson & John Lloyd, The QI Book of Animal Ignorance

European peacock butterfly (Inachis io) by zoo-logicCaptured...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:10:38 +0100

European peacock butterfly (Inachis io) by zoo-logic

Captured while doing a survey for the Big Butterfly Count 2012 - get involved!

Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses.

That’s why counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature.

The count will also assist us in identifying trends in species that will help us plan how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.

Simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the big butterfly count. We have chosen this time of year because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen. Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields and forests.

Hi there, I only just discovered your blog, but it's absolutely brilliant! I've been completely infatuated with animals since I was really young. I was just wondering (I'm from the UK and not yet applying to Unis) is there any way you can take elements of different subjects, such as arts, while taking a Zoology degree? I'm torn, completely, because I'm scared I won't be good enough for a Zoology Degree, and I also love Illustration.

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:54:00 +0100

Hello! If you look around carefully at the courses different universities offer, you should be able to find that some universities allow you to take what are usually known as ‘elective’ modules that are from outside of your department, so then if the university also has courses in art you might be able to take one or two modules from those. Also don’t forget that even if you can’t take art as part of your degree, almost every university is likely to have an active art society that will probably organise workshops etc. that you could be involved in outside of your academic work. If zoology is something you really want to study don’t be too afraid to try!! Being passionate about your subject is so important, and will motivate you to get through things you do struggle with if they happen to come up. For example I didn’t take chemistry at AS or A level, which for starters meant that I couldn’t even apply to some universities at all as it was a required subject, but also meant when I arrived at uni it was compulsory for me to do a chemistry course in the first semester to bring me up to speed. I really wasn’t looking forward to it but I worked on it, it ended up not being so bad and I passed it just fine! So even things that seem scary are really not impossible to get through! Good luck with everything and let me know if you have any more questions :)

European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) by zoo-logic

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:14:00 +0100

European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) by zoo-logic

These days it is extraordinary to discover even a single species...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 23:48:56 +0100

These days it is extraordinary to discover even a single species of bird that is new to science, but a recent study has identified not just one, but two new species of owls endemic to the Philippines. The Cebu hawk-owl (Ninox rumseyi) (top) and Camiguin hawk-owl (Ninox leventisi) (bottom) first sparked ideas that they were not simply subspecies of other Ninox hawk-owls found across Asia and Australasia, as was once thought, when researchers heard their highly distinctive calls (both of which can be heard free on AVoCet). Owls do not learn their songs from relatives or other members of their species, but instead they are encoded in their DNA - so researchers were lead to believe that these unique songs must reflect significant genetic differences between the birds in question, suggesting they were separate species. Many years of supporting study have finally culminated in the formal identification of these birds as species new to science. The Camiguin hawk-owl, interestingly, is the first and only owl species known to have blue-grey eyes.

Ref: Cameron L., 2012. Two new owls discovered in the Philippines. Michigan State University News [link]