In spotted hyenas, scientists are finding clues to why the human brain grew so large and complex.
Archive for the ‘Animals’ Category
Sociable, and Smart
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 19, 2008
Posted in Animals, Human Interest, Research, Science | Leave a Comment »
Flapping Past Gravity’s Pull, Bat Has a Vortex at Its
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 19, 2008
All would-be buoyant beings face the same fundamental challenge: how to generate enough lift to overcome the dour downward force of weight.
Posted in Animals, Science | Leave a Comment »
Where Have All the Salmon Gone?
Posted by Ted Hopton on March 17, 2008
I’m not a fisherman, nor even particularly fond of eating fish, but I have always been fascinated by the amazing migratory life of salmon. They start out in fresh water rivers, migrate downstream to the ocean, adapt to salt water, grow amazingly large, and then return to the same river where they started, swim an exhausting journey upstream to spawn, and then die after accomplishing their life’s mission. Surely there are lessons, inspiration and metaphors for human beings in this animal’s tale.
So this NYT headline caught my eye: “Chinook Salmon Vanish Without a Trace.” Here’s the synopsis:
The Chinook salmon that swim upstream to spawn in the fall, the most robust run in the Sacramento River, have disappeared. The almost complete collapse of the richest and most dependable source of Chinook salmon south of Alaska left gloomy fisheries experts struggling for reliable explanations — and coming up dry.
With the collapse of the fall Chinook, the questions have begun. Is our aggressive, meddling species to blame? Or were there natural causes at work? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Animals, Environment, Outdoors | Tagged: chinook, fishing, king salmon, sacramento river, salmon | Leave a Comment »
