The biological study of animals
2
votes
1answer
88 views
Color of the Fur coat of Polar bears
Recently I was playing a quiz and a question was asked about the color of the fur coat of a polar bear. To my surprise the answer was black. I thought it was yellowish white or creamy. Why so ?
3
votes
1answer
95 views
List of species recently found of economic value
Is there a website or organization cataloging lists of biological species to have been recently found of great economic value? For example, a plant that wasn't of economic relevance a while ago but ...
4
votes
0answers
111 views
How do I save a coffee damaged wasp? [closed]
I found a wasp in one of my coffee cups about 1 hour ago. There was barely any coffee left but it had managed to get itself pretty much drenched in coffee. I took it out. Put it on a piece of paper ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Why apes started to contemplate and become altruistic? [closed]
I was asking this first on philosophy forums, but it is suggested, that answer could be found from evolutionary view of point, so here we go:
Again my question raised when thinking of myths, their ...
6
votes
2answers
319 views
Why animals can move and plants cannot in general?
To clarify, I think the answer should be able to explain:
What are animals?
What are plants?
What's the difference between animals and plants (How do biologists differentiate them, if they ...
4
votes
1answer
94 views
intravenous (IV) in the tail vein of an anaesthetized mouse
I trained myself to do intravenous injection on live mice. However, on anaesthetized mice you don't see the flux of your product showing that your injection was successful. In the same way, on live ...
8
votes
1answer
464 views
Will the “frog in boiling water not jumping out” work on warm blooded animals
There is the famous saying about a frog that is put in water that are slowly boiling will not jump out until it's too late. I realize it happens because of the frog's cold blood that adjusts to the ...
7
votes
2answers
123 views
Are there any structures in mammals that are used only by males?
There are examples of structures which only serve a purpose in females, but it seems like the opposite could also be true. Are there any structures which exist in both mammalian sexes and only serve a ...
9
votes
1answer
93 views
Why is there a difference in the rotation of the tail fin in fish compared to marine mammals?
I've been thinking about this one, but I can't seem to find what causes this difference.
All fishes that I've seen have their tail fin positioned vertical:
But all the marine mammals I know have ...
8
votes
2answers
125 views
What are the frequency ranges of most marine mammal vocalizations?
I am trying to determine a list of frequency ranges into which marine mammal vocalizations fall.
Ideally, I would like a list showing where the most popular marine mammal vocalizations fall, followed ...
9
votes
3answers
158 views
How do we know that dinosaurs were related to lizards and/or birds?
Do we clearly know what the living closest relative of the dinosaurs are? And connected to the first question, in scientific manner how do we know these relationship between extinct species and living ...
7
votes
1answer
326 views
Do any animals other than humans undergo menopause?
Do any animals other than humans undergo menopause?
Also, is there any difference between animals in captivity and animals in the wild as regards menopause? For example, even if menopause has been ...
1
vote
2answers
118 views
Can someone identify this bird?
We recently found a nest in the back garden and a little bird inside. Can you help us identify it? The nest is quite small like the bird so we are wondering whether this is the parent or a baby chick. ...
16
votes
3answers
206 views
How is the blood volume of a living organism measured without killing it?
How is the blood-volume of an organism measured without killing it? NOTE: The blood-volume of an organism is defined as the total volume of blood present inside that organism.
2
votes
1answer
868 views
Can all mammals swim?
When I checked it seemed trivial to answer: yes, all mammals can swim. But research on the internet provided different information. I found:
people and primates cannot swim, but can be taught how to ...
5
votes
1answer
134 views
What evolutionary mechanism caused felines to develop purring?
And why can some felines roar while others meow?
6
votes
1answer
142 views
Effect of spaying on the female cat organism and health
Veterinarians often recommend spaying a female cat if the owner does not want her to have kittens. What does biology know about the effect of spaying on female cats' organism and health (apart from ...
8
votes
1answer
149 views
Which organism has the sharpest vision?
Which organism has the sharpest vision in terms of distance and spectrum. Please propose any other useful measure.
4
votes
1answer
172 views
7
votes
3answers
115 views
Is the appendix a vestigial structure in all vertebrates?
In humans the Appendix is a vestigial organ. Does it serve no apparent purpose in all the vertebrates that have one?
7
votes
1answer
162 views
Could an animal with an open circulatory system survive in a near-zero gravity environment?
An animal such as a crayfish relies on gravity to keep its circulatory system running. If it is turned upside down, the gravity works against the system, suffocating the animal. Now if, instead of ...
10
votes
2answers
192 views
Why do pandas have a high probability of giving birth to twins?
According to the BBC documentary "Wild About Pandas", about half of panda birth result in twins. Why do they have such a high probability compared to other mammals? What factor(s) control that ...
7
votes
4answers
578 views
If I put a cup over a spider, and leave it there for a day, will the spider survive?
Will it travel more slowly since it hasn't had food for a day?
What if I left the cup there for longer?
7
votes
0answers
90 views
Why do animal teeth get darker if exposed?
I was wondering why the teeth of cats (And dogs, as far as I know, plus possibly some other animals or even humans) get darker if they are exposed to air / light?
Example:
(See the lower end of ...
9
votes
1answer
339 views
How many mice are on the Earth?
We are 7 billion human beings on the Earth. But how many mice are there? How would you estimate such a number?
6
votes
3answers
157 views
Where can I find the common names for the zoology taxonomy?
Forgive me if my question does not belong here or if I'm using incorrect terms, but I'm not educated in biology at all. I'm investigating the workings of the biological classification system.
I was ...
23
votes
2answers
301 views
What are the trajectories of flying insects?
Many flying insects tend to have very jagged trajectories. For moves of a fruit fly looks like a random walk.
Is there any research on the properties of trajectories (e.g. their fractal dimension or ...
25
votes
2answers
504 views
How do cockroaches resist the effects of ionizing radiation?
Cockroaches are very hardy insects. It is known that, among other things, they are able to withstand bursts of ionizing radiation that would kill a human being.
The explanations of this observed ...
8
votes
1answer
160 views
Is the squid giant axon the fastest conducting unmyelinated axon known?
The conduction velocity of the squid giant axon can reach 30 m/s. Is there any known example of an even faster conducting unmyelinated axons?
10
votes
1answer
146 views
Are there any pre-Holocene venomous animals?
The novel (and subsequently movie) Jurassic Park featured a dinosaur called Dilophosaurus, that was purported to be venomous and had an ability similar to that of the extant spitting cobra. ...
14
votes
1answer
116 views
Are there dextral/sinistral higher animals?
For example, almost every dog I've met in my life (more than 20 subjects) uses their right paw touching one while asking for attention. Can it be used as a criterion for calling them dextral? If not, ...
9
votes
1answer
228 views
Examples of animals that co-opt toxins?
It is known that there are animals that acquire toxins through their diet or through their surroundings. The examples I know of include butterflies stocking up on alkaloids/glycosides while in the ...
10
votes
1answer
333 views
Do large animals often evolve into smaller animals?
There are several examples where the largest animals were killed off preferentially due to a major ecological shift:
The KT extinction event
The Holocene extinction, as well as the major megafauna ...
