Aquatic apes: you have probably heard about the idea that our ancestors had an aquatic past. Read more about the idea here http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/apr/27/aquatic-ape-theory-primate-evolution and Henry Gee’s response here (in short, he doesn’t agree) http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/occams-corner/2013/may/07/aquatic-apes-creationism-evolution
3D scans of caterpillars turning into butterflies http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/14/3-d-scans-caterpillars-transforming-butterflies-metamorphosis/
New species – 2nd year Gregor Davies has been keeping an eye out for new species and sent in a few links to share with all of you (thank you Gregor!)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/strange-new-animals-0917#slide-1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/series/new-to-nature
Royal Institute Christmas lectures – Inspired by reading group member Olly Vaughan, who watched Richard Dawkins lectures from 1991, you can go back in time to 1973 (David Attenborough), right up to 2011 here http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?id=00000004959&action=displayContent
IUCN criteria for endangered ecosystems http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062111
Removing rats from the Galapagos archipelago http://www.nature.com/news/invasive-species-the-18-km2-rat-trap-1.12992
Last week BIOL1003 students took part in a follow up study where we asked you about sustainability. Read more about sustainability here http://www.nature.com/news/together-we-stand-1.12980
Widely reported in the news, the EU is set to ban 3 common pesticides, due to their effects on pollinators, but are the pesticides to blame? http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6133/674
Posted By : Judith Lock