Wild Things:
Life as We Know It
Mosquitoes, New Zealand flightless birds, pink lizards and more
- By Amanda Bensen, Joseph Caputo, T.A. Frail, Jesse Rhodes and Abigail Tucker
- Smithsonian magazine, March 2009
(Dr. Tammy Frank / Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution)
The rarely seen spookfish dwells in dark ocean depths, where bioluminescent flashes from other creatures can be the only light. When scientists this past year caught a live spookfish for the first time in the South Pacific, they found its two elaborate eyes are positioned to capture light from both above and below. Stranger still, reflective crystals focus light onto the retina—making the spookfish the only vertebrate whose vision is based on mirrors.
Additional Sources
"A Novel Vertebrate Eye Using Both Refractive and Reflective Optics," Hans-Joachim Wagner et al., Current Biology, January 27, 2009
"An overlooked pink species of land iguana in the Galápagos," Gabriele Gentile et al., PNAS, January 13, 2009
"Coprolite deposits reveal the diet and ecology of the extinct New Zealand megaherbivore moa (Aves, Dinornithiformes)," Jamie R. Wood et al., Quaternary Science Reviews, December 2008
"Harmonic Convergence in the Love Songs of the Dengue Vector Mosquito," Lauren J. Cator et al., Science, January 8, 2009
Comments (5)
To find the audio gallery of the "horses neighing", please either click the related article at the top or go here
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Wild-Things-Life-As-We-Know-It-200902.html
Posted by Cheryl Carlin on March 17,2009 | 04:43 PM
Your Feb. '09 issue, indicated that at this provided website, an audio bite of the "horses neighing" from the Sussex Univ. study would be available. I've tried ways of locating this and am unable. Any "Help!" Thank you! Terry
Posted by Terry Steik on March 13,2009 | 04:44 PM
That spook fish sounds awesome maybe we should see objects in that way XD
Posted by James on March 13,2009 | 12:25 PM
that is the coolest snake ever
Posted by yohanes on March 7,2009 | 10:49 AM
that green pit viper is one very scary snake. i would not want to get bit by him or her.
Posted by sean on February 27,2009 | 02:11 PM