Posts tagged 1860s

American Flamingo - Phoenicopterus ruber

Flamingos aren’t naturally pink! They get their coloration from beta carotene found in the blue-green algae they consume. The flamingos that consume blue-green algae directly are much pinker than flamingos that primarily consume the blue-green algae secondhand (via zooplankton/brine shrimp). 

Flamingos are also unique in their method of eating - their bills are designed to scoop the bottom sediment and then filter out the mud and silt, leaving only the blue-green algae or the brine shrimp in their mouth. They shake their head back and forth under the water after scooping up the sediment. The big, fleshy tongue of the flamingo pushes water back and forth in the mouth and facilitates the filtering of all that mud. They also swallow their food while their head is upside-down! The meaty tongue used to be considered a delicacy among the Roman elite.

Images:
Nature Neighbors: Embracing Birds, Plants, and Minerals. Nathanial Moore Banta for the American Audubon Association, 1914.

Osteologia Avium; or, A sketch of the osteology of birds. T.C. Eyton, 1867.

openlibrary.org

biomedicalephemera: 1862. Private Patrick Hughes, Co. K, 4th New York Volunteers, was wounded at the battle of Antietam. Private Hughes survived, but when he sneezed, a cone would protrude from the wound site.

biomedicalephemera:

1862. Private Patrick Hughes, Co. K, 4th New York Volunteers, was wounded at the battle of Antietam.

Private Hughes survived, but when he sneezed, a cone would protrude from the wound site.

biomedicalephemera

Disarticulated bones of the skull The skull consists of 22 bones; 16 in the neurocranium (brain-case), and 8 in the endocranium (facial bones). At birth, these bones are not secured tightly together - this allows for passage of the infant through the birth canal (newborn heads are often cone-shaped for the first few days, if delivered vaginally), and allows for the rapid expansion of the brain during the first several years of life By adulthood, however, the skull is one cohesive unit, and one of the strongest and least-deformable structures in nature. For human skulls, upwards of one ton of force (if evenly applied) is required to depress the bone just one centimeter. Of course, fractures and punctures can weaken the structural integrity of the skull significantly.Anatomical Atlas, Illustrative of the Structure of the Human Body. Henry H. Smith, 1867.

Disarticulated bones of the skull

The skull consists of 22 bones; 16 in the neurocranium (brain-case), and 8 in the endocranium (facial bones). At birth, these bones are not secured tightly together - this allows for passage of the infant through the birth canal (newborn heads are often cone-shaped for the first few days, if delivered vaginally), and allows for the rapid expansion of the brain during the first several years of life

By adulthood, however, the skull is one cohesive unit, and one of the strongest and least-deformable structures in nature. For human skulls, upwards of one ton of force (if evenly applied) is required to depress the bone just one centimeter. Of course, fractures and punctures can weaken the structural integrity of the skull significantly.

Anatomical Atlas, Illustrative of the Structure of the Human Body. Henry H. Smith, 1867.

meta-apathy: The developmental stages of scyphozoan jellyfish’s life cycle: 1–3 Larva searches for site4–8 Polyp grows9–11 Polyp strobilates (strobilation is a form of asexual reproduction consisting of spontaneous transverse segmentation of the body.)12–14 Medusa (adult jellyfish) grows. Another unusual species, T. nutricula, falsely reported as Turritopsis dohrnii, might be effectively immortal because of its ability under certain circumstances in the laboratory to transform from medusa back to the polyp stage, thereby escaping the death that typically awaits medusae post-reproduction if they have not otherwise been eaten by some other ocean organism . So far this transdifferentian of life form has been observed only in the laboratory and it is not known if it actually occurs in wild Turritopsis populations.  From Schleiden M. J. “Die Entwicklung der Meduse”. In: “Das Meer”. Verlag und Druck A. Sacco Nachf., Berlin, 1869. 

meta-apathy:

The developmental stages of scyphozoan jellyfish’s life cycle:

1–3 Larva searches for site
4–8 Polyp grows
9–11 Polyp strobilates (strobilation is a form of asexual reproduction consisting of spontaneous transverse segmentation of the body.)
12–14 Medusa (adult jellyfish) grows.

Another unusual species, T. nutricula, falsely reported as Turritopsis dohrnii, might be effectively immortal because of its ability under certain circumstances in the laboratory to transform from medusa back to the polyp stage, thereby escaping the death that typically awaits medusae post-reproduction if they have not otherwise been eaten by some other ocean organism . So far this transdifferentian of life form has been observed only in the laboratory and it is not known if it actually occurs in wild Turritopsis populations. 

From Schleiden M. J. “Die Entwicklung der Meduse”. In: “Das Meer”. Verlag und Druck A. Sacco Nachf., Berlin, 1869. 

meta-apathy

scientificillustration: n562_w1150 by BioDivLibrary on Flickr.

scientificillustration:

n562_w1150 by BioDivLibrary on Flickr.

scientificillustration

Thornback ray (Raja clavata) and thornback ray skeleton

Like sharks, rays and skates have fully cartilaginous skeletons, which provide a stable structure but more flexibility than bone. You can see that, much like fish, rays have defined, er, rays, in their fins. The difference is that while fish tend to have a few unconnected rays and a taught taut tissue between them, the Rajiforms (skates and rays) have many, many rays, which are all connected perpendicularly by collagen. The body is then formed around these rays, which propel the Rajiforms forward in an undulating (wave-like) motion.

A history of the fishes of the British Islands. Jonathan Couch, 1863.

openlibrary.org

Pleuronectes rhumbus [now Scophthalmus rhombus] - The Brill Like most flatfish, the brill has both eyes on the same side of its head, and it lives on the sea floor, with those eyes being the only exposed part of its body, allowing for effective ambush hunting, and hiding from predators. Did you know that flatfish (the brill, flounder, sole, and their relatives) are actually born looking pretty normal? They have gas bladders for buoyancy, eyes on either side of the head, and are very non-flat. It’s only as they mature that they become the odd-eyed, floor-dwelling, pancakes of fish that we know. Which makes me wonder…what the hell was “Flounder” in The Little Mermaid? Even as larval specimens, flatfish aren’t nearly that, er, rotund… La Pèche et les Poissons; nouveau dictionnaire général des pêches. Henri de la Blanchère, 1868.

Pleuronectes rhumbus [now Scophthalmus rhombus] - The Brill

Like most flatfish, the brill has both eyes on the same side of its head, and it lives on the sea floor, with those eyes being the only exposed part of its body, allowing for effective ambush hunting, and hiding from predators.

Did you know that flatfish (the brill, flounder, sole, and their relatives) are actually born looking pretty normal? They have gas bladders for buoyancy, eyes on either side of the head, and are very non-flat. It’s only as they mature that they become the odd-eyed, floor-dwelling, pancakes of fish that we know.

Which makes me wonder…what the hell was “Flounder” in The Little Mermaid? Even as larval specimens, flatfish aren’t nearly that, er, rotund…

La Pèche et les Poissons; nouveau dictionnaire général des pêches. Henri de la Blanchère, 1868.

openlibrary.org

Coracina cephaloptera [now Cephalopterus ornatus] - the Amazonian Umbrellabird Bro’s got some wicked style. That wattle inflates when it calls, by the way. Just cause the ultra-hawk wasn’t bad enough. Amazonian umbrellabirds are the largest passerines (perching birds/”songbirds”) in the world. Aside from their distinctly woodpecker-like flight, they resemble terribly stylish crows, rather than their closer cousins, such as finches and sparrows. Bilder-Atlas zur Wissenschaftliche-Popularen Naturgeschichte der Vogel. Leopold Joseph Fitzinger, 1864.

Coracina cephaloptera [now Cephalopterus ornatus] - the Amazonian Umbrellabird

Bro’s got some wicked style. That wattle inflates when it calls, by the way. Just cause the ultra-hawk wasn’t bad enough.

Amazonian umbrellabirds are the largest passerines (perching birds/”songbirds”) in the world. Aside from their distinctly woodpecker-like flight, they resemble terribly stylish crows, rather than their closer cousins, such as finches and sparrows.

Bilder-Atlas zur Wissenschaftliche-Popularen Naturgeschichte der Vogel. Leopold Joseph Fitzinger, 1864.

Muraena nudivomer (now Gymnothorax nudivomer) This fish from the Indo-Pacific Ocean region is a fairly typical moray eel, with no common name. It can grow to a length of almost 1.8 meters long, which is half as long as the giant moray eel. It rarely encounters humans in the wild, but its bright blue and yellow coloration lead to it being introduced into the aquarium trade occasionally, where it is noted to be a moray of above-average aggressiveness, and a difficult one to breed in captivity.

Muraena nudivomer (now Gymnothorax nudivomer)

This fish from the Indo-Pacific Ocean region is a fairly typical moray eel, with no common name. It can grow to a length of almost 1.8 meters long, which is half as long as the giant moray eel. It rarely encounters humans in the wild, but its bright blue and yellow coloration lead to it being introduced into the aquarium trade occasionally, where it is noted to be a moray of above-average aggressiveness, and a difficult one to breed in captivity.

openlibrary.org

Eqalussuaq [Inuit] - Somniosus microcephalus (The Greenland Shark) The Greenland shark is big, slow, and an apex predator of the sea. Despite its top speed of not over 2 mph (and this fast only in short sprints - it generally moves under 1 mph), it is still the second-largest carnivorous fish on Earth, and has been found with polar bear, reindeer, narwhal, and even other sharks in its stomach. Of course, although the Greenland shark is decent at hunting sharks, (sleeping) seals, and fish in the water, the polar bear and reindeer remains are from carrion that drifted to the bottom of the ocean. It’s an opportunistic predator, and will try to eat almost anything in its path. Over 90% of the arctic Greenland sharks are hosts to the parasitic copepod Ommatokoita elongata (seen in the illustration), which has evolved to permanently attach themselves to the corneas of the genus Somnosius. They absorb nutrients through the blood vessels in the eyes and corneal fluid, and cause serious vision impairment in those affected by their presence. However, since the Greenland shark lives up to 7,200 ft (2,200 m) below the surface, it has little use of eyesight to begin with, and is believed to be largely unharmed by the presence of eyeball-sucking copepods tagging along on their corneas. A History of the Fishes of the British Isles. Jonathan Couch, 1868.

Eqalussuaq [Inuit] - Somniosus microcephalus (The Greenland Shark)

The Greenland shark is big, slow, and an apex predator of the sea. Despite its top speed of not over 2 mph (and this fast only in short sprints - it generally moves under 1 mph), it is still the second-largest carnivorous fish on Earth, and has been found with polar bear, reindeer, narwhal, and even other sharks in its stomach. Of course, although the Greenland shark is decent at hunting sharks, (sleeping) seals, and fish in the water, the polar bear and reindeer remains are from carrion that drifted to the bottom of the ocean. It’s an opportunistic predator, and will try to eat almost anything in its path.

Over 90% of the arctic Greenland sharks are hosts to the parasitic copepod Ommatokoita elongata (seen in the illustration), which has evolved to permanently attach themselves to the corneas of the genus Somnosius. They absorb nutrients through the blood vessels in the eyes and corneal fluid, and cause serious vision impairment in those affected by their presence. However, since the Greenland shark lives up to 7,200 ft (2,200 m) below the surface, it has little use of eyesight to begin with, and is believed to be largely unharmed by the presence of eyeball-sucking copepods tagging along on their corneas.

A History of the Fishes of the British Isles. Jonathan Couch, 1868.

geerg.ca

Dermochelys coriacea - Leatherback Sea Turtle The leatherback sea turtle is the only sea turtle to not have a bony shell. Instead, it has a leathery carapace, with a thick and oily skin covering it. It is also the most hydrodynamic reptile in existence, with the unique carapace playing a key role in that distinction. Adult leatherbacks have been clocked swimming at nearly 27 mph. Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Dermochelys coriacea - Leatherback Sea Turtle

The leatherback sea turtle is the only sea turtle to not have a bony shell. Instead, it has a leathery carapace, with a thick and oily skin covering it.

It is also the most hydrodynamic reptile in existence, with the unique carapace playing a key role in that distinction. Adult leatherbacks have been clocked swimming at nearly 27 mph.

Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Plantigrade vs. Digitigrade Carnivores - the Polar Bear and the African Lion

The foot structure of many animals plays a critical role in their locomotion and environmental niche, and in carnivores, the clear distinction between plantigrade (walking with the podials and metatarsals both flat on the ground) and digitigrade (walking on the toes, with the heel and wrist permanently raised) animals is most evident.

In plantigrade beasts - which include humans, many rodents, bears, racoons, and opossums - the larger surface area that the many bones provide can act as both a stabilizer and a very effective bearer of great weights. In fact, the big ol’ flighted dinosaurs were plantigrade. At the same time, so were the first (and relatively small) mammals, since both of them needed lots of stability in their feet. The weight-bearing ability and stable platform comes at the cost of speed, as the energy and requirements for movement of so many bones and muscles is much greater than digitigrade feet or unguligrade feet.

Digitigrade animals walk on only their toes, leaving their wrists and ankles permanently raised. This affords more speed, much more silent movement. Cats, birds, and dogs are digitigrade. Digitigrade feet evolved long after plantigrade feet, to fit the niche of mid-sized carnivores. However, they cannot effectively sustain large loads, which is why you cannot use a lion as a pack mule. Well, among other reasons. Really, you just don’t want to try using any mid-sized (or large, in the lion’s case) carnivore as a pack mule.

On the Anatomy of Vertebrates. Richard Owen, 1866.

Xiphochilus fasciatus [now Choerodon fasciatus] - The Harlequin Tusk Wrasse More colloquially known as the “Harlequin Tusk” by wrasse fanciers, this fish is a difficult keeper in an aquarium, but a very flashy specimen. Illustrations can’t truly capture the low-level bioluminescence or UV reflection in the live animals. The Harlequin Tusk’s long, sharp teeth would seem to imply a more hostile creature than other wrasse, they’re only semi-territorial, and will tolerate other semi-aggressive fish around (such as blenny and angelfish), so long as no other Harlequin Tusks are present. Their primary foodstuffs consist of small-to-medium sized crustaceans that live in reefs, so they’re not considered “reef-friendly”, though they don’t destroy coral itself. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1867.

Xiphochilus fasciatus [now Choerodon fasciatus] - The Harlequin Tusk Wrasse

More colloquially known as the “Harlequin Tusk” by wrasse fanciers, this fish is a difficult keeper in an aquarium, but a very flashy specimen. Illustrations can’t truly capture the low-level bioluminescence or UV reflection in the live animals.

The Harlequin Tusk’s long, sharp teeth would seem to imply a more hostile creature than other wrasse, they’re only semi-territorial, and will tolerate other semi-aggressive fish around (such as blenny and angelfish), so long as no other Harlequin Tusks are present. Their primary foodstuffs consist of small-to-medium sized crustaceans that live in reefs, so they’re not considered “reef-friendly”, though they don’t destroy coral itself.

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1867.

Basiliscus mitratus  [now Basiliscus vittatus] - Brown Basilisk Named after the mythical creature that could turn one to stone with its gaze, basilisk lizards are mid-sized, speedy, and to early explorers, appeared almost supernatural. One of their primary modes of escaping predators is their speed - and that speed (combined with long toes that have air-trapping flaps on the side) lets them easily run across water for up to 20 meters as juveniles, and 5-10 meters as adults. Their “sails” are used to absorb sunlight for warmth, and disperse heat during hotter days. Two species (the Brown Basilisk and Common Basilisk) have fat-filled “head cones”, shown to sustain them during dry seasons (much the same as camels). It’s unknown why some species, such as the Red-Headed Basilisk, do not have the same sort of cone, when they live in similar environments. Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Basiliscus mitratus  [now Basiliscus vittatus] - Brown Basilisk

Named after the mythical creature that could turn one to stone with its gaze, basilisk lizards are mid-sized, speedy, and to early explorers, appeared almost supernatural. One of their primary modes of escaping predators is their speed - and that speed (combined with long toes that have air-trapping flaps on the side) lets them easily run across water for up to 20 meters as juveniles, and 5-10 meters as adults. Their “sails” are used to absorb sunlight for warmth, and disperse heat during hotter days. Two species (the Brown Basilisk and Common Basilisk) have fat-filled “head cones”, shown to sustain them during dry seasons (much the same as camels). It’s unknown why some species, such as the Red-Headed Basilisk, do not have the same sort of cone, when they live in similar environments.

Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Top: Chamaesaura anguina - Cape Grass LizardBottom: Triblonotus Novae Guineae [now Triblonotus graicilis] - Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink Despite looking a lot like a snake, the barely-legged Chamaesaura anguina is definitely still a lizard. It has spike-like “legs” that it uses to “swim” through the grass, but it otherwise moves in a fairly snake-like motion when on solid surfaces. The grass lizards are found in South Africa, especially in the Transvaal region. The red-eyed crocodile skink is also unique. It is one of the few reptiles to vocalize when distressed, exhibits very non-skink-like mother-child social groups, and the males will battle for territory and females, much like crocodiles. Even though their name derives from their rough, crocodile-like skin, the first Europeans to encounter them gave them a more apt name than they knew. Also unique about them: they reflexively “play dead” when startled, even in domesticated situations. Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Top: Chamaesaura anguina - Cape Grass Lizard
Bottom: Triblonotus Novae Guineae [now Triblonotus graicilis] - Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink

Despite looking a lot like a snake, the barely-legged Chamaesaura anguina is definitely still a lizard. It has spike-like “legs” that it uses to “swim” through the grass, but it otherwise moves in a fairly snake-like motion when on solid surfaces. The grass lizards are found in South Africa, especially in the Transvaal region.

The red-eyed crocodile skink is also unique. It is one of the few reptiles to vocalize when distressed, exhibits very non-skink-like mother-child social groups, and the males will battle for territory and females, much like crocodiles. Even though their name derives from their rough, crocodile-like skin, the first Europeans to encounter them gave them a more apt name than they knew. Also unique about them: they reflexively “play dead” when startled, even in domesticated situations.

Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.