Science online, back on track edition

Every little bit helps. Photo by jby.

Here’s what caught my eye when I finally picked up the old RSS feeds this week.

  • I will not call this a “fish story.” While overfishing is (un)naturally selecting most species for smaller body size, tournament marlins (which are only fished for sport) have gotten bigger over the last fifty years. (Southern Fried Science
  • Not a neutral question. The number of species in a community may determine whether the makeup of that community is more due to chance, or the competitive ability of its members. (The EEB & flow)
  • You can always do better than nothing. Just a single tree in the middle of an agricultural field can boost the diversity of birds and bats found in the area. (Conservation Maven)
  • Well, it is an earthworm. Scientists at my own University of Idaho have captured specimens of the Palouse Giant Earthworm, which hasn’t been seen since 2005. It turns out to be somewhat less than giant. (NPR)
  • Maybe they’re allergic? Elephants warn each other away from bees. (The Thoughtful Animal)
  • Future work to be funded by Best Buy. Octopuses aren’t fooled by video images at old-fashioned resolution, but respond to HDTV images as though they were real. (Observations of a Nerd)

And finally, via The Other 95%, a praying mantis encounters a hummingbird.