elegantbuffalo:

The iridium layer, or K/T Boundary

The thin, grey claystone layer contains 1,000 times more iridium (REE) than the layers above and below, along with shocked quartz.  Iridium is extremely rare on Earth, but a very common/abundant element in asteroids.  This layer has been identified in 100+ places around the Earth.

This boundary marks the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

laughingsquid:

Unscientific Diagrams Featuring the Anatomy of Sea Life

(Source: pleatedjeans, via ichthyologist)

fat-birds:

My pet zebra finch bothering me at work by rudolphsteinkampf.

Heee I wish I had a pet to bother me like this!

(via mscrawleys)

After a 16-month gestation period, Kendi delivered her fourth calf Friday, May 4. The healthy male, which has not yet been named, is the ninth white rhino born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; his mother, 13-year-old, Kendi, was the first. (via zooborns)

(via theylooklikebigstronghands)

paleoillustration:

Postosuchus illustration by Christian Jegou | And I must add this surprisingly good Postosuchus rubber toy (I look forward for Stella’s critique).

From BBC Nature:

A cousin of modern crocodiles, Postosuchus was an archosaur - the lineage of reptiles that include the crocodiles, dinosaurs and birds. Reaching lengths of five metres, Postosuchus was the top predator during the Late Triassic in what’s now the southern USA. Since its front limbs were shorter than its hind limbs, there is debate as to whether it walked on two legs or four, but most palaeontologists favour the latter. Its stance, with the legs under the body, would have made it a faster and more efficient runner than a modern crocodile. Most Postosuchus fossils have been found in Texas’ Post quarry, hence the name.

Let me just confess my love for Postosuchus right here.

(via gastornis)

therhumboogie:

By Adrián Villar Rojas, a most fascinating environmental sculpture, a to scale blue whale situated in Ushuaia, Ukraine. The subtle addition of the tree stumps to make it look like it is already being assimilated by nature, brilliant touch.

Humanity and nature become one in these beautiful metamorphic illustrations.

“It’s easy to regard humankind as a species that exists apart from the rest of the natural world. Dwell on that idea too much, however, and it can grow into an unsettling feeling of detachment.”

“The next time you’re feeling isolated from nature, let these breathtaking illustrations, which seamlessly weave the bodies of humans with those of plants and other animals, serve as a compelling reminder that even when humanity and nature seem separated from one another, the two are, in fact, inextricably linked.”

“The pieces you see here are the work of Madrid-based artist Gabriel Moreno, who created them using an arresting combination of pen, ink and watercolor. What’s really mindblowing is how much detail Moreno manages to include in every illustration. It’s difficult to see in the pictures as they appear here, but many of his pieces are actually several square meters in area. Using finely crafted line work to depict images at such a large scale allows for a variety of aesthetic features to emerge depending on your proximity to the piece. The first two images illustrate this attention to detail particularly well.”

You’ll find more of Moreno’s work on his website and facebook page. (via io9.com)