Jenny

"The red fox is one of the most widespread and adaptable mammals on Earth. In the American West, however, there are populations of native red foxes that occur only in alpine and subalpine habitats, which may be at risk from human-caused and natural pressures. One potential threat is global climate change, which is likely to reduce both the amount and connectivity of suitable habitat for these unique red foxes. Until recently, the evolutionary history of native North American red foxes, which also occur in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, was largely speculative." - Jenny

"Based on fossil, archeological, historical, and ecological evidence, he hypothesized that contrary to prevailing theory, native red foxes arose from two distinct lineages that had been isolated from each other during the last glaciation. Using modern molecular genetics, a team of researchers led by Aubry has confirmed his hypothesis and revealed important new details about the evolutionary history of North American red foxes. Their analyses provide the foundation for revealing the red fox’s genealogy at finer levels, and aids conservation efforts by making it possible to distinguish native from nonnative populations, and identify those that may be threatened." - Jenny

"Pronghorn antelope are experts at survival. The only ungulate endemic to North America (meaning they evolved here and nowhere else), they're also the only remaining species in their family. They've lived on this continent for 20 million years, about 19.99 million years longer than humans. They shared the plains with American cheetahs and enormous dire wolves, now extinct, plus millions of bison that used to surge over the land. They watched the Teton Range rise up out of the Snake River plain and they weathered ice ages." - Jenny

"One strategy that's helped them prosper for so long is migration, the ability to seasonally cross huge distances of country to seek better climate and habitat. Some of the antelope this winter traversed 250 miles of Montana before they found adequate range south of the reservoir, near the town of Jordan and along Highway 200. When Johnson went there in February, he noticed something strange: the antelope's legs were dark gray rather than the usual white. He found they were scabby and bloodstained with the hair worn off from traveling through brush and crusty snow. Making this difficult journey south of the worst snow paid off at first. The antelope fared well for the rest of the winter and were in good health when spring started to soften Montana, while those that stayed north of the Missouri River died by the thousands from freezing, starvation and collisions with trains when they went up on the tracks to escape deep snow. However, for those that did migrate, their main trial was still ahead, and like the trains, it was something for which evolution did not prepare them." - Jenny

"This is not the first time antelope have faced extreme weather. The last record floods on the Milk River happened just 50 years ago, a mere blink in antelope evolutionary history. But recent landscape changes such as dams, fences and subdivisions threaten migration as a survival strategy for the pronghorn. Add to that, the record 391 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and dire predictions for more extreme weather to come. In an angry Washington Post op-ed responding to flooding throughout the Missouri River watershed plus recent wildfires and tornadoes, climate change activist Bill McKibben wrote, "you might find your thoughts wandering to, oh, global warming, and to the fact that climatologists have been predicting for years that as we flood the atmosphere with carbon we will also start both drying and flooding the planet, since warm air holds more water vapor than cold air." (I recommend listening to a reading of the letter here.) It's this dual threat of human-built obstacles like reservoirs and fences blocking migration on the ground and a shifting climate pushing wildlife to cover more distance in their search for suitable habitat that puts migrating pronghorn in danger. They survived the die-off of prehistoric species and a brush with extinction from overhunting a century ago. Now the landscape these animals evolved with for millions of years is deteriorating. If we can't protect the climate and habitat enough to enable this long-term survivor to continue its ancient journeys, I have to wonder if we're doing enough to protect the land for our own fledgling species." - Jenny

If *you're* unfeminine, I shall pray nightly to Aphrodite that I can become your kind of unfeminine. - Spidra Webster

Thank you, JA. :) - Jenny

Cat abuse hotline killed me as I stare down at the nice slit across the wrist fat kitty left me yesterday. :) - Steve C, Team Marina

"Often in the reporting about science, the adventure, the risk and the physical difficulty of the research gets shunted aside and ignored. Science tends to be seen as the work of people who don't willingly expose themselves to physical hardship and danger. Exceptions to this perception, including astronauts and heroic researchers such as Jonas Salk (who famously took an early dose of the polio vaccine, along with his wife and children, to hopefully demonstrate its safety), are few and far between. This came to mind with reporting about a recent and surprising discovery: that complex life forms, in this case nematodes or "worms from hell," live a mile and more below the surface of the Earth." - Jenny

That sounds secksi, Glen! :P - Jenny

"Lording over the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem at 13,770 feet (4,197 meters), the elegant Grand Teton demands to be summited. Lucky there are countless routes up the iconic peak for climbers of all abilities. In fact, it’s the ideal technical peak for everyone from alpinists looking for new challenges to average folks who just want to be guided to the top. The most popular route, the Exum Ridge, is an absolute beauty, consisting of incredibly exposed 5.4 climbing that is easy enough for someone with very little experience or a first alpine climb, yet it’s so beautiful that it keeps even hardened rock dogs coming back for more. Those who want more of a challenge can climb the entire Direct Exum Ridge, which begins lower down and requires more difficult 5.7 climbing. For even more seasoned climbers, the North Ridge is a dream trip, encompassing 5.8 climbing on another exposed route. But no matter your experience level or how many times you have stood on top, the view is one of the best in the West, surveying three states, with the other peaks of the Tetons at your feet, and stretching north across the massive caldera of Yellowstone National Park." - Jenny

Finally- something I *have* done! :D - Jenny

This is not helping your cause. Seriously. Also, BWAHAHAHAHA! - Jenny

That's a good one :) - Eivind

Over there on the left. - CAJ was here

You did. :D - Jenny

\(^_^)/ - Eivind

O Hai, gtalk status! - Jenny

Yucko - Brent - Yes I am

Steve, I am jealous. I miss the north. - Jenny

I have to wake up early tomorrow for bird nest searches. *yawn* - Jenny

That doesn't sound fun at all. :( - Jenny

Sounds idyllic. - Anne Bouey

It was. :) - Jenny

<3 That's the only redeeming quality of these films...their soundtracks. I removed all trace of their connection to Twilight in the ID tags, so they come up as just the artists on any music player. Makes me feel better. :D - Hookuh Tinypants

They're trying to be all Harry Potter about it which just makes it sad. The difference being that there's more than enough meat in Deathly Hallows to justify two films. Breaking Dawn could be played out in 90 minutes, easily. Nobody needs to see Edward chew STUPID BABY NAME from the womb. Nobody. - Hookuh Tinypants

:-) - John (bird whisperer)

:) - Jenny

Then write it down and make a million dollars. - Confessions Account

*taps his foot waiting* - imabonehead

Wow, what a thrilling movie! ;) - CAJ was here

Thank you, Starmama. It took some doing to prevent the North Las Vegas airport from being in the shot. ;) - Jenny

"I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but we have a serious water crisis on our hands. Over one billion people worldwide lack access to clean water, that is approximately one in six people on earth. In fact--sadly--in the time it will take you to finish reading this paragraph, a child will die from a water-borne disease." - Jenny

:( - Son of Groucho

"Traumatic insemination, also known as hypodermic insemination, is the mating practice in some species of invertebrates in which the male pierces the female's abdomen with his penis and injects his sperm through the wound into her abdominal cavity (hemocoel).[1] The sperm diffuse through the female's hemolymph, reaching the ovaries and resulting in fertilization. The process is detrimental to the female's health. It creates an open wound which impairs the female until it heals, and is susceptible to infection. The injection of sperm and ejaculatory fluids into the hemocoel can also trigger an immune reaction in the female. Bed bugs, which reproduce solely by traumatic insemination, have evolved a pair of sperm-receptacles, known as the spermalege. The spermalege reduce the damage to the female bed bug during traumatic insemination." - Jenny

Who am I to judge... - Eivind

<3 - Tamara J. B.

#fuckyeah - Eivind

<3 - Sepi ⌘ سپی

Neu-Schwabenland!? That's in Queen Maud Land! Back off, Germany! :-P - Eivind

:) - Eivind

I like how this thread has developed since the last time I saw it. Also, two ladybugs means lesbian sex, right? (he said with hope in his voice) - Eivind

"Uxbal, single father of two children, finds his life in chaos as he is forced to deal with his life in order to escape the heat of crime in underground Barcelona" - Jenny

Wow. That was intense and emotionally draining and, well, beautiful. - Jenny

Haro, the beginning was a little weird, but it makes sense at the end. I hope you do go back and watch it. It was really good. - Jenny

This is on my to see list, too. - Anne Bouey