Carl Zimmer has some videos of explosive erections in ducks you might not want to miss. Or might want to miss, depending on your kinks. I may have nightmares tonight.
The lower Congo river is deep and complex, and there are a surprising number of hydrologic features that act as barriers separating populations of fish — this very nice video explains the diversity of species and the ongoing evolution of the fish in this environment.
They too briefly showed a blind depigmented cichlid that apparently lives in very deep troughs in the river — I wanted to see more about that. It’s probably out of the question to send divers down into that maelstrom, but cameras? Someday? Please?
This is very cool: it’s a series of scanning electron micrographs of spider book lungs. I’d like to hang a few of those on my wall.
By the way, this is from an interesting article about using an endangered species lottery to save rare Australian animals.
Watch this spectacular time-lapse video of echinoderms and nemertine worms eating a seal carcass. It’s sure to stir your appetite.
