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Question: I've looked and can't find any examples of natural devolution in nature, so is it just a theory or are there any real examples in wildlife where devolution, natural or otherwise, has occurred? Thanks

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What do you mean by devolution? Do you mean evolving some ability and then losing it? If so, penguins might be an example. Their evolutionary ancestors could fly, but modern penguins can't. - John B. - [ 1 ] -

Good point, I guess the definition is determined by the example, but the term implies a change that results in a lesser developed species ie an undesirable adaptation, at least that's how it sounds to me. - Halil - -

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First Photos of Snow Leopard Cubs at Assiniboine Park Zoo - ZooBorns (http://www.zooborns.com/z... http://www.zooborns.com/.... http://www.zooborns.com/.... )

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"Assiniboine Park Zoo, in Canada, recently released the first photos of two Snow Leopard cubs born at the zoo on May 15. The yet-to-be-named males are healthy and each weighed a little over 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs). " - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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Tapping Your Inner Wolf - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/20... http://static01.nyt.com/i... )

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"MEN often face pressure to measure up as alpha males, to “wolf up” as it were. Alpha male connotes the man who at every moment demonstrates that he’s in total control in the home, and who away from home can become snarling and aggressive. This alpha male stereotype comes from a misunderstanding of the real thing. In fact, the male wolf is an exemplary male role model. By observing wolves in free-living packs in Yellowstone National Park, I’ve seen that the leadership of the ranking male is not forced, not domineering and not aggressive to those on his team. “The main characteristic of an alpha male wolf,” the veteran wolf researcher Rick McIntyre told me as we were watching gray wolves, “is a quiet confidence, quiet self-assurance. You know what you need to do; you know what’s best for your pack. You lead by example. You’re very comfortable with that. You have a calming effect.”" - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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Arctic Wolf Pups Explore Exhibit at Schönbrunn Zoo - ZooBorns (http://www.zooborns.com/z... http://www.zooborns.com/.... http://www.zooborns.com/.... )

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"Recently, at Schönbrunn Zoo, in Vienna, five Arctic Wolf pups were seen exploring their exhibit for the first time, with mom, ‘Inja’. The pups were born April 25, in a protective, low-lying burrow in their forest exhibit enclosure. " - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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Tolerance of wolves in Wisconsin continues to decline (http://www.news.wisc.edu/... http://www.news.wisc.edu/... )

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"Canis lupus has long been the subject of contention in Wisconsin, and elsewhere, and an ongoing University of Wisconsin-Madison study of hunters and others living in the state's wolf range shows attitudes toward them continue to decline. The latest results in this unique longitudinal study, published this week in the journal Environmental Conservation, show that not even the legalization of wolf hunting in 2012 helped improve people's tolerance of these large carnivores." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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"Additionally, study co-author Bret Shaw, professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication and a UW-Extension environmental communications specialist, says it's important to consider Native American perspectives in future research as wolves factor into the creation story of some Wisconsin tribes. They believe their destinies are intertwined. In addition to having more realistic expectations for what a wolf hunt can achieve, Hogberg advises caution moving forward with wolf hunting, suggesting decision makers approach future harvests more experimentally and design them to better mitigate conflicts, improve attitudes, and increase stewardship. "We have to figure out how to share the landscape and in the case of large carnivores, so much of that comes down to perception," says Hogberg." - JustDuckie - -

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Behavioural ecology: the age of insects - FT.com (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0... )

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L ike people, insects have varying personalities. And, also like humans, they become more predictable in their behaviour and more set in their ways as they age. But they differ from us in one surprising way: individual insects become more active as they move through adulthood and grow old. These fascinating observations about insect behaviour come from a study of wild field crickets in Spain, published in the journal Behavioural Ecology. “Even animals that only live for a very short time show signs of ageing, just like humans,” says David Fisher, one of the scientists from Exeter University who carried out the research. “Our results show that behaviour in field crickets tends to become more ingrained as the individuals age.” - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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Without access to the original article are their methods sound? If you recapture the same insect over a period and it shows more willingness to explore is it because it has become more active and prepared to take more risks, or is there an element of the insect becoming more and more used to being captured and placed in an ephemeral environment? What's your thoughts? - Halil - -

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Fox cubs prove they're just puppies at heart | MNN - Mother Nature Network (Video) (http://www.mnn.com/earth-... http://36.media.tumblr.co... )

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"When a Reddit user's security light came on at 1 a.m. this week, he peeked outside and saw something truly adorable: fox cubs playing with his dog's tennis ball. The man stayed up watching and recording the playful cubs for hours and said the loss of sleep was totally worth it." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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This Domesticated Baby Red Fox Is The Sleepiest Pet Ever | Bored Panda (http://www.boredpanda.com... http://static.boredpanda.... http://static.boredpanda.... )

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"Meet Rylai, a domesticated red fox with her own Facebook who is quickly becoming a rising star on the internet. On her Facebook, you can follow what Rylai eats, her success in obedience training, and her little everyday challenges. Rylai represents a welcome change in attitudes towards domesticated foxes, as she comes from a long line of foxes that were slaughtered for their fur. Often called silver or Siberian foxes, they have been bred in the Soviet Union and Russia to make them tamer and more dog-like." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

is it wise/kind to domesticate foxes? - Halil - -

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The Fox Who Came to Dinner - NYTimes.com (http://opinionator.blogs.... http://graphics8.nytimes.... )

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"Persuaded by the meat scraps I scattered outside, the fox appeared more often. One late summer night, as Greg and I celebrated our first anniversary, the fox tentatively nosed its way onto the deck, toward the smell of grilled lamb. As we toasted with cava and watched the stars appear one by one, we tossed the meaty bones out into the yard for our visitor, whom we now called Little One. He became a regular guest at my house. Evenings, Little One showed up, setting off the motion sensor light outside, and out I'd come, food in hand. Sometimes he sat facing the door, looking at the house with the big unblinking eyes of a Victorian beggar. There were a million reasons not to feed the fox, the least of which was the bigger predators he might attract. But it was too late. He'd developed a habit of sitting on the deck at the top of the steps, just as Elvis had, watching the yard from his perch. Ridiculously, I worried he didn't have enough food. There were even nights when I went barefoot out into the snow to look for him, calling his name." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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Daredevil raccoon makes 58-storey climb up Toronto crane | National Post (http://news.nationalpost.... https://nationalpostcom.f... )

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"A death-defying raccoon is causing a sensation in Toronto for its long climb up a towering downtown skyscaper. Social media is lighting up with a photo of the furry adventurer peering from between the metallic rungs of a crane about 58 storeys high. The photo was snapped by a Toronto crane operator who has a popular Twitter stream that showcases photos of the city from high above. Known as RobMac on Twitter, he says it's not the first time he's seen evidence of raccoons high on the crane. One jokester tweeted that the raccoons are now coming after the jobs of Torontonians, not just their garbage." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

AND SO THE WAR BEGINS. - JustDuckie - -

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Seeing Abu Dhabi's urban foxes in a whole new light | The National (http://www.thenational.ae... http://www.thenational.ae... )

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"Amid the rising concrete and shimmering skyscrapers of Reem Island, an Australian biologist has found an unlikely ally for wildlife conservation. Rob Gubiani has spent six months befriending an Arabian red fox and documenting its adaptation to a rapidly changing urban habitat. "They're not going to be here for a long time," said Mr Gubiani, a terrestrial ecologist for Tebodin and former conservation researcher for UAE University. "From what I can tell, Reem Island is going to end up like JBR. They're basically just going to disappear into the depths of concrete so I'm hoping that my photos can just bring some light to it and be a record." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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More pictures: http://www.thenational.ae... - JustDuckie - -

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BBC - Earth - Wolves make great foster parents (http://www.bbc.com/earth/... )

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"In a bid to save some of Europe's last wolves, scientists have explored the willingness of these supposedly fierce creatures to help others of their kind. They offered female wolves unrelated wolf cubs, to see how they would react. Not only did the females care for these lost cubs, they accepted them as part of the family. Female wolves, the scientists have discovered, make excellent foster parents to wolf cubs that are not their own. The study, published in Zoo Biology, suggests that captive-reared wolf cubs could be placed with wild wolf families, boosting the wild population." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

As Romulus and Remus discovered. ;-) - John B. - -

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Halil to Nature, Science , Halil's feed
$750K in funding to advance Noble technology | Peterborough Examiner (http://www.thepeterboroug... )

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âThe results of this research will not only further our knowledge and understanding of euglena as a wastewater management solution, but it will also further the development of the technology and provide a cost-effective alternative solution to current wastewater treatment methods,â Fleming director of applied research Mary Lou McLean stated. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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Carmichael mine may push rare bird to extinction, scientists warn Greg Hunt | Environment | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.co... ) http://i.guim.co.uk/media...

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The creation of Australiaâs largest mine will have âserious detrimental and irreversible consequencesâ for the endangered black-throated finch and may even push it to extinction, a recovery team for the species has advised Greg Hunt, the federal environment minister. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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Date Assessed: 2012-05-01: This species has been downlisted to Least Concern as, although its population is suspected to be declining, the rate of decline is no longer suspected to be moderately rapid and the species does not approach any of the other thresholds for Vulnerable under any of the Red List criteria. http://www.iucnredlist.or... --- Why does this happen? I've seen this before with other animals that were and still are threatened! - Halil - -

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Three cheetah cubs to enjoy new life after rescue from illegal pet trade https://www.youtube.com/w...

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Top 10: Most Beautiful Birds of Costa Rica | Wild Travel Central America (http://www.wildtravelcent... ) http://www.wildtravelcent... http://www.wildtravelcent... http://www.wildtravelcent...

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Home of more than 900 species of birds, Costa Rica is a chapel for birdwatchers; from the Pacific to the Caribbean, from South to North and, from the shore of the oceans to the tip of the mountains, birds are virtually on display in their diverse habitats. From small hummingbirds, that remind little gems to cryptic colored herons, stunning species as the Resplendent Quetzal and the hawk eagles, toucans, tanagers and more, it is strongly hard to say what are the most beautiful birds of Costa Rica, since each has a talent for its song, colors, bill, behavior, flight, relations with other species, and many more. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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In future you will be held liable by just thinking about it, Halil. I can't see how pasting a URL is worse than uploading them here (rather the other way around). - Stephan - -

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Down to three wolves on Isle Royale -- ScienceDaily (http://www.sciencedaily.c... http://images.sciencedail... )

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"Only three wolves seem to remain in Isle Royale National Park. Researchers from Michigan Technological University observed the wolves during their annual Winter Study, and the lone group, at an unprecedented low, is a sharp decline from nine wolves observed last winter. The study's report, released today, marks the project's 57th year of observing wolves and moose in Isle Royale. It is the longest running predator-prey study in the world. This year, along with the three resident wolves, scientists estimated 1,250 moose on the island and observed two visiting wolves, which came and then left across an ice bridge to the mainland. This growing gap between the predator and prey populations is a trend that Michigan Tech researchers have tracked over the past four years. "It's not the presence of wolves that matters so much, it's whether wolves are performing their ecological function," says John Vucetich, an associate professor of wildlife ecology who leads the study along with Rolf Peterson, a research professor at Michigan Tech." - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

Terrible news. :( - Jenny H from Android - -

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Father And Daughter Find Baby Foxes In Their Backyard | Bored Panda (http://www.boredpanda.com... http://static.boredpanda.... )

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"What would you do if you found a den of baby foxes in your backyard? Philip Wang and his daughter Alice were recently faced with this question when they stumbled upon a leash of baby foxes in the backyard of their 7-acre Princeton, New Jersey, home. Their answer? Take pictures!" - JustDuckie from Bookmarklet - -

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Haven't seen the fox that usually sleeps in my garden in the spring/summer this year, hope she/he is ok. - Halil - -

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New perspectives on how ecological communities are assembled (http://phys.org/news/2015... ) http://cdn.phys.org/newma...

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What do you get when you combine a professor who literally wrote the book on community ecology and another who has more than 40 years experience as a leader in the field of evolutionary biology? You get a new way to look at how organisms of all sorts interact and evolve to form ecological communities. Two Michigan State University professors published their results in the current issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution, and together they have come up with a new way to think about how evolution and ecology interact in community assembly. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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Black flamingo, possibly unique, spotted in Cyprus | euronews, world news (http://www.euronews.com/2... in-cyprus/) http://static.euronews.co... #nature #birds #wildlife

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An extremely rare black flamingo has been spotted on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, exciting nature lovers who said it may be the only bird of its type ever seen. The flamingo, seen on the banks of a salt lake on Wednesday morning, is thought to have a genetic condition known as melanism, which causes it to generate more of the pigment melanin, turning it dark, rather than the usual pink colour. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

Update: Experts think it may be the same black flamingo that birdwatchers spotted in Israel in 2014. It’s believed the bird could have melanism, which is a rare condition that affects skin pigments and can turn the features of birds black. The condition is the opposite of what causes an albino. http://www.earthweek.com/... - Halil - -

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Baikal teal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/w... ) http://upload.wikimedia.o...

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The Baikal teal (Anas formosa), also called the bimaculate duck or squawk duck, is a dabbling duck that breeds in eastern Russia and winters in East Asia. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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They are gorgeous birds. - Jenny H from Android - -

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Scientists reveal how a sea sponge gets its remarkable strength - physicsworld.com (http://physicsworld.com/c... ) http://images.iop.org/obj...

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The clever design underlying the remarkable strength of a sea sponge's anchoring fibres has been unravelled by scientists in the US. The team found that the strength of a fibre comes from the particular way that it is made from about 25 concentric silica cylinders. The researchers believe that this natural design could be copied to make strong artificial materials for use in larger structures such as buildings and aeroplanes. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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Wildlife Extra News - 15 animal species have the lowest chance for survival (http://www.wildlifeextra.... ) http://www.wildlifeextra.... #nature #extinction #wildlife

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Climbing rats, seabirds and tropical gophers are among the 15 animal species that are at the absolute greatest risk of becoming extinct very soon. Expertise and money is needed to save them and other highly threatened species. - Halil from Bookmarklet - -

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Two new rooms; 1) Nature http://www.frenf.it/early... and 2) Science http://www.frenf.it/early... Please join and post, feel free to invite others!

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