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  • A Giant Forest Ant (Dinomyrmex gigas) Worker Foraging in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

    A Giant Forest Ant (Dinomyrmex gigas) Worker Foraging in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

    This short observation was filmed on Nov 23rd 2016 in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore. Malaysian giant forest ant (Dinomyrmex gigas) is a central place forager. The colony structure is described as polydomous. Workers communicate efficiently and recruit effectively to optimize foraging yield. Large workers have evolved ergonomy to be self-sufficient in most tasks. Its diet is mostly honeydew and excrements but can also prey on insects. These ants have been reported to have up to 14 subterranean nests and […]

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  • The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree – Dan Lewitt / HHMI (2013)

    The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree – Dan Lewitt / HHMI (2013)

    Anole lizards together with cichlid fishes and Darwin’s finches are one of the star organisms in studying a rapid evolution pattern called adaptive radiation. Jonathan Losos is a veteran field biologist that has studied the traits that enable dozens of anole species to adapt to different niches in the islands of the Caribbean. Differences in limb length, body shape, and toepad size allow different species to be successful on the ground. However on vegetation surfaces such as thin branches, or […]

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  • Galapagos Finch Evolution – Dan Lewitt – HHMI (2013)

    Galapagos Finch Evolution – Dan Lewitt – HHMI (2013)

    The Galapagos is home to many iconic species. Each are unique on their own and form a case study in evolutionary biology. Darwin’s finches and mocking birds with their striking beak morphology provided the first clues to Darwin in formulating the mechanism of evolution by natural selection. The Galapagos was the origin of the Origin of the Species. Finches in the island of Daphne Major have been studied for more than 40 years by Princeton University scientists Peter and Rosemary […]

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  • Person of the Forest – Melissa Lesh/Tim Laman (2017)

    Person of the Forest – Melissa Lesh/Tim Laman (2017)

    As an emerging filmmaker Melissa Lesh has joined forces with veteran National Geographic writer and photographer Tim Laman, anthropologist Cheryll Knott and explorer Robert Suro in this informative documentary. The team works in lowland rainforests of Borneo to document and understand the unique cultural behaviors of orangutans in the wild. The work of researchers spans more than 20 years during which they recorded fascinating orangutan behavior including making pillows, fashioning umbrellas and displaying regional greetings. Long term observations of primates […]

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  • Backstage in the Wild: Yale Insights into Chimpanzee – David Watts (2012)

    Backstage in the Wild: Yale Insights into Chimpanzee – David Watts (2012)

    This short but densely informative interview is a must-see resource about our closest primate cousins, the chimpanzees. Yale University Anthropologist Dr. David Watts educates us about social interactions and behavior of chimpanzees based on what has been learned from long-term non-Human primate observations. Observation of his and his co-workers at the University of Michigan from the Kibale National Park and Ugandan national park Ngogo formed the basis for feature films such as the Chimpanzee made by the veteran BBC filmmaker […]

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  • Photosynthesis Board Game – Blue Orange Games

    Photosynthesis Board Game – Blue Orange Games

    Photosynthesis is a fundamental concept in life sciences. It is one of the prerequisites for making sense of our Earth. If the World citizens do not understand how plants grow, then it becomes almost impossible to convey the urgent message that accumulation of carbondiokside in the air leads to global warming and climate change. If the primers are not given in an understandable way almost everything can become esoteric. But, do not despair! The board game Photosynthesis provides such primers […]

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  • Pygmy Seahorses as Masters of Camouflage – Deep Look – PBS/KQED (2015)

    Pygmy Seahorses as Masters of Camouflage – Deep Look – PBS/KQED (2015)

    Environmental cues can have profound effects on the developmental trajectory of juveniles. When predatory dragonfly nymphs are present, tadpoles develop bigger tails with fast twitch muscles. Similarly the crustacean water fleas (Daphnia) develop helmet structures preventing fish to swallow them easily. Epigenetics is a relatively new branch of genetics but we have learned quite a lot in a few decades. The molecular mechanism of what evolutionary biologists described as phenotypic plasticity – biological ability to generate multiple phenotypes from a […]

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  • Sinister Cannibals or Nurturing Fathers?

    Sinister Cannibals or Nurturing Fathers?

    In majority of sexually reproducing species females are the choosy ones. Generally, females invest more in offspring during pregnancy and post-natal care. Males try many tricks (fighting with other males, making elaborate dances, providing nuptial gifts, carrying showy and difficult to maintain body ornaments etc.) to prevent being filtered out in female preferences. Parental investment is a determinant in choosiness. In this post we will take a look at a spectrum of male behavior in parental care. Pipefishes and mudskippers […]

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  • What Gall! The Crazy Cribs of Parasitic Wasps – Deep Look – PBS/KQED (2015)

    What Gall! The Crazy Cribs of Parasitic Wasps – Deep Look – PBS/KQED (2015)

    Another fascinating episode from a series produced by PBS/KQED: Deep Look… Gall formations are indeed one of the most interesting examples of plant-animal interactions. Gall-inducing wasps are plant parasites. The larvae hijack the chemical signaling pathways by secreting two plant hormones auxin and cytokinin which induce abnormal cell divisions leading to gall formation. In certain instances anthocyanin production pathways become upregulated and this gives most of the gall tissues their characteristic red color. Larvae also induce sugary secretions and literally […]

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  • Associates of Eciton burchellii – Carl & Marian Rettenmeyer (2009)

    Associates of Eciton burchellii – Carl & Marian Rettenmeyer (2009)

    Filmed entirely on location at La Selva Biological Field Station in Costa Rica this film is one of the two part documentary series produced by Rettenmeyers. Both documentaries harbor so much natural history that there’s almost no break during the narration. Over the course of 55 years, Carl Rettenmeyer of the University of Connecticut and his wife Marian enthusiastically studied the army ant (Eciton burchellii) and their associates. Throughout this period Carl Rettenmeyer became the world’s leading expert on army […]

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  • Astonishing Army Ants – Carl & Marian Rettenmeyer (2009)

    Astonishing Army Ants – Carl & Marian Rettenmeyer (2009)

    Filmed entirely on location at La Selva Biological Field Station in Costa Rica this film is one of the two part documentary series produced by Rettenmeyers. Both documentaries harbor so much natural history that there’s almost no break during the narration. Over the course of 55 years, Carl Rettenmeyer of the University of Connecticut and his wife Marian enthusiastically studied the army ant (Eciton burchellii) and their associates. Throughout this period Carl Rettenmeyer became the world’s leading expert on army […]

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  • The White Pine Weevil’s Life Cycle – Ray Asselin

    The White Pine Weevil’s Life Cycle – Ray Asselin

    Tree architecture is affected by many factors. Genetics is a major determinant. Hundreds of genes coordinate to determine the stature of a tree. Conifers have strong apical dominance in their growth and plant hormones such as the auxin play a lead role in its maintenance. When the apical dominance is lost due to loss of the apical meristem located at the top of shoot tip the branching pattern of a tree changes. Apical meristem can be lost due to physical […]

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  • Gray Triggerfish Nesting Behavior – Mert Gökalp | AQUADIARIES (2018)

    Gray Triggerfish Nesting Behavior – Mert Gökalp | AQUADIARIES (2018)

    The evolutionary origins of nest building behavior in vertebrates are deep rooted and go all the way back to the fish. The behavior can be very complex with stunning results such as that of the Japanese puffer fish. Here in this short observation an underwater cameraman and filmmaker Mert Gökalp captures a few distinct scenes from the Gray Triggerfish nesting behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean town of Kaş. This fish colonized the Mediterranean through the Gibraltar and reached the farthest […]

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  • A Stunning Artwork by the Japanese Puffer Fish – BBC Life

    A Stunning Artwork by the Japanese Puffer Fish – BBC Life

    The evolutionary origins of nest building behavior in vertebrates are deep rooted and go all the way back to the fish. The behavior can be very complex with stunning results such as that of the Japanese puffer fish. When the behavior was documented for the first time by Japanese divers it created a big excitement among biologist. Here in this short observation the selective pressures on the male puffer fish exceeds those from predation and nest parasitism but purely sexual. […]

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  • Seed Dispersal by Dung Mimicry – Nature (2015)

    Seed Dispersal by Dung Mimicry – Nature (2015)

    Plant-animal interactions have not always evolved to become mutualistic win-win strategies like birds dispersing seeds of palms while feeding on the fruits. Plants can be rather deceptive. They can hijact sensory vulnerabilities of animals. Secondary metabolites such as nicotine, caffeine, codeine can be rather addictive. Plant chemicals can also be used as deterrent. A sub-Saharan desert plant taily weed (Ochradenus baccatus) detonates a mustard bomb in the mouths of seed predators who dare to chew and destroy its seeds. Plant […]

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Nature Documentaries shared on wplocker.com