Caffeinated Cravings: Putting The Buzz Back In Your Bumble… It seems it’s not just us humans who seek out regular caffeine kicks - the bees are at it as well! New research has shown that honey bees are three times more likely to remember and seek out food associated with the smell of a coffee or citrus plant (both of which naturally contain caffeine) than food presented without these scents. Well, would you blame ‘em?!… Christy Ullrich of NGS reports:  Bitter-tasting caffeine primarily arose in plants as a toxic defense against herbivores like garden slugs. At high doses, caffeine can be toxic and repellent to pollinators. However, at low concentrations, caffeine appears to have a secondary advantage, attracting honeybees and enhancing their long-term memory, said lead author Geraldine Wright, a neuroscientist at Newcastle University in England, whose study was published online March 7 in the journal Science. “We show that caffeine—a compound whose ecological role is mainly to deter and poison herbivores—actually acts like a drug in an ecologically relevant context,” Wright said. “The plant is secretly drugging the pollinator. It may help the bee, but the plant cares more about having a pollinator with high fidelity!” Read the rest of the report via NGS here.
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Caffeinated Cravings: Putting The Buzz Back In Your Bumble…

It seems it’s not just us humans who seek out regular caffeine kicks - the bees are at it as well! New research has shown that honey bees are three times more likely to remember and seek out food associated with the smell of a coffee or citrus plant (both of which naturally contain caffeine) than food presented without these scents. Well, would you blame ‘em?!…

Christy Ullrich of NGS reports: 

Bitter-tasting caffeine primarily arose in plants as a toxic defense against herbivores like garden slugs. At high doses, caffeine can be toxic and repellent to pollinators.

However, at low concentrations, caffeine appears to have a secondary advantage, attracting honeybees and enhancing their long-term memory, said lead author Geraldine Wright, a neuroscientist at Newcastle University in England, whose study was published online March 7 in the journal Science.

“We show that caffeine—a compound whose ecological role is mainly to deter and poison herbivores—actually acts like a drug in an ecologically relevant context,” Wright said. “The plant is secretly drugging the pollinator. It may help the bee, but the plant cares more about having a pollinator with high fidelity!”

Read the rest of the report via NGS here.

Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info
Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees… Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!) This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….) A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.  Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over. A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time. Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface. White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”. Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.
Zoom Info

Blowing Smoke: Hydrothermal Howdy-Doo-Dees…

Some UK scientisties have recently discovered yet another mind-blowing set of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor in the Caribbean. This latest group have been found at deeper depths than any others (only about 5,000 metres!). They are also reportedly the hottest yet discovered (around 400C, compared to surrounding water temperatures of only around 4C!)

This is all very well and very good, you may very well declare, but what the very heck is a hydrothermal vent anyway?!? What indeed. So here you are - you’re very own basic introduction to hydrothermal vents, aka deep sea vents, courtesy of those clever whomevers over at Wikipedia (I’d write a bling-lingoed up EcoLOLogist-style version, but quite frankly, I’m too tired. Zzzzzz…….)

A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet’s surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has very large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars. 

Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out to form particles which add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach heights of 60 m. An example of such a towering vent was “Godzilla”, a structure in the Pacific Ocean near Oregon that rose to 40 m before it fell over.

A black smoker or sea vent is a type of hydrothermal vent found on the seabed, typically in the abyssal and hadal zones. They appear as black, chimney-like structures that emit a cloud of black material. The black smokers typically emit particles with high levels of sulfur-bearing minerals, or sulfides. Black smokers are formed in fields hundreds of meters wide when superheated water from below Earth’s crust comes through the ocean floor. This water is rich in dissolved minerals from the crust, most notably sulfides. When it comes in contact with cold ocean water, many minerals precipitate, forming a black, chimney-like structure around each vent. The deposited metal sulfides can become massive sulfide ore deposits in time.

Black smokers were first discovered in 1977 on the East Pacific Rise by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They were observed using a deep submergence vehicle called ALVIN belonging to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Now, black smokers are known to exist in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, at an average depth of 2100 metres. The most northerly black smokers are a cluster of five named Loki’s Castle, discovered in 2008 by scientists from the University of Bergen at 73°N, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. These black smokers are of interest as they are in a more stable area of the Earth’s crust, where tectonic forces are less and consequently fields of hydrothermal vents are less common. The world’s deepest black smokers are located in the Cayman Trough, 5,000 m (3.1 miles) below the ocean’s surface.

White smoker vents emit lighter-hued minerals, such as those containing barium, calcium, and silicon. These vents also tend to have lower temperature plumes. These alkaline hydrothermal vents also continuously generate acetyl thioesters, providing both the starting point for more complex organic molecules and the energy needed to produce them. Microscopic structures in such alkaline vents “show interconnected compartments that provide an ideal hatchery for the origin of life”.

Find out more about them and their super-heated awesomesauce here.

Murky Mentalness: Deep Ocean Vents Just Got Deeper, And Hotter… Scientists working at the deep sea trench known as the Cayman Trough (near the Cayman islands in the Caribbean) have recently discovered a new group of vents which reading show are the deepest (at 4,968 metres - approximately 3 miles) and hottest (401 degrees celcius) to be found yet. The scientists are hoping the research they are conducting in this mysterious black-water-belching murkiness can help us better understand exactly how, and why life has come to exist in such extremely hostile environments. See some video footage and read more from BBC News’ David Shukman here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21520404
Zoom Info
Murky Mentalness: Deep Ocean Vents Just Got Deeper, And Hotter… Scientists working at the deep sea trench known as the Cayman Trough (near the Cayman islands in the Caribbean) have recently discovered a new group of vents which reading show are the deepest (at 4,968 metres - approximately 3 miles) and hottest (401 degrees celcius) to be found yet. The scientists are hoping the research they are conducting in this mysterious black-water-belching murkiness can help us better understand exactly how, and why life has come to exist in such extremely hostile environments. See some video footage and read more from BBC News’ David Shukman here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21520404
Zoom Info
Murky Mentalness: Deep Ocean Vents Just Got Deeper, And Hotter… Scientists working at the deep sea trench known as the Cayman Trough (near the Cayman islands in the Caribbean) have recently discovered a new group of vents which reading show are the deepest (at 4,968 metres - approximately 3 miles) and hottest (401 degrees celcius) to be found yet. The scientists are hoping the research they are conducting in this mysterious black-water-belching murkiness can help us better understand exactly how, and why life has come to exist in such extremely hostile environments. See some video footage and read more from BBC News’ David Shukman here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21520404
Zoom Info
Murky Mentalness: Deep Ocean Vents Just Got Deeper, And Hotter… Scientists working at the deep sea trench known as the Cayman Trough (near the Cayman islands in the Caribbean) have recently discovered a new group of vents which reading show are the deepest (at 4,968 metres - approximately 3 miles) and hottest (401 degrees celcius) to be found yet. The scientists are hoping the research they are conducting in this mysterious black-water-belching murkiness can help us better understand exactly how, and why life has come to exist in such extremely hostile environments. See some video footage and read more from BBC News’ David Shukman here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21520404
Zoom Info

Murky Mentalness: Deep Ocean Vents Just Got Deeper, And Hotter…

Scientists working at the deep sea trench known as the Cayman Trough (near the Cayman islands in the Caribbean) have recently discovered a new group of vents which reading show are the deepest (at 4,968 metres - approximately 3 miles) and hottest (401 degrees celcius) to be found yet. The scientists are hoping the research they are conducting in this mysterious black-water-belching murkiness can help us better understand exactly how, and why life has come to exist in such extremely hostile environments. See some video footage and read more from BBC News’ David Shukman here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21520404

Strange Squeakcies: This Frog’s Call Ain’t No Croak…

Recorded by wildlife enthusiast and photographer Dean Boshoff among the sand dunes of Port Nolloth in South Africa’s Northern Cope province, this first YouTube video of his went viral within a matter of days - and it’s easy to see why. Or, rather, hear why. You’d be forgiven for suspecting that this is nothing more than the result of some doggy-chew-toy-dub-over of a hoax. However this is the real deal folks. Yup, that sound is actually coming out of that animal!

This little sandy ball of hilarious squeaky cuteness is a desert rain frog* (Breviceps macrops). Although it has elsewhere been reported to be a mating call, the sound it’s so ardently emitting is actually a warning call, triggered by the presence of a threat such as a predator (or in this case, most likely the perceived threat of big bad Dean and his camera). Other species of frog are also known to make this type of warning call and a quick search of YouTube will bring up more examples of it, however I’ve yet been able to find one that’s quite as cute as this lil’ guy!

The desert rain frog is a fossorial species, spending most of its life buried under the sand hiding from predators (hence the state of our new celebrity) and only surfaces at night to feed. Its eggs are laid in underground chambers and are covered in a thick, viscous, jelly-like substance. Once the eggs hit tadpole stage, the jelly softens into a fluid in which they live until they fully metamorphose into frogs (absorbing nutrients from the egg yolk as they grow). This lack of dependence on water for the tadpole stage is what makes this dumpy dude particularly and uniquely suited to life in an arid environment. 

So there you have it; the desert rain frog; sandy, silly, squeaky and all together supersauce, No go press play again. You know you want to, tee hee…

  • *NOT, in fact, a Namaqua rain frog (Breviceps namaquensis), as it has been identified as elsewhere and indeed by my good self in an earlier version of this post (Oops, my bad!). The confusion is understandable however, as both species are extremely similar in terms of how they look, how they live and indeed where they live. While the Namaqua rain frog is not endangered, it should be noted that the desert rain frog is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List due to habitat fragmentation caused by diamond mining. So don’t all go rushing out to try and buy one from the pet stores after seeing this video! Coz that’d be bad, m’kay…
Rainbow-eyed Surprise: Refraction Of Light Captures Third Prize Delight… This spectral spectacular (top photo), captured by American photographer Randall Benton, was awarded third prize recently in the Nature (singles) category of the 2013 World Press Photo contest. Although it looks like some weird demon-possessed other-worldly creature of the night, this prize pic shows nothing more sinister than a very-much-of-our-worldly trumpetfish of the Caribbean. The rainbow-eyed effect is the result of light bending as it passes through the eye of the fish which causes it to split into different wavelengths (ie, colours) - a phenomenon known as dispersion.  Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) are long thin fish who derive their name from their snouts, which look a bit like - you guessed it - a trumpet. Masters of disguise, trumpetfish can often be found hanging out around pipe sponges, sea fans and sea whips in a vertical, head down position which helps them to blend in with their surroundings as they wait for unsuspecting prey to pass by or indeed, try to avoid becoming prey themselves. They are also known to swim alongside the vertical lines of other fish while hunting. The trumpetfish’s mouth is able to stretch to a size equal to the diameter of its body and creates a vacuum which sucks up its prey (this is known as “pipette feeding”). Typically a mottled reddish-brown in colour, these fish can also change their colour to suit their surroundings, much like squid and octopus do. Changes in colouration are also observed during trumpetfish courtship rituals (known as “dances”. For a video complete with groovy guitar music, see here). As with their close relatives the seahorses, it is the male trumpetfish who carries most of the reproductive burden. Having received eggs from the female following a successful courtship (score!), he then fertilizes them and carries them in a special pouch until they are born. Haha, suckers… For more cool info on trumpetfish, check out here and here. For a picture of an actual demon-possessed creature, check here (but be warned, it will eat your soul!)
Zoom Info
Rainbow-eyed Surprise: Refraction Of Light Captures Third Prize Delight… This spectral spectacular (top photo), captured by American photographer Randall Benton, was awarded third prize recently in the Nature (singles) category of the 2013 World Press Photo contest. Although it looks like some weird demon-possessed other-worldly creature of the night, this prize pic shows nothing more sinister than a very-much-of-our-worldly trumpetfish of the Caribbean. The rainbow-eyed effect is the result of light bending as it passes through the eye of the fish which causes it to split into different wavelengths (ie, colours) - a phenomenon known as dispersion.  Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) are long thin fish who derive their name from their snouts, which look a bit like - you guessed it - a trumpet. Masters of disguise, trumpetfish can often be found hanging out around pipe sponges, sea fans and sea whips in a vertical, head down position which helps them to blend in with their surroundings as they wait for unsuspecting prey to pass by or indeed, try to avoid becoming prey themselves. They are also known to swim alongside the vertical lines of other fish while hunting. The trumpetfish’s mouth is able to stretch to a size equal to the diameter of its body and creates a vacuum which sucks up its prey (this is known as “pipette feeding”). Typically a mottled reddish-brown in colour, these fish can also change their colour to suit their surroundings, much like squid and octopus do. Changes in colouration are also observed during trumpetfish courtship rituals (known as “dances”. For a video complete with groovy guitar music, see here). As with their close relatives the seahorses, it is the male trumpetfish who carries most of the reproductive burden. Having received eggs from the female following a successful courtship (score!), he then fertilizes them and carries them in a special pouch until they are born. Haha, suckers… For more cool info on trumpetfish, check out here and here. For a picture of an actual demon-possessed creature, check here (but be warned, it will eat your soul!)
Zoom Info
Rainbow-eyed Surprise: Refraction Of Light Captures Third Prize Delight… This spectral spectacular (top photo), captured by American photographer Randall Benton, was awarded third prize recently in the Nature (singles) category of the 2013 World Press Photo contest. Although it looks like some weird demon-possessed other-worldly creature of the night, this prize pic shows nothing more sinister than a very-much-of-our-worldly trumpetfish of the Caribbean. The rainbow-eyed effect is the result of light bending as it passes through the eye of the fish which causes it to split into different wavelengths (ie, colours) - a phenomenon known as dispersion.  Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) are long thin fish who derive their name from their snouts, which look a bit like - you guessed it - a trumpet. Masters of disguise, trumpetfish can often be found hanging out around pipe sponges, sea fans and sea whips in a vertical, head down position which helps them to blend in with their surroundings as they wait for unsuspecting prey to pass by or indeed, try to avoid becoming prey themselves. They are also known to swim alongside the vertical lines of other fish while hunting. The trumpetfish’s mouth is able to stretch to a size equal to the diameter of its body and creates a vacuum which sucks up its prey (this is known as “pipette feeding”). Typically a mottled reddish-brown in colour, these fish can also change their colour to suit their surroundings, much like squid and octopus do. Changes in colouration are also observed during trumpetfish courtship rituals (known as “dances”. For a video complete with groovy guitar music, see here). As with their close relatives the seahorses, it is the male trumpetfish who carries most of the reproductive burden. Having received eggs from the female following a successful courtship (score!), he then fertilizes them and carries them in a special pouch until they are born. Haha, suckers… For more cool info on trumpetfish, check out here and here. For a picture of an actual demon-possessed creature, check here (but be warned, it will eat your soul!)
Zoom Info
Rainbow-eyed Surprise: Refraction Of Light Captures Third Prize Delight… This spectral spectacular (top photo), captured by American photographer Randall Benton, was awarded third prize recently in the Nature (singles) category of the 2013 World Press Photo contest. Although it looks like some weird demon-possessed other-worldly creature of the night, this prize pic shows nothing more sinister than a very-much-of-our-worldly trumpetfish of the Caribbean. The rainbow-eyed effect is the result of light bending as it passes through the eye of the fish which causes it to split into different wavelengths (ie, colours) - a phenomenon known as dispersion.  Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) are long thin fish who derive their name from their snouts, which look a bit like - you guessed it - a trumpet. Masters of disguise, trumpetfish can often be found hanging out around pipe sponges, sea fans and sea whips in a vertical, head down position which helps them to blend in with their surroundings as they wait for unsuspecting prey to pass by or indeed, try to avoid becoming prey themselves. They are also known to swim alongside the vertical lines of other fish while hunting. The trumpetfish’s mouth is able to stretch to a size equal to the diameter of its body and creates a vacuum which sucks up its prey (this is known as “pipette feeding”). Typically a mottled reddish-brown in colour, these fish can also change their colour to suit their surroundings, much like squid and octopus do. Changes in colouration are also observed during trumpetfish courtship rituals (known as “dances”. For a video complete with groovy guitar music, see here). As with their close relatives the seahorses, it is the male trumpetfish who carries most of the reproductive burden. Having received eggs from the female following a successful courtship (score!), he then fertilizes them and carries them in a special pouch until they are born. Haha, suckers… For more cool info on trumpetfish, check out here and here. For a picture of an actual demon-possessed creature, check here (but be warned, it will eat your soul!)
Zoom Info

Rainbow-eyed Surprise: Refraction Of Light Captures Third Prize Delight…

This spectral spectacular (top photo), captured by American photographer Randall Benton, was awarded third prize recently in the Nature (singles) category of the 2013 World Press Photo contest. Although it looks like some weird demon-possessed other-worldly creature of the night, this prize pic shows nothing more sinister than a very-much-of-our-worldly trumpetfish of the Caribbean. The rainbow-eyed effect is the result of light bending as it passes through the eye of the fish which causes it to split into different wavelengths (ie, colours) - a phenomenon known as dispersion. 

Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) are long thin fish who derive their name from their snouts, which look a bit like - you guessed it - a trumpet. Masters of disguise, trumpetfish can often be found hanging out around pipe sponges, sea fans and sea whips in a vertical, head down position which helps them to blend in with their surroundings as they wait for unsuspecting prey to pass by or indeed, try to avoid becoming prey themselves. They are also known to swim alongside the vertical lines of other fish while hunting. The trumpetfish’s mouth is able to stretch to a size equal to the diameter of its body and creates a vacuum which sucks up its prey (this is known as “pipette feeding”). Typically a mottled reddish-brown in colour, these fish can also change their colour to suit their surroundings, much like squid and octopus do.

Changes in colouration are also observed during trumpetfish courtship rituals (known as “dances”. For a video complete with groovy guitar music, see here). As with their close relatives the seahorses, it is the male trumpetfish who carries most of the reproductive burden. Having received eggs from the female following a successful courtship (score!), he then fertilizes them and carries them in a special pouch until they are born. Haha, suckers…

  • For more cool info on trumpetfish, check out here and here.
  • For a picture of an actual demon-possessed creature, check here (but be warned, it will eat your soul!)
Mind Feed: The Origin Of Feces Is Sure To Be Da Sh*t… “Reading about poo while having my morning brew and I’m liking it!” - this was the response that twittered out of me this morning when I happened upon an @NatGeo twink (that’s tweeted-link, dyoncha knows) to an interview with one Mr. David Waltner-Toews about his new book “On the Origin of Feces”. Now, asides from having the most awesomely cool and aptly named title you could think of, this piece of brain fodder also promises a remarkably refreshing (yes, even from poo) take on the subject of the dreaded doo-doo. While many other “crap” books lean more toward waste management and public health issues, David has chosen to dust some glitter over the crud and try to show us all (particularly us westerners) how fecaes can, and indeed, should be considered more of a friend than a foe.  Exploring how excrement has helped to shape the evolution and ecology of our planet and purveying plenty of great examples of how poop is already trickling it’s way into the streams of sustainability, this one promises to be one hot and steamy awesomesauce summer read.  So if you fancy swotting up on your sh*t, this is the book to doo-doo it with! It’s out in May 2013 and you can pre-order it here. POO POWER!!! Read National Geographic News’ Christine Dell’Amore interview with David here. Photo: Fungus grows on elephant dung in Malaysia. Photograph by Yusri Hashim, Your Shot
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Mind Feed: The Origin Of Feces Is Sure To Be Da Sh*t…

“Reading about poo while having my morning brew and I’m liking it!” - this was the response that twittered out of me this morning when I happened upon an @NatGeo twink (that’s tweeted-link, dyoncha knows) to an interview with one Mr. David Waltner-Toews about his new book “On the Origin of Feces”. Now, asides from having the most awesomely cool and aptly named title you could think of, this piece of brain fodder also promises a remarkably refreshing (yes, even from poo) take on the subject of the dreaded doo-doo. While many other “crap” books lean more toward waste management and public health issues, David has chosen to dust some glitter over the crud and try to show us all (particularly us westerners) how fecaes can, and indeed, should be considered more of a friend than a foe. 

Exploring how excrement has helped to shape the evolution and ecology of our planet and purveying plenty of great examples of how poop is already trickling it’s way into the streams of sustainability, this one promises to be one hot and steamy awesomesauce summer read. 

So if you fancy swotting up on your sh*t, this is the book to doo-doo it with! It’s out in May 2013 and you can pre-order it here. POO POWER!!!

  • Read National Geographic News’ Christine Dell’Amore interview with David here.
  • Photo: Fungus grows on elephant dung in Malaysia. Photograph by Yusri Hashim, Your Shot

Source: on.natgeo.com

Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info
Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info
Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info
Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info
Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info
Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info
Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’… Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway. In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat. Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!) So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 
Zoom Info

Choco-Chain: No Flies On You Means No Cocoa Fo’ Sho’…

Ahh chocolate…White, milk, dark, caramel centred or fruit’n’nut clustered, there aren’t many who don’t love at least a bit of the stuff every now and again. Godiva knows we get through enough of it around Valentine’s day, with peeps everywhere offering these sweet cocoaed confections of affection to their beloveds (or buying the stuff by the bucketload to scoff themselves should they be singletons!) Most people are vaguely aware of the chain of events which brought these sweet treats to their laps - chocolate comes from cocoa which is made from cocoa beans which have been dried following harvesting from cocoa pods which grow on cocoa trees on cocoa plantations in far-flung hot places. Right? Right. Well, loosely put anyway.

In terms of where those far-flung hot places are, Africa’s Cote d’Ivore tops the list, accounting for nearly half of the world’s supply of cocoa. However the largest number of species of cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) can be found in northwestern South America, where the trees are native to. The flowers and fruits of the tree grow directly from the trunk (as opposed to on stalks, as with apples for example) and are produced year round and quite often at the same time. Progression from bud to ripe pod can take up to eight months and on cultivated plantations only around three out of 1,000 pollinated and fertilized flowers will actually develop to fruit. The main reason for this low fertilization rate is the plantations themselves. Natural cocoa trees grow under heavy rainforest canopies, which is quite different from the sunny, dry conditions of the neatly spaced plantation groves. This isn’t so much a problem in terms of the growth of the trees themselves, but rather for what pollinates them. For it is not bees, nor birds, nor bats (well ok, some bats) that are the principle pollinators of the cocoa tree, but the humble wee gnat.

Yup, that’s right peeps; those tiny, annoying, biting midges that plague every child’s lazy summer eve are the very ones whom we have to thank for satisfying our choco-cravings. The problem is that these little critters natural habitat is also in the rainforests. They require shade, humidity and lots of decaying ground matter. They have little desire to leave the forests to go on a sun-holiday to the plantations. Which sometimes leaves the plantation workers with little choice but to hand-pollinate (ugh, effort!) Hence you now know what the heck the chocolate companies are banging on about when they warn about potential future chocolate shortages! Fortunately, Fair-trade and organic farmers often employ more midge-friendly tactics with their groves, such as smaller and wilder plantations. (Which is another reason why we should only buy Fair-trade and organic chocolate - we’re protecting the future stocks!)

So if your loved one brings you chocolate for Valentine’s day, by all means thank them, but by no means forget to say a quiet thank you to all the gnats out there who really brought you that beautiful brown bounty and indeed, who bring it to us all, each and every day… 

Source: xocoatl.org

Valentine Crime: Roses Are Rarely Red…  Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses are undoubtedly a quintessential part of Valentine’s Day lore. Throughout the world, red roses, in particular, have hands-down proven to be the most popular with the ladies at this time of year (asides, of course, from the “Axl” cultivar craze of circa 1989). But there’s a lot more to the rose than what meets the shop fronts.  Most of the roses we are familiar with are not, strictly speaking, true roses but rather cultivated hybrid varieties (known as hybrid tea roses) grown specifically for their flowers and scent. This practice dates back to at least 500BC and has produced a remarkable array of varieties most of which, however, look very little like their wild species cousins. For one, wild species typically do not have the tightly packed mass of petals we have come to associate with roses. In fact, most species possess only five (or sometimes four) petals per flower. There are over 100 species of rose, most of which are found in Asia, while smaller numbers are found native to Europe, north America and northwest Africa. They range in size from small compact shrubs to tall climbers that can reach up to 7-metres in height. All of them bear aggregate fruit called a rose hip which although it looks a bit like a berry, is, well, not a berry. As for the rose thorns, well, they are neither, in fact, thorns. For they are, in fact, outgrowths of the epidermis of the plant as opposed to modified stems and so are technically, technically, prickles. Lastly, very few of the native species actually display red flowers - the most common colours being white, pink and yellow.  So there you have it. If your fella happens to surprise you with a big ol’ bunch of red roses this Valentine’s, be sure to surprise him by throwing them right back in his face and telling him to prove his love properly by going out and finding you a proper damn rose!* *Disclaimer: The Ecolologist cannot be held responsible for any relationship melt-downs resulting from attempting this tactic!
Zoom Info
Valentine Crime: Roses Are Rarely Red…  Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses are undoubtedly a quintessential part of Valentine’s Day lore. Throughout the world, red roses, in particular, have hands-down proven to be the most popular with the ladies at this time of year (asides, of course, from the “Axl” cultivar craze of circa 1989). But there’s a lot more to the rose than what meets the shop fronts.  Most of the roses we are familiar with are not, strictly speaking, true roses but rather cultivated hybrid varieties (known as hybrid tea roses) grown specifically for their flowers and scent. This practice dates back to at least 500BC and has produced a remarkable array of varieties most of which, however, look very little like their wild species cousins. For one, wild species typically do not have the tightly packed mass of petals we have come to associate with roses. In fact, most species possess only five (or sometimes four) petals per flower. There are over 100 species of rose, most of which are found in Asia, while smaller numbers are found native to Europe, north America and northwest Africa. They range in size from small compact shrubs to tall climbers that can reach up to 7-metres in height. All of them bear aggregate fruit called a rose hip which although it looks a bit like a berry, is, well, not a berry. As for the rose thorns, well, they are neither, in fact, thorns. For they are, in fact, outgrowths of the epidermis of the plant as opposed to modified stems and so are technically, technically, prickles. Lastly, very few of the native species actually display red flowers - the most common colours being white, pink and yellow.  So there you have it. If your fella happens to surprise you with a big ol’ bunch of red roses this Valentine’s, be sure to surprise him by throwing them right back in his face and telling him to prove his love properly by going out and finding you a proper damn rose!* *Disclaimer: The Ecolologist cannot be held responsible for any relationship melt-downs resulting from attempting this tactic!
Zoom Info
Valentine Crime: Roses Are Rarely Red…  Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses are undoubtedly a quintessential part of Valentine’s Day lore. Throughout the world, red roses, in particular, have hands-down proven to be the most popular with the ladies at this time of year (asides, of course, from the “Axl” cultivar craze of circa 1989). But there’s a lot more to the rose than what meets the shop fronts.  Most of the roses we are familiar with are not, strictly speaking, true roses but rather cultivated hybrid varieties (known as hybrid tea roses) grown specifically for their flowers and scent. This practice dates back to at least 500BC and has produced a remarkable array of varieties most of which, however, look very little like their wild species cousins. For one, wild species typically do not have the tightly packed mass of petals we have come to associate with roses. In fact, most species possess only five (or sometimes four) petals per flower. There are over 100 species of rose, most of which are found in Asia, while smaller numbers are found native to Europe, north America and northwest Africa. They range in size from small compact shrubs to tall climbers that can reach up to 7-metres in height. All of them bear aggregate fruit called a rose hip which although it looks a bit like a berry, is, well, not a berry. As for the rose thorns, well, they are neither, in fact, thorns. For they are, in fact, outgrowths of the epidermis of the plant as opposed to modified stems and so are technically, technically, prickles. Lastly, very few of the native species actually display red flowers - the most common colours being white, pink and yellow.  So there you have it. If your fella happens to surprise you with a big ol’ bunch of red roses this Valentine’s, be sure to surprise him by throwing them right back in his face and telling him to prove his love properly by going out and finding you a proper damn rose!* *Disclaimer: The Ecolologist cannot be held responsible for any relationship melt-downs resulting from attempting this tactic!
Zoom Info
Valentine Crime: Roses Are Rarely Red…  Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses are undoubtedly a quintessential part of Valentine’s Day lore. Throughout the world, red roses, in particular, have hands-down proven to be the most popular with the ladies at this time of year (asides, of course, from the “Axl” cultivar craze of circa 1989). But there’s a lot more to the rose than what meets the shop fronts.  Most of the roses we are familiar with are not, strictly speaking, true roses but rather cultivated hybrid varieties (known as hybrid tea roses) grown specifically for their flowers and scent. This practice dates back to at least 500BC and has produced a remarkable array of varieties most of which, however, look very little like their wild species cousins. For one, wild species typically do not have the tightly packed mass of petals we have come to associate with roses. In fact, most species possess only five (or sometimes four) petals per flower. There are over 100 species of rose, most of which are found in Asia, while smaller numbers are found native to Europe, north America and northwest Africa. They range in size from small compact shrubs to tall climbers that can reach up to 7-metres in height. All of them bear aggregate fruit called a rose hip which although it looks a bit like a berry, is, well, not a berry. As for the rose thorns, well, they are neither, in fact, thorns. For they are, in fact, outgrowths of the epidermis of the plant as opposed to modified stems and so are technically, technically, prickles. Lastly, very few of the native species actually display red flowers - the most common colours being white, pink and yellow.  So there you have it. If your fella happens to surprise you with a big ol’ bunch of red roses this Valentine’s, be sure to surprise him by throwing them right back in his face and telling him to prove his love properly by going out and finding you a proper damn rose!* *Disclaimer: The Ecolologist cannot be held responsible for any relationship melt-downs resulting from attempting this tactic!
Zoom Info
Valentine Crime: Roses Are Rarely Red…  Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses are undoubtedly a quintessential part of Valentine’s Day lore. Throughout the world, red roses, in particular, have hands-down proven to be the most popular with the ladies at this time of year (asides, of course, from the “Axl” cultivar craze of circa 1989). But there’s a lot more to the rose than what meets the shop fronts.  Most of the roses we are familiar with are not, strictly speaking, true roses but rather cultivated hybrid varieties (known as hybrid tea roses) grown specifically for their flowers and scent. This practice dates back to at least 500BC and has produced a remarkable array of varieties most of which, however, look very little like their wild species cousins. For one, wild species typically do not have the tightly packed mass of petals we have come to associate with roses. In fact, most species possess only five (or sometimes four) petals per flower. There are over 100 species of rose, most of which are found in Asia, while smaller numbers are found native to Europe, north America and northwest Africa. They range in size from small compact shrubs to tall climbers that can reach up to 7-metres in height. All of them bear aggregate fruit called a rose hip which although it looks a bit like a berry, is, well, not a berry. As for the rose thorns, well, they are neither, in fact, thorns. For they are, in fact, outgrowths of the epidermis of the plant as opposed to modified stems and so are technically, technically, prickles. Lastly, very few of the native species actually display red flowers - the most common colours being white, pink and yellow.  So there you have it. If your fella happens to surprise you with a big ol’ bunch of red roses this Valentine’s, be sure to surprise him by throwing them right back in his face and telling him to prove his love properly by going out and finding you a proper damn rose!* *Disclaimer: The Ecolologist cannot be held responsible for any relationship melt-downs resulting from attempting this tactic!
Zoom Info

Valentine Crime: Roses Are Rarely Red… 

Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses are undoubtedly a quintessential part of Valentine’s Day lore. Throughout the world, red roses, in particular, have hands-down proven to be the most popular with the ladies at this time of year (asides, of course, from the “Axl” cultivar craze of circa 1989). But there’s a lot more to the rose than what meets the shop fronts. 

Most of the roses we are familiar with are not, strictly speaking, true roses but rather cultivated hybrid varieties (known as hybrid tea roses) grown specifically for their flowers and scent. This practice dates back to at least 500BC and has produced a remarkable array of varieties most of which, however, look very little like their wild species cousins. For one, wild species typically do not have the tightly packed mass of petals we have come to associate with roses. In fact, most species possess only five (or sometimes four) petals per flower.

There are over 100 species of rose, most of which are found in Asia, while smaller numbers are found native to Europe, north America and northwest Africa. They range in size from small compact shrubs to tall climbers that can reach up to 7-metres in height. All of them bear aggregate fruit called a rose hip which although it looks a bit like a berry, is, well, not a berry. As for the rose thorns, well, they are neither, in fact, thorns. For they are, in fact, outgrowths of the epidermis of the plant as opposed to modified stems and so are technically, technically, prickles. Lastly, very few of the native species actually display red flowers - the most common colours being white, pink and yellow. 

So there you have it. If your fella happens to surprise you with a big ol’ bunch of red roses this Valentine’s, be sure to surprise him by throwing them right back in his face and telling him to prove his love properly by going out and finding you a proper damn rose!*

*Disclaimer: The Ecolologist cannot be held responsible for any relationship melt-downs resulting from attempting this tactic!

Bloody Valentine’s: Don’t Bite My Head Off For Mentioning V-Day!… You can try to run, you can try to hide, but you just can’t escape it; yup, Valentine’s Day is here folks! And that means plenty’o’love from the Ecolologist today. Here’s a sweet treat to start you off, via the lovely folks at The Nature Conservancy. Check out their romantic slideshow of animals that are willing to die - or kill - for l’amour…  
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Bloody Valentine’s: Don’t Bite My Head Off For Mentioning V-Day!…

You can try to run, you can try to hide, but you just can’t escape it; yup, Valentine’s Day is here folks! And that means plenty’o’love from the Ecolologist today. Here’s a sweet treat to start you off, via the lovely folks at The Nature Conservancy. Check out their romantic slideshow of animals that are willing to die - or kill - for l’amour…