The love bugs: Adorable damselflies HOLD HANDS as they rest on a flower

By SARAH GRIFFITHS

These vividly coloured damselflies show they are best buddies, looking like they're holding hands as they cuddle up on a flower. Photographer Alberto Ghizzi Panizza, 38, spotted the insects in the dew as he walked across a flood plain early one morning It is easy to imagine that these vividly-coloured damselflies are on a romantic insect date as they look as if they are holding hands. The adorable images were taken by a photographer as he walked across a flood plain early one morning. Photographer Alberto Ghizzi Panizza, 38 from Palma, Italy, took the photos of the big-eyed insects near the River Po in the Po Valley.

Adult damselflies (pictured) eat flies, mosquitoes, and other small insects, while some larger tropical species have been known to feast on spiders. Damselflies rest their wings together, on both sides of their bodies, while dragonflies have wings that are spread apart, even while resting Struck by their cute poses, he took shots of the damselflies shortly after dawn as they rested on wild flowers. Mr Panizza said: 'I found these cute insects' expressions very funny. 'The morning was cold and wet but they seemed to like being perched on the branches and flowers.

Struck by their cute poses, he took the shots shortly after dawn as they rested on wild flowers. The insects measure approximately three centimetres long and have large eyes of around one millimetere 'The funniest photo is where they seem to hold hands and says to the observer: 'This is my partner'. 'I like to call this shot 'Meet Sally', inspired by the famous film When Harry Met Sally.

The look of love? Photographer Mr Panizza said the damselflies have 'lovely big eyes and it is sweet to think they are two close friends'

Despite the insects' cute appearance, they are carnivorous and are similar to dragonflies. The damselflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis with an aquatic nymph stage

The photographer, who has been taking pictures professionally for 15 years, said he also has photos of the creatures in profile, which shows how they mate source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2439214/The-love-bugs-Adorable-damselflies-HOLD-HANDS-rest-flower.html My Facebook My Google+ Contact me

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Whatever you do, don't kiss it! Scientists successfully breed tiny blue frog that's so poisonous it can kill TEN men

The blue poison dart frog is naturally found in Costa Rica and Brazil
But it is under threat in South America, where habitat is being destroyed
Now experts at Walford and North Shropshire College have successfully bred one of the deadly amphibians in their lab

By RACHEL REILLY

A blue poison dart frog, found naturally in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Brazil, has been successfully bred at Walford and North Shropshire College

British experts have successfully bred a rare species of frog that is so poisonous it can kill ten men.
The blue poison dart frog is only 2.5cm long and is usually found in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Brazil. But the species is under threat in South America, where their habitat is being destroyed.
Now animal experts at Walford and North Shropshire College have successfully bred one of the deadly amphibians in their lab.

Despite its diminutive size, the tropical frog can kill ten men with a single dose of its venom

Simon Metcalfe, the animal technician who led the project, said: 'Although eggs were laid on several occasions, the students had been unsuccessful in getting the eggs to progress to tadpoles.
'They had always gone mouldy and not formed. After researching environmental conditions required and their breeding behaviour, a few adjustments were made and we waited for the first clutch of eggs to be laid.

Until now the eggs that had been laid had gone mouldy and not formed properly. But after researching environmental conditions and breeding behaviour, the scientists were able to successfully breed a frog

'Now all our research and effort has paid off and our first froglet was moved out of water and on to dry land, its metamorphosis now complete.'
A male and female blue poison dart frog were donated to the college by a student who left to join the army.
Once the pair had produce a fertilised egg, the team placed it in an inside pond, where it took 12 weeks for the froglet to develop.

The Blue Poison Dart froglet will grow to be just 2.5cm long when it reaches adulthood

The team of four experts set the water's temperature at 27C (80F), and lit it with UV lights, to recreate the conditions of the frog's natural habitat.
But despite the frog's fearsome reputation, the students have nothing to fear from the tiny frog because it only becomes venomous after eating certain toxic tree barks and insects in the wild.

The striking frog took 12 weeks for to develop. During this time it was kept in a pond heated to a constant 27C and lit with UV lights



source: dailymail
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Thanks dad: Orphaned chimpanzee who is now star of new Disney film pictured embracing his adopted father who saved him from death in the jungle

By SHARI MILLER

Cuddles with daddy: Oscar sleeps inside the protective arms of his adopted father Freddy, as captured in Disney's new documentary, Chimpanzee

After he was orphaned two years ago, scientists did not think a young chimp could survive without help from an adopted parent - and least of all from the alpha male.
But that's exactly what happened to 'Oscar', the star of new Disney documentary, Chimpanzee, when he was welcomed in by patriarch 'Freddy'.

Alone: Oscar was orphaned after his mother was killed, possibly by a leopard

Having previously shown great aggression over the other males to secure leadership of his chimp colony, Freddy now proved he could also be the daddy of them all.Never before have film-makers or scientists witnessed a male taking on the mothering role of a young baby in this way.
They watched in amazement as Freddy showed a tenderness towards the young orphan. He allowed tiny Oscar to ride on his back, cracked nuts for him and delicately groomed his fur.

Helping hand: Freddy cracks open nuts for the orphaned Oscar

Before long, Freddy was sharing his nest with Oscar cradled inside his massive arms.
Such an adoption, which is extremely rare, is captured in all its poignancy in the film, which is released in the UK next month.

Father and son: The adoption of Oscar by a dominant male like Freddy surprised scientists

World-renowned primatologist Professor Christophe Boesch, who has spent more than 30 years studying the chimpanzees of Taï Forest National Park in Africa's Ivory Coast, where the filming took place, said such behaviour in the animal kingdom was almost unheard of.
‘I’ve never seen a male like Freddy take up the role of a mother like that,’ he said.

Swing time: Oscar plays among the woodland of the Tai Forest, in Africa's Ivory Coast

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Camels used to live in the Arctic, reveal scientists (although it was 3½million years ago when it was at least 14C warmer)

By NICK MCDERMOTT, SCIENCE REPORTER

Artist's impression of the camels that lived in the Arctic - which was at least 14C warmer than it is now

They are known as the ships of the desert which makes it all the more surprising that the remains of a giant camel have been discovered in the high arctic.
Bone fragments of the shaggy creature were found on Canada’s Ellesmere Island - the furthest north the species has ever been discovered.
They reveal that the creature must have roamed the frozen northern forests around 3.5 million years ago and that it was 30 per cent larger than its modern counterparts.
Although the region where the fragments were found would have been between 14C to 22C warmer than today, the land would have still been covered with snow for up to nine months of the year.

Bone fragments of the shaggy creature (pictured) were found on Canada's Ellesmere Island

Scientists claim the discovery may change the way we think of the camels, suggesting they were originally ‘adapted to living in an Arctic forest environment’ instead of their present day habitats.
Traits found in modern camels, such as their humps which serve as a fat store, would have benefited their ancestors during the deep winters when food was scarce.
Other camel characteristics that would have been useful in the frozen conditions include the species’ wide flat feet, which support the animal on loose sand in the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow.

Scientists found the bone fragments 750 miles further north than the species has ever been found before

Their large eyes would also have helped the prehistoric camels forage during months of Arctic darkness.
In total, 30 bone fragments from a tibia, or lower-leg bone, were recovered 750 miles further north than the species has previously ever been found.
‘This is an important discovery because it provides the first evidence of camels living in the high arctic region,’ said Dr Natalia Rybczynski, a palaeontologist with the Canadian Museum of Nature, who led the field expeditions in Canada’s Arctic.

Scientists claim the discovery may change the way we think of the camels, suggesting they were originally 'adapted to living in an Arctic forest environment'

‘It extends the previous range of camels in North America northward by about 1,200 km and suggests that the lineage that gave rise to modern camels may have been originally adapted to living in an Arctic forest environment.’
Camels originated in North America about 45 million years ago, and dispersed to Eurasia by seven million years ago using the Bering land bridge that joined modern-day Alaska to Russia.

Dr Mike Buckley, from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, helped to extract collagen from the bone fragments and to compare them to 37 modern species

‘We now have a new fossil record to better understand camel evolution...and the simplest explanation for this pattern would be that Paracamelus [ancient camel species] originated there,’ said Dr Rybczynski.
‘So perhaps some specialisations seen in modern camels, such as their wide flat feet, large eyes and humps for fat may be adaptations derived from living in a polar environment.’



source: dailymail

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Researchers graft working eyes onto the TAILS of tadpoles in 'stunning' breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for blindness

By MARK PRIGG

Researchers were able to surgically remove the eyes of donor tadpoles and grafted them onto the posterior of recipient tadpoles - where they worked perfectly

For generations mothers have been accused of having eyes in the back of their head.
Now, it could become a reality.
For the first time ever, scientists have shown that eyes transplanted onto the tail of a tadpole can still see - and say their results are 'stunning'.

The eye which the team was able to attach to the tail of the tadpole, which allowed t to see again

This discovery has many implications, especially in the fields of regenerative medicine, say biologists at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences.
‘The [tadpole’s] ability to see when ectopic eyes are connected to spinal cord and not directly to the brain was stunning’, said Dr. Michael Levin, who led the research.
'A primary goal in medicine is to one day be able to restore the function of damaged or missing sensory structures through the use of biological or artificial replacement components.

'There are many implications of this study, but the primary one from a medical standpoint is that we may not need to make specific connections to the brain when treating sensory disorders such as blindness.'
For the experiment, biologists surgically removed the eyes of donor tadpoles and grafted them onto the posterior of recipient tadpoles, which induced the growth of ectopic -– or abnormally placed –- eyes.
Recipient tadpoles had their natural eyes removed, so only the ectopic, spinal cord-connected eyes remained.

source: dailymail

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A penguin nursery, filmed for the first time after BBC cameramen used 50 fake birds to capture amazing Antarctic scenes

By DAMIEN GAYLE

Spy in the huddle: Documentary film-makers disguised their cameras inside animatronic penguins to capture these incredible, intimate scenes of emperor penguins on the ice sheets of Antarctica

Spy cameras disguised as penguins were used to capture these incredible pictures of the flightless birds' private lives.
Documentary film-makers hid their cameras inside 50 animatronic replicas of the marine birds to get closer to them than has ever been possible before.
The were captured for a forthcoming documentary charting a year in the lives of three penguin communities, revealing the qualities that make them among nature's most devoted parents.

Chick's-eye view: The penguin-cams were able to lay their own camera-containing eggs to capture these incredible shots of infant penguins as their parents struggle to keep them alive in the frigid polar winter

Penguins - Spy In The Huddle follows emperor penguins in Antarctica, rockhopper penguins on the Falkland Islands and Humboldt penguins in the Atacama Desert of Peru as they bring up their young.
The team behind the documentary, due for broadcast on the BBC, cunningly hid their cameras inside life-size, robot replicas of each of the species they looked at.
Each was even able to lay its own 'egg-cam' to film the action from a chick's-eye view.

Nature's most devoted parents: Two emperors gaze down lovingly at their chick

'Key to the success of the spycam missions are the animatronic cameras cleverly disguised as lifesize penguins which can silently infiltrate the colonies to record the penguins’ often emotional, and sometimes amusing, behaviour,' the said documentary's makers in a statement.
'They’re on hand to chart the tough challenges these penguins face from the moment they emerge from the sea to raising their chicks and finally returning to the water.'

Little ones are growing up... The film-makers braved temperatures as low as -30C to chronicle the lives of emperor penguins over nearly a year on the Antarctic ice

Oh, isn't he cuite! Two emperor penguins peer at each other's youngsters - just like human parents

Happy Feet! This penguin chick strikes a pose reminiscent of the Hollywood CGI blockbuster

source: dailymail

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Astonishing 3D images reveal the first four-legged land animals in amazing detail - and overturn a century of research

By LEWIS SMITH

A reconstruction of the early tetrapod Ichthyostega showing the skeleton within the body.

Early backboned creatures have been reconstructed the wrong way around for the last 100 years, astonishing 3D X-ray images have revealed.
By using high resolution X-ray imaging researchers have been able to look inside rocks to establish how the backbone of the first four-legged land animals was constructed.
To the consternation of palaeontologists the 3D view of the rock-encased 360 million-year-old remains revealed that for a century they have been putting the fossilised backbones together back-to-front.

3D images showing how the backbone of one of the first four-legged land animals fits together.

The discovery overturns the accepted way of reconstructing tetrapod fossils and means that scientists will have to rethink how the backbone developed in creatures such as Ichthyostega, Acanthostega and Pederpes.
‘For more than 100 years, early tetrapods were thought to have vertebrae composed of three sets of bones - one bone in front, one on top, and a pair behind,’ said Dr Stephanie Pierce, of the Royal Veterinary College.
‘But, by peering inside the fossils using synchrotron X-rays we have discovered that this traditional view literally got it back-to-front.

X-rays revealed the structure of the backbone of Ichthyostega.

‘The results of this study force us to re-write the textbook on backbone evolution in the earliest limbed animals.’
Modern-day tetrapods, including humans, have a spine in which each vertebra is a single bone.
In early tetrapods each vertebra was composed of multiple bones but until now scientists reconstructed them the wrong way around.
Dr Pierce, who led the international study alongside Professor Jennifer Clack of the University of Cambridge, subjected rock-encased fossils to high energy synchrotron radiation.
Most known fossils of the earliest tetrapods, and those of the first backboned fish, are trapped in rock but the X-ray process allows scientists to see them without damage the delicate remains.

source: dailymail

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The whale who learned to talk to the man-imals: Noc' could imitate a human's voice and used an underwater microphone to make contact with scientists

By MARK PRIGG

NOC the white whale approaches a diver underwater. The whale may have begun speech-like sounds after hearing divers using underwater communications equipment, researchers believe

A white whale which learnt to imitate the voices of humans may have been trying to make contact, scientists believe.
The male named Noc had a distinctly human-like voice, much to the surprise of scientists who previously thought whales typically produce sounds in a manner that is wholly different from humans.
Noc died five years ago after 30 years of living amongst dolphins and other white whales and being in contact with humans at the National Marine Mammal Foundation based in San Diego in California.

NOC with an underwater microphone which the team used to make recordings along with microphones on the surface

However, the incredible recordings of the whale were revealed for the first time as the team published their findings.
Sam Ridgway, who led the study, said: 'Our observations suggest that the whale had to modify its vocal mechanics in order to make the speech-like sounds.
'Such obvious effort suggests motivation for contact.'
Mr Ridgway and his colleagues first began to notice some unusual sounds in the vicinity of the whale and dolphin enclosure which was described a sounding as though two people were conversing in the distance in 1984.

The researchers analysed the vocal passages of a white while to discover how NOC made the unique noises

The sounds were traced back to Noc after a diver surfaced from the whale enclosure to ask his colleagues an odd question 'Who told me to get out?'
Although there has been other anecdotal reports of whales sounding like humans before, in this case Ridgway’s team wanted to capture some real evidence by recording Noc over the years.
The team built a special underwater listening platform to try and hear more 'voices'.

NOC the white whale that spontaneously began to imitate human speech. The other whale, an older female, never made such speech like sounds

It revealed a rhythm similar to human speech and fundamental frequencies several octaves lower than typical whale sounds, much closer to that of the human voice.
Mr Ridgway said: 'Whale voice prints were similar to human voice and unlike the whale’s usual sounds.
'The sounds we heard were clearly an example of vocal learning by the white whale.'
He said it was all the more remarkable because whales make sounds via their nasal tract, not in the larynx as humans do.

Noc, the white whale researchers believe developed a human-like voice in order to try and make contact

To make those human-like sounds, Noc had to vary the pressure in his nasal tract while making other muscular adjustments and inflating the vestibular sac in his blowhole.
In other words, they say, it wasn’t easy.
The study 'Spontaneous human speech mimicry by a cetacean' are published in the latest issue of Current Biology.
'Our observations of human voice mimicry began in May 1984 when a male white whale about 9 years of age at our facility in San Diego Bay spontaneously began to make such speechlike sounds,' the researchers say.

White whales have previously bonded with humans - here one blows heart-shaped bubbles in the water in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province

The whale called 'NOC' was the youngest of three that had been collected at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada in August of 1977.
At times, the speech-like sounds were heard from a distance when no humans were nearby, however most episodes were observed when humans were nearby on the surface or underwater.



source: dailymail

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Monsters of the deep revealed! Sea life that live in almost complete darkness shown in crystal clear images

By SARA MALM

Fangtastic: This fangtooth fish normally lives thousands of feet below sea level in complete darkness

The fangtooth fish, dog-faced witch eel and the deep sea lobster larva may not have the most appealing names, but as these pictures show, they are real beauties in the flesh.
Rarely seen by humans, these creatures are normally found thousands of feet below sea level where they live in complete darkness.
The photographs were taken as Californian biologists prepared to examine them at an aquarium in the state.

Snapped: A deep sea lobster larva is captured in its aquarium far away from its natural habitat

What's in a name: With a name like dog-face witch eel, the beauty of this glowing creature is surprising

Thanks to the efforts of photographer David Wrobel, the world now has a unique glimpse of them up close - and in crystal clear quality.
The shots of the fangtooth fish, giant isopod and predatory Pacific viperfish show the fascinating variety of life in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.

Tricky catch: The Pacific viperfish, which is found off the coast of California, required a special trawl in order for the biologists to capture it

Mr Wrobel, a former husbandry biologist at Monterey Bay Aquarium, snapped the intriguing creatures from less than a foot away as they were held captive in small aquariums.
A data analyst at Harvard Medical School, he added: ‘I love these photos because they represent creatures that are rarely seen and photographed.
‘They're not familiar to most people.
‘The deep sea is populated with an amazing array of bizarre fish and invertebrates.
‘It's important for people to know that it's not a barren wasteland, but instead includes a wide variety of habitats that need to be protected.’
The giant isopod is a deep-water Atlantic species, while the others are bottom-dwelling and mid-water creatures from the coast of California.

Glowing: The tentacles of this benthic hydromedusa jellyfish appears almost luminous

Mr Wrobel said the animals were collected using a trawl or remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV).
The benthic predatory tunicate and benthic jellyfish would have been picked up by an ROV with a robotic arm.
A suction device or chamber on the machine would have been used to hold the witch-eel, whereas the viperfish would have needed a special trawl.
Mr Wrobel said: ‘The ROV collection was less traumatic for the creatures.
‘But it was more expensive and far less productive in the number of animals collected.’

Hungry: The Predatory tunicate is normally found in deep sea canyons where it spends its life, mouth wide open, waiting for small animals and plankton to swim into it

F-angry fish: The fangtooth fish does not look particularly pleased with the photographer

Scary face: A giant isopod looks menacingly at the camera from behind the glass in its aquarium

source: dailymail

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Cheeky octopus foils marine scientists' efforts to probe fish feeding habits - by stealing their entire bait box

By DAMIEN GAYLE

What's this then? The curious octopus swims straight up to the bait box dropped into the water by marine conservationists

These incredible pictures show how a cheeky octopus foiled the efforts of marine researchers to investigate the feeding habits of sea life.
The researchers dropped a bait cage into the waters of False Bay, Cape Town, as part of a survey of creatures living off the coast of South Africa.
But they didn't count on this thieving invertebrate sneaking along and not only stealing the food, but taking away the entire cage itself.

Getting to grips with it: The invertebrate wraps its tentacles around the bait box to examine it in more detail

Remarkable video footage of the heist shows the widely studied intelligence of octopuses, which is such that in British animal testing laws they are regarded as 'honorary vertebrates' and afforded rights not generally extended related species.
It shows schools of fish swimming around the cage, attracted by the bait it is ejecting into the surrounding waters. All seems fairly mundane, until the octopus floats along and wraps its tentacles around the cylinder.

Yank, pull, heave! The octopus envelops the box in its entirety while yanking on the chain that connects it to the scientists' boat above

The tenacious animal envelops the contraption entirely, tugging on the chain connecting the cylinder to the researchers' boat above and bracing itself against the sea floor for leverage.
It wrestles with the box for some time, no doubt scoffing any food it is ejecting while thwarting the hapless fish who hope to pick up any scraps left behind.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the octopus swims off, with the bait box securely in its grip - leaving a lonely chain anchored to the sea floor and the marine biologists facing a bill for new equipment.

Mine now! The creature scoots off, leaving the Save Our Seas Foundation with a bill for some new equipment

The incredible scene was witnessed by marine biologists funded by the Save Our Seas foundation who deployed their Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) system in False Bay to investigate the decline of sea life in the area.
Lauren de Vos, a research assistant at the University of Cape Town’s Marine Research Institute, explained on the Save Our Seas blog how the aim of the study is to develop an understanding of the conservation status of fish in the area, which has been heavily exploited by man for nearly two centuries.

False Bay, off Cape Town, South Africa, where the video was recorded by marine conservationists



source: dailymail

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