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plants & animals

This spider was discovered by accident – and named after a badass Pinay

•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

Finding Nessie: Does the Loch Ness monster truly exist?

•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

Rare species–and fewer birds–seen in Cagayan wetlands

•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

Is this animal’s DNA the key to Deadpool-level regeneration?

•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

He found love in a croakless place: The world’s ‘loneliest frog’ has a date

• 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

Here’s 2019’s first new shark species. Too bad it might be extinct already

• 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

Climate change is doing something odd (and bad) to green sea turtles

• 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

6 plant and animal species named after Filipinos in 2018

• 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

Meet 2018’s newest animal species from the Philippines

• 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

Amazing spiders, man: The science of super-strong spider silk

•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

Human activity is bringing these birds closer to extinction

• 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

Two rare bird species saved from extinction

• 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

Bunny? Doggo? Spider? Totoro? Seriously, what is this little guy?

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

5,300 years ago, these folks may have made the first chocolate

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

5 facts about migratory birds in the Philippines

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

Reef grief: An urgent call for PH reef conservation

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

The heart of the tree: A Filipina champion of biodiversity conservation

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

Trees of knowledge: 5 facts on forests in the Philippines

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

This weird oval was likely our ancestor, and we know this thanks to cholesterol

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

Pupper analysis: Science explains why we love dog videos

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

Wildlife in the Philippines: Our glaring responsibility

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

Ipinangalan kay Pepe: Three little-known species named after Rizal

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

Angler management: Curb illegal fishing to let fisheries recover faster

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

The Philippine marine economy: A sea of possibilities

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

The way these flowers attract bees is simply brilliant

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

Experts find 12 new species of Philippine lichens

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

Bird-brained: Pigeons can beat humans at multitasking

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

10 foods you must never feed your dog

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

5 incredible animals found only in the Philippines

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

Here’s why the avian flu must never reach Davao

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

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