Ecographica

Thorn Bugs in South Florida

2012-03-23T21:42:00.003-04:00

Thorn bugs (Umbonia)

Photos taken at Estero Bay Preserve State Park two weeks

Ideology trumps science

2011-10-20T06:55:00.004-04:00

Quotes from a state environmental protection agency: "Why would we include things we don't agree with? That's ridiculous," Saenz said. "We were looking at not including very controversial things that are unsettled science."

and

"It isn't censorship to accurately report in our document what we believe. That's being responsible. That's being accurate"

I'm thinking the citizens may want to have an independent contractor run some water quality tests - there's obviously something in the water in Texas...

Article from Reuters:

The leaders of the agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, are appointed by Republican Governor Rick Perry, who said in a recent presidential debate that the science of climate change was "unsettled."

At issue is "The State of the Bay 2010" report commissioned by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which has come under scrutiny after Rice University Professor John Anderson said that an article regarding sea-level changes he contributed was censored for political reasons.

Democratic state Senators Rodney Ellis of Houston and Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio wrote to Perry appointee Bryan Shaw, chairman of the commission.

In his letter, Ellis said he concluded from the deletions that "the facts simply proved inconvenient to the agency and other state leadership, and thus they were excised."

The commission said on Monday it would remove Anderson's article on sea-level rise in Galveston Bay from the report, ending a standoff with Anderson over the deleted information.

Commission spokesman Andy Saenz said Anderson prematurely revealed the draft report to the media without prior approval, and that the commission did not want to include controversial implications about global warming in the report.

"Why would we include things we don't agree with? That's ridiculous," Saenz said. "We were looking at not including very controversial things that are unsettled science."

Two co-editors of the project, Jim Lester and Lisa Gonzalez, scientists with the Houston Advanced Research Center, a nonprofit research facility contracted for the report, asked the agency to remove their names, fearing their own credibility.

Lester, the center's vice president, called the deletions "scientific censorship." He said Anderson's statements in the article were not political and were reviewed by lower-level staff at the agency before upper management made its own edits.

"As a scientist, my main concern is about the availability of objective science for decision-making in agencies," Lester said.

Saenz denied the claims of scientific censorship.

"Using a word like censorship is very powerful," he said. "It isn't censorship to accurately report in our document what we believe. That's being responsible. That's being accurate."

Saenz said the agency was preparing a response to the senators. The agency, which is embroiled in a lawsuit with the Environmental Protection Agency over greenhouse gas emissions, has been working on the report for more than two years, the agency said.

FROM REUTERS:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/20/us-climate-change-texas-idUSTRE79J0DW20111020

Fuzzy pictures of fuzzy spiders

2011-08-02T19:18:00.004-04:00

The southern house spider (Kukulcania hibernalis) is a sexually dimorphic species of crevice spider (Filistatidae). Both the female and male have fine, light-colored hairs on their abdomen and both have been documented as employing autotomy as a defensive tactic.

These were photographed on my car port earlier this week (same male in both pics, two different females):

The brown recluse looking specimen is the male; the female is larger and darker.

What kind of crap is this?

2011-07-31T10:55:00.008-04:00

What kind of crap is this anyway?

I’ll give ya a couple hints:

The critter that left it behind lives in Florida, can weigh over 240 lbs, and it is a member of the order Carnivora…

It’s from a Florida Black Bear - Ursus americanus floridanus!

Usually their crap looks a little more like this:

But I guess you never know what you might find when you start digging through another’s crap…

King snake – It’s what’s for dinner!!!

Both of the above pictures were taken near Ft. Walton Beach, Florida a couple of months back.

Scary Videos Proving Science Literacy is an Uphill Battle

2011-02-05T13:07:00.003-05:00

Despite President Obama’s emphasis on innovation and education during the State of the Union Address, science literacy in the United States is facing an uphill battle.

A recent survey of 926 high school biology teachers reported that 60% of them avoided teaching the topic of biological evolution in the classroom. Even more worrying, 13% of those surveyed indicated that they "explicitly advocate creationism or intelligent design by spending at least one hour of class time presenting it in a positive light." The teachers participating in the survey weren’t employed at private religious institutions – they all worked at public schools!

President Obama may have spoken to the importance of education but, in the last two months alone republicans from several state governments have proposed new legislation in hopes of maiming their state’s current education standards. New Mexico’s House Bill 302, Oklahoma’s House Bill 1551 (document), Missouri’s House Bill 195, and Kentucky’s House Bill 169 all aim to grant teachers the ‘right’ to instruct students on ‘alternatives’ to evolution, and to teach the ‘scientific controversy’ behind climate change science.

Still not convinced of the seriousness of the science literacy situation? Consider the below video evidence:

Georgia Representative Jack Kingston proudly boasted on a recent episode of Bill Maher’s Real Time that he did not believe in evolution. In presenting his uninformed thesis, Kingston supported his position by claiming that there are “missing links” in the fossil record and that “[he] came from God, not from a monkey.

Hear Kingston's flawed reasoning:

In fairness, republicans aren’t the only politicians waging war on science. Kentucky’s democratic Governor Steven L. Beshear has publicly stated that he supports the idea of providing government subsidies to a company planning to build a religious theme park in his state. According to a recent article in the New York Times, the goal of the park is to “present accurate, factual biblical information to people about a subject that they’re really interested in.” Accurate and factual, really? The park is the brain child of Answers in Genesis Ministries - folks that teach children that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that humans use to ride saddled dinosaurs. How is government sponsorship of such nonsense not in complete opposition to the goals of education?

Have a look at Anderson Cooper's interviews of the parties involved:

Of course, science literacy isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for a fruitful life and successful career. For example, political commentator Bill O’Reilly is fairly well off - and he couldn’t pass a high school science class if his life depended on it! He has no understanding of biology, geology, or astronomy.

Check-out his defense of a previous statment about humans not knowing why ocean tides flow:

Two is a company...

2011-01-03T17:49:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has ever shared a residence can attest to the fact that cohabitating with others can be an extremely stressful state of affairs. Disputes resulting from a lack of privacy, the unequal sharing of common resources, and poor communication become routine occurrences. Even worse is a cohabiting situation in which those sharing the living space develop a mutual love interest – how does that get resolved? Luckily, a recent study published in an animal behavior journal may offer a glimpse of hope for those truly desperate for resolution.

Weighing as much as fifteen pounds and often sporting wingspans greater than nine-feet, bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) are truly massive birds. First described by the father of modern taxonomy ( Carl Linnaeus) in his Systema Naturae, bearded vultures can be found competing for habitat throughout the mountainous regions of Europe, Asia and Africa. Even though a pining for expansive views has lead these bulky buzzards to prefer out-of-the-way nesting sites in hight rocky crags, pressure from human encroachment has caused their numbers to decline in recent years. The huge birds are experiencing population growth in a few isolated locales in the Pyrenees Mountains, but, unfortunately, the increase in the Pyrenees groups has contributed to overcrowding and a lack of housing options for many of the birds.

Under normal circumstances, in un-congested habitats, a bachelor bearded vulture will stake claim to a territory and take-up with a female member of the species; however, with the current surge in population in the Pyrenees, there simply isn’t enough available precipitous homesteads for all of the free-roaming males to settle down and raise families of their own. Lacking options, the roving males have developed a new strategy: they have begun to invade the established territories of their rivals – their already attached rivals. The itinerant bachelor invades the home of another male and claims residence with him and his already courted female companion. As might be predicted, the addition of an interloping male into the love nest of an established male-female pair has proven to adversely affect the reproductive success of the mate-pair.

Typically, a bearded vulture male-female pair will breed between the months of December and February and produce one or two eggs annually; but, the addition of the second male in the territory decreases the frequency and duration of the pair’s copulations. This occurs for a couple of reasons; firstly, the two males constantly fight each other for access to the female. The time and energy the males expend in combating and deterring one another leaves both far too exhausted to apply any romantic effort towards the female. Exasperating this situation even further, when one male does find the rare opportunity to copulate with the female, the rival male will often physically interrupt the act – he’ll stop them mid-coitus!

In addition to the mood-ruining intrusion of a combative third party during attempted sexual congress, the female can even be put-off by the mere presence of a second male — she’ll terminate copulation if she even spots a voyeur.

Fortunately, there is hope for the Pyrenees populations. As with the cliché, “time heals all wounds,” it turns-out that over long periods of time, the polyandrous model can work for the bearded vulture. Apparently the key to success in the multi-male regime is a willingness of the beta bird to demonstrate submission to the alpha – male on male copulations appear to curtail the aggression of the frustrated vultures.

Journal Reference:
Bertran, J., Margalida, A., & Arroyo, B. (2009). Agonistic Behaviour and Sexual Conflict in Atypical Reproductive Groups: The Case of Bearded Vulture Polyandrous Trios
Ethology, 115 (5), 429-438 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01628.x

A Threatened Orchid

2010-12-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum, the leafless beaked orchid, is listed as a Threatened species in Florida. This hummingbird pollinated orchid is found throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, and Central America.

Snapshots taken this past summer near Bradenton, Florida.

Transgenic Veggies Go Wild

2010-11-12T08:30:00.005-05:00

A newly published study from Penn State details what can happen when a genetically modified organism escapes from captivity and interbreeds with the wild members of its species.

Transgenic organisms are critters that have been genetically engineered to express characteristics unique to their species. By snipping, swapping and splicing DNA between different species, organisms can be designed to provide specific benefits to people. For example, bacteria can be engineered to synthesis human insulin for treating diabetes, tomatoes can be manipulated to have an improved shelf-life, and pigs can be designed to more efficiently digest phosphorus, thus easing both their own cost of feeding and the amount of phosphorus pollution discharged into the surrounding environment. But, despite the potential benefits to people, what trouble could ensue if a transgenic organism were to evade human controls and escape its confinement? Would the transgenic organism out-compete the wild type and push it to extinction?

Cucurbita pepo is a species of squash cultivated around the world as a popular food; common varieties of the species include the zucchini, yellow squash and gourd. In addition to being commonplace at dinner tables, Cucurbita also maintains fame as a widely utilized transgenic plant – a transgenic plant that has managed to pass its transplanted genes to wild populations.

Prior to their escape, the genes of the Cucurbita plant had been engineered to have resistance to a leaf-wilting virus transmitted by aphids. The reasoning behind the genetic transplant was simple, by reducing susceptibility to the aphid borne disease, the agricultural yield of squash could be increased and more humans could be fed; but, having escaped, would the disease-resistant plants replace their naturally more disease-susceptible counterparts?

Not necessarily.

According to a case study just published in the November issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences, when mixed populations of transgenic and wild type squash were naturally exposed to the aphid borne disease, the transgenic members did indeed exhibit better health – at least at first. After initially showing better health, the condition and reproductive success of the transgenic squash later equalized and balanced to that of the non-transgenic type. The reason for the equalization was that the robust appearance of the transgenic plants attracted the attention of leaf-munching, and bacteria-transporting, beetles. The beetles’ preference for the healthy looking plants affectively buffered any benefit the plants received from their introduced viral resistance.

Sasu, M., Ferrari, M., & Stephenson, A. (2010). Interrelationships among a Virus-Resistance Transgene. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 171 (9), 1048-1058 DOI: 10.1086/656531

Field Photos: Eastern Coachwhip Snake

2010-10-11T15:18:00.006-04:00

Masticophis flagellum flagellum - the eastern coachwhip

Photographed near Inglis, Florida two weeks back.

Human Sexual Selection and Beer!

2010-09-12T10:53:00.001-04:00

I can almost here David Attenborough’s voiceover:

…The female, being responsible for a greater investment in the rearing of offspring, acts as chooser during courtship displays…

…The male of the species entices the female by inflating his chest and lifting his shoulders. The illusion of a larger size is even further accentuated by posturing and strutting…

…Having failed to impress the female the male abandons his territory; but, his departure leaves open an opportunity for rivals who are also competing for access…

…Intrasexual competition is also evident with the females… The subordinate attempts to manipulate the behavior of the dominant female through use of ethanol…

Check it out:

Field Photos: Fishing Spider in Nyssa Swamp

2010-09-06T18:01:00.002-04:00

The fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus as found in a Nyssa swamp near Tallahassee, Florida.

Snapshots taken about a month ago.

Charles Darwin writes a letter to Stephen Hawking

2010-09-02T21:13:00.002-04:00

World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has just published a new book titled The Grand Design. According to Hawking, the aim of the book is to answer questions like, why are the laws of nature what they are, why do we exist and did the universe need a designer and creator? The Grand Design, which is scheduled to be released on September 7th, is drawing harsh criticism from the religious community because its conclusions specifically state that there is no need to invoke God as an explanation for existence.

Charles Darwin writes a letter to Stephen Hawking

Dr. Stephen Hawking,

I am sending this correspondence out of admiration of your recently published book, The Grand Design. Although I am not a physicist by trade, in my assessment I found the text of your explanations to be written with a clarity, thoroughness and prose rarely encountered in popular works of the sciences; undeniably the book was both informative and inspiring. However, dear sir, at the risk of confusing my professional appraisal of your theories with my own personal motivations, I must be completely honest as to the true reason for holding your publication in such regards, and indeed the real purpose behind this current letter.

Since publication of my abominable theory of natural selection in the Origin of Species, I have been bombarded with continuous assault, and insult, from the pious in our shared world community. My publications have been banned, burned, intentionally misconstrued and even cited as the works of the devil. Despite having paid little time or mind to harebrained allegations of being a pointy-tailed marauder, I must confess that I have found religion’s interference with science, and the pursuit of knowledge in general, to be the most disheartening of experiences. In short, dear sir, thank you for deflecting the gaze of the religious eye from me and my field of interest - the biological sciences.

Not since publication of the Origin of Species in 1859 have I been so at ease; and remember dear sir, I have been dead since April of 1882! Now finally, after all of this time, religious zealots of every ilk, sect and creed can take a break from their incessant efforts to ban the teaching of evolution. Now, thanks to you sir, these fools can focus on other issues they deem to be of importance - unfortunately the issues they deem important will likely include banning instruction in chemistry, physics and astronomy…

With the most sincere of gratitude,

Charles Darwin

PS: If I may be so bold as to offer a parting word of advice, you may wish to inquire into the availability of fire retardant book covers for your publication.

Alfred Russel Wallace, a Conspicuous Caterpillar and David Bowie

2010-09-02T07:08:00.002-04:00

Prior to yesterday morning I had never contemplated the linkages between rock’n roller David Bowie and the co-founder of Natural Selection Alfred Russel Wallace. It turns-out that these famous Brits hold at least two things in common; the first and most obvious of which is the already mentioned fact that both Wallace and Bowie were born in the U.K. The second linkage between the two, as strange as this may sound, is caterpillars!

Yes, caterpillars!

The Bowie-Wallace-caterpillar connection became apparent to me yesterday morning as I was heading off to work. While stepping outside in route to the car, I noticed a rather strange looking creature attached to the exterior of the door frame (no, it wasn’t David Bowie!). In trying to figure-out what the creature was, my brain struggled to match its distinctive shape, color and pattern to familiar morphological templates filed away in the dark recesses of my memory. Then it hit me! Although the overall proportions of the beastie seemed diminutive in comparison to the model held in my head, its overall appearance reminded me of something from my adolescence back in the late 1980s – it reminded me of a mullet!

For those with a functional fashion sense (or a selective memory), Wikipedia defines a “mullet” as a “hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. Often ridiculed as a lowbrow and unappealing hairstyle, the mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s.”

The tiny creature (which fortunately turned-out to be a caterpillar, not an outdated and free-living hairstyle) looked exactly like a mouse-sized mullet! In fact, it looked like a miniaturized version of the very mullet sported by David Bowie just a few decades ago.

Check it out:

As evidenced by the images shown above, both Bowie and the caterpillar exhibited a conspicuous, yet strangely similar, appearance. It’s this conspicuous appearance that brings us to Alfred Wallace; because, Wallace knew a thing or two about conspicuous caterpillars.

In 1889 Alfred Wallace published a book titled, “Darwinism: an Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of its Applications.” In this work, Wallace expanded on one of his theories - a theory that he had previously presented to Charles Darwin and to members of the Entomological Society of London - the evolutionary phenomena now known as ‘aposematism.’

Aposematism refers to signaling adaptations exhibited by prey species that serve to dissuade would be predators from attacking. In other words, aposematic species are those organisms that intimidate, scare, or warn predators of their ‘unprofitability’ as potential prey items. Aposematic species are considered ‘unprofitable’ because in addition to the signaling adaptation, they also bear an underlying secondary defensive mechanism. For example, a coral snake could be considered an aposematic species because in addition to its secondary defense mechanism (a venomous bite), it also warns predators of this lethal capacity through the use of visual cues; in this case, warning coloration via strongly contrasting yellow, red and black colored bands along the length of its body.

Speaking to warning displays, Wallace wrote, “…instead of serving to conceal the animals that posses them or as recognition marks to their associates, they are developed for the express purpose of rendering the species conspicuous. The reason of this is that the animals in question are either possessors of some deadly weapons, as stings or poison fangs, or they are uneatable, and are thus so disagreeable to the usual enemies of their kind that they are never attacked when their peculiar powers or properties are known.” (Chapter IX of Alfred Wallace’s 1889 book; my emphasis added)

As an alternative to Wallace’s quoted learned avoidance of prey due to ‘known’ risks (learned through prior bad/unprofitable encounters), predators could also facilitate the evolution of conspicuous prey by practicing dietary conservatism. By simply avoiding prey items that look weird or unusual, predators could thin populations of normal looking individuals, thereby contributing to a reproductive boom for the remaining strange-looking conspecifics. In the case of a predator of caterpillars, for example, by eating ‘normal’ hairless caterpillars a predator could open the door for a surge in ‘strange-looking’ caterpillars - like those caterpillars that flaunt mullets.

In fact, Wallace frequently used conspicuous caterpillars as examples in explaining the phenomena of warning signaling - caterpillars not dissimilar to the venomous Megalopyge opercularis found on the frame of my door yesterday morning.

Megalopyge opercularis, the asp caterpillar, is the larval form of the southern flannel mouth. Its range extends from the southern United States through tropical South America. Though its retro hairstyle may look cute and harmless, it packs a painful punch. The ‘hairs’ of the asp moth aren’t really even hairs at all; they’re actually bundles of venom injecting spikes! The spikes are the caterpillar’s secondary defensive mechanism, and its conspicuousness serves as its primary defense – it sends a warning signal to predators.

Looking strange can sometimes be advantageous - just ask David Bowie!

Wallace, A. R. 1889. Darwinism: an Exposition of the Theory of Natural Selection with Some of its Applications. London: MacMillan.

Lee, et al. (2010). Can dietary conservatism explain the primary evolution of aposematism? Animal Behaviour, 79 (1), 63-74 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.10.004

Field Photos: White-eyed Vireo in Nest

2010-08-29T16:53:00.002-04:00

Vireo griseus the white-eyed vireo; nested in a forked branch of Myrica cerifera (wax myrtle).

Snapshot taken a couple months back in Manatee County, Florida – where vireos nest year around.

Why EO Wilson’s Latest Eusociality Paper Fails

2010-08-28T03:08:00.011-04:00

Martin Nowak, Corina Tarnita and E.O. Wilson made the cover of Nature this week with their article “The evolution of eusociality.” The argument presented in the paper is that inclusive fitness theory is an extraneous, unnecessary concept that has failed to provide insights into the evolution of eusociality.

Here are a few of the reasons why I think that their argument fails:

Failure 1: In the first couple of paragraphs, the paper guides unwary readers into accepting two false premises; the first is that kin selection and inclusive fitness are alternatives to “standard natural selection theory,” and the second false premise is that altruism is synonymous with eusociality.

Explanation: The authors confuse altruism (one type of cooperative behavior) with eusociality. Eusociality is a type of social organization seen in bees, ants, termites, naked mole rats, and a variety of other critters. The sophisticated level of cooperation exhibited by these groups can be achieved through a host of mechanisms; including mutualisms, rewarding, active enforcement, policing, reciprocity and a number of other phenotypes. Altruism is just one mechanism for cooperation; explaining altruism isn’t the same as thing as explaining all of eusociality, and explaining eusociality doesn’t explain all altruism. Despite the authors’ intended objective of detailing the evolution of eusociality (a long term process), they continuously revert to explaining only short term altruistic behavior – these are not the same thing.

The distinctions between kin selection, inclusive fitness, and “standard natural selection theory” are discussed in Failure 2 below.

Failure 2: Under the heading “Rise and fall of inclusive fitness theory” on page one of the paper the authors incorrectly/narrowly define both kin selection and inclusive fitness.

Explanation: The authors write, “The defining feature of kin selection theory is the concept of inclusive fitness…”

No it isn’t. The idea of inclusive fitness is central to modern biology and refers to the combination of both direct fitness (i.e. the reproductive success of the individual) AND indirect fitness (e.g. an individual controlling or manipulating other reproducers in proximity). Kin selection represents only a limited portion of inclusive fitness; more specifically, it’s a subset of indirect fitness.

Kin selection is the sort of cooperative behavior in which an organism works to enhance the reproductive success of a relative. (By helping relatives, organisms can increase the percentage of their family’s genes in the larger population.) In contrast to kin selection, inclusive fitness is the measure of an individual’s total ability to affect the passing of its genes to the larger gene pool. Inclusive fitness exists even in the complete absence of relatives and kin selection. More broadly, inclusive fitness can even be viewed as the modern interpretation of Darwin’s original linkage between adaptation and differential survival and can thus be seen as wholly coinciding with natural selection.

Failure 3: The authors make the “Selfish gene assumption”

Explanation: Immediately following Failure 2 described above, the authors enter into a discussion as to the validity of Hamilton’s rule (Relatedness >cost/benefit). The gist of their argument here is that because there are in existence eusocial animals with a low degree of familial relationship (e.g. those with diplodiploid sex determination) Hamilton’s rule is not valid. I call this failure the “Selfish gene assumption” because I’ve heard the same erroneous interpretation made during critiques of Richard Dawkins’ book the “Selfish Gene.”

Some folks incorrectly assume that Richard Dawkins forwards a view in which a single copy of a gene – a single gene in a specific individual – unintentionally works to be passed on to future generations. This isn’t the case. The book the “Selfish Gene” describes a perspective in which all genes for a specific phenotype – all copies present in the entire population - unintentionally work to increase in frequency. This may seem like a subtle difference, but it isn’t. It isn’t a subtle difference because like Dawkins in the Selfish Gene, Hamilton expressed relatedness in terms of genetic frequency, not in terms of genealogical proximity. Therefore, if E.O. Wilson and the other authors of the currently evaluated paper want to 'disprove' Hamilton, they shouldn’t be so concerned with the degree of familial relatedness shared between two INDIVIDUALS; rather, they should be concerned with the frequency of one individual’s genes as compared to the population’s gene pool as a whole. It doesn’t matter if individuals in a group are sisters, brother and sister, or third cousins twice removed – what does matter is genetic similarity. Members of a group can hold a huge compliment of genes in common without having the same parents.

----

Getting a bit lengthy, so I’ll stop here for now; the three “failures” listed above can be found on the first two pages of the paper. Rather than moving on to page three, I’ll wrap-up by saying that in the paper’s conclusion the authors summarize the stages of natural selection they believe to be required for the evolution of eusociality. This may not come as a surprise, but all of the listed stages could be explained in terms of inclusive fitness...

In summary, the paper doesn’t offer anything novel and in my opinion represents merely the latest pitch for group selection view - a pitch that fails on page one due to lack of a shared vocabulary.

Nowak, M., Tarnita, C., & Wilson, E. (2010). The evolution of eusociality Nature, 466 (7310), 1057-1062 DOI: 10.1038/nature09205

Field Photos: Jewel Beetle Vs Yellow-eyed Grass

2010-08-21T14:21:00.005-04:00

A jewel beetle [Buprestis rufipes (?)] having a go at the wetland plant Xyris caroliniana.

Xyris caroliniana is a species of “yellow-eyed grass” belonging to the Xyridaceae Family of monocots. It’s an herbaceous perennial common to Florida’s marshes, hydric pine flatwoods, and wetland ecotones. They display a compact erect stem and ascending leaves. Its flowers are short lived with three yellow petals.

The iridescence shown by Buprestis rufipes isn’t due to pigmentation in the exoskeleton, but rather microscopic textures in its cuticle which reflect and scatter particular frequencies of light.

These photos were taken near Goethe State Forest back in April.

Field Photos: An Endangered Fern

2010-08-19T16:57:00.008-04:00

Below are a few snapshots of an endangered “hand fern” - Ophioglossum palmatum.

Members of the Ophioglossum palmatum are epiphytic ferns that take root in the humus that collects between the fronds and the trunks of palm trees.

These snapshots were taken last month during fieldwork near the Fakahatchee Preserve in south Florida.

Although, they’re listed by the State of Florida as an endangered species, the hand fern can also be found in Southeast Asia, South America and Madagascar.

A close-up showing the spore-bearing

sporangial spikes

Here are a few more specimens – these ones guarded by Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy)

A Motivating Herd of Squirrel Frogs

2010-08-17T19:53:00.006-04:00

I’ve really neglected this blog the last few months… There’s really no excuse for the lack of posts; I’ve just been tied-up with work, extra work (thanks for nothing BP) and personal commitments. In an effort to get things rolling again, I thought that posting a couple of snapshots would be a good idea. Small steps…

Despite a recent malaise brought about by incidents in the Gulf of Mexico, I was briefly inspired this weekend when I discovered a couple hundred juvenile frogs in my backyard. Yeah, a COUPLE HUNDRED!

Though, I’m not exactly certain where the deed went down (no ponds or puddles around), my best guess is that about 45-days ago (tadpole-to-froglet growth time) a couple (perhaps a few) of the squirrel frogs that reside in the rafters of my porch got “frisky” (i.e. mated). The result: hundreds of these guys in my yard:

Squirrel frogs (Hyla squirella) are common throughout the Southeastern United States. They’re terrestrial tree frogs that breed and undergo early development in water (puddles, ponds, ditches, etc…). Once sufficiently mature to undertake travel, they move to forested areas (or the exteriors of human dwellings) to live as adults. Eventually, the upland dwelling adult frogs return to water to reproduce and the cycle starts anew.

As another quick natural history note, Hyla squirella are at least bimodel when it comes to sexual selection. Like many frog species, the females home-in on distant males by converging on the sound of the male’s song; but, in addition to sound, female squirrel frogs also select mates based on appearance.

Squirrel frog in rafters of porch

Males with low-frequency and energetic calls are preferred by the females, but the females also consider the size of the yellow stripe that runs down the male’s side. The male’s yellow stripe may give some indication as to his overall health.

Convergent Evolution and Intelligence

2010-07-25T13:51:00.001-04:00

Measuring only about one-tenth of a millimeter in length, the female members of the wasp species Dicopomorpha echmepterygis are likely candidates for being the world’s smallest flying animal. Though accomplished fliers, these tiny parasitoid wasps are so minute that one could sit comfortably within the circumference of the period found at the end this sentence. Equally as versed in flight, but dramatically less petite than the insect aviators, were huge pterosaurs like Quetzalcoatlus. Though no human has ever laid eyes on a living specimen, fossil evidence clearly shows that some of these masters of the sky boasted wingspans well in access of thirty feet. In addition to the huge variety of aeronautically inclined insects and reptiles that have been identified, mammals too have converged on the adaptation of winged locomotion; mammals of the order Chiroptera have taken to the sky as moth hunting bats.

Like the adaptation of flight, eyes too have independently evolved in a number of different animal taxa. From the photoreceptive eyespots of a flatworm to the sharply focusing lenses of a great horned owl, eyes have arisen at least forty different times during the Earth’s biological history. ‘Convergent evolution’ is the phrase science uses to describe the common adaptations shared between different lineages of animals. For example, a case for convergent evolution could be made for the possum’s opposable thumb, which may very well represent an adaptation for improved grip; but, this enhanced grasping ability is hardly an indicator of a hereditary tie to primates. Rather than having been passed through genetic transmission from parent to offspring, the opposable thumb simply has an analogous structure and function for both possums and primates. So, just as flight isn’t unique to birds, the opposable thumb isn’t unique to primates.

If not opposable thumbs, is there a trait that is unique to primates? More to the point, is there a trait that is unique to the variety of apes called Homo sapiens? Perhaps intelligence is unique?

Maybe not as unique as we’d like to think:
de Waal, F., & Ferrari, P. (2010). Towards a bottom-up perspective on animal and human cognition Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14 (5), 201-207 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.03.003

Tsunamis Hit Florida - Not!

2010-07-19T12:46:00.001-04:00

I’ve been told that there is a rumor going around about methane gas bubbles causing a tsunami...

From Florida Department of Environmental Protection:

“Tsunamis are unlikely to occur as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident. These rumors involve the naturally occurring methane beneath the seafloor in the Macondo Discovery, which is the petroleum reservoir into which the Deepwater Horizon production well was drilled. Scientists and engineers are aware of the physical and chemical behavior of methane in the earth and ocean, as well as during production of petroleum.

Science does not support the notion of a methane-induced tsunami resulting from Deepwater Horizon activities. However, while the possibility of an induced tsunami is extremely remote, DEP continues to take all concerns seriously and is consulting with experts in all related scientific fields.

View the following DEP fact sheet with more information about methane gas and the Deepwater Horizon incident: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/files/methane_fact_sheet.pdf

Yankees Evolved from Less Advanced Life Forms, but Southerners Didn't

2010-07-17T12:34:00.004-04:00

According to the results of a new poll released by Angus Reid Public Opinion, the majority of folks in the Southern United States believe that humans have only been around for about the last 10,000 years - roughly since the time of the agricultural revolution.

The poll (PDF available here) asked respondents in Britain, Canada and the United States to choose which of the following statements came closest to their own point of view regarding the origin and development of human beings on planet earth?

A. Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years

B. God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years

C. Not sure

68% of participating Brits selected evolution as the best explanation for human existence, as did a 61% majority of the Canadian respondents. In the United States however, only 35% of those polled accepted that humans came to be via a process of graduated change.

From the regional perspective, residents of Southern United States showed the greatest alignment with a creationist view of human origins; 51% indicated that they believed humans to have only been around for 10,000 years or less. Respondents from the Northeastern U.S. demonstrated more inkling towards accepting evolution with 41% endorsing change over millions of years and 38% opting for more divine explanations.

Yankees and their highfalutin ideas…

Photo: Australopithecus afarensis from Wikipedia

An Open Letter to Dr. Craig Venter

2010-05-23T18:01:00.002-04:00

Dear Dr. Craig Venter,

Your announcement on May 20th that your lab had created the first synthetic cell has left me absolutely terrified. Because of your work, I fear that the human race is now teetering on the edge of self-destruction. Although I assume that you had good intentions when you embarked on such a foolhardy line of experimentation, you have obviously failed to fully consider the possible consequences of your actions. Like many scientists and inventors in times past you seem to take pride in your ability to arrogantly tinker with nature – Dr. Venter, consider the consequences!

Like you, the inventor of the wheel probably intended only to help humanity by providing a new technology for improved transportation, but that near sidedness ultimately resulted in despair and anguish for the rest of us. By not thinking about the consequences of the vile wheel, its inventor didn’t plan for the possibility of wheeled-trailers used to move mobile nuclear missiles, wheeled-vehicles pumping noxious fumes into the atmosphere or even the potential for road killed kittens. No, the inventor of the wheel selfishly left those concerns for future generations to resolve – Dr. Venter, think about future generations!

I’m not a geneticist, but I know enough about science to understand that by meddling around with DNA you run the risk of creating super-viruses, flesh eating bacteria and possibly even tyrannosaurs. The perfection seen in nature is the result of thousands of years of evolution, and that evolution has brought everything into harmony. By creating synthetic cells you run the risk of altering the course of evolution; you could inadvertently upset the natural harmonies that exists between things like parasitoid wasps and their host caterpillars, you could unintentionally change petroleum’s natural adhesion to the Gulf of Mexico, or you could even disrupt the natural balance that exists between humans and the HIV virus – Dr. Venter don’t upset the natural balance!

Life isn’t just chemistry. Life is an invisible force driven by a magical spirit-energy that flows through all of us. You must understand that only God can create life, and because of that only he can understand how life works. Your ego has obviously overridden your ability to reason; you have no idea how DNA, cells or biology really function – Dr. Venter, stop playing God!

P.S. On second thought, the above pleading is probably unnecessary… After all, your so called ‘synthetic cell’ is really no big deal at all. So what, you can turn a few million digits on a computer screen into a living and reproducing organism. Big whoop! You scientists should be focusing on more important issues.

Sincerely,
Concerned Citizen

Gibson et al. (2010) Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome. Science Express. PDF File .

Not all Republicans Deny Science; but, all Science Deniers are Republican

2010-04-14T12:25:00.003-04:00

Why has ignorance and irrationality become a sustainable political position? It seems as though every time I turn on the television or read the news I learn of a new public figure that has gained political clout through boasting about being ignorant of science - and almost always those public figures are members of the Republican Party!

What do republicans have against thinking things through?

In recent posts I have written about Marco Rubio (the current front runner in Florida’s U.S. Senate race) being a closeted creationist, Rick Santorum’s fight against the teaching of evolution, Utah State Representative Mike Noel idiotic work opposing climate change policy, and a host of other proud science deniers - all republican!

Can you imagine living in a place where people lacking knowledge, rationality or even the ability to reason opted to seek education or guidance in lieu of running for a political office? If you are able to imagine such a utopia, it’s probably safe to wager that it doesn’t look anything like the State’s of Tennessee or Illinois - the leading candidates for governor in both states are creationists! More specifically, they’re republican creationists (I know - shocking!!!).

In Tennessee gubernatorial poll-leader Ron Ramsey - the State’s current Lieutenant Governor - wants to include Intelligent Design as part of the public schools’ science curriculum. In considering the teaching of evolution and the possibility of instructing creationism, Ramsey stated that to “choose one or the other would ignore the beliefs of large numbers of Tennesseans. Our young people are smart enough to come to their own conclusions if both sides are presented fairly.” That’s right; his position on education is that the personal beliefs held by the majority override and supersede science.

Illinois’ leading Republican Candidate, current State Senator Bill Brady, is towing a similar party-line; but in addition to teaching creationism, he also supports inclusion of prayer in public schools…

There’s nothing special about the republicans in Florida, Utah, Illinois, Pennsylvania, or Tennessee; a philosophy of anti-science is ubiquitous to the Republican Party. Now, it very well may be possible - though it’s a stretch - that not all republicans deny science; but, the emerging pattern seems to overwhelmingly demonstrate that all science deniers are republican!

If not yet convinced of this phenomenon just consider the leading republican presidential candidates for 2012; Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and of course Sarah Palin - all fundamental creationists and all climate change deniers.

I fully realize that when selecting a politician to lead us there are many things to consider - more than just their views on science and science policy - but for goodness sake, how has science denial become a desired attribute for an entire political party?

Sources (Linked News Artcles):

Bill Brady Info

Ron Ramsey Info

Cottonmouth Moccasins: Adapting to the Beach and Beyond

2010-04-13T17:34:00.007-04:00

Could some pit vipers evolve the capacity to invade the world’s oceans?

Last Thursday, while doing some fieldwork in Levy County, I came across this Florida cottonmouth as it was sunning itself after an early morning swim:

The warning behavior being demonstrated in the last photo is how the ‘cottonmouth’ earned its common name; trespassers and would be predators can be caught off-guard and intimidated when the snake curtly flashes the white interior of its mouth. The warning was certainly well received by me – I’ll take being startled over enduring a venomous bite any day of the week!

The Florida cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti is one of three subspecies of water moccasin native to the United States; the other two varieties include the Eastern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) and the Western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma). These three subspecies of semi-aquatic pit vipers are renowned for their exceptional swimming ability and their associated preference for habitats in and around the freshwater lakes, streams and swamps of the Southeast U.S. They have adapted to be masters of wetlands; well, masters of freshwater wetlands anyway…

Even though their preferred range places them in proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the conquest of marine ecosystems by the cottonmouths has been - as it has with most aquatically inclined reptiles - blockaded. The physiological demands of maintaining adequate hydration in a high-saline environment has constrained the Agkistrodon genus to a landward life. But things could change.

Could cottonmouths evolve to live in the sea, like kraits or sea snakes?

As mentioned previously, the above images show a cottonmouth from Levy County, Florida. Levy County is located in West Central Florida and boasts an impressive coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. The coastline even has barrier islands. In fact, one such barrier island, called Seahorse Key, has its very own population of cottonmouths - cottonmouths that have found a niche in the intertidal zone.

Generally considered opportunistic carnivores, the bulk of the average cottonmouth’s diet is derived through consumption of its wetland neighbors - frogs and fish - however, they have been known to occasionally snack on insects, lizards, birds, rats, or even other moccasins. The cottonmouths of Seahorse Key have taken their tastes for fish from the freshwater to the saltwater; there they eat marine fish scavenged from the intertidal zone or haphazardly dropped from the Key’s bird rookeries. In addition to marine fish, the cottonmouths of Seahorse Key will even eat SEAWEED if it has the odor of fish on its leaves.

So, the cottonmouths of Seahorse Key have a proven ability to eat, digest and process marine food resources. They posses elongate lungs to provide buoyancy and streamlined bodies capable of eel-like swimming locomotion. As with other pit vipers they have venom to aid in capture of fast moving fish. And, in regards to reproduction, cottonmouths give birth to live young, so there’s no need to go to shore to lay eggs…

It seems that the only other major factor restricting the cottonmouths’ sea-ward invasion is a limited tolerance for high-salinity…

If only there was a selective pressure for improved salt water tolerance; for instance, a selective pressure something like being stuck on an island that is subject to rising sea levels. What are the chances of that happening?

The behavioral and physiological adaptations required in order for a land animal to successfully undertake a conquest of the sea are undoubtedly both varied and numerous; but, with sufficient selection pressure, ample time, and an incremental, step-wise process it can and has happened.

For example, consider all of the behavioral and physiological changes that must have occurred in order for a few Devonian lobe-finned fish to find their way to shore as fully terrestrial tetrapods! Or, viewing the scenario in reverse, imagine the adaptations that permitted Eocene land mammals to re-enter the sea as a line of cetaceans!

Subtle cumulative changes over time can alter a lineage’s dietary preferences, reproductive rituals and even bodily mechanics.

Lillywhite, H., Sheehy, C., & Zaidan, F. (2008). Pitviper Scavenging at the Intertidal Zone: An Evolutionary Scenario for Invasion of the Sea BioScience, 58 (10) DOI: 10.1641/B581008

What Spider is this?

2010-04-11T22:57:00.005-04:00

Anyone know which species of spider this is?

It was in west central Florida - near Crystal River, Levy County.

I'm guessing Gea heptagon, but haven't seen one quite like this one - with so many numerous huge spines...