From protozoans to people, there is a lot of life on this planet, and it’s all connected to a common ancestor from which everything descends. It’s hard to imagine, let alone visualize, all of the commonalities and shared heritage of all of that life. But now you can do it with fractals.
Fractal tree of life. A fractal-like repeating pattern zooms in continually to show the entire tree of life, and how all organisms are connected through our last common ancestor. The colors correspond to the vulnerability of species–note that we humans are green, "of least concern," compared to the red endangerment of our primate cousins.
It’s largely about how it feels in the mouth. Once a piece of cheddar has been heated to around 150°F, the matrix of milk proteins that provide its structure begins to break down, and the cheese takes on a creamy texture that many people find appealing.
New dinosaur identified
· CommentsPegomastax africanus was smaller than a housecat but not nearly as likeable–it had 1-inch-long fangs and porcupine-style quills.
Pegomastax africanus
Furry babies of the desert
· CommentsSmall, cute and furry, these baby animals are the complete opposite of the harsh environments in which they were born. With their extreme temperatures and arid climates, deserts are not easy places to bring up babies – as you can probably imagine! But these are not just any babies: they all belong to species that have adapted to the challenging desert habitat.
Fennec Fox
Take a look at this adorable little one. This is a baby fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) of the Sahara Desert, a small example of the smallest canid in the world. No doubt you’ve noticed its enormous pair of ears. Fennec foxes have amazingly good hearing and can even detect prey underground, but this is just one of their adaptations to the desert environment. Others include kidneys that have adapted to cut down on water loss, and thick fur, which reflects the sun’s heat during the day and keeps them warm at night.
