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SUMMARY: The newly-sequenced scarlet macaw genome will provide many important insights into avian and human biology, behaviours and genetics and will contribute to parrot conservation. Scarlet macaw, Ara macao, in flight.Image: Tambopata Research Center. [NOTE: This image has been altered; it has been cropped.] After many years of research into the behaviours, diseases, genetics and life history of scarlet macaws, a team of scientists have taken their studies to the next level. Christopher Seabury, an Assistant Professor of Genetics at... Read more
SUMMARY: A lovely blend of science, animals and humour, all rolled up into a short informative video. Dung beetle, probably Neomnematium sevoistra, in dry spiny forest close to Mangily, western Madagascar. Image: Axel Strauß, 2008 (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic licenses). ... Read more
Summary: A delightful book for baby birders that is crammed with poetry, information and gorgeous paintings of birds! Oh yeah, it teaches the letters of the English alphabet, too. Magpie. Image: acrylic painting by Shelli Ogilvy (2008). Do you wish to share your love of birds, art and books with (your) children? If so, then you will really enjoy the Alphabet Bird Collection, a lovely children's book that was written and illustrated by Shelli Ogilvy [Sasquatch Books, 2009; Amazon UK;... Read more
SUMMARY: Today's Google Doodle honours one of the world's first scientific illustrators (and entomologists!), Maria Sibylla Merian This lovely graphic is done in the style of German scientific illustrator and naturalist, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), who was selected to be honoured by today's Google Doodle. Image: Google. If you love art, then you may know that today is the birthday of one of the world's most talented scientific illustrators, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717). Long before the camera was invented, she... Read more
SUMMARY: If your idea of observing "spring" includes binoculars, then you will love this fabulous new innovation Birders at Magee Marsh boardwalk. Image: Gunnar Engblom, 2012. Do you like to watch birds and other animals (or even your neighbours)? If so, then you'll be happy to learn about a wonderful advance in technology that is guaranteed to add thousands if not millions of new "watchers" to those who already enjoy this hobby! ... Read more
SUMMARY: Simply trying to learn the truth regarding a published piece about international trade in wild-caught African grey parrots that caused at least one reader to ask: "Is this really true??? If it is not true how can they get away with saying this???" This is what my two companion Congo African grey parrots think of the story I am responding to in this piece. Image: GrrlScientist, 29 January 2013. All rights reserved. Early this morning, I was suddenly jolted... Read more
Deidesheim, Germany. It took some convincing to get me to attend, but I did go to SciLogs13 in Deidesheim [DIE des hime], Germany. I was reluctant to attend because my German is poor, so I felt I had little if anything to contribute, and even if I did have something to add, well, no one would understand my attempts to communicate. But I eventually did decide to attend, and I am so happy I did because it was a wonderful... Read more
SUMMARY: how The Royal Society is helping me indulge my inner child and my passion for books Today is World Book Day so it seems like the proper time to tell you that I have been chosen as one of the judges for the Royal Society's Young People's science book prize. As a judge, my job is to read all the nominated books and to help my fellow judges choose the shortlist. This shortlist -- six out of the more... Read more
SUMMARY: We should celebrate the scientific breakthroughs that benefit the many, not the few Image: Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Like a lot of people, I awoke this morning to the news of the new Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Initiated by multibillionaires Art Levinson, Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan and Yuri Milner, the Breakthrough Prize is intended to recognise "excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life." Winners are awarded $3 million... Read more
SUMMARY: Meet the world's most adorable spider and watch his amazing courtship dance! Adult male Maratus volans from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park near Sydney. This male is displaying to a female he's spotted, with large extended and elevated opisthosomal fan, and extended legs III. Image: Jürgen C. Otto and David E. Hill, 2011. One of the most common phobias in the world is arachnophobia, the irrational fear of spiders. But there is one sort of spider out there that is... Read more
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