Topic: NATURE - on September 18, 2003 at 12:36:34 AM CEST
Ältester Penis der Geschichte gefunden
An "Opa Langbein" sind nicht nur die Beine lang. Auch das Sexualorgan des Insekts besitzt beachtliche Ausmaße, kann zwei Drittel der Körpergröße erreichen - und hat sich offenbar seit 400 Millionen Jahren kaum verändert.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 14, 2003 at 3:31:53 PM CEST
Humungous fungus: world's largest organism?
The discovery of the world's largest fungus - up to 8,500 years old and carperting nearly 10 square kilometres of forest floor - has raised questions about what constitutes an individual organism.
A study of a tree-killing fungus in rugged northeast Oregon, USA, found that a single individual covered an area equivalent to about 1,600 football fields.
¬> abc¬> Canadian Journal of Forest Research Abstract & PDF
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Topic: NATURE - on April 13, 2003 at 9:45:21 AM CEST
Rare calf with three horns born on Alberta farm
Farmer Allan Galliford was on the horn of a dilemma.
He first noticed an odd-looking tuft of hair on the forehead of the Simmental-Hereford-cross calf when she was born a year ago in March.
A month later, when he began vaccinating and dehorning calves, he noticed a third, upturned horn had sprouted in the middle of her forehead, similar to a unicorn.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 12, 2003 at 10:55:09 AM CEST
Penguin stomach storage system
Male king penguins can store swallowed food for weeks by destroying their stomach bacteria, a study shows.
The birds' talent for storing undigested food in their stomachs for up to three weeks is unique among higher vertebrates. This ensures a constant supply of fresh food for their chicks - but how the penguins do it has been a mystery.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 4, 2003 at 1:49:48 PM CEST
7 Elephants Brutally Killed in Uganda
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has reported seven elephants gunned down by a gang of ivory poachers in Murchison Falls National Park. The brutal killing of the one calf and six adult elephants is the worst incident of elephant poaching in Uganda in 20 years. No tusks have been recovered yet, and the incident has angered conservationists worldwide, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which supports UWA in its anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts through its Nairobi-based Regional Office for East Africa.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 3, 2003 at 5:39:10 PM CEST
Riesenkrake in antarktischen Gewässern gefangen
Neuseeländische Fischer haben einen extrem seltenen Fang gemacht: Sie zogen eine fünf Meter lange und 150 Kilogramm schwere Riesenkrake aus antarktischen Gewässern. Das Weibchen der Art Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni hatte sich in den oberen Wasserschichten des Ross-Meeres aufgehalten, wie Steve O'Shea, Wissenschaftler der Universität Auckland, am Donnerstag mitteilte. Bisher ist laut APA nur der Fang einer weiteren Riesenkrake mit diesen Ausmaßen bekannt.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 3, 2003 at 11:51:43 AM CEST
Deep sea monster squid found
A rare and dangerous squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and scores of razor-sharp hooks to snag its prey has been caught by fishermen off Antarctica, New Zealand scientists said on Thursday.
The half-grown female colossal squid is only the second intact example of the monster cephalopod known to have been found, said marine biologist Steve O'Shea of New Zealand's national museum.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 3, 2003 at 11:13:25 AM CEST
Wie Elefanten trotz der Masse laufen
Elenfanten sind für ihre Größe und ihre behäbige Gangart bekannt - und dennoch können sich die Dickhäuter erstaunlich schnell bewegen. Laut einer neuen Studie erreichen die Tiere trotz ihrer enormen Masse eine Geschwindigkeit von bis zu 25 Stundenkilometer - zumindest einige Charakteristika ihrer Fortbewegung entsprechen dabei der wissenschaftlichen Definition des "Rennens", berichten US-Biologen.
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Topic: NATURE - on April 3, 2003 at 11:10:17 AM CEST
Elephants race for running status
Its official: elephants can run. Biomechanics researchers have done their sums and decided that the springy steps of an angry elephant at full charge count as running - not ambling or trotting.
As their speed rises past 16 kilometres per hour, elephants adopt "more of a bouncing motion", explains John Hutchinson of Stanford University in California. Technically, this makes them runners.
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Topic: NATURE - on March 28, 2003 at 9:51:39 AM CET
Giant pumpkin to feed whole hospital
PUMPKIN soup will be a regular fixture on the Port Lincoln Hospital menu when it takes delivery of a 440 kg pumpkin - the largest grown in Australia.
The Atlantic Giant Pumpkin was grown in the tuna fishing town on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula by Ken Holden, who in the process regained the national record he had previously held for several years.
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Topic: NATURE - on March 19, 2003 at 1:05:09 AM CET
Protection eased for gray wolves
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service eased federal protection for gray wolves on Tuesday, a move made possible by its work to reintroduce the predator to the mountain West.
The switch from "endangered" to "threatened" applies to wolves in most areas of the country, the service announced.
¬> cnn... Link (0 comments) ... Comment
Topic: - on March 11, 2003 at 10:11:10 PM CET
Tourist falls into lava
A member of a volcano tour group was burned by hot lava early yesterday when he fell during a trek near Chain of Craters Road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Guy Bouneau, 55, suffered first- second- and third-degree burns to his hands, right forearm and a portion of his right thigh, police said.
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