ZOOLOGICAL WISDOM

Monsoon Forest Walk, Nature Trail at BNHS CEC (Bombay Natural History Society's Conservation Education Centre), Goregaon, Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:45:00 +0000

Leopard Trail at BNHS CEC

Experience and witness the biodiversity and monsoon with your friends, colleagues, and family in the forest, in the middle of Mumbai, the world's densest metropolitan.

Adjacent to the Catchment Area of Vihar Lake, the forest shows the presence of a diversity of animals and habitats.

Meet the residents, our fellow Mumbaikars of this pristine lush green forest.

Spitting Spider with Egg sac

Requirements:

1) A group of a minimum of 3 people.

2) Age: 5+ yrs.

3) Register 2 days before Nature Trail.

Especially for Nature enthusiasts, Kids, Students, Lifesciences students, and Dendrophiles.

How to register:

Leopard Scratch Marks

DM (Instagram) or WhatsApp or Call

Contact Details:

1) Meehir Pawar

Mobile/WhatsApp- 8655713906

E-Mail ID- meehirpawar23@gmail.com

2) Gaurang Tawde

Mobile/WhatsApp– 9820859664

E-Mail ID- gaurang28tawde@gmail.com

Instagram- Zoological Wisdom

Trail Fees : For Kids and Adults– 500/- per person

Fees Include: Entry Charges and Naturalist Expertise Fees.

Fees Exclude: Any Travel expenses, eatables, and anything not mentioned under the head “Fees Include”.

Discounts: Depending on No. of People in the group.

Heavy Bodied Jumper

Payment Methods:

GPay (50% one day before the trail and 50% after trail) OR

Cash Payment (Complete payment at the meeting point)

More details will be provided after registration.

What you must feed a baby bird? Baby Bird Feed | What do baby birds eat? | How often you should feed the Hatchlings, Nestlings, and Flegdelings? | List of some suitable food for baby birds |Never feed these things to the baby birds

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 05:40:00 +0000

When the bird's nest is physically disturbed by external factors like wind, quakes, or predators, the contents of the bird's nest for example the eggs or young birds can tumble down. The eggs cannot be saved but if you find a fallen baby bird you can do something to save its life.

If you find an abandoned or fallen baby bird:-

1) You should place the chick in the nest (if there is one nearby).

2) If possible you must contact the nearest Animal Shelter or Animal NGO.

3) Take Care of it till it is old enough to become independent.

Diet is an important component that is to be considered when you're taking care of a growing baby bird.

You must do some research about the bird species. You must identify the species of the bird. The dietary elements may vary based on the species of bird.

Birds can be divided based on their dietary habits. For eg., Granivorous, frugivores, nectivores, piscivores, scavengers, and insectivores consume seeds/grains, fruits, nectar, fish, meat/dead animals, and insects respectively.

Therefore, the identification of species can help in understanding the diet of the baby bird.

Here is a list of some suitable food for baby birds:

1. Moisten Dog Food

2. Moisten Cat Food

3. Egg (Hard Boiled)

4. Raw Liver

5. Worms or insects.

6. Moisten and blended/ground cereals.

While feeding the baby birds, make sure that the food;

1. must be moistened (not dry at all).

2. must be crush or chopped into tiny bits.

3. must be at room temperature.

4. must not be overfed.

5. must not be forced.

If the bird still won't open its mouth, gently force it open. Keep feeding until the bird is reluctant to open its beak or starts rejecting the food. It is important not to overfeed the chicks.

What you must never feed the baby birds:

1. Bread and bakery products.

2. Kitchen waste

3. Water

4. Milk

5. Any liquid beverage.

6. Very Dry Food.

Adult birds do not feed milk, water, or any other liquid to their baby. Never feed Water, milk, or liquid beverage to the baby birds. The fluid can fill their lungs and cause them to drown. Moisten food fulfills their body's fluid necessity. You must try to feed, the food materials which is naturally available to an adult bird.

Hatchlings

Nestlings and Fledglings

How often you should feed the baby birds?

Baby birds have very demanding feeding schedules. The parent birds make numerous trips per day to forage for food material. You must try to replicate this feeding schedule. You must feed the baby bird every 15 to 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset. Nestlings need to be fed every hour and fledglings every two hours a day.

Pigeon Milk

Veterinarian Pippa Elliott says, "Birds such as doves and pigeons, parrots, hummingbirds, fish-eating birds, birds of prey and any precocial chicks.

Doves, pigeons, and parrot-like birds usually eat what’s called pigeon milk, a substance regurgitated by the mother. To replicate this, you will need to feed these chicks a hand-feeding formula designed for parrots (available at pet supply stores) through a plastic syringe with the needle removed.

Although it's less likely that you'll encounter the other breeds of chicks, their requirements are as follows: Hummingbirds will need a specialized nectar formula, fish-eating birds will need chopped up minnows (available at fish bait stores), birds of prey will eat insects, rodents and smaller chicks, and baby precocial birds will do well on turkey or game bird starter."

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Introduction To Parasitology | Parasitology Notes | Definitions

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Parasitology is an important topic from various competitive as well as academic exams point of view. A large number of animals, microorganisms as well as plants are studied under this specialized field of biology.

TapeWorm (Intestinal Parasite)

What is Parasitology?

It is a branch of biological science that studies the parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. It deals with the study of parasites and is concerned with the study of protozoans, helminths, and arthropods which are parasitic to the animal kingdom.

Watch my video on Introduction to Parasitology: https://youtu.be/Icf2SGK9CF8

What is a parasite?

The word Parasite comes from the Latin form of the Greek word 'Parasitos', which means, “One who eats at the table of another”. This means that a parasite is someone who depends on others. This simply means that parasites cannot survive independently in nature

According to Centres for Disease Control (CDC), a parasite has defined as an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host.

Parasitism is a type of Symbiosis.

Symbiosis is any type of close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualism, commensalism, predation, neutralism, or parasitism

Parasitism is the intimate and continuous interaction between two heterospecific species, in which one species (parasite) is benefitted by obtaining food, shelter, or other physiological features while harming the other species (Host).

An organism which provides parasite with all the necessary biological requirement and is negatively affected is called as Host.

The parasite which lives inside the host has developed some specializations like increased fecundity, regeneration, polyembryony, and different mechanisms for transmission. Because, the host body will try to eliminate or overpower them as they are foreign bodies by producing WBCs, antibodies, diarrhea, mucus secretion, and so on. These are called host-parasite interactions.

A parasite can cause the destruction of host tissues, induce sterility, death rates, infect, and affects the nutritional status of the host. A successful parasite usually never kills the host but leaves in it as the death of the host will lead to its death.

A wide range of organisms is parasitic, from viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, to plants and animals Parasites include protozoans such as the causative agents of malaria, amoebic dysentery; fungi such as honey fungus and the agents of ringworm; plants such as mistletoe, dodder, and strangler fig; animals such as hookworms, lice, mosquitoes, and vampire bats.

Humans are hosts to nearly 300 species of parasitic worms and over 70 species of protozoa, some derived from our primate ancestors and some acquired from the animals we have domesticated or come in contact with during our relatively short history on Earth. However, all parasite does not cause disease, the disease-causing parasites are called as pathogenic parasites or pathogens.

Parasitism helps in regulating the population size and also in maintaining the balance of nature. It controls the population size and also ensures the continuous coexistence of both the host and parasite.

To get more notes on parasitology in the future, follow ZoologicalWisdom.

Visit my Instagram handle to see infographics on different parasites.

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How to identify Venomous and Non-Venomous Snakes? Snake Identification based on the Tail, Ventral scales, nature of the Head, Vertebral scales and Jaw scales.

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Mon, 24 May 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Snakes are extremely well- adapted to a wide variety of habitats namely aquatic, fossorial, arboreal, and terrestrial. The variation of their sizes, shapes, and colors is generally due to the adaptive radiation in a mode of life. Snakes are intrinsically fascinating and form an important component of the biota. Naturally, their curious mode of propulsion, venom, and constricting mechanism have made them an important group of predators, and the interactions maintain a natural balance in almost every ecosystem.

About 3500 species of snakes are recorded on earth inhabiting both land and sea, of which about 375 are venomous. Snakes are abundant all over the world except in the Arctics, New Zealand, and Ireland. It is postulated that there are about 3000 species of terrestrial snakes in the world and they are predominant in the warm climates and lush green regions of the tropics. About 278 species are found in India out of which 58 species are venomous. The snakes are objects of fascination for studies since time immemorial. The body of a snake is often modified to suit its ecological conditions

Fifteen families are currently recognized, comprising 456 genera and over 2,900 terrestrial species. They range in size from the tiny, 10 cm long thread snake to pythons and anacondas of up to 7.6 meters (25 ft) in length.

But, why is basic snake identification skills important?

Increasing industrialization and urbanization have led to habitat loss of these reptiles. Presently many snakes have made their appearance in and around areas with proximity to the human population due to loss of habitats and environmental stress. During such conflicts, people with lesser knowledge about snakes tend to harm or kill the animal for protecting themselves. Many times, non-venomous species are mistaken as venomous ones and are killed. Therefore, basic knowledge of snake identification is required if your residential area also has snake inhabitants. Whenever you spot a snake in your vicinity do not handle it on your own unless you are experienced in snake rescuing. You can either contact a local snake rescuer or an animal rescue NGO if you spot a snake in your residential vicinity.

Snake Identification: (You can use shredded snakeskin and not a live snake for safety purpose)

Starting with the tail:

1) When the tail is Flat and laterally compressed the snake is considered to be venomous for example sea snakes. The majority of sea snakes are highly venomous and all of them have flattened tails.

Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platurus)

2) When the tail is cylindrical and blunt like that of sand boas, then that snake is non-venomous.

Red Sand Boa (Eryx johnii)

3)When the tail is cylindrical and round like that of Terrestrial or land snakes, they can either be venomous or non-venomous

So, the snakes which have cylindrical and round tail they are classified into two categories based on scales on their belly i.e., ventral scales.

A. If the Snake has small scales on the belly and back region like that of Buff Striped Keelback, then it is non-venomous.

Buff Striped Keelback (Amphiesma stolatum)

Small scales on the belly

B. Those having narrow belly scales like Sand Boa are considered to be non-venomous.

Narrow ventral scales

C. While the snakes having broad belly scales and cover the entire girth of the belly region,

Broad ventral scales

are further classified into three categories based on the nature of the head:

a) If the scales on the head are small and no pits are visible then the snake is considered to be venomous for example Saw-Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus) and Russell’s Viper (Daboia russelii)

Saw-Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus) head

b) If there is a loreal pit between nostril and eye along with small scales on the head, then the snake is considered venomous. For example, Pit Vipers.

Bamboo Pit Viper (Trimeresurus gramineus)

c) When the snakes have Shields on their head,

they are further classified into three more categories based on the vertebral scales and jaw scales:

i) When the vertebral scales are not large, the third supra labial shield (upper jaw) is large touching the nostril and eye then the snake is venomous for example cobras and Coral snake

ii) If the Vertebral scales (mid-dorsal on back) are large and hexagonal, four infra labial scales with 4th one largest then the snake is venomous for example Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus)

Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus) infralabial scales

iii) The last category is where none of the prior mentioned features are seen, they are non-venomous. E.g., Indian Rat snake (Ptyas mucosa).


	Indian Rat snake (Ptyas mucosa)

I am organizing a quiz on Snake Identification of species endemic to India on the 29th of May link will be made available through the Instagram handle whose link is in the description.

Visit my Instagram handle to see different snake identification and detailed posts on snakes.

Here’s how you can support ZoologicalWisdom:

1) Subscribe to the YouTube channel of ZoologicalWisdom.

2) Follow us on Instagram/Facebook.

3) Share the videos/posts.

4) Follow the ZoologicalWisdom’s Blog. (On Blogger)

5) Give your feedback/suggestions in the comment sections.

Why How and Which Animals Can Change Colors -10 Amazing Animals That Change Their Colors Other Than Chameleons and Humans

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Sat, 15 May 2021 05:57:00 +0000

“Mother Nature is the greatest artist” - Rico Besserdich

What comes to your mind first when you read or hear ‘color changing’ animals? Maybe a chameleon or people who constantly change their colors through their behavior. Therefore, I have not included Chameleon and humans in the following list as both of them are very popular in terms of color change and everyone is well aware of them. A wide variety of species of arthropods, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, octopuses, and their relatives), amphibians, reptiles, and fish can change color.

You can watch YouTube video on this topic which includes amazing short videos of these animals: https://youtu.be/7pZO4pj7C0s

First of all, let’s understand why the organism has to change its color. There are three main reasons to change color:

a) to avoid predators (camouflage)

b) to hunt

c) to communicate (for mating, warning, etc)

How do organisms change their colors?

This depends on what species we are considering. The majority of species perform Metachrosis. Metachrosis is a mechanism by which rapid color change is done through the translocation of pigments and reorientation of reflective plates within small, sack-like organs known as chromatophores. Certain species of insects perform regulation of fluids within the exoskeleton which results in color change. Whereas, certain organisms do not have any control over color change, for this they depend on environmental conditions.

Here is the list of 10 organisms that can change their color:

Big Blue Octopus (Octopus cyanae)

1. Big Blue Octopus (Octopus cyanae): It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This diurnal octopus has special cells called chromatophores. Whenever an octopus sees a prey or predator, then the brain of the octopus sends a signal to these chromatophores and changes the color. There are some muscles under the skin of the octopus that give a smooth or bumpy appearance to the octopus according to the environment.

White banded Crab Spider (Misuminoides formosipus)

2. White banded Crab Spider (Misuminoides formosipus): They are native to parts of the United States as well as Canada. The line or ridge-like appearance in the area near its face, below the eyes, earns the species its name. These spiders can change the colors between yellow and and it can take up to three days to change the colors. color is obtained due to present guanine and uric acid in their epidermis and yellow color is obtained due to ommochrome pigments. These spiders hide by changing the color between the flowers which is called camouflage and prey on the other insects/pollinators.

Common Cuttlefish

3. Cuttlefish: Commonly known as cuttles, they are cephalopods of Order Sepiida. They are distributed around the world, and over 120 unique cuttlefish species have been discovered. Many species of cuttlefish can change color. Cuttlefish is also called the ‘Chameleon of The Sea’ because it can change the color of its skin within a second. Cuttlefishes use their skin color to avoid predators and for camouflage. They also change the color, pattern, and shape of their skin to communicate with other cuttlefish and to capture their prey. This is done by using chromatophores, iridophores, and leucophores under their skin.

Golden Tortoise Beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata)

4. Golden Tortoise Beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata): The golden tortoise beetle is distributed widely in eastern North America, west to about Iowa and Texas. Its color appears golden because it reflects light rays with fluids present in its exoskeleton. But when external conditions change the beetle has a rare ability to dry the fluids which changes its color to dark red. Its exoskeletons have numerous layers. It adjusts the fluid in it to reflect different wavelengths of light and displays a variety of color shades. Scientists have not found out why the beetles change color, but they think that this helps in avoiding predators by showing the beetle as a poisonous insect.

Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla)

5. Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla): This amphibian is also known as the Pacific chorus frog. The Pacific Tree Frog ranges from British Columbia, Canada to the tip of Baja California, México, and eastward to Montana and Nevada. It can change its color from brown to green. But neither does it change the color to match its surroundings nor it controls this color change. Chromatophores under their skin change color according to air temperature and humidity, which means that color change depends on the environment, not on the frog.

Flounder (Flatfish)

6. Flounders: They are a group of flatfish species. It changes color to match its surrounding. The process of changing colors and textures is very complex and its mechanism is not completely understood yet. It changes color in just 8 seconds and its eyes and hormones are involved in this process. By experiments, it is known that they can change colors like the Checkerboard of Chess.

Seahorses (Hippocampus sp.)

7. Seahorses (Hippocampus sp.): Seahorses also change color chromatophores, which are embedded in their skin. Each chromatophore contains one of three or four pigments. Enlargement or retrenchment of the chromatophores via tiny muscles results in different colors being exhibited with varying intensity. The color change is used to avoid predators and to communicate with other Seahorses.

Mimic Octopus [left] mimicking the sea creatures (Flatfish, Lionfish, Seasnake)[right]

8. Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus): It inhibits the Indo-Pacific oceans. This octopus changes color and mimics other animals such as sea snake, jellyfish, lionfish, sea anemone, mantis shrimp, crabs, and flatfish. It changes the color to frighten the predators, as camouflage, and to attract the prey. It is seen that mimic octopus can mimic the predator’s predator. It is intelligent enough to decide which mimicry behavior would be most suitable at moment and acts upon it. This octopus also has chromatophores under its skin.

Squid

9. Squids: Squids are cephalopods of Superorder Decapodiformes whose skin is covered in controllable chromatophores of different colors, enabling the squid to match its coloration to its surroundings. They can also change colors like cuttlefish, octopus, and other cephalopods for camouflage, communication, protection, and hunting. Squid make use of diverse kinds of camouflage, namely dynamic camouflage for background corresponding (in shallow water) and counter-illumination (Bioluminescence). This helps to protect them from their predators and allows them to approach their prey.

Betta Fish (Betta splendens)

10. Betta Fishes (Betta splendens): It is endemic to the freshwaters of southeast Asia and is also known as Siamese Fighting Fish. It is an aquarium pet fish that changes color over time in response to the diet, age, aquarium conditions (temperature, pH, salinity, etc.) stress, or disease. Similar to the Pacific Tree Frog, it changes colors with respect to environmental changes. If you have this fish in your aquarium, you must have seen it changing colors.

Here ends the list of organisms that changes color. As I said in the beginning, there are many more such organisms in wild that change their color. Comment those which I have not enlisted in this list.

Here’s how you can support ZoologicalWisdom:

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6 Mnemonic devices To Remember Taxonomic Hierarchy | Taxonomy Mnemonics | Biology Mnemonic In Hindi | Biology Short Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Sun, 02 May 2021 09:21:00 +0000

A mnemonic is a device or series of words that helps us remember certain facts or large amounts of information. They can come in the form of a song, rhyme, acronym, image, phrase, or sentence. Mnemonics help us remember facts and are particularly useful when the order of things is important. Taxonomy is a very important and vast topic. It is studied in biology lower classes at a basic level as well as in Zoology/Botany at a higher level. To remember the sequence of taxa in the Taxonomic hierarchy, mnemonics are given below. I hope this will be helpful.

The taxonomic Hierarchy in Kingdom Animalia consists of 8 major taxa. They are:

1. Domain

2. Kingdom

3. Phylum

4. Class

5. Order

6. Family

7. Genus

8. Species

So, D-K-P-C-O-F-G-S are the initials of each taxon from which a mnemonical sentence can be formed. Here are 6 mnemonic devices to memorize the taxonomic classification system in the above-mentioned sequence.

1. Dear King Plays Chess On Fine Green Slate/Sand.

2. Dangerous Kangaroo Punches Charles On Five Gum Sores.

3. Did King Phillip Came Over For Great Spaghetti/Soup?

4. David Kelly Please Catch Only Four Green Snakes.

5. Do Kindly Place Candy Out For Good Students.

6. Deer Killed Painfully Cries On Five Gun Shots.

To learn more about taxonomy and biological classification watch:

All About Taxonomy | TAXONOMIC HIERARCHY | TAXONOMY EXPLAINED: https://youtu.be/ACMy4t0HM-Q

History of Biological Classification | All About Biological Nomenclature | Rules Advantages & Codes: https://youtu.be/nwllwWVE-5M

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ARE YOU CHOOSING YOUR CAREER OR SOMEONE ELSE IS DOING IT FOR YOU ?

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:59:00 +0000

This article is exclusively for those students and their parents who are busy deciding their career path. In today's competitive world, participation in the rat race is preferred over the interests of a person. In this world, happiness is achieved through the satisfaction that one is better than the other and not by doing what we like. The rat race begins in one's life when that person is forced, obligated or convinced to choose a certain career. At this very point in life, a person kills his/her interests when he/she tends to do what someone else is telling him/her to do. This is the reason behind why we often hear people saying that "I am bored of this job or profession". If a person does what he/she likes the most, there is no chance of getting bored in future this is what I think. In between all of this, the importance of some courses is degraded to glorify certain courses which are disliked by the student. This has resulted in the selection of a handful of courses that are glorified and are considered prestigious by people over generations.

93% Indian students aware of just seven career options as per reported by India today’s survey which got responses from 10,000 students of age group 14 to 21 years. According to researchers, India has a variety of 250 career options offered across 40 fields covering 5,000 job types.

Zoology is one of such subjects which people think is of no use. Zoology is a branch of biology that studies overall aspects of the animal kingdom, which is an important part of Earth and Nature. In my case, when I tell the people that I am pursuing a degree of science in Zoology, a kind of question mark appears on their faces. They have no idea about it. Some of them even try to convince me to change the course and study something else. “What will you do afterwards, there is no scope in it, the pay scale is too low, etc.?” I hear many such things from almost every person I meet who doesn't have any idea about the complexity, vastness and future of this course. Animals, environment, forests, sustainable development, wildlife, etc. "Who cares about them?" is a common misconception in minds of such people. But my parents supported my decision of choosing zoology as major subject for my bachelor’s degree, because I was able to convince them and explained them the scope of this field. That is what matters to me and I think no one else has any right to comment about someone’s career choice.

There are many instances where parents are seen to suggest, explain, convince even force the child to opt specific courses. There is nothing wrong with that because the parents feel that their child must have a good life or even better life than theirs. Now, here it is the responsibility of the child to convince the parents most ethically and scientifically. The child should express his/her interest, why he/she is willing to do that course, what is the scope, what are the pros and cons, what are the job profiles, what are your goals, make them read this article, etc. There must be a positive level of transparency between you and your parents so that they can believe in you. The important factor which can influence your parents is the scope of this course and job profile. Dear parents, neither science is greater to commerce nor medical/engineering is greater than bachelor’s degree. Every course exists and is offered because it has distinct level of importance in separate dimensions of life. I hope this article was successful in its motive. At the end of the day its your life and what I think is your life is your making.

-Meehir Pawar

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EXTINCTION AND DE-EXTINCTION OF ANIMALS

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 07:38:00 +0000

The following article was published in “RESEARCH INSIGHTS OF LIFE SCIENCE STUDENTS (Volume - 1)” by JPS Scientific Publications in 2020.

EXTINCTION AND DE-EXTINCTION OF ANIMALS

Meehir Deepak Pawar

B.Sc. Zoology, Department of Zoology, Bhavan’s College, Andheri (W), Mumbai, India

E-mail: meehirpawar@gmail.com

The word ‘Extinction’ generally refers to the process in which species of animal or plant is terminated from environment. The species is then said to be extinct. Extinction generally takes place due to Natural or Human activities. The Natural Extinction takes place because of natural phenomenon like disasters, natural selection, genetic variations, inbreeding, predation, diseases, climate change, etc. Generally, in natural extinction the main cause is that organism is not capable of adapting according to the changes in nature. But results in extinction due to human activities are much more drastic than natural extinction. Human activities like deforestation, introduction of non-native species, hunting, poaching, transmission of infection through livestock or crops, pollution after industrial revolution, overfishing, population boom, invasion, overharvesting, ocean devastation, etc. has led to extinction of many species. Five mass extinction events were caused by geologic and climatic events. Human-caused mass extinction event in Holocene epoch called as Holocene extinction or Anthropogenic Extinction. It is said that it began when the early human species started defaunation (hunting) and deforestation. Earth is undergoing early stages of Holocene Extinction and nearly 20% of all living population will be extinct in 30 yr i.e., by 2028 if conservative measures are not taken, this was the outcome of survey in 1998 by New York's American Museum of Natural History and the survey was done by 400 biologists. As per noted in IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species, 36% of 47,677 species evaluated are threatened with extinction which represent 21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, 12% of birds, 37% of freshwater fishes, 70% of plants and 35% of invertebrates.

Revival of extinct species or creation of organism similar to an extinct species is called as 'De-Extinction'. The outcomes and methods of de-extinction are incredible. De-extinction is also of two types; Natural and Artificial. Natural de-extinction is caused by Iterative Evolution. Iterative evolution means repetitive evolution of same structure of organism in different timeline from same ancestral lineage. Most common example of Iterative evolution is of White Throated Rail (Dryolimnas cuvieri) endemic to Madagascar thought to be extinct when Island of Aldabra disappeared under sea around 1,36,000 yr ago but was recently successful to re-colonize the Aldabra island again and became flightless like their ancestors after migrating from Madagascar. After incredible development in the biotechnology field, it is possible to revive extinct organisms depending on the condition of their fossils or preserved specimens. The artificial De-extinction is done by cloning, in vitro, reconstruction of genome, genome editing, CRISPR, back breeding, etc. The process of cloning is generally said to be most potential method for restoration of extinct species. In this process, isolation of nucleus from the preserved cell of extinct species and transferring it into enucleated egg of closely relative species and then the insertion of that egg into closely related species of the extinct animal is done. This process is only done if the preserved cell is available. In case of genome editing, the germ cell can directly be edited so that the extinct parents will produce the offspring of extinct species. This technique is used by the scientists for the species whose preserved specimens are highly degraded. Genome editing or Genome reconstruction is highly advancing nowadays so this can be a better option for De-extinction. Back breeding is a kind of selective breeding which is used to gain the ancestral traits of the species though this is not seen much effectively in many species. Cloning of Woolly Mammoth (Mammathus primigenius) is being done by George Church and his team at Harvard. The Cloning of Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) Iberian wild goat endemic to Pyrenees was experimented by Two Spanish and a French team of Scientists. Revival of Aurochs (Bos primigenius primigenius) are being attempted by matching DNA sequence of primitive cattle to that of ancient DNA sample from aurochs by Dutch-based Tauros Programme. Many attempts of de-extinction of Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine cynocephalus) recently extinct Carnivorous marsupial endemic to Tasmania have been done and are in progress. Similarly, de-extinction of Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), Quagga (Equus quagga quagga), Dodo (Raphus cucullatus), Heath Hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido), and much more experiment are going in various laboratories across the globe. Why is there any need to revive any extinct species? The answer is to conserve environment and advancement in research. Introducing the extinct species back to its environment can help the nature to revive. The ecosystem which was destroyed by human activities will be revived again. The current conservation strategies will be helped by the revived species. George Church, a Harvard geneticist, working on Cloning of Woolly Mammoth said, “A revived Woolly Mammoth can help in reversing the ill effects of global warming”. He and his team predicted that Mammoths can eat dead grass so that sunlight can reach spring grass, their weight can help to break down the thick and insulating layer of ice so that cold air can reach the soil. Thus, there will be positive effects on environment after revival of woolly Mammoth. Advantages will be majorly in each research field related to life sciences like understanding behaviour of a prehistoric or extinct animal, ethology, anatomy, physiology, morphology, developmental biology, processes occurring inside the organism, prehistoric diseases will be the major topics for research purposes. Strategies to conserve currently endangered species will become more efficient. Thus, De-Extinction of many extinct species will have positive effect in every research field of Life science and on Environment.

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INVERTEBRATES: INTRODUCTION

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:58:00 +0000

What are invertebrates?

The animals which lack the backbone or the vertebral column are referred to as Invertebrates. All such animals are included in a group called Invertebrata.

Also, animals are often categorized into two major groups : the chordates and the non-chordates. This categorisation or division is based on the presence or absence of the singular character the notochord. It is a stiff rod-like structure which serves as an internal skeleton.

Animals without notochord are called non-chordates and those with vertebral column are called chordates. Non-chordate and invertebrate are the terms often used for each other as synonyms but their meanings differ. For an instance, protochordates are all invertebrates because of the absence of vertebral column but they still are chordates due to presence of notochord. Thus, all the non-chordates are invertebrates whereas all invertebrates are not non-chordate.

Presently, there are about 30 invertebrate phyla which are characterized by the unity of basic structural pattern in each of them. For example, Phylum Arthropoda which includes insects, arachnids, crustaceans, etc. has an estimated 9,99,059 identified species or 85% of total identified animal species. Apart from arthropods, the invertebrates number reaches 12,38,000 or 94% excluding viruses and bacteria.

Significance of invertebrates:
Well-known biologist E. O. Wilson has described the invertebrates as, "little things which run the world". Invertebrates are a portion of nearly every food chain directly as food for fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals or indirectly as agents in the continual recycling of nutrients in the soil. Food webs depend on these creatures executing essential procedures such as pollination or seed dispersal. We can't think of living on the earth without the existence of invertebrates.

Importance of study of invertebrates:
The study of invertebrates has acquainted us with their involvement in the significant effects on the sustainability of numerous agrarian products. Invertebrates and microorganisms play an important role in detoxifying pesticides, nurturing and enhancing the fertility, reducing the effects of pollutants and also in biological control of agricultural pests. Many invertebrates are deadly to humans as parasites (nematodes) or as vectors for serious human diseases (mites, mosquitoes).

To watch a video regarding this topic. Please visit Youtube channel of ZoologicalWisdom

https://youtu.be/pWgK01HsAkc

DETAIL ABOUT BSc. BIOTECHNOLOGY

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Choosing a career after 12th is a huge challenge. Here's the detail about a course one should opt after 12th exams.

What is BSc biotechnology

B.Sc. Biotechnology or Bachelor of Science in biotechnology is a 3 years undergraduate biotechnology course. Biotechnology is a branch of science that use biology to solve problems and make useful products. The syllabus is divided into six semesters. Here, students have to study basics topics like microbiology, Biomathematics, biochemistry, genetics, cytology, Chemistry, biostatistics, enzymes, Intellectual Property Rights, etc.

Eligibility Criteria:

The minimum eligibility for admission in BSc in Biotechnology is a Class 12th pass in Science Stream with at least 50% aggregate marks. Candidates must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Class 12. Some Institutes or Universities may conduct entrance exams for the same.

Who should opt?
Those who are interested and are curious about biological sciences on molecular & genetic level and wants to explore more in this field.
Those who have good problem-solving skills and are proficient with computer and also have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
Those who have good analytical data handling and written communication skills and can conduct detailed work precisely with an the ability to plan research, analyze and interpret data, report writing and practical skills.
Those who want to go for further studies or research.
Those who are interested in laboratory research.

What after BSc Biotechnology?
One can pursue post-graduation (M.Sc.) in Biotechnology after doing undergraduation.
Biotechnology has wide range of courses thus giving opportunities to specialize/research into many of them like food technology, biomedical and industrial, biotechnology, epidemiology, marine biology, forensic science, bioinformatics, enzymology, etc.
The most prominent area of biotechnology is the production of therapeutic proteins and other drugs through genetic engineering.
One can also appear for UPSC or state-level public commission exam or civil service examination.
One can also pursue MBA in biotechnology management and MBA in Pharmaceuticals

Job opportunities after BSc Zoology
One can apply for Biotechnology engineer, Biotech analysts, Lab technician, Project manager, research assistant, Teacher, Microbiologists, Epidemiologists, biostatistician, bioproduction, Operators, biomanufacturing specialists, etc. in Research firms, Hospitals, Waste management sectors, Pharmaceuticals, Food production firms, Clinical research firms, Laboratories, etc

People sometimes misinterpret bsc biotechnology as BTech biotechnology. One must understand that they are not comparable. BSc in Biotechnology deals with basic and applied aspects of all fields of biotechnology, especially human health. It is a baseline for MSc that may culminate in a PhD. Whereas, BTech course deals mostly with the engineering and applied aspects of the field.

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POPULATION GENETICS: INTRODUCTION

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:37:00 +0000

Population genetics: It is a branch of genetics that studies the distribution or changes in the frequency of allele and genetic variation in or between populations leading to Evolution.

Population: Generally, the population is defined as a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting a specific area at a given time.
The new definition of the population is, "the population is an ultimate self-reproducing grouping of specific individuals which occupies a definite area over an evolutionary long period to form an independent genetic system and an ecological niche of its own".

Gene pool: It is the sum of the genetic material of a population at a given time. This term is typically used in relation to a population made up of individuals of the same species and includes all genes and combinations of genes (sum of the alleles) in the population.

Allele frequency: It is the measure of how much an allele is frequent in a population.
It is calculated by the number of particular alleles divided by the total number of alleles present in the given population

Phenotype frequency: A ratio stating the number of times a specific phenotype occurs in a population in a single generation. It is calculated by the number of a particular phenotype divided by the total number of individuals in that population.

Genotypes frequency: Genotype frequency in a population is the number of individuals with a given genotype divided by the total number of individuals in the population. It is calculated by the number of a particular genotype divided by the total number of individuals in that population.

Microevolution: "The change in allele frequency over a period of time in a particular population is defined as Microevolution". This change is due to four different processes: mutation, selection (natural and artificial), gene flow and genetic drift. This change happens over a relatively short (in evolutionary terms) amount of time compared to the changes termed macroevolution. The mathematical structure for the study of the process of microevolution is studied through population genetics. Pesticide resistance, herbicide resistance, and antibiotic resistance are all examples of microevolution by natural selection.

HARDY-WEINBERG LAW

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:30:00 +0000

Hardy-Weinberg law was discovered independently in 1908 by Wilhelm Weinberg, a German physician, and Godfrey Harold Hardy, a British mathematician.

The Hardy-Weinberg law states that,

"In a large, random-mating population, the genotype and allele frequencies remain constant in the absence of any evolutionary influences from one to another generation."

The conditions to maintain the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are: no mutation, no gene flow, large population size, random mating, and no natural selection. Because all of these disruptive forces commonly occur in nature, the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium rarely applies in reality.

The Hardy-Weinberg formulas allow scientists to determine genetic equilibrium or whether evolution has occurred in a population.

Two formulas must be memorized:

p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 and p + q = 1

p = frequency of the dominant allele in the population

q = frequency of the recessive allele in the population

p2 = percentage of homozygous dominant individuals

q2 = percentage of homozygous recessive individuals

2pq = percentage of heterozygous individuals

Some of the major factors which affect the genetic equilibrium and induce the variability in a population are as follows: (A) Mutations (B) Recombinations during Sexual Reproduction (C) Genetic Drift (D) Gene Migration (Gene Flow) (E) Natural Selection.

This Will be explained in detail in upcoming posts

Applications:

Medical geneticists can use the Hardy-Weinberg law to calculate the probability of human matings that may result in defective offspring. The law is also useful in determining whether the number of harmful mutations in a population is increasing as a result of radiation from industrial processes, medical techniques, and fallout.

DETAILS ABOUT BSc ZOOLOGY

noreply@blogger.com (meehir pawar) — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 11:29:00 +0000

Choosing a career after 12th is a huge challenge. Here's the detail about a course one should opt after 12th exams.

What is BSc Zoology?

B.Sc. Zoology or Bachelor of Science in Zoology is a 3 years undergraduate Zoology course. Zoology is one of the most popular branches of Science that involves the study of animals and their biological processes. The syllabus is divided into six semesters. Here, students have to study basics topics like animal anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, evolution, social and ecological behaviour, conservation, classification, etc. Eligibility Criteria: The minimum eligibility for admission in BSc in Zoology is Class 12 pass in Science Stream with at least 50% aggregate marks. Candidates must have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Class 12. Some Institutes or Universities may conduct entrance exams for the same. Who should opt? Those who are interested and are curious about animal kingdom and wants to explore more in this field. Those who want to go for further studies or research. Those who have project management & presentation skills and also the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Those who have good analytical, data handling and written communication skills and can conduct detailed work precisely with an the ability to plan research, analyze and interpret data and write reports and practical skills. Those who can conduct on-field as well as laboratory research What after BSc Zoology? Zoology graduates can opt for PhD in Zoology after completing their post-graduation. Zoology is itself divided into many branches thus given opportunities to specialize/research into many of its branches like herpetology (the study of reptiles), ornithology (the study of birds), mammalogy (the study of mammals), marine biology, Biomedical science, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Animal behavior and neurobiology, etc One can also appear for UPSC or state-level public commission exam or civil service examination. The students can also pursue higher education in mass communication and build a career in the media industry. There is a constant need for zoologists for research and documentaries. They can prepare themselves to get jobs in the National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery, or any other such channels. Job opportunities after BSc Zoology One can apply for Zoology Faculty Member, Clinical Business Associate, Online Tutor, biology teacher for lower classes (for teaching sectors, a B. Ed exam is mandatory), Research Associate, Nutrition Specialist, Medical Representative. Other job titles include zookeeper, animal caretaker, veterinary technologist and technician, environmental consultant, technical writer, and research and laboratory technician. But, due to the increase in competition nowadays job opportunities are less as compared to those after Post-graduation therefore one must at least complete post-graduation before applying for any job.

To watch a video regarding this topic. Please visit Youtube channel of ZoologicalWisdom https://www.youtube.com/c/Zoologicalwisdom/