#mighty vertebrate

[rogueish]

Still not sure if Anna Butterss or Mary Halvorson wins the award for most brain melting jazz guitar of 2024.

Jlin also a competitor in at least one of these categories (as it turns out I like her work better when it veers away from strict footwork and more towards jazz), as is Arooj Aftab.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Anna Butterss Interview: Los Angeles in 2024

Photo by Samantha Lee

BY JORDAN MAINZER

For much of their career, bassist Anna Butterss has constructed bridges between musical worlds. The classically trained Australian musician moved to Los Angeles a decade ago, not too long after beloved experimental guitarist Jeff Parker relocated there. Like the versatile Parker, who has made his mark in both the jazz and post-rock worlds, Butterss quickly became an in-demand player in the jazz and indie rock spheres, both as a session and touring musician. Shortly after moving, Butterss connected with Parker, joining his now long-running quartet, alongside saxophonist Josh Johnson and drummer Jay Bellerose. (I first heard Butterss' nimble work on Makaya McCraven's landmark 2018 album Universal Beings.) At the same time, Butterss, always on the periphery of hyped indie music through their friends, found themselves alongside Aughts stalwarts Jenny Lewis and Andrew Bird and then-up-and-comers like Phoebe Bridgers. Over the past five years, Butterss has buoyed career reinventions and risen alongside their peers.

2024, then, feels like the first year where Butterss is moving to the forefront. Though they released their debut album Activities and helped Parker immortalize the Enfield Tennis Academy in 2022, this time, over the span of a mere six months, they've been a part of three major improvisational jazz records. First, Butterss is one-fifth of SML, who I profiled earlier this year after their debut record release in June. SML Songs like "Industry" showcased Butterss' ability to steadily drive a track alongside freewheeling bandmates, while "Dolphin Language" gave them a turn to have fun splintering. The quintet played two sets at the inaugural Warm Love Cool Dreams festival at the Salt Shed in September, one performing material from Small Medium Large, the other backing Jamaican dancehall DJ and singer Sister Nancy.

Butterss delves deeper into the world of grooves on the just-released new Jeff Parker ETA IVtet album The Way Out of Easy, a follow-up recording to Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy. Like the latter, The Way Out of Easy was recorded at the ETA and mixed live by engineer Bryce Gonzales, on a night in January 2023. The four longform tracks that make up the record are certainly opportunities for Parker and Johnson's expressions, but don't discount Butterss' understated and underrated adaptability. Throughout "Freakadelic", an extended version of a long-time Parker composition, Butterss and Bellerose provide a hip-hop groove underneath Parker's prickly and sinuous lines, only to wake up a little bit as Johnson's saxophone whirrs and hypnotizes. Butterss mirrors Johnson's rounded mournfulness on the otherwise beatific "Late Autumn", while on "Easy Way Out", they emulate Parker's slow cascades, a perfect contrast to Johnson and Bellerose's expressiveness. Of course, closer "Chrome Dome" ends up a blissed out dub song, Butterss once again a masterfully stable counterpart to Johnson's garbled notes and Bellerose's polyrhythms.

It's clear, then, that all of Butterss' experiences informed their second solo album and International Anthem debut, Mighty Vertebrate, released last month. In early 2023, Butterss found themselves wanting to create while balancing their busy schedule. In order to force themselves to write freely without succumbing to their own judgements and internal monologue, Butterss adopted constraints similar to Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies. "Pokemans", for instance, arose from the goal to use the bass in a way that belies the instrument's typical role. But Butterss was careful not to let Mighty Vertebrate be an album solely reflective of its process, and it sounds loose. They created the stems of the songs before fleshing them out with percussionist Ben Lumsdaine; at that point, the songs were ready for tracking at Chris Schlarb's BIG EGO with Johnson and another SML bandmate, Gregory Uhlmann. As a result, Mighty Vertebrate is diverse and extensive. "Ella" creates a world out of a two-note guitar line and saxophone processed through a synthesizer. "Lubbock" juxtaposes wiry guitar and swirling woodwinds atop raining percussion. "Saturno"'s warped bells give way to a percussion and saxophone groove, Butterss leading the evolution into a rich tapestry. Standout track "Dance Steve" mashes up Malian desert blues and synth punk, a collage of samples, syncopated 808s, synths, and in a full circle moment, a Jeff Parker guitar solo. Perhaps most impressive is that Mighty Vertebrate is cohesive through natural patterns that emerged throughout its creation, Butterss paring its songs down before building them back up, just like on their work with SML and Parker.

In September, a week before the album's release and just before SML's sets at Warm Love Cool Dreams, Butterss did get to try out Mighty Vertebrate songs live with their band at Marz Brewing. They then played a proper record release show in Los Angeles at 2220 Arts + Archives, the day the album came out digitally and on vinyl. A few days later, I spoke to Butterss over Zoom about the making of Mighty Vertebrate, the L.A. scene and International Anthem, post-rock, album and song title meanings, and misheard lyrics. Next week, starting on Monday, Butterss will take a victory lap to celebrate their stellar year, playing in a three-night International Anthem residency at Public Records in Brooklyn: with Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, SML, and their band. It's safe to say you'll be continuing to hear Butterss' name a lot for the next several years. Not only is SML set to return in 2025 and Butterss working on their next record, but they've been a full time member of none other than Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit for a year. Add the Americana/alt-country genre to the list of worlds among which Butterss has built connections.

Read our conversation below, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: Why did you decide to make a record using Oblique Strategies-inspired tactics? Was it out of necessity, or was it something you always wanted to do?

Anna Butterss: It's the former for sure. Writing music, I enjoy doing it, but I also find it very hard, because I'm incredibly judgmental, and it's hard for me to think in the moment and follow an idea without already judging it. I'm like this with other things as well. I've always practiced the bass with these very specific restrictions in mind, very structured, so this was a way to get myself to be creative.

I started writing music that way a few years ago. It was a little challenge to myself called "one-hour beats," which is exactly what it sounds like. [laughs] How much of a beat can you make in one hour? If it's bad, if you don't like it, you've only spent an hour and have probably learned something. I started [Mighty Vertebrate] off like that. I spent a lot of time working on the music, but I'd go back and open up one of the ideas and ask, "Is this one cool?" I'd work on that one for an hour or two hours and put it away. I spent the whole year doing that.

SILY: Did you ever fully stray from your initial goal? Or were the finished songs pretty faithful to their original restrictions?

AB: I strayed away. The restrictions were a means to an end, to get something written. Once you get an idea down, it's much easier to manipulate it and try different things, but getting an idea down firstly is the hardest part. Once I felt like I had a strong or compelling idea, I'd let myself do whatever I needed to do. If I was having a good time working on something, I wouldn't put more restrictions on it.

SILY: What ties all of these songs together? Is it the process you used to make them?

AB: Hmm...that's a good question. It's a pretty eclectic record. I think the thing that ties them together for me is that they're songs I wrote during a period of my life, during 2023. A lot of them have similar sonic tendencies, a lot of guitars because it's an instrument I can kind of play, and drum machine. But the thing that ties them together is emotionally how I was experiencing that year. With the band, we all play together a particular way, and that ties them together, too. If I listen back to them, I can hear melodic tendencies I have and forms I gravitate towards, but I wasn't trying too hard to push them all into the same zone.

SILY: At what point did you bring in the band in the process of making Mighty Vertebrate?

AB: Quite late. I brought in [co-producer] Ben Lumsdaine...almost a year after we started writing it. I tried to get as much of it done by myself as I could. I had demos that were in pretty good shape. All the parts were there, but I wasn't trying too hard to get quality recordings. Some of the songs don't have a live band on them, like "Bishop" or "Dance Steve". Ben and I worked on them a lot. We tracked drums, bass, and more guitars. The other two guys in the band, I wrote charts for everything and we rehearsed one time and recorded in the studio for two days. Ben and I did some more overdubs, and that was it.

SILY: The songs on the album that do have a live band don't sound too different from the ones that don't have a live band. That is, if you were to listen to the album without paying the utmost attention, you might not necessarily realize which songs had a band and which didn't. There's an abstraction to the aesthetic. Was that something you were going for?

AB: In a way, yes. I had experimented a little bit on Activities with blending live drums, and we did synths with live bass. I had that in mind when I was making the record. Also, the fact that you have Greg playing guitar on some of the tracks, me playing on some of them, Jeff playing on some of them, Ben playing on some of them, it blurs the lines. Both Greg and Josh use effects in an organic way when they're playing, so it gets blurred a bit in a way I find pleasing. I wanted it to be its own world, not just an acoustic jazz record or an electronic record. I wanted it to live in a between space.

SILY: Do you think the individual musicians' playing styles started to blend, too? For instance, there were some guitar solos that sounded like Jeff Parker that might not have been Jeff Parker.

AB: Definitely. Jeff's been a big influence on the four of us, for sure. We've all played with him, and when I started messing around with the guitar, I thought, "Oh, this is just me sounding like a very cheap version of Jeff," because that's the guitarist I listen to the most. I think I sound a little less like him on the guitar now. Playing together for a really long time in different combinations, there's a shared language, sonic world, and tendencies. I hope other people hear this record and think, "This sounds like something that came out of Los Angeles in 2024." I like records where we can still have that sense of place, even though we're making music in such a globalized way. I feel like we have a little scene in Los Angeles that has a distinctive sound.

SILY: Certainly. The International Anthem family, while based in Chicago, has so many artists who are based in L.A. There's also the Enfield Tennis Academy and its branches. It's like one of the last remaining active scenes.

AB: [laughs] I hope not! It's definitely an International Anthem-sounding record as well. Greg's from Chicago, Josh grew up near Chicago, Jeff spent a lot of time in Chicago, and Ben, Josh, and I all went to school in Indiana, so we have a strong Midwest connection.

SILY: Where did the vocals on "Breadrich" come from?

AB: The ones that are a little sing-song are me. It's [inspired by] a character from a Mexican TV series called La Casa de las Flores, a Netflix series I've watched about three times during the pandemic. It's like a telenovela, but it's very modern and revolves around a lot of drag queens. There are trans people and bisexual main characters, but it's also a telenovela, so it's very dramatic and the plotlines are kind of ridiculous. One of the main characters, Paulina de la Mora, is kind of iconic and has an iconic way of speaking. I was also listening to a lot of Madlib and MF Doom, and MF Doom has so many cartoon and comic elements, so "Breadrich" was my hint at that, with me reimagining what it would be like if [Paulina de la Mora] had a spinoff.

I got into hip hop...in my 20's, having come from a very jazz background. It fascinates me and I love it. I'm not super directly hip hop-influenced, but it's something I think about a lot when working on things.

SILY: I was going to ask, since you collaborated on this record with John Herndon on the video for "Pokemans" and the album art, whether you were influenced by any of his A Grape Dope material.

AB: Not directly. Also, I get a ton of Tortoise comparisons, and I get why, but I really tried to steer clear of listening to that type of music when I was making this record because I didn't want it to sound too derivative. But I love John and am happy he did such great art for the record.

SILY: The Chicago post-rock connection to this current wave of jazz is palpable, because Chicago jazz preceded Chicago post-rock.

AB: Definitely. I've spent a fair amount of time in Chicago but have never lived there. I'm listening to all these records 10-20 years after they came out, so I'm getting a picture and sense of it. I also play a lot with Jeff and am close with people who have been involved in those scenes, so I'm getting a secondhand version of it. But I think it's cool that music that's been around for a while is still very relevant and current sounding.

SILY: How did you come up with the track titles on Mighty Vertebrate?

AB: "Bishop", my grandfather was a bishop. [laughs] What else do we have? "Dance Steve", I put a dance beat under a sample I thought sounded like Steve Reich. It was stuff like that. I do have a note in my phone where I collect phrases people will say, if they sound interesting, which is where "Breadrich" came from. My partner said that we were "bread-rich" after a friend gave us a bunch of bread, which I thought was funny.

SILY: It can be somewhat of a Rorschach test. Some of the titles on Small Medium Large were working titles or joke titles that ended up being perfect. It adds a levity to the project.

AB: I remember talking with Greg when trying to come up with titles and being like, "It's hard to come up with song titles that are original," and he was just like, "Oh, don't worry about that. There will always be another song [that shares a title.]" I don't think it matters that much. The record title, more so. But at the end of the day, it's instrumental music. It's already pretty abstract, and I want people to be able to have their own experience with it, instead of saying, say, "'Seeing You' is about the time I saw this person." Anyone can interpret it their own way and have their own relationship with it.

SILY: So what's the meaning of the record title to you?

AB: That came from an Andrew Bird lyric I misheard and was singing wrong when I was touring with him. [On Inside Problems' "Stop n’ Shop", it's] supposed to be "Mighty bird of prey," and I didn't realize that until he mentioned it. [laughs] I think it's evocative of a lot of different things. It can be a made-up or fantastical creature, or a way of describing humanity or the dichotomy of humans being so powerful but at the end of the day, vertebrates who will die just like everything else. There's an element of that. It doesn't mean one specific thing to me. I like that it's open-ended.

SILY: The fact that it came from something misheard, but still makes sense, is cool.

AB: [laughs] Yeah. I tried to convince Bird to change the lyric. He wasn't interested.

SILY: Do you pretty actively listen to new music?

AB: I'm trying to more these days. KCRW's morning program, Morning Becomes Eclectic, plays a lot of different genres, and I listen to that pretty religiously. It's where I find a lot of new music. That's probably where I heard Jenny Lewis. I remember driving on the freeway, hearing it and thinking, "What is that?" It turned out a bunch of my friends played in her band. These days, I'm trying to listen to records right when they come out, because otherwise it gets overwhelming.

SILY: What's your approach to playing the songs on Mighty Vertebrate live?

AB: There's more room for expansion. All of the tracks on the record are pretty short; I like to get in and get out, not have anything excessive. [Live,] there's more improvisation involved. A lot of the songs, the way they're structured, the bass line holds everything together statically, and everything is moving around it. I love that. As a bass player, that's what I want to do. I want to be the center of things and everyone else swirling around on top. I had the easiest time playing it live while demanding a lot of everyone else. [laughs]

SILY: Do you foresee these songs taking new shapes the more you play them?

AB: Definitely. That would be ideal. I don't know how many opportunities I'll get to play them. Unfortunately, it's really hard. Everyone's super busy, and I feel like it needs to be these specific people playing the music, and our schedules are all packed. After our show at Public Records, I'd like to continue to play it live and tour, but I don't know how that would work. I don't feel a need to adhere strictly to what's on the record, because if people want to hear the record, they should listen to the record. That's always been my feeling about it.

SILY: What else is next for you in the short and long term?

AB: Some SML stuff, definitely, in the new year. I'll start thinking about the next record. But right now, I'm trying to get through the rest of this year without having an emotional breakdown. [laughs]

SILY: You're very prolific.

AB: I'm a bass player. It's a blessing and a curse.

SILY: Is there anything you've been listening to, watching, or reading lately that's caught your attention or inspired you?

AB: Let me pull up my listening journal...I've been all over the place. My friends have a band called Twin Talk, [based] in Chicago. It's a great trio. They just put out a new record I've been heavily spinning. It's very beautiful. A lot of Brazilian music. We're reorganizing our record collection, so I've been going back and finding a lot of things. Honestly, it's all over the place. I like starting with my friends' records and going from there. Michael Mayo just put out a great record last week. I feel like a bunch of people put out records when I put out mine. Every Instagram post was about a new record.

[dino-saurus-notes]

Introduction to dinosaurs and bones!

Vocabulary:

Paleontology: the study of all prehistoric life.

Fossil: any preserved evidence left behind by a prehistoric organism.

Adaptations: traits that have been evolved because they serve specific purposes.

Content:

Dinosaurs came in all sorts of shapes and sizes! They weren’t all huge, some of them were probably less than a meter long when fully grown (like the Microraptor, or the Fruitadens)!! And, contrary to popular media (The Jurassic Park series), the Velociraptor was actually about the size of a dog, or a turkey; give or take.

A good example of an adaptation would be bones! Bones help all animals survive by serving four major functions:

They passively resist the force of gravity and maintain an animal's form!

Bones provide a rigid framework for muscle attachment!

As much as they provide protection internally, they could easily be fantastic weapons (think horns, and other things like that).

They act as HUGE mineral reserves!

The Skulls and Jaws!

Vocabulary:

Vertebrates: animals with two kinds of special skeletal adaptations: the skull and vertebrae.

Vertebrae: structures primarily made out of bone and/or cartilage that surround a portion of the spinal nerve cord.

Vertebral column: a series of interlocking vertebrae.

Brain case: a hollow chamber formed by multiple skull bones that houses the brain!

Fenestrae: Latin for “windows.”

Content:

Skulls are not singular bones! The skull is made up of many bones that are tightly locked together. The skull itself can give greater insights about a dinosaur's life than really any other bone(s)!

The upper and lower jaws may contain teeth and/or include a beak, and these things are critical for paleontologists to be able to interpret what the mighty beast(s) were adapted to eat!

The rear portion of the skull includes the brain case. There are many small openings in the brain case that allow nerves to connect to the brain. Which is very important, and is still a present adaptation today. The size and shape of the brain case can indicate the size and/or shape of the brain it housed, and, therefore, provides us with clues to the dinosaur's mental capabilities!

Dinosaur skulls also have multiple pairs of large openings! These included the:

Nares: the openings for the nostrils.

Orbits: the openings for the eyes.

In some modern animals, like turtles, there are no other skull openings. This is another example of animals evolving and adapting to their environments! Dinosaurs had a few more openings in their skulls, which were called:

Fenestrae!

Behind each orbit there were two fenestrae:

On the lateral sides of the skull, there were the two laterotemporal fenestrae.

On the top of the skull, there were the two supratemporal fenestrae.

Both pairs were present in the skull to make room for large jaw muscles!

Between each orbit and naris, dinosaurs also had a third pair of fenestrae! These were called the antorbital fenestrae. Though, the exact function of this is unclear; I like to think that in some dinosaurs it helped warm the air that they breathed, and in others it simply made the skull a little bit lighter.

[bethanythebogwitch]

OC Aztec Digimon

Another one of my digifake posts. See previous posts at moth and crab. I'm breaking tradition by making this one a vertebrate. All members of this line are virus-attribute.

The Rookie/Child level is Ocemon, a beast Digimon that lives in the jungle. While it has the size and appearance of a pet cat, Ocemon is a wild and unruly Digimon that will not tolerate being treated like a pet and is difficult for tamers to handle. it is a hunter who loves battle and sometimes challenges enemies out of its league. Its attacks are Kitten Claw, where it attacks with its claws, and Petite Predator, where it stealthily approaches its target from behind and leaps onto the target, attacking with claws and fangs.

Ocemon is based on an ocelot, a species of wild cat found in Mexico and Central and South America. I definitely took inspiration from Liollmon in this design and the two may be a related species.

Ocemon evolves to Jaguarmon. Jaguarmon is a violent and dangerous Digimon that is a master of jungle combat. It loves challenges and hunts and can switch between using stealth to attack or challenging its enemies in open combat. Jaguarmon is proud and refuses to submit to all but the most skilled and worthy of masters. It wears a necklace strung with the teeth of foes it found particularly challenging. Its moves are Istetl Iuan Tokuatlak (Nahuatl for claw and fang. Disclaimer that I am using an online translator for these names) where it savages it enemies with its powerful fangs and claws and Jaguar's Roar, where it unleashes a roar that paralyzes its foes with fright or even kills low-level Digimon.

Jaguarmon is based on jaguars, who were a big deal to the Aztecs. They were viewed as the mightiest of animals and avatars of the god Tezcatilpoca. The colorful attire Jaguarmon wears is inspired by Aztec clothing and art and the mask also kind of has a Luchador vide for a modern Mexico reference.

Jaguarmon evolves to WarJaguarmon. It is a powerful and dangerous Digimon that claims to be the mightiest warrior of the Digital World's jungles and has a body count to back up that claim. While it loves to fight, it has a code of honor and will give respects to those it believes to be a worthy foe. Its mighty weapon "Macuahuitl" is tipped with pieces of obsidian digizoid, allowing it to cut through most forms of armor and it breaths fireballs capable of melting rock into magma. Its attacks are Obsidian Blade, where it delivers a mighty blow with "Macuahitl", and Tletl (fire) Flame, where it spews forth a fireball.

WarJaguarmon is based on jaguar warriors, a class of elite warriors in aztec society along with the eagle warriors, collectively called cuāuhocēlōtl. Jaguar warriors dressed in attire that looked like jaguars, but WarJaguarmon doesn't really need that. The clothing it wears is based on an Aztec loincloth called a maxtlatl and the Digicode on the sash reads "ocelotl" which is as close as I could get to the Aztec word for "jaguar" as Digicode doesn't have accent marks. A macuahuitl is a common Mesoamerican weapon consisting of a club imbedded with obsidian blades. The snake design on it is based on this Aztec statue.

The final evolution is Huitzimon. It is feared and revered amongst jungle-dwellers as the "bloody god of the jungle" for it possesses and endless desire to fight and can command the power of the sun. Its combat prowess is such that it can rival members of the Royal Knights. While violent and bloodthirsty, it has a sense of honor and respects good fighters. Digimon who bring it the Digi-Cores of their defeated enemies will be rewarded for their courage and combat prowess. The snake that lives on its arm is named "Xiuhcoatl" and when in battle, it transforms into a mighty spear that both burns and poisons those it strikes. When under the light of the sun, Huitzimon sprouts flaming wings and gains the ability to fly. Its attacks are Serpent Spear Strike, where it impales its foes with "Xiuhcoatl" and Tonatiu Tlekiauitl (sunfire rain), where it spews forth stellar plasma that rains down on its foes.

Huitzimon continues the jaguar warrior inspiration while also being based on Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun (though jaguar warriors were actually associated with Tezcatilpoca). There are several bird-like elements in this design such as the wings, bird skull helmet (which is a Hououmon's skull) and the hummingbird skull decoration on its clothing. Huitzilopochtli was associated with birds, particularly eagles and hummingbirds. A common symbol of Huitzilopochtli was an eagle perched on a cactus holding a snake in its claws, which is depicted on Huitzimon's shield. That same snake statue from WarJaguarmon is also on its shield. The blue mask it wears references Huitzilopochtli usually being depicted with blue skin. I tried out making Huitzimon blue and didn't like the way it looked, so I settled for the mask. The Digi-Code on its sash reads "sun god". Xiuhcoatl was a serpent either associated with or an alternate form of Huitzilopochtli and the god was depicted using a spear thrower in its shape. I exaggerated this into an actual spear largely because I think spears are cool and more characters should use them. I did include the snake-shaped spear thrower on Huitzimon's design as well. Huitzimon's habit of giving blessings to Digimon who offer it Digi-Cores is a reference to Aztec human sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli where hearts were removed from the sacrifices so their blood could empower the god. As I mentioned last time, I have a trio of OC evolution lines that fit into three trios: vaccine/virus/data, day/night/twilight, and fighter/mage/rogue. Huitzimon is the virus attribute, represents day, and is the fighter. My previous post had Nyxmon as the vaccine, night, and mage member.

Let me know what you think of these designs. I'm still not a great artist, but I am getting better and these were by far the most complex designs I've ever drawn. Both of the final two stages each took about as much time as the whole moth evolution line did.

[everyde]

2024.11.15　NEW

レコード・コレクターズ 2024年12月号

ミュージック・マガジン社

書評, ディスクレビュー

ローズ・ブリッジス; 長尾莉紗訳 - 「カウボーイビバップ」のサウンドトラック 菅野よう子と渡辺信一郎の音楽作劇術（インフォ・ステーション）

Anna Butterss - Mighty Vertebrate（リイシュー・アルバム・ガイド）

[thegardencharts]

November

Viiaan : Marakame

Torus : Summer of Love

Lee Scratch Perry & Youth : Spaceship To Mars

Caribou : Honey

Various : PSYCH! 1966-1973

Anna Butterrss : Mighty Vertebrate

Nala Sinephro : Endlessness

Pete Giles : Deep Listening Experience Vol. 3

Ddroga : Future Nature

Toydrum : Futurestalker

[twistedsoulmusic]

Mighty Vertebrate showcases Anna Butterss’ potential to soar into even greater heights. It goes without question that this album perfectly flaunts Butterss’ talent as a musician and composer.

[stevensaus]

As we hit the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, we need to address the bugbear in the room: Orcs, elves, and humans (at least) are all the same species. Canonically. 1 Why? One of the primary (if not the primary) indications of being a different species is being unable to interbreed and produce viable offspring. Corgis and malamutes are the same species. Humans and chimpanzees are not, even though we arguably look more similar than a corgi to a malamute. While humans have used hybridization to create new species (such as lemons), hybridization among vertebrates is VERY rare, first being observed in vertebrates only in 2022. Sure, there's technology (or magic) that can create hybrids. We can canonically look at the owlbear for that. Originally explained the result of a magical experiment by a mad wizard, owlbears are able to breed among themselves. But when we look at the (official, 5e) descriptions of other races, the interbreeding is... well, very matter-of-fact: "Whether united under the leadership of a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human communities, sometimes form alliances. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-orcs are born." "Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents." Therefore, the existence of this non-magically assisted canonical interbreeding either means that humans, orcs, and elves (at least) are the same species, just widely variant branches. This also implies (through omission) that these children are not themselves sterile, unlike, say, a mule. You probably see where this is going: there are going to be people with different amounts of human, elvish, and orcish heritage. Perhaps there was a distant orc grandparent. An elvish ancestor four generations back on your mother's side. A distant human ancestor in the elvish family tree. 2 In my D&D sessions, I leave the game mechanics alone and leave the rules as they stand. I like cinematic and "rule-of-cool" play, and a lot of extra mechanics like that tend to get in my way. Socially, however, it is something that comes up... at least in terms of providing variety and interesting NPCs for the players to interact with. Additionally, it explicitly shifts many of the stereotypes and tropes used in fantasy roleplaying to the social and cultural realm rather than biology. 3 In many ways, making this shift doesn't change a lot. Humans are definitely all the same species. Yet our cultural differences (including claiming that varying levels of melanin somehow makes people inherently different) have led to plenty of conflict. No changes are really needed to most modules or adventures; you're changing the motivation from a race-based one to a cultural one. As a nice side effect, this also helps reduce some murderhobo tendencies. No longer can your players safely assume that an NPC's appearance automatically has anything to do with their temperament or intentions. I'm currently looking for players for a Monday or Thursday night campaign, and often run one-shots. You can sign up at StartPlaying, or read more at the Black Talons website. 1 At least through 5th edition; I've not seen the new one yet. 2 3 What about elves having a lifespan of "yes," and the perspective changes that inevitably brings? The long lifespan of elves is a recessive trait, and does not get passed to any offspring whose parents do not BOTH have that particular "elvish" trait. https://ideatrash.net/2024/08/orcs-elves-and-humans-are-closer-than-you-think-in-dungeons-and-dragons-anyway.html?feed_id=289&_unique_id=66cb4a8827a26

[idadragonheart]

Humans are capable of powered flight.

In sensu lato. It is widely known that human physiology does not allow for muscle-powered flight. Our mass is just too great to be countered by any sort of lift we could generate through flapping of artificial wings or any other inventive contraption. However, if we define powered flight of vertebrate animals (among which we count ourselves as well as birds and bats), as moving through a fluid (which air is) using synchronized strokes of forelimbs for propulsion, then anyone who has swum in the butterfly/dolphin technique has flown just like a bird :D

Now technically we could define powered vertebrate flight as any muscle-powered motion of a vertebrate through a fluid and thus any vertebrates that can swim can fly. If we define powered flight in general as a voluntary and controlled motion of a creature through a fluid, then everything that moves through through liquids and air is flying. On the other hand, if we define powered flight as the volitionary motion of a creature through a fluid that is significantly less dense than itself, us swimmers are, after all, denied the consolation that although labouring and breathless, we are flying like mighty dragons from ancient sagas.

I conclude this nonsensical rambling with the thought that thinking definitions through is important and that a little thinking can provide substantial amusement. This post started as a walk-thought as I was observing the motion of a kestrel in flight and was reminded of the motion of a swimmer performing the dolphin/butterfly technique. It was fitting, as in my opinion, dolphin is the most labour-intensive and difficult to master of all swimming techniques. I also made use of my knowledge of physics, that fluids encompass both liquids and gases, to amuse myself with the above thinking.

If one swimmer reads this and is lighter on their 'wings' swimming like a dragon in flight, I have done good:)

Cheers!

[jaceriven]

Now, I don't know anything about duck penis regeneration, so I may be wrong here, but:

I think the reason some scientists are/were studying salamander/axolotl regeneration is both because they can regrow bones, and in the axolotl's case, even brain tissue.

If I recall correctly, the stated reason they did so was because those were the only vertebrates who could do so, so I would discount the mighty duck's abilities as I am unsure if they regrow their baculum (literal dick bone), assuming they have one.

One more with feeling, I'm not expert and going off half-remembered articles I read at least a decade ago, I could be wrong.

i know we're all sick to death of hearing about duck penises but it is genuinely so important to me that you know: male ducks regrow their penis every mating season! that is all

[typhlonectes]

The Wildlife Benefits of Acorns and Oaks

We all know that from tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow, but we should add that from tiny acorns also grow deer, gray squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkeys, crows, flying squirrels, rabbits, opossums, blue jays, quail,  raccoons, wood ducks—more than 100 U.S. vertebrate species eat acorns. In autumn and winter, the acorn is the cheeseburger of the forest ecosystem—fairly easy to find and nicely packaged. They are one of the most valuable food resources available for wildlife...

Read more: 

https://blog.nwf.org/2013/10/the-wildlife-benefits-of-acorns-and-oaks

image via:  Pollinator Friendly Yards

[tricktster]

I feel like axolotl's are the marine equivalent of horses in terms of how they're a biological disaster

Yeah, I mean… they’re better off than horses in that they’re self-repairing, while you can just look at a horse’s foreleg wrong and it’ll die. But I can’t give axolotls too much credit for being particularly suited to like, exist, because…

Okay, here’s baby Taako from the day I got him.

You will notice that he just doesn’t have an entire hand. He HATCHED with fingies on the end of that leg, he just uh… well, a sibling either bit it off, or he misplaced it. No biggie though, he just made a new one.

I mean, just think of the circumstances that had to be present for axolotls to develop “regeneration of most of body” as an advantageous trait. Regeneration is a wicked rare trait among chordates as a whole; when most vertebrates lose any part of their body that includes a bone, that part ain’t coming back. An appreciable number of salamander species can regenerate bony structures and the surrounding soft tissue to some extent, especially in the larval stage, but the axolotl is the model species for studying regeneration for a reason: They’re fucking amazing at it. Like “only takes 40 days to grow an entire new limb - bones, muscles, vascular structures, nervous system, skin, the wholeass thing” good.

So like… contemplate how OUTLANDISHLY ACCIDENT-PRONE proto-axolotls had to have been to select for “great at growing back body parts that came off throughout adulthood” as an advantageous trait. When you think about it for a second, it makes perfect sense. Like, you’ve seen Taako in action, if a predator came at him, what’s that dingus gonna do to evade it? Use his incredible speed and agility to escape? Defend himself with his mighty talons or his venemous bite? Please. My dude couldn’t defend himself against a mildly piqued ladybug. If another animal was actually trying to eat him, by the time he noticed that he might be in danger the attack would already be over, he’d be down a few important body parts, and the predator would be well into the digestive process of whatever it chomped off.

And it’s not just predators. Taako hurt his tail on an artificial silk plant once. There are no sharp edges on an artificial silk plant. It’s literally just pieces of silk fabric cut into leaf shapes, and he managed to cut his tail on it.

In conclusion, axolotls are so catastrophically ill suited to exist in basically any setting that they HAVE to be as good at they are at regenerating. That’s their only option. If they couldn’t bounce back the way they do, none of them would even make it a week after hatching. And even with that adaptation, you gotta keep an eye on ‘em or they’ll just shuffle off the mortal coil because this animal that is endemic to the sandy floor of one Mexican lake (and should therefore be best suited to thrive in similar habitats)… you know, ate too much fucking sand.

[doggiewoggiez]

My 75 gallon Central African tank!

Stocking and such below

Fish/Inverts

Senegal Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) x2

AKA Dinosaur Bichir. They get 9-12 inches, they're badass predators but the tankmates will be safe, too big to be aggressed upon. I've got one albino and one normal one. Their names are Bulk and Skull, like from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. They have true lungs and can breathe people-air! It's cool to watch them do it.

Leopard Bushfish (Ctenopoma acutirostre) x1

AKA Spotted Climbing Perch. Gets about 5-9 inches but is a slow grower, so considering moving him to a 20 long with one of my Krib pairs and my Synos when I eventually move them and he can return to the 75 when big. In the wild these guys drift along until they're close enough to nab some prey that thinks they're just a leaf. His name is Demi because of the famous Demi Moore photo.

Peters's Elephant Nose Fish (Gnathonemus petersii) x1

AKA Ubangi Mormyrid. By far my most interesting guy. He's an electric fish, and that silly proboscis is called a Schnauzenorgan, covered in electroreceptors, which he uses to snuffle around for worms. He has an organ in his ass that generates an electric field. No, really. They've also got the highest brain to body oxygen usage ratio of any vertebrate. He's super cute and full of personality! Wild caught, too, so this guy traveled across half the planet to get to me. In ancient Egypt these guys were believed to have eaten the penis of Osiris and were worshipped in the city of Oxyrhynchus.

Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) x4

AKA Rainbow Cichlid. An African cichlid that's not an asshole? Sign me up. Well, they're still assholes but only to each other. You probably could spot a full grown 4" male, a pair of 2" female and male, and a 1.5" female in the video if you look closely. Incredibly beautiful fish, very aggressive when they breed, so I plan to separate one pair of kribs into a 20g and leave the other in the 75. One of the rare instances where the females are the flashier ones!

Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) x6

One of the larger tetras kept in aquaria, they get about 4 inches or so too. Semi-aggressive, which here just means they steal everyone's food and get fat, so I have to distract them with flakes on one side of the tank so everyone else can eat. Beautiful, shiny blues and reds and clear fins. Love 'em. Way overpriced for tetras though, like 8 bucks per! Comparably sized South American tetras are still $2.50 at PetSmart.

African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) x1

You've probably seen them in nature documentaries. They're those guys that float at the waters surface looking like a butterfly or a leaf until they see some unsuspecting bug above the water and then BAM! They jump way up and snatch 'em. Relative of the Arowana. Beautiful little guy, goes bananas bonkers when I feed him crickets.

Upside-Down Catfish (Synodontis nigriventris) x3

AKA Blotched upside-down catfish. Adorable little guys with naturally tubby bellies. They're friendly and I love them, though they'll be moving to the 20 gallon long with kribs and Demi. They really do swim upside down!

FALSE Upside-Down Catfish (Synodontis nigrita) x2

Ohohoho, you fool, you fucker. You thought you bought upside down catfish, didn't you? Well, now I'm gonna get a foot long and poop a lot and suck the slime coat off your expensive fish and kill them and look so sillycute while doing it. AND I won't even swim upside down. Will be banished to local fish store rehoming tank to be sold under the correct name this time.

Snails (Various sp.) x999999999

I've got Malaysian Trumpet Snails (intentional), Nerites (intentional), Ramshorns (unwanted hitchhikers), and Bladder Snails (unwanted hitchhikers).

Plants

Jungle Val (Vallisneria americana)

AKA Eelgrass. Not technically African but it was cheaper than the African-native Corkscrew Val.

Narrow Crinum (Crinum calamistratum)

AKA African Onion Plant. Slow growing and small so far but looks cool fully grown.

African Water Fern (Bolbitus heudelotii)

AKA Congo Fern. Really sickly and shitty from PetSmart but should improve.

Cameroon Moss (Plagiochilaceae sp.)

Really pretty moss I attached to some driftwood in small bunches, should grow in soon enough.

Anubias (Anubias heterophylla, Anubias barteri)

Probably the most well-known African aquatic plant besides lucky bamboo, you'll find this in a TON of fish tanks.

Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri)

Still just a wee baby, eventually this'll grow into some rockin' red lily pads.

Ammania (Ammannia gracilis)

Beautiful stem plant with red-tipped leaves. Lovely pop of color.

Duckweed (Lemna minor)

Fuck this guy kill this guy. Duckweed hell one million years forever!!!!!!!!!!

Tank Setup

75 Gallon (idk brand) I believe dimensions are 48x18x21

Fluval 407 Canister filter w/ spray bar

Secondary sponge filter with air pump rated for up to 100gal

Tertiary filter running water softener pillow and establishing spare biomedia

Substrate is pea gravel and Black Diamond Blasting Sand, coarse grit.

Wood is California driftwood/ghost wood iirc, got it at a reptile expo.

Light is Finnex Planted+ 24/7 (I just leave it on auto mode)

Heaters are 3 preset tetra 100W heaters. Nothing fancy.

There's caves made out of PVC piping covered with pond foam.

That bag you see is weighing the driftwood down since it's a little new, it still wants to float.

Leaf litter is mostly oak and live oak and a bit of catappa.

This shit all cost me way more than was reasonable at all jesus christ it was pricy but it's so worth it.

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Fossil Matrix Under the Microscope

by Pat McShea

Museum visitors who approach the broad window of PaleoLab encounter an array of large fossilized bones. If not for the pair of microscope workstations positioned against the lab’s right wall, it would be easy to misinterpret the enormous jaws, ribs, vertebrae, and limb bones as evidence of a size bias in the science of vertebrate paleontology.

A scoop of fossil-bearing matrix on a sorting tray.

Small fossils have certainly made mighty contributions to our understanding of life during ancient time periods. Such fossils, which include loose teeth, small bones, and bone fragments, are the primary focus of some paleontological research. In other projects, where considerably larger fossilized creatures are the focus of study, the fossils of smaller creatures add information about species diversity, food webs, and even the climate conditions of ancient ecosystems. The sorting of fossil-bearing matrix that occurs under PaleoLab’s microscopes ensures that important discoveries will continue to occur.

The term matrix refers to the natural rock surrounding a fossil. In the case of fossil bones encased in rock, the matrix consists of the loose sediments that originally buried the bones, sediments that were later transformed into rock over long stretches of time by the pressure of other sediment layers deposited above them. When fossil-bearing rock layers erode, however, and loosened fossils are transported by water, wind, or other forces, the unconsolidated mix of surrounding materials in which the fossils eventually settle is also termed matrix.

In the field, paleontologists sometimes collect and screen loose matrix on site, using water to both separate floatable bits of plant debris and wash away soil, then sun-drying the resulting sludge for later screening. In the case of the matrix currently being sorted in PaleoLab, material eroded from a more than 50 million-year-old rock unit near Meridian, Mississippi was collected in bulk by CMNH paleontologists and brought back to Pittsburgh for washing and drying at the museum.

Unsorted fossil-bearing matrix.

During a recent visit to PaleoLab, Scientific Preparator Dan Pickering pulled two containers from a shelf as “before” and ��after” sorting examples. In the “before” container, a quart-sized plastic jug that once held ground coffee, a black, dime-sized shark tooth resting atop similar-sized irregular gray rock fragments hinted at the possible rewards for future sorting efforts. The considerably smaller and lighter “after” container bore not just an array of small marine fossils, including shark teeth and skate tooth plate fragments, but also the name and working notes of the sorter, CMNH volunteer Jason Davis.

Fossils picked from matrix, with volunteer Jason Davis’ notes revealing that the material is from the lowermost Eocene (~55 million-year-old) Tuscahoma Formation of Mississippi.

Dan termed the recent finds typical for the current operation, but he also noted a now decades-old exciting discovery in matrix screened from a different, but adjacent Mississippi rock unit. In a scientific paper published in 1991, then-CMNH paleontologists K. Christopher Beard and Alan R. Tabrum described a tooth and jaw fragment from an early primate. The fossil was the first record of an early Eocene mammal in eastern North America, and because of its association with well-studied marine fossils, the find helped to better calibrate existing separate biochronologies of terrestrial and marine fossils.

Patrick McShea works in the Education and Visitor Experience department of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

[csnews]

Museum exhibit showcases wonder, challenges facing orcas

Darron Kloster - March 28, 2021

He was known as Ruffles and numbered J1. The big male orca, named for his tall jagged dorsal fin, was one of the first southern resident killer whales identified by scientists in J-Pod in the 1970s. The nine-metre J1 lived a full life, fathering at least 16 calves in all three southern resident pods — J, K and L. Twelve of them are still alive and his legacy continues with 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Ruffles was estimated to be 60 when he disappeared in 2010 and was presumed dead. But the mighty orca lives on. He’s one of three life-size replicas going on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum’s feature exhibition Orcas: Our Shared Future, which opens April 16 and runs to January 2022.

The event was cancelled last year due to pandemic restrictions, but is back on track during a critical time for the beloved but struggling marine mammals. Southern resident orcas now number 75 after three births over the past six months, but their struggle for food, chiefly chinook salmon, continues.

Gavin Hanke, curator for vertebrate zoology at the Royal B.C. Museum and one of the chief scientists behind the exhibit, said people have developed a kinship with the resident orcas, as the various family groups navigate an increasingly complex world of food supply, pollution, toxins and marine traffic that interfere with communication in their traditional areas.

“People love wolves and grizzly bears, too, and the Biggs [transient] orcas, but they are not coded, named and recognized as individuals,” Hanke said. “The residents are like people. They have names, families, history and that’s what’s so great to see. These are highly intelligent animals and we should appreciate them.”

The three replica orcas also include Slick, or J16, at 49 the oldest female in J-Pod who is still swimming the Salish Sea, and her daughter, Scarlett, or J-50. Scarlett, who died in 2018, made international headlines when the three-year-old was discovered severely underweight. Scientists from Canada and the U.S. tried to feed her salmon and administered antibiotic darts, attempting a capture to provide medical assistance.

Hanke said the replica models were created using years of photographs and measurements taken from drone video. The exhibit also contains the skeletal remains of J-32, or Rhapsody, an 18-year-old pregnant juvenile found dead near Comox in 2014.

Necropsy results indicated Rhapsody died from an infection linked to her near-term fetus. Her body was filled with toxic contaminants often found stored in orcas’ and whales’ blubber, said Hanke.

“The organs, blubber and muscle had to be disposed of in the landfill, in the toxic-waste section, because of the contaminants in her body,” said Hanke.

Rhapsody’s story and skeletal remains — as well as those of her fetus — will be a centrepiece of the museum’s display and bring attention to the plight of the southern residents, said Hanke.

“Her story personally changed me,” said Hanke. “She was eating salmon for 18 years with toxic waste. I gave up fishing, try to grow most of my own food. We drive an electric car now.”

Fewer boats on the water during the pandemic have likely helped the orcas, improving echolocation techniques in finding food. For orcas, heavy boat and freighter traffic is like “being in a pub that’s super noisy. You almost have to yell to be heard,” said Hanke.

He said many whale-watching companies are being responsible and keeping their distance. There are also boaters who are converting to electric motors, and whale-watching land observation posts are being developed.

“A partner in the exhibition, Eagle Wing Tours, often takes people out to view the transient orcas, as opposed to the southern residents,” said Hanke.

The museum’s exhibition is taking a deep dive into the stories and science that surround the apex predator of the oceans. Visitors can explore ecological activism, popular culture and Indigenous beliefs to gain a deeper understanding of how orcas and humans are inextricably connected.

“This is a timely and challenging story — and one that we are uniquely qualified to tell,” said museum board chair and acting CEO Dr. Daniel Muzyka in a statement. “Our unique collections, curatorial expertise, and physical and emotional proximity to orcas and oceans combine in an edifying and ultimately hopeful experience that affirms we are all part of nature — not apart from nature.”

Among the artifacts on display are rare cultural objects by Indigenous artists, including an articulated dance mask by Richard Hunt (Kwaguilth), an intricately carved gold killer whale box by Bill Reid (Haida), and a commissioned painting by Haida manga artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas.

The exhibition includes a companion publication that brings together the work of marine biologists, Indigenous knowledge keepers, poets, artists and storytellers. Spirits of the Coast: Orcas in Science, Art and History is edited by Hanke, Martha Black and Lorne Hammond and available at local bookshops, the Royal Museum Shop and online at rbcm.ca/books.

The exhibition has been designed to travel to other museums during the UNESCO Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The museum is following pandemic safety protocols. To purchase timed tickets, visit rbcm.ca/orcas.

[tyrantisterror]

Godzilla Gang Revised: Atomic Era Parasites and Scavengers

Didn’t expect to do a double update today, but inspiration struck, so let’s complete our prehistoric atomic monster set with the parasites and scavengers!

The Mutos: bizarre even by the standards of their era, these eight legged vertebrates are unlike any other terrestrial species native to earth.  Sporting a single multi-facted eyes, four different jaws, and, it must be stressed, eight limbs, one easily notices how alien these monsters are.  That strangeness extends to a genetic level, as the mutos’ genome is substantially different from any other animal lifeform native to the planet earth that’s been sequenced.  There are three known species of muto: the first discovered showcase extreme sexual dimorphism, with the male Hokmuto being a fraction of the size of its female partner, Femuto, and likewise sporting wings.  Barmuto is very similar to Femuto in shape and size, though its back is covered in bony armored plates instead of a long dorsal fin.  All pale in comparison to the mighty Jinshin Mushi, the kaiju that managed to kill the prehistoric godzillasaur Dagojira, though it succumbed to its wounds and died shortly after.  It was once theorized that Jinshin Mushi was a final adult stage of Femuto, as the Femuto and Hokmuto hatched from eggs laid in Dagojira’s corpse.  This was disproven, though, as the parents of Femuto and Hokmuto were simply opportunistic enough to use the corpse.  All mutos lay their eggs in the corpses of other radiation-eating monsters, so their offspring will have a good meal when they hatch.

Skullcrawlers: though they were discovered on Skull Island, the skullcrawlers predate most of the other kaiju species found on that environment, having originally evolved as scavengers during the Atomic Era.  Skullcrawlers are so named because they augment their natural armor with bones from other kaiju.  When the Atomic Era ended, their food supply dwindled, and it seemed Skull Crawlers were doomed to extinction.  Instead they spent millions of years underground, cannibalizing each other and growing increasingly inbred and unstable as a result.  The skullcrawlers that emerged during the Atomic Ice Age were far more aggressive and malformed than their ancestors, and changed from mild tempered scavengers to hyper-voracious predators.

Megaguirus: a common pest of the Atomic Era was the meganulon, a massive species of dragonfly that drained radiation from kaiju.  Most other kaiju view them as nuisances at worst, but Rodan’s species actively preyed upon them, and the meganulons were almost completely without defense against them.  Almost.  If a large swarm of meganulons gathers enough energy, they can make one of their own undergo an amazing metamorphosis into Megaguirus, a beast equal in size to Rodan and just as deadly.  Megaguirus retains the radiation siphoning powers of her smaller kin, but to a dangerous degree, as she can fully drain the life out of a kaiju if allowed to feed for long enough.  She can also channel excess radiation into a devastating blast, which, combined with her armored hide and impressive flight speed, makes her a powerful foe indeed.

Scyllagon: a strange arthropod kaiju, Scyllagon was a bottom feeder and scavenger that fed upon the corpses of kaiju that fell to the sea floor.  While not an active hunter, the massive invertebrate is still a powerful fighter, as her exoskeleton is particularly dense thanks to her need to survive the pressure of the deep seas.  (Based on Scylla from the Monsterverse.)

Destoroyah: in the atomic era, the creatures that would become Destoroyah were relatively harmless intestinal parasites, feeding off of the radioactive life fluids of larger kaiju.  A colony of such creatures lived inside Godzilla I, and while the oxygen destroyer managed to kill their host, it had a very different effect on the parasites themselves.  Feeding off of the energy released by the kaiju’s disintegrating body, the Destoroyah parasites mutated into immense monsters themselves, merging together with each metamorphosis.  Dozens of aggregate Destoroyahs emerged from Tokyo Bay, ranging in size from two to twenty meters in height.  Eventually they merged into a single flying form Destoroyah, where they were even more formidable.  It took combat with (and radiation drained from) Godzilla II for Destoroyah to achieve its final form, a towering monstrosity that vaguely resembled its former host.  Armed with the ability to spit micro-oxygen (a breath weapon form of the same destructive chemical that powered the Oxygen Destroyer) and a radioactive beam from its horn, Destoroyah’s final form is one of the most dangerous kaiju on record, and almost slew Godzilla II in their first encounter.

Next Time: Titans of the Atomic Ice Age!