Brass and bone sculptures of Jessica Joslin. From the FAQ: "Are they real bones? Some are, some aren't. I will continue to make it as difficult as possible to tell the difference..." Flickr set. [Bumped up a bit from this comment]
posted on Dec 28, 2006 - View this thread

The Natural Arch and Bridge Society has many, many interesting pictures and lots of info.
posted on Dec 17, 2006 - View this thread

The Institute for the Promotion of the Less than One Millimeter proudly presents The Micropolitan Museum of Microscopic Art Forms. [via]
posted on Oct 22, 2006 - View this thread

Beautiful, occasionally abstract, old German zoological wall charts. [via]
posted on Oct 3, 2006 - View this thread

Songs of Brazilian Birds A fantastically diverse collection of .au files, including the beautifully evocative Organ Wren or Uirapuru, the mooing of the Capuchinbird, the sci-fi minimalism of the Short-tailed Antthrush and a duet of Laughing Falcons (they'll make you laugh at the end).
posted on Jan 23, 2006 - View this thread

Weathering the Weather: The Origins of Atmospheric Science A "glorious selection" of strikingly beautiful pages from classic publications about meteorology. [via plep].
posted on Mar 23, 2005 - View this thread

Seabirds Skull Gallery An amateur birder in Holland is fascinated by the internal structure of various seabirds. [via Incoming Signals]
posted on Feb 19, 2005 - View this thread

"Infrasonic Symphony" Intrigued by reports of tsunami-avoidance behavior in Sri Lankan wildlife? Science News offers a timely antidote to simplistic mumbo-jumbo about the "mythical power" of animal earthquake detection with a detailed look at the latest research into low-frequency sound. The Elephant Listening Project is particularly interested in elephant rumblings that produce Rayleigh waves. "Mammals, birds, insects, and spiders can detect Rayleigh waves," notes The Explainer. "Most can feel the movement in their bodies, although some, like snakes and salamanders, put their ears to the ground in order to perceive it."
posted on Jan 3, 2005 - View this thread

The 25 richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth. Of the 25, here are the hottest of the hotspots. An interactive map. And the latest news about how companies like Office Depot are helping Conservation International protect threatened animals who don't get to vote in even the world's [cough] most enlightened democracies.
posted on May 3, 2004 - View this thread

Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing An "immensely popular" medieval Islamic natural history text (with simurghs, yew trees, constellations and much more). Found at the Islamic Medical Manuscripts collection, which has more great visuals in the Medical Monographs section.
posted on Jun 19, 2003 - View this thread

Crows better than chimps at making tools? British scientists were reportedly "astonished" when a captive crow named Betty "spontaneously bent a straight piece of wire and used it to retrieve a snack." But another scientist says crows have been seen making two kinds of hook tools in the wild, although he's not sure we should say they have "insight." It's clear that there are lots of different kinds of animal intelligences, so why are humans so surprised when dolphins recognize themselves in mirrors, chimps demonstrate culture and lions engage in social problem-solving? What explains the reluctance to admit that animal "consciousness" exists?
posted on Aug 9, 2002 - View this thread

Pariah dogs of the Middle East No, not these two jokers, but the real thing: Canaan dogs. Like the more refined Saluki, Sloughi, Azawakh, Afghan Hound and "barkless" Basenji (among many others), Canaan dogs have been known for thousands of years. They guard herds for modern Bedouins like they did for ancient Israelites. During the 1930s, when traditional "war dogs" were having trouble adapting to Palestine, Zionists carefully redomesticated the semi-wild animals, turning them into seeing eye dogs and guards for isolated settlements. Canaan dogs became one of the first breeds trained to detect mines effectively, although their use for bomb-sniffing remains a touchy subject [LAT, reg'n]. You also might enjoy pondering the provocative question raised by this detailed essay: Why have all three major monotheistic religions considered dogs "a threat to the authority of the clergy"?
posted on Jul 15, 2002 - View this thread

Gold cobblestones. Cracked ice. Cave art. Just a few of the amazing shapes, textures and patterns in the Lichen Portrait Gallery. Check the descriptions of the "fungi that have discovered agriculture" for info about how Native Americans used them for food, poison and pillows. And don't forget the surprising feminist connection.
posted on Jun 7, 2002 - View this thread

Nudi of the Week! It's not what you think. Exquisitely beautiful slugs with brilliant colors, funky patterns and a delicious candy coating. Just kidding about that last part. But damn these nudibranchs sure are pretty. Lots of other nudi links at the Slug Site.
posted on May 31, 2002 - View this thread

Buddhist mandalas? Abstract doodles? Alien snow crystals? Nope. Just some amazing scientific art from Art Forms in Nature, published between 1899 and 1904 by zoologist Ernst Haeckel. Lots more early biological art at this scientist's public domain archive. Unfortunately, Haeckel also helped provide the philosophical foundation for Nazism. Hey, no one's perfect.
posted on May 24, 2002 - View this thread