[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Do birds have teeth? Ask any biologist and the answer will be “absolutely not!”, but “absolute” is a relative term and when one stretches the definitions of what makes a bird or a tooth, birds with teeth aren’t absolutely impossible anymore.
Greylag Goose Grazes Grasses
(images via: Digital Nature Photography and Mike Milo’s Journal)
The Greylag Goose is very common in Europe and western Asia though most people haven’t seen one up close. If they did, they might back away, and quickly. This is no “silly goose”, at least not if those rows of teeth along its upper and lower jaws mean anything. It’s close relative, the Canada Goose, shares the Greylag’s disconcertingly un-birdlike choppers. If you thought a goose’s bark was worse than its bite, maybe it’s time to reconsider.
(images via: Darrell Gallant and Mark David)
Tooth-like serrations called Tomia run along the outside edges of the Greylag’s beak, top and bottom, and help it neatly clip the shoots and grasses that make up the major portion of its meals.
Domestic Goose’s Devilish Grin
(images via: The Nature of Framingham and GooseGoddessS)
Domestic Geese may be white but they’ve sure got a bite; being closely related to the Greylag Goose they share their progenitor’s toothless – but tooth-like – dentition. Just imagine the glint off these pearly… yellows?… when a gaggle of domestic geese swagger into the barnyard. You talkin’ to me??
(image via: Indiana Public Media)
Making like a snake isn’t going to improve the above goose’s popularity much… guess he’ll have to just grin and bear it. Looks like he’s doing exactly that.
Not Your Average Baby Teeth
(images via: Conservation Report and Kintired)
Awww, cute cuddly baby birds! Hear them go “cheep cheep cheep”. Gently touch their warm, soft, downy feathers. Watch them open their tiny mouths wide and… Oh. My. Gawd!! No need to adjust your screen, there’s nothing wrong with this picture… well, not visually but certainly viscerally. Many species of birds have, to a greater or lesser degree, spiky tooth-like rearward-facing spines in their mouths that ensure what goes in won’t get out. Take another look at the above images – I ensure they’ll be in your dreams tonight.
Penguins Use Tongue Fu
(images via: Allan Hansen and ChrisRay64)
Penguins are chock full of amazing evolutionary adaptations that enable them to perform as efficient fish-catching, meal-processing machines that turn speed-eating into a lifestyle. You’d think that snatching fish in mid-swim would be a challenge without a mouthful of teeth to do the snatching with, but penguins have a trick up their natty sleeves… or in their mouths, to be exact.
(images via: PenguinScience and New Zealand Penguins)
The Adelie penguin above is showing off its spine-covered tongue (left) and similarly bristly upper palate (right). The spines function much as teeth would, holding captured fish securely as the penguin prepares to swallow it. The spines are raked backwards just in case any red herrings decide they want to make a break for it. Oh, and if you’re wondering how penguins kiss, the answer is… very carefully.
Toucan Chew
(image via: Liography)
“It’s hard to soar with eagles when you’re surrounded by turkeys…” Or Toucans, for that matter. It’s hard to take toucans seriously – between their ridiculously enlarged beaks and an unfortunate association with Froot Loops breakfast cereal its a wonder they haven’t been laughed out of the rainforest by now. Then there’s this guy, who stands his ground with a hint of a grin… a sinister smile that appears to reveal a brace of bodacious bird bicuspids! We’re unsure whether flashing faux dentition works to intimidate predators but one thing’s for certain: when Toucan Sam channels Yosemite Sam, any fur-bearin’ varmints in the area had best take notice!
Take A Seat, Tooth-billed Catbird
(image via: Oiseaux.net)
The Tooth-billed Catbird is a type of Bowerbird found in the forests of Queensland in northeastern Australia. There are several different species of catbirds but only the Tooth-billed Catbird has a tooth-like bill… and a seriously badass name to go with it.
(images via: Brooklyn Arts Council, Amazon.com and BB the Renegade)
The tooth-like appearance of the Tooth-billed Catbird’s bill really puts it in the catbird seat… wait a minute, what the heck is a “catbird seat”?? Derived from a folk expression originating in the American South, to be in the catbird seat means being in an enviable or advantageous position. Depending upon who you want to believe, the expression was popularized either by humorist James Thurber in his 1942 short story “The Catbird Seat”, or by the legendary late baseball broadcaster Red Barber who often used it when describing situations in which the batter had run the count to 3 balls and no strikes. The more you know!
Breakout The Egg Teeth
(images via: Backyard Chickens, Della Micah and Honolulu Zoo)
When the going gets tough, the tough get… an egg tooth? Yes indeed, birds have evolved egg teeth (an Egg Tooth, actually) on the end of the beak to assist about-to-be-born baby birds in breaking through their eggshells from the inside. Once they’re out, however, the egg tooth either quickly falls off or is reabsorbed. Though known as an egg “tooth”, the actual structure is more like that of a horn or a bone spur.
(images via: Gravityx9 and Ugly Overload)
All birds (except Kiwis) are born with egg teeth and the protuberance is also common to other egg-laying animals including snakes, crocodiles, turtles, certain types of frogs and -wait for it – spiders!
Prehistoric Toothed Birds
(images via: Life In The Fast Lane, Dalje and EMC/Maricopa)
Birds had teeth through much of their history, from the very ancient Archaeopteryx up to the relatively recent Pelagornithidae. These pseudotooth birds, looked a lot like modern seabirds with two major differences: most species were much larger and all had jagged, bony protrusions of their upper and lower jawbones that gave them a decidedly sinister appearance. It’s thought that these tooth-like projections helped the birds grasp slippery fish and squid, but that begs the question: if today’s seabirds also eat these foods, why lose these useful pseudoteeth?
(images via: IO9 and Coolislandsong24)
The last toothed birds died out early in the Pleistocene Epoch around 2.5 million years ago, possibly their specialized lifestyles rendered them vulnerable to severe environmental changes resulting from changing ocean currents and the advent of recurring ice ages. Their huge size may have also contributed to their demise, as some of these toothed birds really pushed the envelope when it came to practical limitations of the size vs flight equation. The extinct toothed bird Pelagornis Chilensis above, for example, had an estimated wingspan of 5.2 meters (17 feet) while the wingspans of other toothed seabirds approached 9 meters (30 feet)!
Fighting, Biting Warbirds
(images via: Spitcrazy, Tomahawks.us and Amazon.com)
Though the term “warbird” can denote most any retired military aircraft, what comes to mind to most folks are the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters flown with great distinction by the Flying Tigers in World War II. Now these birds had teeth… and were more than happy to use them.
(images via: Wikipedia and WW2Total)
As iconic as the sharkmouth P-40 may be, the actual history of the motif isn’t what most would expect. The first fighter pilots to paint their P-40s in this fashion were not Americans, but British – from RAF 112 Squadron, flying Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks against Rommel’s Afrika Corps out of Egyptian bases in the summer of 1941. That isn’t the end of the story, either. The pilots from 112 Squadron got their inspiration from seeing Messerschmitt Bf-110 fighter-bombers from the Luftwaffe’s Zerstorergeschwader 76 “Haifisch” (shark) Group, formed in the spring of 1940.
Cartoon Birds & Mouthy Mascots
(image via: Sodahead)
Daffy Duck, Woody Woodpecker, Heckle & Jeckle and more… these classic cartoon character birds were embodied by their creators with a wide variety of exaggerated expressions including some very expressive, toothy grins.
(images via: Upcoming Discs, Dinosaur.org, Railbirds and JohnKStuff)
No one (until now, at least) really questioned why these animated avians had teeth, let alone now you see ‘em, now you don’t choppers – and there’s a very good reason: pointing it out to someone like Duckman might just get you a “What the HELL you starin’ at?!!” in return.
(images via: Seahawks Central, Tom McMahon and HD Wallpapers)
From pro sports to beer leagues to school teams, birds have always been popular mascots but the recent trend is to make them look as fierce as possible. Even historic mascots and logos have gotten buff: check out the helmet logos of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, for example.
(images via: Chris Creamer, Fiveprime, Sportslogos.net and Sportslogos.net)
Sometimes though, a frown just ain’t enough; baring teeth bestows a much greater degree of ferocity on even the most timid of songbirds. The logos above all feature toothy birds who add some bite to their beaks… just beak cause, that’s why.
(image via: Morriscourse)
Can’t handle the tooth? Saying fangs with faint praise? Think canines belong on canines and ONLY canines? Fair enough, but just remember: birds with teeth really aren’t impossible, just implausible. Or, just maybe… inci-dental.
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Solar Powered Towers: 13 Super Sunny Skyscrapers
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Technology & Gadgets. ]
Nearly all sustainable architecture concepts include solar energy in some way, but not all of them do it in a big, bold way, bringing solar power to towering new heights. These 13 soaring solar powered skyscrapers incorporate solar cells in new and unexpected ways, from photovoltaic facades for existing buildings to flexible solar membranes that act as a building’s living ‘skin’.
Chicago Solar Tower
(images via: evolo)
Chicago is home to more than one unfinished mega-skyscraper, stalled by the state of the economy. But we can still hope that this Chicago Solar Tower by Zoka Zola Architects will someday become reality, bringing a highly visible example of sustainable urban design to the Windy City. The Solar Tower features a facade of round solar collectors on tracking arms that follow the sun throughout the day, increasing solar production 40% over fixed-arm arrays, and even the wind pressure on the frame of the solar array could be converted into clean energy.
The Lighthouse, Dubai
(images via: atkins-me.com)
Sure, the Lighthouse in Dubai doesn’t entirely rely on solar power to keep it going (theoretically, that is – it’s just a concept.) The design includes three gigantic 225-kilowatt wind turbines, which will produce a whole lot of energy. But it’s also covered in 4,000 photovoltaic panels on the south-facing facade that will absorb the plentiful sunlight available in this desert landscape.
EDITT Tower, Singapore
(images via: tr hamzah & yeang)
Economy permitting, Singapore may soon get a new 26-story vertical farm that packs as many solar panels as possible into 855 square meters to produce at least 40% of the building’s electricity. The EDITT (Ecological Design in the Tropics) Tower will be constructed from both recycled and recyclable materials and half of its exterior will be planted with organic local vegetation. Rainwater harvesting, graywater systems and a possible human-sewage-to-biogas project round out the impressive list of eco-friendly features.
Stackable Solar Skyscraper, Mexico City
(images via: design top news)
Nearly every level of the massive, airy Vertical Park design for Mexico City by Jorge Hernandez de la Garza contains solar panels to harvest all the sun it needs to provide power for homes, offices and recreation space. The stackable design allows expansion and even relocation as necessary, adding more sky gardens and urban farms.
Solar Membrane-Covered Tower Concept
(images via: evolo)
Looking like something that sprung from the soil rather than a man-made structure, this solar-powered tower by Kenneth Loh and Michelle Lim has quite an unusual exterior surface: not only is nearly half of it open and exposed in the form of gardens and green spaces, but it’s also covered in a membrane of solar cells. The core of the building is a hollow cylinder that moves hot air from the surface, controlling the temperature of all the green space, commercial space and residential units that surround it.
Structural Geodesics Skyscraper, Armenia
(images via: evolo)
With its unusual combination of fluid shapes, the ‘Evolving Skyscraper’ by Vahan Misakyan almost looks alien; it’s certainly unlike anything we already have constructed here on Earth. Three organically wavy and curved towers topped with spikes are connected with habitable bridges. The building, designed for varied uses like housing, offices and a hotel, is covered in an “intelligent skin” that not only absorbs solar energy to power the building but also collects water and controls just how much light to let in.
10MW Tower
(images via: studied impact)
Could the 10MW Tower be the most ambitious solar-energy skyscraper that actually has a decent chance of becoming reality? The design by UAE-based Studied Impact is tame compared to the outrageous and hyper-futuristic architecture often proposed for Dubai, but with its 5-megawatt wind turbine and 3-megawatt concentrating solar power system, the 50-story building could put out 10 times more energy than it actually needs.
Solar City Tower, Rio de Janeiro
(images via: rafaa)
From afar, it almost looks like a ghostly vision – a waterfall hanging in midair, with its source nowhere in sight. The Solar City Tower, proposed for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, is a powerful optical illusion that is more than just aesthetically pleasing; it’s an energy generator, collecting solar energy during the day and using pumped water to generate power at night. The tower also serves as an urban plaza and amphitheater for special occasions.
Dubai Vertical Village
(images via: evolo)
In the deserts of Dubai, how do you take advantage of the sun for energy production but prevent the building’s interior from getting too hot? One solution is to design the structure so that it shades itself. Vertical Village by Graft features an angled base covered in solar panels along with diagonal slab-shaped towers that reduce low-angle sun penetration. The towers hold residential units and inside the base are cinemas, restaurants and shops.
Solar Supertrees in Singapore
(images via: inhabitat)
They may not be skyscrapers in the traditional sense – more like a combination of energy generators, vertical gardens and artificial trees. They’re the star feature of ‘Bay South’, a botanical preserve in Singapore that will someday become the nation’s largest garden project. Reaching 30-55 meters into the air, the structures collect both solar energy and rainwater and act as giant trellises, illuminated by night.
Landau’s Abu Dhabi Tower
(image via: la times)
It would have been the world’s largest tower, a solar-powered 224-story wonder that would eclipse even the insanely tall, 126-story Burj Dubai. Designer Tommy Landau had hoped that his potentially record-setting structure would be approved by Abu Dhabi, and that by the time it’s ready to be constructed, the technology will be in place to coat the tower in solar cells so that it can be powered entirely by the sun. Unfortunately, Abu Dhabi turned the proposal down – now Landau is courting Saudi Arabia.
Almeisan Tower, Dubai
(image via: inhabitat)
No waste, no emissions, no need for outside power: this organic-looking spire design by architect Robert Ferry uses 224 heliostats placed around the top of the tower to focus sunlight onto a central receiver. Inside the structure is a cafe and observation deck, naturally powered by the tower itself. The excess energy produced by the Almeisan Tower would power the surrounding Za’abeel Park in Dubai.
Solar-Powered Vertical Farm on the London Bridge
(images via: chetwood architects)
Over the centuries, there have been many incarnations of the infamous London Bridge, some inhabited and some not. Architect Laurie Chetwood aims to bring life back to the bridge with a new design that would prominently feature two tall solar-powered spires – vertical gardens that also pull in enough solar energy to meet the bridge’s power needs. Food grown in the spires would be grown in a market on the bridge itself, which could also accommodate cafes, restaurants and even residences.
CIS Solar Tower, Manchester
(images via: design-build solar)
Few of the fantastic designs that have been proposed for solar-powered towers around the world have made it past the conceptual stage, but the Co-operative Insurance Tower in Manchester, England is actually complete, making it the largest vertical solar array in Europe. Perhaps that’s because the building was already there – this is just a facelift. The 40-year-old skyscraper got a sustainable facade made of over 7,000 solar panels.
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Following publication of the report, the natural/organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market switched its organic soymilk source from Dean Foods to Earth Balance. In August, the national retailer told the Denver Post it wanted Earth Balance’s soymilk products to contain only domestically grown soybeans carrying the organic label.
Beth
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From Reservoir Ruins to Stunning Urban Park in Sydney
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Geography & Travel. ]
First, it was a failed urban reservoir, closed after just twenty years due to its weak flow of less-than-sparkling water. Then, the crumbling remains of whitewashed brick, barrel-vaulted ceilings and graceful arches was incongruously used as a commercial garage. But today, those 132-year-old ‘ruins’ in Sydney, Australia have new life as a stunning urban park that captures a captivating combination of ‘ancient’ and modern architecture.
(images via: the city of sydney)
Architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer added a minimal amount of new structures to the old, in a limited palette of materials – steel, aluminum and concrete – to give the original brick, stone and timber center stage. Opened in March 2009, Paddington Reservoir Gardens gives city residents a grassy park above the water chambers as well as a “sunken garden” in the western chamber featuring a water garden in acknowledgement of the site’s aquatic history.
Far from obliterating all signs of the reservoir’s decades of disuse, the design actually preserves some graffiti art on the walls in the eastern chamber. The urban street art, modern additions and the original structure reminiscent of ancient Greece or Rome come together in a fascinating juxtaposition that is not often seen in renovations of historic sites.
While similar structures across the world have simply been demolished and disposed of, TZG and the City of Sydney chose a sustainable strategy that not only reuses old materials imbued with history and a sense of the city’s identity, but gives local residents access to much-needed green space in an inner-city environment. Paddington Reservoir Gardens won the International Architecture Award in July 2010.
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Yellow Lobsters, Winged Cats, Hulking Whippets, and More!
[ By Marc in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
Not every person looks alike, and the same goes for animals. Some of these animals have genetic mutations that are natural, though rare, while some are well correlated to pollution. So, while we’re used to red lobsters and 4 legged frogs, let’s explore some of the infinite variety that grace this earth.
Rare Colored Lobsters
(Images via sodahead, naturalap, bukisa, catchthegalley, goodmorninggloucester, keenobservers)
Lobster shells are typically a blend of primary colors, but the occasional one does crop up with one distinct color (or even two!). Some of these special lobsters can be as rare as 1 in 100 million (albino), or as relatively common as 1 in 2.5 million (blue). It’s unusual enough to find one of these cool looking creatures, that it often makes headlines.
Black Penguin
(Images via rainbowlens, galacticroundtable)
Antarctica’s South Georgia island may hold millions of penguins, but there’s one that truly stands out. This all black penguin is one of only a few that have ever been sighted. While it’s common for some coloration differences to appear between penguins, it’s more likely for white to appear where there is normally black, and not the other way around.
Double Muscled Whippet
(Images via canada, bettermost, ourstory)
This large whippet is named Wendy and she has something called “double muscling”, causing her to have much higher muscle mass than her lithe counterparts. Included in these photos are a few typical whippets to use as comparison. Wendy is friendly and by all accounts, happy, but if there’s ever a hulk television show starring dogs… we know who to cast.
Mutated Frogs
(Images via frogmatters, esajournals, momsrising, oneofkarma)
Frog mutations are not typically very cute, and they’re often correlated quite directly to pollution. While frogs don’t seem to mind having a few extra limbs here or there, it’s more disturbing when one knows the source of their discomfort and strange formation.
Winged Cats
(Images via geekologie, justonemorepet, weirdcorner)
Winged cats in China? Maybe. The verdict isn’t entirely in, whether these cats have actual formations behind their spine as some people claim, or if the wings are actually fur matted in such a way as to provide the appearance of wings. Whatever the cause, these winged cats are beautiful, and have definitely caught the eye of an international audience.
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The Homeless World Cup in Rio
Palestinian refugees formed a national football team to attend Rio 2010 Homeless World Cup in Brazil for first time during 19 – 26 September as a civilian move, in a move Palestinian youth tries to defy the walls surrounding them in both, homeland and refugee camps abroad.
Organised by the Palestinian Sport Office in Lebanon, The Palestine Homeless World Cup team was selected on 25 August from homeless people living in the refugee camps of Lebanon, Homeless World Cup Foundation said on its website.
Palestine will stand proud with 64 nations, hosted by Brazil, from 2010 at Copacabana Beach, Rio, Brazil.
President, Palestinian Office for Youth and Sports in Lebanon, Mr. Mohammad Zaidani, said: “These Palestinian camps have suffered hunger, murder and aggression. Today sport is the only outlet for these youths who have experienced such loss.”
Source: World Bulletin News
Beth