Wild Things: Piranhas, Nazca Boobies, Glowing Millipedes
Elephant Seals, Neanderthal evolution and more news from the world of science
- By T.A. Frail, Joseph Stromberg, Abigail Tucker, Erin Wayman and Sarah Zielinski
- Smithsonian magazine, December 2011
This adult Nazca booby (left) biting a chick (right) may have been harassed when young. (Jacquelyn Grace)
Native to the Galápagos Islands, Nazca boobies nest in huge, crowded colonies, where adults frequently bite and peck their neighbors’ chicks. A Wake Forest University-led study shows that the birds more frequently abused as chicks are more likely to engage in such bullying as adults. Researchers are examining the role of early exposure to avian stress hormones in driving violent tendencies later in life.
Additional Sources
“The effects of distal limb segment shortening on locomotor efficiency in sloped terrain: Implications for Neandertal locomotor behavior,” Ryan W. Higgins and Christopher B. Ruff, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, November 2011
“Sex at sea: alternative mating system in an extremely polygynous mammal,” P.J.N. de Bruyn et al., Animal Behaviour, September 1, 2011
“Maltreated nestlings exhibit correlated maltreatment as adults: Evidence of a "cycle of violence" in Nazca boobies (Sula granti),” Martina S. Muller et al., The Auk
“Sound production in red-bellied piranhas (Pygocentrus nattereri, Kner): an acoustical, behavioural and morphofunctional study,” Sandie Millot et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, November 1, 2011
“Bioluminescent aposematism in millipedes,” Paul Marek et al., Current Biology, September 27, 2011
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