•For the first time in 127 years, researchers described a new masteriine spider species from the Philippines. •The researchers named the spider Masteria urdujae, in honor of the legendary warrior princess Urduja. •Despite its small size, the cave-dwelling, possibly vulnerable M. urdujae may play a significant role in its ecosystem.A ...
February 17, 2019 | 4 mins read
•The plesiosaur-like Loch Ness monster has fascinated the world ever since an alleged photo of it surfaced in 1934. •A group of scientists are in the middle of conducting a thorough analysis of the freshwater lake to verify the existence of "Nessie." •The Philippines has had its fair share of "sea ...
February 4, 2019 | 3 mins read
•Each year, concerned organizations conduct the Asian Waterbird Census in Cagayan province, in line with a global monitoring program. •The 2019 count saw 27 species of birds in the Buguey wetlands and 15 species in Palaui Island, including a few rare species. •While the sightings increased in variety, they decreased in number.The ...
January 29, 2019 | 2 mins read
•The axolotl (or Mexican salamander) can perfectly regrow virtually any lost body part. •A pair of scientists from the University of Kentucky have reportedly succeeded in reconstructing the axolotl genome. •According to experts, this could significantly advance medical science and produce enhanced recovery and treatment options for the critically ill."...
January 28, 2019 | 3 mins read
• After 10 years of searching, scientists may have finally found a suitable mate for Romeo, a rare Sehuencas water frog (Telmatobius yuracare). • A recent expedition to the Bolivian mountain cloud forests yielded five more individuals: three males and two females. • One of the females, aptly named Juliet, is being prepped for ...
January 18, 2019 | 2 mins read
• Carcharhinus obsolerus is 2019's first new shark species. • However, there have been no reported sightings of the creature for the past 80 years. • While it's highly likely that the "lost shark" is now extinct, there's still a chance that it may show up again.Meat, er, meet Carcharhinus obsolerus, the first ...
January 7, 2019 | 2 mins read
• A new study predicts that by 2100, around 93% of green sea turtle hatchlings will be female due to climate change. • Sea turtle hatchlings follow temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), becoming male or female depending on the coolness or warmth of their nests. • While TSD species have historically survived global temperature shifts, they ...
January 3, 2019 | 3 mins read
• Countless species of flora and fauna were discovered and/or named in 2018. • Some of the species got their names from noteworthy Filipinos. • Among these species are four plants and two animals.If it seems like the list of plant and animal species on Earth keeps growing each year, that's because ...
December 18, 2018 | 3 mins read
• The California Academy of Sciences officially described 229 new plant and animal species for 2018. • Collected across five continents and three oceans, the new species include 220 animals and 9 plants. • Among these species, 14 can be found in the Philippines: 11 sea slugs, a shark, a frog, and a snake.This year, Earth's incredibly diverse ...
December 16, 2018 | 4 mins read
•Pound for pound, spider silk has as much tensile strength as steel, but is also especially tough and stretchy. •There are seven different types of spider silk, each with different purposes and chemical compositions. •Spider silk has also been observed to have other remarkable traits, such as electrostatic properties and "...
December 12, 2018 | 3 mins read
• Despite recent successes in bird conservation, quite a few species remain critically at risk. • A number of these birds are in Southeast Asia and North America. • These species have been uplisted on the list of endangered species due in large part to human activity and climate change.Humanity's destructive practices ...
December 3, 2018 | 3 mins read
• Active conservation efforts have helped save two rare and iconic bird species, the northern bald ibis and the pink pigeon, from looming extinction. • Meanwhile, population numbers of the red-headed woodpecker and Henslow's sparrow are slowly recovering as well. • Nevertheless, experts warn that there is still much to do in terms ...
November 28, 2018 | 2 mins read
Meet the bunny harvestman, a fascinating arachnid found in the Amazon rainforest of eastern Ecuador.At first glance, this strange creature looks like a cross between a spider and a fluffy mammal. To some, the two prongs sticking out of its abdomen are reminiscent of rabbit ears. From some angles, ...
November 6, 2018 | 2 mins read
In 2010, archaeologist Michael Blake spotted some remarkably ornate pottery at the Santa Ana-La Florida (SALF) site in Ecuador. Interestingly, the first thing that came to his mind was hot chocolate.“I noticed they had found some very elaborate pottery, and I suggested that the vessels kind of reminded me of ...
October 30, 2018 | 2 mins read
Each year, avian enthusiasts celebrate World Migratory Bird Day to raise awareness about migratory birds and the need to protect them. Admittedly, many Filipinos may not even be aware of the existence of such a holiday. Nevertheless, it is a significant one, especially since the Philippines is known to be ...
October 18, 2018 | 3 mins read
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently issued a report emphasizing the grave state of the world's climate. Authored by over 90 scientists, the report stated that we are heading towards global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 at the earliest. The consequences will be disastrous: rising water levels, a ...
October 12, 2018 | 2 mins read
For most people, the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing the word "mistletoe" is Christmas. Popular culture has cemented the image of the mistletoe in our minds as the red-and-green Yuletide decoration used (often jestingly) as an excuse for two people to kiss. For biodiversity conservationist Lisa Paguntalan, ...
October 8, 2018 | 4 mins read
Day in and day out, we keep hearing about the call to save our forests. We are also aware of how rich the Philippines' biodiversity is, as well as how our various endemic species deserve to be protected.In spite of this, our forests remain at risk. Even with increased ...
October 4, 2018 | 2 mins read
When Australian geologist Reg Sprigg first stumbled upon a strange imprint in the mountains of Flinders Range in 1947, he wasn't quite sure what he'd found. He eventually settled on "early Cambrian (?) jellyfish" and named it Dickinsonia.Little did he know that it would birth a 70-year-old mystery surrounding a 558-million-year-old ...
September 21, 2018 | 3 mins read
As you scroll through your Facebook news feed on a lazy afternoon, your notifications icon lights up. Someone tagged you on a video: a short clip of a little dog, looking like a four-legged ball of cotton, walking on top of a pool table. The precious pup somehow manages to ...
August 27, 2018 | 4 mins read
Here's a quick exercise: Pick up the nearest globe or map that's within your reach right now (or Google one). Take a look at the countries above the equator. Up north, most of the countries are landlocked, their citizens barely able to bask in the mist of the sea or ...
August 13, 2018 | 7 mins read
Much has been said about the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. We know him as a patriot, physician and eye surgeon, novelist, poet, educator, swordsman, painter, sculptor, farmer, master of 22 languages, and nationalist. His life and works inspired the Philippine revolution against Spanish colonization.Unsurprisingly -- and unfortunately -- his ...
June 19, 2018 | 3 mins read
Rapidly curbing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing can help countries recover their fisheries while avoiding the short-term costs of reducing fishing efforts and catches, a new study reports. Conducted by researchers from the United States and Indonesia, the study was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.Overfishing, ...
May 8, 2018 | 3 mins read
With a coastline stretching over 36,000 km, the Philippines is home to almost 50% of all known coral species, and about a fifth of all marine species across the globe. As the world’s 7th top fish-producing country in 2012, the archipelago, comprised of over 7,100 islands, is literally swimming in riches.Recent data, ...
December 19, 2017 | 5 mins read
While flowers are generally pleasing to human eyes, research shows that they may be on an entirely different level of attractiveness for bees. Am I blue? Recent findings show that certain species of flowering plants contain special ridges on their petals. These ridges scatter bluish light over the blossoms--a feat ...
November 14, 2017 | 3 mins read
Findings from a recently published study in the Philippine Journal of Science revealed 12 new species of lichen living in Philippine mountains.Paulina Bawingan and her team of researchers reported a total of 30 identified Parmotrema species in their study. There is currently no confirmation that the newly discovered species are endemic ...
October 4, 2017 | 2 mins read
Based on findings from a study recently published in Current Biology, pigeons are effective at switching from task to task, similar to how human beings multitask. In fact, they could be even better than us at it.Study authors Dr Sara Letzner, Prof Dr Dr h. c. Onur Güntü...
October 2, 2017 | 2 mins read
Believed by scientists to be a 33,000-year-old bond, the friendship between man and dogs has definitely withstood the test of time. Many dog owners consider their furry friends to be part of their family; they are happy to splurge on food, toys, and accessories for their pets to ensure that ...
September 18, 2017 | 3 mins read
With its land and seas teeming with various endemic species of animals, the Philippines is a field biologist’s wonderland.Hailed by researchers as home to the highest concentration of unique species per unit area in the world, roughly 33 percent of the country’s plants, 75 percent of its amphibians, 70 percent ...
September 11, 2017 | 3 mins read
If you're terrified of the fact that it's possible for bird flu to be transmitted to humans, wait until you hear how, in an utterly nightmarish scenario, it could decimate an entire species endemic to the Philippines. Our national bird, to be more specific.During a forum in Manila on ...
August 29, 2017 | 2 mins read