Archive for nature
Modern cases of evolution and adaptation
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Animals (including humans) are constantly adapting to their environments. Here are ten reminders that this incredible process is constant—not limited to the distant past. These examples span a few different types of changes, including individual mutations (as with the humans), learned behaviors (as with the Muscovite dogs), new adaptations (as with the cave fish) and newly discovered evolutions (as with the satellite-dish-shaped leaf). Think of this as more of an overview of how things can change rather than any particular argument.
The perfect bird perch
Babiana ringens, a South African flowering plant locally known as the Rat’s Tail, shows a very particular evolution to invite pollinating birds to dip their beaks into its flowers: a specialized bird perch. B. ringens’s flowers grow on the ground, which could mean it garners less attention from birds that don’t wish to hang around in that dangerous spot for too long. To entice the Malachite sunbird, the plant has evolved to grow a firm stalk in a perfect perching position for feeding.
The gates of hell
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Turkmenistan is known for its offbeat tourist attractions, but one of the most unusual is the hole in the ground known as The Gates of Hell. The hole, an impressive 230 feet across, is filled with leaping flames that have been lighting up the area for 40 years.
The Harshest, Most Volatile Corner of Earth
Posted by: | CommentsTo most of us, going on vacation means finding an idyllic location where one can indulge in favorite activities. Whether you like swimming, sunbathing, skiing, hiking or even spotting man-eating animals, there is a vacation out there for you. But there is one holiday destination that is unlike any other: Danakil Desert in northeast Ethiopia has been called “Hell on Earth,” but that doesn’t dissuade thrill-seeking travelers from flocking there to see some of the strangest conditions on the entire planet.
Sea-Inspired Designs & Inventions
Posted by: | CommentsWho would have thought that a fish with a rectangular body could inspire a car, that compounds in algae could help us fight drug-resistant bacteria, or that schools of fish could hold the key to designing more efficient wind farms? The sea is a source of endless inspiration for design, architecture and all kinds of inventions from robotics to biomedical breakthroughs. Here are examples of oceanic biomimicry.
Mercedes-Benz Box Fish Car
