Tag Archives: Chapter 17: Classification of Organisms

Animals in the News (via The Atlantic).

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In March of 2013, I uploaded a blog post called Animals of Reddit. The blog post prompted a lot of questions, comments and responses. Even though we have not yet reached the topic of animals, the due date of the 5 comment blog participation is drawing near. I want to help you reach the end stretch of your assignment.

This said, the following post will include a gallery of animals that have gained some notoriety in news–via The Atlantic, a publication over 150 years old. While looking at these pictures, it is important that you think about concepts that we’ve already discussed in class; which include: protein synthesis, homeostasis, heredity and genes, taxonomy and cladistics, the characteristics of life, the chemistry of life, etc. Needless to say, this post, along with the Animals of Reddit post, will be revisited in the near future.

I encourage you to participate in any way that you deem possible; but it will be especially noteworthy if your participation includes high quality, high-res pictures of rare animals–make sure you include the url (or link) from where you got the picture.

Uroplatus sikorae -- These animals are reptiles. They are not amphibians, as many people in Puerto Rico are led to believe.

Uroplatus sikorae — These animals are reptiles. They are not amphibians, as many people in Puerto Rico are led to believe.

bumble Bee

The bumble bee belongs to the genus Bombus. Bees are fundamental for any ecosystem. Their sexual behavior allows for plants to cross-pollinate and reproduce as well.

A good title for this picture could be 'Serendipity'. Pure chance allowed the capture of this magnificent and rare image: "Remote cameras set up to track Siberian tigers in Russia caught the golden eagle attack on a sika deer, snapping three photos as the massive bird dug its talons into the distressed animal's back."

A good title for this picture could be ‘Serendipity’. Pure chance allowed the capture of this magnificent and rare image: “Remote cameras set up to track Siberian tigers in Russia caught the golden eagle attack on a sika deer, snapping three photos as the massive bird dug its talons into the distressed animal’s back.”

elephant crying

This elephant was injured by his mother in a zoo in Shandong, China: “Asian elephant calf Zhuangzhuang which was stamped on and injured by his mother after his birth, cries in a zoo in Rongcheng, Shandong province, China, on August 31, 2013.”

Baby Snow Leopard

This baby snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a an endangered species. They live in the cold, mountainous regions of Northern India, Nepal, Tibet, among other Central Asia countries.

Waxy Monkey Frog

Phyllomedusa sauvagii (a.k.a. Waxy Monkey Leaf Frog) has adapted to meet the demands of life in the trees. It does not need to return to the ground during the mating season; rather, it lays its eggs down the middle of a leaf before folding the leaf, sandwiching the eggs inside. Its nest is attached to a branch suspended over a stream, so the hatching tadpoles drop into the water

Galápagos sea lions.

Galápagos sea lions.

Maine Iguanas

Amblyrhynchus cristatus is an iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to live and forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. The iguana can dive over 9 m (30 ft) into the water. It has spread to all the islands in the archipelago, and is sometimes called the Galápagos marine iguana. It mainly lives on the rocky Galápagos shore, but can also be spotted in marshes and mangrove beaches.

Booby

The feet of Sula neobuxii.

A young Galápagos Sea Lion, Marine Iguanas in the background, in Bahia Fe, Santa Cruz Island.

A young Galápagos Sea Lion, Marine Iguanas in the background, in Bahia Fe, Santa Cruz Island.

dilemma

This gallery could not be complete without insects, nature’s most successful animals. This is Euglossa dilemma, a bee from the genus Euglossa. It is an orchid bee, meaning that it has coevolved with a particular species of orchid.

eggs, beautiful eggs

These are the eggs of Murgantia histrionica, a bug that loves cabbages.

A jumping spider is easily recognizable by the pattern of its eyes.

A jumping spider is easily recognizable by the pattern of its eyes.There are thousands of species, making it the most bio diverse group of spiders.

Steel Blue Cricket Hunter

With the Steel Blue Cricket Hunter (Chlorion aerarium)–possibly the most epic name for an insect ever–we conclude this second gallery of animals curated from the web. Remember, if you come across animals that could be added to this or other galleries, don’t hesitate to put a link on the comment section of this blog post.

The Olinguito: A New Species of Mammal is Unveiled.

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The discovery of a new mammal is a rare and exciting event in Biology.

The discovery of a new mammal is a rare and exciting event in Biology.

This racoon-like mammal–the first carnivore to be discovered in the last 35 years–was discovered not in the wild, but thanks to a collection of  South American racoon specimens that is available at the Smithsonian.

"D.C., Kristofer Helgen, curator of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, presented anatomical and DNA evidence that establish the olinguito (pronounced oh-lin-GHEE-toe) as a living species distinct from other known olingos."

“D.C., Kristofer Helgen, curator of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, presented anatomical and DNA evidence that establish the olinguito (pronounced oh-lin-GHEE-toe) as a living species distinct from other known olingos.”

“Though Helgen has uncovered dozens of unknown mammal species during previous expeditions, in this case, he did not set out to find a new species. Rather, he sought to fully describe the known olingos. But when he began his study in 2003, examining preserved museum specimens, he realized how little scientists knew about olingo diversity. “At the Chicago Field Museum, I pulled out a drawer, and there were these stunning, reddish-brown long-furred skins,” he said. “They stopped me in my tracks—they weren’t like any olingo that had been seen or described anywhere.” The known species of olingo have short, gray fur. Analyzing the teeth and general anatomy of the associated skulls further hinted that the samples might represent a new species. Helgen continued his project with a new goal: Meticulously cataloguing and examining the world’s olingo specimens to determine whether samples from a different species might be hidden among them.”–Via The Smithsonian.com.