Scientists around the world discover about 18,000 new species every year. Each new organism has not only to be found, but also studied, compared, identified and organized — that’s taxonomy, the science of classifying living things and exploring the evolutionary relationships between them. Hank Green from the SciShow reports.
A new study from the University of Florida in Gainesville has discovered why male chickens and other birds do not have a penis. Around 97 percent of bird species have little or no phallus, even though they reproduce through internal fertilization.
Although chickens have a penis in the embryonic stages of development, it regresses over the course of maturation because of a genetic program that causes cell death at the tip of the growing penis.
Ancient trees are fascinating, but the answer to the question in the title isn’t as cut and dried as it might first seem. There are two major contenders for the superlative, and Hank Green has all the important information on both of them in this episode of SciShow. Which one would you give the title to?
The long-held belief that primates began their evolution in Africa has been called into question following the discovery in China, of the oldest known primate fossil. Writing in this month’s Nature journal, an international team of researchers announced the discovery of Archicebus achilles, a primate that lived more than 55 million years ago. Rob Muir reports for Reuters.
Turns out that sleep impairs your judgment much like beer does! SourceFed reports.
Alex Dainis from the Bite Sci-zed vblog returns from a dive off the coast of Massachusetts with an Echinoderm — a sand dollar — for a quick and informative show and tell.
Rangers at Australia’s Mount Kaputar have identified some rare species living in the park, including giant hot pink slugs and cannibalistic snails dating back as long as 180 million years ago.
For years, white tigers have been inbred with one another to maintain their regal, milky coats. It’s an unsustainable practice that causes a host of problems. So is there a safe way to keep the White Tiger white? Scientists think they’ve found the answer.
Does dancing increase your potential to…get some? H/T AsapSCIENCE
Witness the majestic, sex-filled final act of the cicada. H/T SourceFed
