#biology

See tagged statuses in the local Gatti Ninja community

European bison or buffalo (Bison bonasus). Europe's heaviest wild land mammal. During late antiquity and the Middle Ages, bison were hunted to extinction across much of Europe & Asia. By the 20th c., only two wild populations remained (in north-central Europe and the northern Caucasus)

Pictured resting in the snow. European bison or buffalo (Bison bonasus). Europe's heaviest wild land mammal. During late antiquity and the Middle Ages, bison were hunted to extinction across much of Europe & Asia. By the 20th c., only two wild populations remained (in north-central Europe and the northern Caucasus)

Bach for the birds! 🎵
These birds have the same taste in music as I do. 😍
Read more about Java sparrows' love for classical music in my latest newsletter, 'Beaks & Bones':

https://beaksandbones.substack.com/p/classical-music

Photo of a Java sparrow (a gray songbird with pink legs, a big pink beak, and a black and white head, with a pink ring around its black eye). White text on top of the image: These birds have a strong opinion about classical music Java sparrows prefer music by Bach or Vivaldi over compositions by Schoenberg or Carter.

Defying classification, fantastical artworks reframe the racism of Carl Linnaeus

In the 18th century, the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus set out to classify life, creating a system of taxonomy that still endures. But, as Firelei Báez explains, his work included hierarchies of humans based on race that were ‘sheer nonsense’, embedding racist ideas into science that echo to this day.

https://aeon.co/videos/defying-classification-fantastical-artworks-reframe-the-racism-of-carl-linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/9516

Linnaeus: Örtaboken (Herb book), early manuscript by L., 1725. "Earliest manuscript by L." The image shows Örtaboken (“The Herb Book”), the earliest known manuscript by Carl Linnaeus, created in 1725 when he was still a young student. The page, yellowed with age, is filled with neat, handwritten text in dark ink, written in Swedish and Latin. Botanical names and descriptions are carefully arranged, often accompanied by delicate ink or pencil sketches of plants, leaves, or flowers in the margins. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Carl_von_Linn%C3%A9#/media/File:Linnaeus_-_%C3%96rtaboken,_early_manuscript,_1725.jpg

reviewed Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

Merlin Sheldrake: Entangled Life (2020)

When we think of fungi, we likely think of mushrooms. But mushrooms are only fruiting …

An appetizer for the world of fungi, not a beginners mycology textbook

Fungi are incredibly interesting and this book does them justice. It does an excellent job of describing their importance and the hidden connections between Fungi and plants, but also Fungi and humans. And it's written in a way that you feel close to the author, as he takes us on this journey.

I just wished there was more. More about different kinds of Fungi, more about recent science, about the importance of Fungi in different cultures etc. But I assume this is just no the scope and also not the ambition of this book, it's not meant to be an intro into mycology.

If I could I would give it 4.5 stars. It was very interesting and it made me want to dig more fungi related books, but it was not perfect. E.g. I felt a bit less invested than when reading "Never Home Alone" by Rob …