Discovery Science 🧬

Bathyphysa knobby: The pasta monster in reality. An extremely alien form of life to us Did you also dream of having several clones as a child? So that he could do your homework for you, help your mother around the house, and you would sit and watch cartoons? What childhood is there, I think adults won’t refuse this! Dreams, dreams! But for the pasta monster, this situation is quite an ordinary reality. Let's meet, this is the cone-shaped bathyphys. The Internet dubbed her the “pasta monster.” It’s not difficult to understand why – just look at the photo. A mess of tentacles and strange growths is crumpled into a piece of biomass. At first glance, it’s difficult to understand: what is it even? Yes, and from the second too. And if you look at it, it generally seems as if this comrade is an alien from another planet. Bathyphysa knobby is a representative of the siphonophore order. These are distant relatives of jellyfish. But unlike them, and from almost all other modern animals in general, Bathyphys prefers the pronoun we/us. Because this is one of the most unusual underwater creatures - a single organism, but created from several separate clones, or zooids. A sort of dorm colony. Clones cannot live separately, outside the colony, but the colony itself is quite capable of creating a bunch more clones to replace others. It sounds complicated, but we'll figure it out now. The gods are not dead. They moved closer to Cthulhu. Like all living things, bathyphysis begins its journey with a single fertilized cell, a zygote. After a week or two, the zygote develops into a larva freely floating in the water column. For some time she drifts with the flow and gains strength, after which biological magic begins. The larva creates an exact copy of itself, and then a second, third, fourth... Yes, some coelenterates, for example, hydras, which are studied at school, also know how to reproduce by creating their own clones. But in the case of bathyphys, everything is different. Hydra clones bud and fall off, beginning their own independent lives. And for the pasta monster, all the zooid clones remain living together. Moreover, immediately after birth, each clone receives its own “profession”. At the very top of the colony there is a zooid pneumatophore. It is a gas-filled bubble in the form of a lump. All. Although the pneumatophore is a “separate organism” in its essence, it still cannot exist independently. The pneumatophore has no other organs; it is simply a highly specialized clone that has the easiest job. He must maintain the balance of the entire colony and ensure that it does not turn upside down. Nutrients are provided by other zooids. Several nectophores are located just below. They look like thick noodles and are responsible for the movement of the entire colony. Nectophores contract according to the principle of an umbrella - they open and close, capturing and throwing out water, which ensures movement. Of course, you can’t acceler

Why do ducklings walk in single file and chickens in a crowd? It would seem like an ordinary childish question from an ordinary observant child. But, like questions like “why is the sky blue?” and “why does the sun shine?”, it is more complicated than it seems at first glance. Both ducks and chickens are breeding birds. They are characterized by a long embryonic development, during which the mother needs to hang around on the eggs for weeks, risking her life and surviving on fat reserves. But it pays off: their chicks hatch sighted, covered in down, and able to walk immediately after birth. They are also born very hungry. Fortunately for brood birds, their offspring can feed on their own and the birds do not need to fly back and forth 10 times a day with a beak full of food. For a mother hen, for example, it’s enough to simply gather a flock of kids around her and go peck at the grain. By watching mom, the baby will quickly understand what can be eaten and what cannot. That's why the chicks crowd around their mother, watching her and repeating her movements. For ducks, the situation is more complicated, because they are waterfowl that feed on aquatic vegetation. The mother needs to deliver the offspring to the reservoir and this must be done as quickly as possible. Only it could be hundreds of meters or even kilometers away. In this case, delivering weak and vulnerable children becomes an extremely non-trivial task with only one correct solution. To get to a lake or pond, ducks line up in a chain. Ahead is a mother who, from the height of her experience, will be able to choose the best path possible. Next, along the chain, is the baby. They don't have to think or try. Just follow the tail of the one who walks ahead - and you will be happy. And the strategy does work, but it cannot protect against everything. Only about half of the ducklings survive to adulthood. After all, moving in single file doesn't keep foxes, ferrets, or disease away. Author: Yaroslav Ilyin 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

ies together. A friendly family can raise from 2 to 7 generations of chicks in a year! Each of them contains 4-6 eggs. Parents build a nest together, incubate the eggs together, and feed the chicks together. The efforts pay off in spades - within a month the babies will be on their wings. This is how a tiny bird conquered the whole world. And you didn’t even notice! - - - - - We have a huge group, which is 11 years old and there are many zoologists who write tons of text every day from the field in which they are specialists. Due to VK’s failed policy towards authors, all this, unfortunately, rests only on rare advertising and your support. You can support the stability of our nervous system with a minimum subscription of 100 rubles per month. You can request support directly through the button in this post. Thank you! 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

ow, wall, roof or even the ground. So the sparrow became a faithful companion of humanity. Yes, the city is noisy and dirty. There are no greenery and water meadows, which many birds need. But there are almost no predators here, and there is plenty of food and shelter! Secondly, collective intelligence. If each individual bird is a detail, then a flock is a well-oiled mechanism of hundreds of individuals. As soon as one gives the alarm, everyone takes to the wing. As soon as one finds a crumb of bread, a flock immediately flocks together. The team of sparrows works so clearly and harmoniously that computer scientists and mathematicians became interested in its principles. Based on the mass intelligence of tiny birds, algorithms for optimizing actions in applications are being developed. Thirdly - the mind. We are used to extolling the intelligence of corvids and parrots, but if you take a closer look at ordinary sparrows, they will amaze you no less with their ingenuity. This is exactly what journalist Bob Brockie from New Zealand did. He noticed sparrows stealing sugar packets. The bird independently guessed that the small bags were not just garbage, but food. Bob invited readers to send interesting observations of sparrows by email. And a year later he published a note about the genius of these birds. For example, sparrows can open automatic glass doors in supermarkets. The sensor will not work if a tiny bird approaches the door. To get into the building, you had to wait for a person to leave or enter. But resourceful birds figured out how to outwit the shaitan machine. For the sensor to notice them, they fly close to it. If it doesn’t work, they fiddle with it. This is how sparrows get into shopping centers, stores and other premises whenever they want! Another trick that sparrows have learned is interacting with machines. The birds realized that the cars on the way were hitting a swarm of insects. Moreover, they learned to distinguish which cars were local and which came from far away. The sparrows have a special interest in the latter: there are much more insects on the highway than in the city. Sparrows have learned to collect insects even from passing vehicles! How? It's simple. Waiting for the right traffic light signal. When the red light is on, the birds fly up to the radiator and peck everything out of the heat. When the green light turns on, quickly gothey're fucking. Sparrows use their ingenuity not only in searching for food, but also in arranging a nest. They became one of the first birds in whose nests scientists discovered cigarette gobies. Why do birds litter their own apartment? Paradoxically - for cleanliness! Smoke and resins are ideal insecticides. This is how sparrows get rid of lice-eating parasites that bother both chicks and adults. By the way, about family. Here is the fourth reason for the world dominance of sparrows. These birds are monogamous. The female and male experience all the hardships and difficult

Sparrow: Survival at the Bottom of the Food Chain After this article, you will understand that amazing things can always be found nearby. The house sparrow is a bird that no one even pays attention to. She lingers at the very end of the food chain. Her existence is an eternal game of survival. But behind the homely modesty lies a brilliant animal that has conquered the whole world. We will not describe the sparrow. Go outside, breathe some fresh air, and look at the birds for yourself! But here’s a life hack: how to distinguish a girl sparrow from a boy sparrow. They can be distinguished even from afar: males have a black “tie” on their neck and chest. Young birds and females have modest and monochromatic plumage - beige-brown. Congratulations, now you know how to brighten up an awkward pause during a first date in the park. But we will dwell on the physical characteristics in more detail. Because sparrows are goners in the world of birds. Everything is clear about the size - the bird’s weight is like a piece of sausage - 30 grams. But the sparrow’s breathing is poor! Birds can fly without a break for a maximum of 15-20 minutes. Every long flight is like a tough cardio workout for bobcats: the birds' heart rate jumps from 500 beats per minute at rest to 1000 in flight! The small, weak bird is absolutely defenseless against predators. Sparrows are hunted by everyone: from standard cats and hawks to squirrels and tits, which no one considers to be meat eaters at all! Those who do not eat sparrows compete with them for food. An impudent fat pigeon will easily drive away a whole flock of jumpers from the crumbs they find. As you understand, being born a sparrow means choosing the maximum difficulty in the survival game. But everything becomes even scarier if you look at the statistics. The annual mortality rate for adults is 45-65%. Of the 20 years allotted by nature, on average, unfortunate birds live no more than 6! And if you are a yellow-throated youngster, the chance of finding a soul mate and setting up your own family nest is minimal - only 20-25% of hatched chicks survive to breed. But do you know what the paradox is? Being at the very bottom of the food pyramid, the sparrow managed to conquer most of the planet and became the third most populous bird on earth. Sparrows live and nest in 152 countries. So that you understand the scale: there are only 195 countries in the world. The size of the population is unimaginable: according to rough estimates, it ranges from 800 million to 1.3 billion individuals. In terms of numbers, house sparrows are second only to the domestic chicken - 24 billion; and red-billed weavers - 1.5 billion. But how?! How, with all the above introductions, did this baby manage to achieve global success?! Firstly, absolute unpretentiousness. They'll peck at the grain, catch insects, and steal French fries from the table. They also do not require special places for nesting: any hole will do: in a holl

s and mice. The size allows you to take larger prey. Moreover, sometimes another hunter spider becomes prey. Ritual cannibalism is practiced by females, and it usually happens after mating. The expectant mother needs a lot of nutrients and as little worry as possible. Otherwise, you’ll have to wonder and worry whether he’ll call you back after the date or not. Then the spider lays about 200 eggs in a cocoon made of cobwebs, diligently maintaining the demography of the species. Other representatives of the hunter family jealously guard the cocoon almost until the young animals hatch. Chances are giant mommas do the same thing. After birth, the young can sit next to the female for some time, and then scatter in all directions: no family comfort, every man for himself. The childhood of huntsman spiders is short, harsh and without sentiment. Which, in general, perfectly explains why they grow so large and so little known. Judging by the individuals found, counted and studied, huntsman spiders are vulnerable to environmental conditions and could easily become an endangered species. All it takes is one awkward human move—one ruined cave—and the monsters will lose their home forever. The ecosystem of caves is very fragile, and hefty 30-centimeter spiders will not be able to simply rebuild their way of life. So let’s hope that the cave is not the only refuge of the arthropod giant, and that other giants of the spider tribe are hiding from the eyes of scientists, somewhere under the lush vegetation of the jungle. Author: Arina Taran Editor: Elizaveta Isaeva 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot

Giant Hunter: The largest spider in the world. A monster the size of a pizza from the caves of Asia What's worse than a huge hairy spider the size of a large plate? A huge hairy spider about which science knows almost nothing! Meet the giant huntsman spider, winner of the battle of sizes, who lives in caves on the edge of Asia. But this is not certain. We're not sure where we'll meet him next, so... The giant huntsman spider, or heteropoda maxima, is one of those creatures that you want to get to know only through articles and pictures on the Internet. Because the title of the largest spider in the world was given to him for a reason: the leg span of an adult female reaches 30 centimeters. 30, Karl! It will be larger than your palm, larger than the plate you eat from, and even larger than the famous goliath tarantula. This is an absolute record. For comparison, these spiders of yours, which run along the walls and scare you with just their appearance, grow up to 5-7 centimeters from leg to leg, maximum. So, the huntsman spider is 6 times larger! That's right, the patter of little feet! The fateful meeting of scientists and hunting spiders occurred, by scientific standards, quite recently - in 2001. For a monster of this size, it is very strange to hide from human sight for so long. The same goliaths, for example, were discovered in shaggy 1804. But if you study in more detail the lifestyle of the giants, then everything falls into place. It's not that people didn't search well. They were just looking in the wrong place. Today, the officially confirmed habitat of hunters is Laos, or more precisely, several local caves in the province of Khamunan. Spiders were recognized as endemic to the country, but given the rather scarce data on this species, it is quite possible that the monsters live somewhere else. This is subtly hinted at by the appearance of the hunters. If you look closely, in addition to the huge legs and hairy carcass, you can see several pairs of eyes. What a surprise, almost all spiders have eyes! But wait, giants live in caves. And in local species, as a rule, evolution takes back the organs of vision over time as unnecessary. That is, spiders do not live underground, but at the very entrance, where sunlight still reaches. So why don't they go outside?.. It is not easy to judge the presence of representatives of this species in the area, even despite their colossal size. This is because hunters do not weave webs - the main identifying marker of the presence of an eight-legged monster. They actively hunt: they wander along the walls of caves, wait, sit in ambush and attack. Fast and deadly. Monsters infect their victims with poison, after which they pump digestive enzymes into the mortal carcass. They say that the venom of this spider is not dangerous for people. Of course, we won’t check, and we don’t advise you to either. The menu of the largest spiders includes both insects and small vertebrates, such as frog

Argonaut: An octopus with a shell that protects nothing Clams with shells are nothing new at all. Our gardens are devoured by snails, paleontologists rejoice at the ammonites they find, and bivalves are firmly established in rivers and fancy restaurants. But an octopus with a shell is something unusual. Moreover, the Argonaut uses it... incorrectly? Look. All normal, adequate mollusks grow shells on themselves using glands located on the mantle - a special fold that covers the back of the body. But in octopuses, the mantle was seriously degraded and lost such glands hundreds of millions of years ago. Therefore, the Argonauts had to reinvent the wheel, and they did not do it in the best way. In the Argonauts, glands for creating shells were formed on a pair of tentacles, which turned out to be terribly inconvenient. First of all, because you literally have to sculpt the sink with your own hands. Secondly, because it is not attached to the body in any way, and it must be constantly held with tentacles. Well, the most unpleasant thing is that the shell turned out to be no thicker than a piece of paper, and this is very small even by the standards of octopuses the length of a palm. But with such introductory information, it’s not clear at all, why does the octopus even need it? It is unsuitable for protection, it limits mobility and doesn’t even help with camouflage! And it is needed for reproduction. The fact is that shells are created only by female Argonauts and only immediately before the mating season. When the shell is finished, the female will lay eggs in it and wait for the male. The male, in turn, when meeting the female, will send her a love message - his own tentacle with reproductive products. This way, they won’t even need to touch each other—just the thing for socially phobic octopuses! As soon as the clutch is fertilized, the female will catch an air bubble in her shell, seal it and leave the offspring forever. Although the sink will not provide protection for the baby, it will turn into a stylish float that looks like abandoned garbage. It does not attract the attention of predators swimming in the water column and is inaccessible to bottom inhabitants! Author: Yaroslav Ilyin 🏀 Hit the hoop and get an NFT gift — https://t.me/BasketbolX_bot