Genetic Tool Kit
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Top Ten Reasons Why Barnacles Are Interesting
10. They used to be classified as Molluscs
9. They are one of the few Crustaceans that are sessile
8. Barnacles have no gills—gases are exchanged through cirri (feathery legs) and body walls
7.In less than two years, 10 tons of barnacles can become attached to a tanker.
6.They stick themselves head first to the substrate. Cement glands within the antennae produce the brown glue that fastens a barnacle to a hard surface. Acids and alkalis do not dissolve this incredibly strong glue that can hold the base of the shell to a surface long after the barnacle is dead. Dentists, interested in the adhesive power of this glue, have been trying to determine its properties.
5. They like to live on whales
4.You can eat them: Gooseneck barnacles are now being farmed in the state of Washington. They can be found in some specialty fish markets. Before cooking barnacles, thoroughly rinse them, rubbing gently to dislodge any sand. Most recipes call for quick cooking, either by boiling, steaming or grilling. Barnacles may be served hot, cold or at room temperature, usually with a simple embellishment of melted butter or any sauce commonly used for other CRUSTACEANs. To eat, peel off the outer skin, then bite off the neck. When removing the skin, a soupçon of orange (fabric-staining) liquid sometimes spurts out, so be cautious. The flavor of barnacles is compared variously to that of crab, lobster or shrimp.
3.An old legend tells that a type of goose "the barnacle goose" hatched from barnacles
2.Darwin spent 8 years studying them and wrote an entire monograph on their taxonomy
1.Barnacles have the largest penis to body size ratio of the animal kingdom
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
How to give a presentation in under 5 minutes
food for thought....for the 3 minutes talks for your species-at-risk project
Here it is
Here it is
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Aquariums
Vancouver Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sydney (OZ) Aquarium
Bermuda Aquarium - internships and volunteer positions!
Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sydney (OZ) Aquarium
Bermuda Aquarium - internships and volunteer positions!
Placozoans and Poriferans.....
Our first "whose who" in the metazoan phylogeny lecture is on Placozoans and Poriferans. Digital Zoology has great info on both Phyla (and all the info on Placozoans is there rather than in the textbook) including some virtual labs, crossword puzzles (great learning tool), pictures, and more...check it out...
Also check out the following sites because animals that have probably existed for about 800 million years are just pretty darn interesting....
British Columbia's Glass Sponge Reefs
Sponge phylogeny, taxonomy, fossils
Concatenated Analysis Sheds Light on Early Metazoan Evolution and Fuels a Modern “Urmetazoon” Hypothesis
Sponges in the news:
Voracious Sponges In Underwater Caves Save Reefs
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
TED Video: Janine Benyus
12 Sustainable Design Ideas from Nature
"A self-proclaimed nature nerd, Janine Benyus' concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature's successes can inspire humanity"
The Arthropod Story
The Arthropod Story (this site contains additional info on the Cambrian and the evolution of Arthropods)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Development, Ecology, and Environment in the Cambrian Metazoan Radiation
Development, Ecology, and Environment
in the Cambrian Metazoan Radiation
By Doug Irwin
The Cambrian radiation of animal life is one of the most profound episodes of evolutionary innovation in the history of life. Understanding the causes of this event requires deciphering the relative contributions of environmental triggers, developmental novelties, and changes in ecosystem structure. At present, ecology appears to have been largely responsible for the breadth and structure of this event, but we lack adequate, process-based models to understand these ecological dynamics.
Also check out: Gould: The Evolution of Life on Earth
in the Cambrian Metazoan Radiation
By Doug Irwin
The Cambrian radiation of animal life is one of the most profound episodes of evolutionary innovation in the history of life. Understanding the causes of this event requires deciphering the relative contributions of environmental triggers, developmental novelties, and changes in ecosystem structure. At present, ecology appears to have been largely responsible for the breadth and structure of this event, but we lack adequate, process-based models to understand these ecological dynamics.
Also check out: Gould: The Evolution of Life on Earth
In our own backyard!
Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve
Mistaken Point—named for the navigational hazard it poses at the often-foggy southeastern tip of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula—is one of the world's most significant fossil sites.
Embedded in the planes of Mistaken Point's tilted and cleaved mudstone and sandstone, exposed by the pounding of the Atlantic waves, are fossils of the oldest creatures—in fact, the oldest complex life forms—found anywhere on Earth. Known to scientists as the Ediacara biota, they are creatures that lived 575 to 542 million years ago, when all life was in the sea.
The oldest and most spectacular assemblage of these fossils—the Mistaken Point assemblage (575 to 560 million years old)—is preserved in the 5.7-km2 Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve. The Reserve is the only place in the world where you can view a 565-million-year-old sea floor that accurately preserves the ecology of these ancient deep sea communities. The area is one of nine sites on the Canadian Tentative list of potential UNESCO World Heritage properties.
Palaeos and the Cambrian Sea Animation
Palaeos -- http://www.palaeos.com/ -- The best site out there for a history of life and fossils....
The Cambrian Sea Animation
Week 2 Webs
LIFE, a journey - Frans Lanting
Frans Lanting’s LIFE: A Journey Through Time is a lyrical interpretation of life on Earth from its earliest beginnings to its present diversity. The LIFE Project aims to bridge the gap between nature and science, and is realized through the integration of photography with the performing arts and the world of life and earth sciences, in collaboration with partners and institutions around the world.
The LIFE Project includes a multimedia orchestral performance (LIFE Music), a traveling exhibition (LIFE Exhibits), a large-format photographic book (LIFE Book), and this website, www.LifeThroughTime.com. Public outreach includes an ongoing series of appearances by Frans Lanting at venues across the United States and Europe, including the TED Conference, Stanford University, the National Geographic Society, the Long Now Foundation, and many others.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Weekly Webs
This weeks weekly websites focus on diversity itself:
(1) The Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) is a collaborative effort of biologists and nature enthusiasts from around the world. On more than 10,000 World Wide Web pages, the project provides information about biodiversity, the characteristics of different groups of organisms, and their evolutionary history (phylogeny).
Each page contains information about a particular group, e.g., salamanders, segmented worms, phlox flowers, tyrannosaurs, euglenids, Heliconius butterflies, club fungi, or the vampire squid. ToL pages are linked one to another hierarchically, in the form of the evolutionary tree of life. Starting with the root of all Life on Earth and moving out along diverging branches to individual species, the structure of the ToL project thus illustrates the genetic connections between all living things.
(2)Encyclopedia of Life: "Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth..." - Edward O. Wilson
(3)Biodiversity Hotspots
(1) The Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) is a collaborative effort of biologists and nature enthusiasts from around the world. On more than 10,000 World Wide Web pages, the project provides information about biodiversity, the characteristics of different groups of organisms, and their evolutionary history (phylogeny).
Each page contains information about a particular group, e.g., salamanders, segmented worms, phlox flowers, tyrannosaurs, euglenids, Heliconius butterflies, club fungi, or the vampire squid. ToL pages are linked one to another hierarchically, in the form of the evolutionary tree of life. Starting with the root of all Life on Earth and moving out along diverging branches to individual species, the structure of the ToL project thus illustrates the genetic connections between all living things.
(2)Encyclopedia of Life: "Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth..." - Edward O. Wilson
(3)Biodiversity Hotspots
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