Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4 Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4 Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4
Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4 Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4 Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4 avatar

[View the story "Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4" on Storify] Broadcast Spawn!Tweet#call_to_action h4{padding:0px 5px;}[View the story "Darwin Day Road Show: Day 4" on Storify] Broadcast Spawn!Tweet

I hate plants, but seagrasses are awesome
I hate plants, but seagrasses are awesome avatar

I seem to develop these weird, unfounded hatreds of various things. For example: I hate blue dinnerware. Not every shade of blue dinnerware (I LOVE prussian blue glassware), but I severely dislike those particular gray-blue shades reminiscent of country Americana. I can’t explain it–the mere sight of plates like these makes me angry. I would . . . → Read More: I hate plants, but seagrasses are awesome

I hate plants, but seagrasses are awesome avatar

From the Editor’s Desk: Sorry Brunswick County, ID STILL Not Science
From the Editor’s Desk: Sorry Brunswick County, ID STILL Not Science avatar

A couple weeks ago I was alerted to a newspaper article from the Brunswick Beacon, serving the Brunswick County next door to me in beautiful coastal North Carolina. The school commissioners there seemed to feel that evolution was “the biggest lie that’s ever been perpetrated on mankind.” Indeed, Chairman Bill Sue is “tired of my . . . → Read More: From the Editor’s Desk: Sorry Brunswick County, ID STILL Not Science

From the Editor’s Desk: Sorry Brunswick County, ID STILL Not Science avatar

Darwin Day Repost – Ex Omnia Conchis: Darwin And His Beloved Barnacles
Darwin Day Repost – Ex Omnia Conchis: Darwin And His Beloved Barnacles avatar

This post was based on a talk I gave for Darwin Day last year at the Duke Marine Lab. Reposting in honor of Darwin Day. Enjoy your day and make sure you take a walk in the woods and enjoy nature’s splendor in honor one of biology’s main men today! —————————————- As part of Darwin . . . → Read More: Darwin Day Repost – Ex Omnia Conchis: Darwin And His Beloved Barnacles

Darwin Day Repost – Ex Omnia Conchis: Darwin And His Beloved Barnacles avatar

Darwin Day Road Show
Darwin Day Road Show avatar

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center is trying an experiment this year for Darwin Day.  In 2011 we are taking Darwin Day on the road.  We will be sending our scientists to small towns and communities (i.e., places that wouldn’t otherwise have Darwin Day celebrations) around the United States to share their research and talk to . . . → Read More: Darwin Day Road Show

Darwin Day Road Show avatar

Barnacle Evolution I: Phylogeny Served Without Plates
Barnacle Evolution I: Phylogeny Served Without Plates avatar

Lepas anatifera from Washington state, USA. Photo credit: David Cowles 1997. Barnacle evolution was recently rewritten by a large effort of Perez-Losada and colleagues in 2008. Using a combination of genes and morphological traits they rejected some of the ideas that were foundational to barnacle biology and taxonomy, while giving new support for other . . . → Read More: Barnacle Evolution I: Phylogeny Served Without Plates

Barnacle Evolution I: Phylogeny Served Without Plates avatar

Of eyes and sex in lizardfishes
Of eyes and sex in lizardfishes avatar

145 million years ago, in the Cretaceous, the air was warm and the seas were high and rum flowed freely.  On land, mammals were oppressed under dinosaur Republican rule.  Massive reptiles and ammonites, long since extinct, dominated the oceans.  Under the reign of these giants, the lizardfishes were mere fledglings.  Today, the 256 known lizardfishes represent an . . . → Read More: Of eyes and sex in lizardfishes

Of eyes and sex in lizardfishes avatar

If Molluscs Could Communicate What Would They Say?
If Molluscs Could Communicate What Would They Say? avatar

Why don’t animal’s use wheels in locomotion? Why aren’t blue whales bigger? Why are there no freshwater starfish? Why are there no tree dwelling cephalopods? Why can’t my dog make a decent cocktail? These are the kinds of questions that intrigue me. Apparently I am not alone. Geerat Vermeij’s new paper “Sound reasons for silence: . . . → Read More: If Molluscs Could Communicate What Would They Say?

If Molluscs Could Communicate What Would They Say? avatar

What in Darwin’s Name Are Chaetognaths?!
What in Darwin’s Name Are Chaetognaths?! avatar

Lynn Margulis classified the Chaetognaths, known as arrow worms, as deuterostomes. Deuterostomy is characterized by  several developmental characteristics including radial, indeterminate cleavage, a posterior position of the blastopore (deuterostomy=”second mouth”), enterocoelous coelom formation and a tripartite adult body plan with a post-anal tail. At least this is what I was taught “growing up”. Three . . . → Read More: What in Darwin’s Name Are Chaetognaths?!

What in Darwin’s Name Are Chaetognaths?! avatar

What’s New With the Dr. M and the Oceans?
What’s New With the Dr. M and the Oceans? avatar

A potential new species of nudibranch (white box) on a bubblegum coral You might have noticed that my posting frequency is down recently.  Why? 1. Kevin Z convinced me to start Tweeting.  There seems to be an inverse relationship to my writing for DSN and posting Tweets.  Previous attempts to integrate our Twitter content into . . . → Read More: What’s New With the Dr. M and the Oceans?

What’s New With the Dr. M and the Oceans? avatar