westerndigs

[westerndigs]

Having this much fun in a shoot is totally my goal now. If I could just be him, that would be great.

[Video of venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough standing amid vegetation.  On a near-horizontal branch above his head is a brown and yellow greater bird of paradise, about the size of a crow, with big floaty yellow plumage puffing out along its back.]

Bird:  Pwuk.  Pwuk. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  This, surely – Bird (hopping along the branch):  WUKWUKWUkwukwukwukoooh.  Oooh.  Oooh.

[Cut.  Same shot.]

Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  This, surely, is one – Bird:  Kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark kark. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  This, surely –

[Cut.  Same shot but the bird is on the other side now and venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough has his hand on the branch.]

Bird (hopping up and down on venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough’s fingers):  Eh-eh.  Eh-eh.  Eh-urrrr.  Eh-urrrr. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  Close up – Bird (hopping away from him):  Tiktiktiktik.  Tiktiktiktik. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – the plumes – Bird (hopping around):  Huek. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough: – are truly – Bird:  Huek. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – exquisite. Bird:  Huek.  Eh-eh. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  The gauzy – Bird (hopping and spinning on the spot):  HukWUKWUKWukwukoooh.  Oooh. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  …

[Cut.  Same shot but the bird is back on the original side of the branch.]

Bird:  Aark. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  Of course, by the eighteenth century – Bird:  Ehhh. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – naturalists realized that birds of paradise – Bird (hops across to the other side of the branch) Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – did have – Bird (hopping back again):  Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – legs.  Even so – Bird:  WUKWUKWUKWukwukwukooh.

[Cut.  Same shot.] Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough (apparently trying to tickle the bird’s tummy):  – by about the eighteenth century – Bird (hops away and spins round) Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – and so – Bird:  AAAAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK AAAK aaak. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough (wearily):  …  Very well.

[Cut.  Same shot.]

Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – but Karl Linnaeus, the great – Bird (vibrating rapidly on the spot and then flapping its wings):  PWAAAAAAAK. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – classifier of the natural world – Bird:  AAAAAUUUH AAAUUUH AAAUUUH AAAUUUH AAAUUUH AAAUUUH AAAUUUH AAUUH. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – when he came to allocate a scientific name – Bird:  … Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – to this bird – Bird:  … Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – called it – Bird:  Wooo-ooo. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – wooo-ooo – Bird (surveys the surroundings with a dignified turn of the head) Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  ‘paradisia apoda’: the bird of paradise – Bird:  Hoooo. Venerable TV naturalist David Attenborough:  – without legs. Bird:  Eh-eh.

[Close-up of the bird.]

Bird:  WUKWUKWUKWUkwukwukwukwukoooh.  Ooh. Bird:  Ooh.

[Fade to black.]

[westerndigs]

Don't you need a poster that shows the whole story of life on Earth? Of course you do! Lucky for you PBS Eons has one!

[westerndigs]

Chalicotheres were a weird group of odd-toed ungulates, specialized for high-browsing on the leaves of trees – but two separate lineages of them developed very different appearances.

(And there seems to be a familiar-looking image featured in this video!)

[westerndigs]

There’s never a bad time to talk about sex, right? Especially in an evolutionary context?

Here’s me trying to explain how, when, and why sex first became a thing on our planet.

[westerndigs]

Yeah, so you know what’s weird? Earth’s face.

It’s a pretty face and everything, but it’s changed A LOT over the past few billion years. More than we knew even a few years ago.

Check this out, and you’ll see what I mean!

The study of natural history is the study of how the world has changed but Earth itself is in a constant state of flux – because the ground beneath your feet is always moving. 

So if we want to know how we got here, we have to understand how “here” got here. New from Eons!

[westerndigs]

This is the best discussion I’ve ever seen of ... one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. 

So, you should watch it! 

If you don’t, then YOU STOW THAT SHIT, HUDSON!

[westerndigs]

If you’ve ever wanted to see someone being handed their own liver, here’s me on @scishow getting schooled by paleontologist Kallie Moore while @edwardspoonhands looks on, offering no succor. 

[westerndigs]

Put the “fun” back in “fungi” by learning about the time when giant fungi were the tallest living things on land! 

Seriously, you’re gonna want to thank a mushroom once you’ve learned everything that they’ve done for us.

[westerndigs]

New T. Wrecks Shirts on Sale at DFTBA!

Just in time for ... whatever! The new batch of T. Wrecks shirts is in, and from November 24 through November 27, they’re 20% off!

Our best-selling design is available in more colors than ever, and in kids’ sizes too! And your purchase will help me hire a writer to keep the blog alive.

But, I mean, no pressure.

Enjoy and DFTBA!

[westerndigs]

@edwardspoonhands recently pitted me against Kallie on @scishow Quiz Show. Not gonna say who won, but I think my face says it all.

[westerndigs]

In case you missed it!

By looking at the layers beneath our feet, geologists have been able to identify and describe crucial episodes in life’s history. These key events frame the chapters in the story of life on earth and the system we use to bind all these chapters together is the Geologic Time Scale. 

[westerndigs]

Did you remember to set back your geologic clock last weekend?

JK.

But if you want to learn all about geologic time, and take a tour of the entire geologic time scale in just 12 minutes, then you should probably watch this!

[westerndigs]

And another thing! My friends at @scishow have put together all of our greatest hits about the science of dinosaurs into one episode! So grab some snacks and enjoy!

[westerndigs]

Cozy up with some candy and enjoy the longest, funnest (and possibly coolest?) episode of Eons yet ... about the history of dinosaur art!

[westerndigs]

If you don’t happen to know much about the nutty story of whale evolution, you should watch this video about one of the most amazing transitions in mammalian history.

[westerndigs]

Everyone should do this. And It was awesome to see #Eons on there!

Here is the annual Palaeoblr census! 

It’s longer than it used to be but not too long, so PLEASE TAKE THIS if you interact with Palaeoblr in any way! Whether you run a famous Paleontology related blog or just follow one person who posts dinosaur related content, PLEASE take this survey! 

(So, basically, if you see this post, you’re a part of Palaeoblr. We do take into account in the census how active/involved one is, so seriously - it is NOT wrong for you to take this. And the more census participants we have, a better picture of the community we’ll have! So please take this!!!!)

Thank you!!!!!!!! And please reblog!!!!!!

[westerndigs]

You asked for it, internet, and we listened. Enjoy this who?, why? and huh? of the giant arthropods of the Carboniferous!