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The Red-Shanked Douc Langur – Ryan Deboodt (2019)

April 11, 2019 at 8:54 pm / Evolution, Natural history, Wildlife Documentaries

The douc langurs are among the most visually striking primates in the world. There three species of douc langurs: the red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus), black-shanked douc langur (Pygathix nigripes) and gray-shanked douc langur (Pygathix cinereus). All are endemic to Indochina. Here the filmmaker Ryan Deboodt has filmed the Red-Shanked Douc Langur of the Vietnam forests. Habitat loss, disease and trappers are threatening this species. Doucs are found in a variety of habitats: from lowland to mountainous terrain up to […]

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Bald Eagle Cam – Live from Minnesota – Breeding Season 2019

March 17, 2019 at 11:32 pm / Natural history, Video, webcams

The 2019 breeding season for a pair of iconic Bald Eagles in Minnesota is continuing. After pair bonding and nest repair (nestoration) eagles started incubating eggs again in! A pair of iconic Bald Eagles have been raising their chicks in Central Minnesota on a nest constructed at 75 feet altitude on a cottonwood tree. You can learn more about this nest from the FAQs page of the website hosting this nestcam. Last year on March 9th Mom got into labor […]

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The Axolotl: A Cut Above The Rest – Science Friday/Christian Baker (2016)

March 2, 2019 at 8:57 pm / Evolution, Molecular Nature, Natural history, Video, Wildlife Documentaries

Tissue regeneration is a fascinating biological subject. Many invertebrate organisms such as crabs, starfishes, sponges, jawless fish such as the lampreys and planarian flatworms can regenerate body parts. Among the vertebrates salamanders, especially the axolotl is a legendary study species for biologists. The axolotl is a highly endangered Mexican salamander with a fascinating ability to regenerate. Curiously, although both are amphibians salamanders can regenerate but frogs cannot. Comparison of such contrasting groups is particularly useful in understanding organ and tissue […]

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Sounds of Survival – Katie Garrett / bioGraphic (2018)

March 2, 2019 at 7:17 pm / Ecological Documentaries, Natural history, Video, Wildlife Documentaries

“Sound can be a tool for conservation”. — Ben Mirin Sound can be extremely informative in wildlife context. Many animals including mammals from cetaceans to bats appear to have mastered acoustic communication. Cooperative animals such as marmosets can take turns during their conversations and relay multi layer information through seemingly simple high pitched calls such as identity, age, location and gender which can be very effective in dense forest environments. Therefore it is real important to tap into this highly […]

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UConn BioBlitz 2015

February 23, 2019 at 3:37 pm / Ecological Documentaries, Natural history, NatureDocumentaries.org, Video

On July 24th – 25th 2015, 49 experts collaborated with >150 citizen scientists to identify 1180 species in a 24-hour marathon of biodiversity survey (see a meta analysis at the bottom of this post). The UConn BioBlitz 2015 had many workshops that continued day and night including Bat activity monitoring, Blacklight/Mercury lamp curtain survey for nocturnal insects, setting camera traps for mammal activity, owl prowl, science expose, ants exploring space as well as tours of Collections Facility and the UConn […]

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Becoming: Development of a Salamander Embryo – Jan van IJken (2018)

February 10, 2019 at 9:59 pm / Evolution, Natural history, Video

Everyone of us started life from one single cell formed by the fusion of an egg and a sperm. That single cell gave rise to every structure in our bodies. How did that happen? Salamanders especially the axolotl are known to be able to regenerate limbs while frogs and lizards cannot. How and why? The Dutch filmmaker Jan van IJken did a superb job bringing a fresh new artistic look into the fascinating process of vertebrate embryo development. The original […]

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

January 30, 2019 at 12:24 pm / Natural history, NatureDocumentaries.org, Short Observations, Video

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)

January 30, 2019 at 12:07 pm / Ecological Documentaries, Evolution, Natural history, Video

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)

January 28, 2019 at 1:53 pm / Ecological Documentaries, Evolution, Natural history, Video

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)

January 18, 2019 at 10:58 pm / Ecological Documentaries, Natural history, Wildlife Documentaries

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)

January 16, 2019 at 9:22 am / Evolution, Natural history, Video, Wildlife Documentaries

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

November 17, 2018 at 11:56 am / Ecological Documentaries, Natural history

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)

November 13, 2018 at 7:51 pm / Evolution, Molecular Nature, Natural history, Video

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?

November 11, 2018 at 9:16 pm / Evolution, Natural history, Video

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)

November 2, 2018 at 11:45 am / Evolution, Natural history, PBS Nature, Video

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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