Our Blog
Note to readers: ‘Biological Expositions’ is a series of blog-posts each of which is equivalent in content to a book chapter. If a bio-bullet is likened to a starter, our routine blog-post could be seen as a light lunch and a biological exposition as a three course meal. We look forward to your comments on this series.
Dingo: Indochinese jackal as much as Australian wolf
photo © Goran tek-en photo © Ashleyflashley The dingo occurs commensally with the human species in Indochina. Its geographical distribution seems to fit...
Tibetan wild ass is designed to be conspicuous to predators
A counterargument to countershading Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Tibetan wild ass is counter-shaded to blend into the environment. The white ventral surfaces tend to cancel...
Zebra striping frustrates victim-selection by hyena rather than bulls-eye pouncing by lion
A counterargument to countershading Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Prof. Mumblebard: “Zebra striping dazzles the pouncing lion. The pattern bewilders its assessment of range and...
Colouration of dogs suggests jackal-like, not wolf, ancestry
Santiago Atienza A counterargument to countershading www.kelpiegallery.com Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Although various wild members of the dog family could theoretically have been...
Warning colouration in the giant panda
The giant panda is the blackest and whitest of bears, because it is the bear under greatest risk of futile attack by the tiger. Prof. Mumblebard claims: "The black-and-white...
A continent mysteriously lacking tortoises
Testudines failed to colonise dry land on the world’s largest island because of its combination of salt and fire. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Australia is the only vegetated...
What does a pied lizard advertise?
Three extra hints of venom in monitors. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Beaded lizards are the only unquestionably venomous lizards on Earth. One species, the gila monster, has...
The subtlety of simian sightlines
Sideways glances by macho orangutans seem almost human. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Humans communicate with unique complexity, not only verbally but also by showing the...
The competitive edge of the amphibian way
Four wet legs need not damp evolution. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “In the evolution of vertebrates from fishes to mammals, amphibians represent the primitive stage...
Frogs father further than mammals
An oxymoronic devotion to larvae. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Direct care of eggs and larvae has evolved repeatedly in many families of amphibians, with frogs using particularly...
Amphibians are easy anteaters
The meanest frog can play myrmecophage. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Any species of mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian that eats mainly ants and termites deserves to be called...
A grazing bird under the marsupial radar
Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Mitchell grassland, the most extensive treeless grassland in Australia, is surprisingly poor in indigenous grazers. It is safe to assume that grazing...
Arboreal reflections of amphibian eyes
The bulging eyes of water and tree frogs differ more than they look. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Semi-aquatic frogs have dorsally protuberant eyes placed above the level of...
The giant panda as a sinister signboard
A black and white warning of dangerous teeth. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “The black-and-white pattern of the giant panda was first interpreted as warning colouration half a...
The dagger looks of golden toads
Black eyes can be poisonous exclamations in orange frogs. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Most species of frogs have prominent eyes. Despite this, frogs avoid using their eyes for...
Frogs’ tails hiding in plain sight
De-tailed amphibians conceal a hiptail of unknown potential. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Frogs are consistently tailless despite varying greatly in other respects and having...
Frogs are more dexterous than lizards
Primitive amphibians can be surprisingly handy. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Frogs remain at a lower evolutionary level than lizards. Although certain frogs possess an...
Happy festering in the lives of tadpoles
Frogs grow on soup, not vegetables. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “The free-swimming larvae of most frogs worldwide are herbivorous. Whereas the adults eat animals, the larvae of...
Why no southern salamanders?
Urodeles have a continental form. Prof. Mumblebard claims: "Salamanders have varied habitats but are restricted to the Northern Hemisphere except for one genus which...
The riddle of the failed frogs of Gondwana
Zealandic amphibians are a damp squib. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “New Zealand, like Tasmania and Patagonia at similar latitudes, is a former piece of Gondwana. However, it...
A thumbs-up on amphibians
Digital opposability in perching frogs. Prof. Mumblebard claims: “Living amphibians consistently retain only four fingers on the forelimb. The missing digit is either number...