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Hi! Some of these examples might not hit your questions exactly, but they are things that have baffles scientists in the past and perhaps might still. I think you’ll find them all interesting.This little white cub from 2016 was said to “baffle” scientists, but I say it’s likely to be an albino. There, problem solved!Baboons' Bizarre Behavior Baffles Dutch ZooAugust, 2013A group of baboons have baffled staff at a Dutch zoo by turning their backs on visitors and huddling together in fear. The entire colony, apparently frightened by something, spent several days sitting in trees and rocks, and turned their backs to their visitors.Zoologists had never before seen anything like their behavior either in captivity or in the wild. The 112 baboons, all born in captivity, were hysterical and behaving strangely. After a few days, they were back to their normal behavior.Possible theories were: 1) a predator (maybe a snake) seen only by the baboons, 2) a frightening image on a visitors t-shirt, or 3) an earthquake or other natural disaster detected only the the baboon colony. The craziest idea was a UFO.Mass Hysteria in Baboons at Dutch Zoo Remains a MysteryWhat IS this mystery mummy? 'Extinct' predator with ferocious fangs and a whip-like tail is found in a Turkish basementBizarre predator was discovered in an old cellar in Niğde, TurkeyExperts said the animal may be prehistoric, but it hasn't been identifiedIt could also be a cat as there's evidence of feline mummies in the regionMailOnline has asked numerous institutions for identificationPublished February, 2016With sharp fangs, saggy skin and a whip-like tail, a mysterious mummified animal discovered in Turkey has left experts baffled.The bizarre predator was discovered in an old cellar and it remains to be identified by natural history experts in the country.Archaeologists have theorised the animal may be prehistoric, while others believe it could be some kind of cat, based on its mighty incisors.With its ferocious fangs (pictured), saggy skin and whip-like tail, a mysterious mummy discovered in Turkey has baffled experts. The bizarre predator was discovered in an old cellar and remains to be identifiedDr Lidija McKnight, an Egyptologist and expert in animal mummies at the University of Manchester told MailOnline: 'It looks like one of the naturally mummified cats we find in Britain -bricked up in chimneys - for example.'The tarsel/carpel bones look long which is diagnostic of feline species.'The strange mummy is said to measure 3ft (one metre) long from its nose to the tip of its tail.Dr McKnight said: 'One metre is quite long, but if it's a species of wild cat for example, they can be much larger than domesticates.'The teeth are a bit weird, but if the soft tissues have record through the desiccation process, they may just look more pronounced.'The rigid creature was recovered from a solid rock basement beneath the home of locksmith Abudllah Ozturk, from Niğde, which lies in the central Anatolia region of the country.He has since put the remains on display in the window of his shop, after experts failed to identify the animal.He told local media: 'I called two archaeologist friends who came and examined the skeleton.'They told me that it belongs to a very old species which is probably extinct but they couldn't identify it and they didn't know which species it belonged to.'Archaeologists have theorised the animal (pictured) may be prehistoric, while others believe it could be some kind of cat, based on the shape of its head and incisors. It could alternatively be a hoaxThe rigid creature was recovered from a solid rock basement beneath the home of locksmith Abudllah Ozturk, from Niğde (marked on the map) which lies in the central Anatolia region of the countryDr Aydin Topcu, Natural History professor at Niğde University, said: 'We are examining pictures of the skeleton and it seems to be a carnivore.'But we need more time conduct further tests.'After the examinations we will be able to tell what species it belongs to and of which period of time it is.'But creature's skull and the history of the area suggests it s likely a cat.This is because there is a history of cats being mummified - as well as children - in Anatolia between the 10th and 13th centuries.The strange mummy (pictured) is said to measure 3ft (one metre) from its nose to the tip of its tail. The shape of the creature's skull and protruding fangs suggests it may be a catThere is a history of cats being mummified in Anatolia between the 10th and 13th centuries. It is thought the tradition may stretch back much further and was inspired by practices in Ancient Egypt where cats were mummified for the cat-headed goddess, Bastet. A cat skeleton is picturedMUMMIFCATION OF CATSThe shape of the creature's skull and protruding fangs suggests it may be a cat.There is a history of cats being mummified in Anatolia between the 10th and 13th centuries.It is thought the tradition may stretch back much further and was inspired by practices in Ancient Egypt where cats were mummified for the cat-headed goddess, Bastet.Bastet was the goddess of warfare and was depicted as part lioness, part domestic cat.Cats were revered in Ancient Egypt, partly due to their ability to combat vermin such as mice which threatened food supplies.It is thought the unusual tradition may stretch back much further and was inspired by practices in Ancient Egypt where cats were also mummified for the cat-headed goddess, Bastet.Bastet was the goddess of warfare and was depicted as part lioness, as well as domestic cat.Cats were revered in Ancient Egypt, partly due to their ability to combat vermin such as mice, rats, which threatened food supplies – as well as cobras.Cats of royalty were, in some instances, known to be dressed in golden jewellery and were allowed to eat from their owners' plates.The tradition may have come to Anatolia from Egypt, Hurriyet Daily Newsreported.The bones of cats were used to send a message to the gods.However, it is not clear whether the mummified animal of Niğde was wrapped in bandages, like many Egyptian cat mummies were.Abudllah Ozturk told local media: 'I called two archaeologist friends who came and examined the skeleton. 'They told me that it belongs to a very old species which is probably extinct. But they couldn't identify it and they didn't know which species it belonged to.'Oldest Animal Cave Painting Baffles Evolutionary AnthropologistsHow did cave art of animals appear on opposite sides of the world at the same time?What’s being called the oldest cave painting of an animal has been dated by evolutionary anthropologists at a minimum of 40,000 years old. The baffling thing is that similar cave art in Europe dates to roughly the same time period, 37,000 years. And that’s not the only conundrum for evolutionary dates: later cave paintings on the same wall, overlapping the “oldest” ones, they date at 20,000 years and 4,000 years, respectively. The paper, published by Aubert et al in Nature, “Paleolithic Cave Art in Borneo,” ends:It is now evident that rock art emerges in Borneo at around the same time as the earliest forms of artistic expression appear in Europe in association with the arrival of modern humans (45,000–43,000 calibrated years bp). Thus, similar cave art traditions appear to arise near-contemporaneously in the extreme west and extreme east of Eurasia. Whether this is a coincidence, the result of cultural convergence in widely separated regions, large-scale migrations of a distinct Eurasian population or another cause remains unknown.Let’s briefly consider their four options:Coincidence: this is no explanation at all. It’s the same as saying, “stuff happens.”Cultural convergence: same as #1.Large-scale migrations of a distinct Eurasian population: migration is plausible, but one would expect travelers on foot to leave many similar cave paintings along the way.Another cause: same as #1.Un-Human TimelineThe article on Live Science by Laura Geggel repeats the authors’ contention that the art was made in three phases wildly separated in time, by tens of thousands of years — much longer than the entire history of recorded civilization. There is a little bit of progression in subject matter, but not that much:1. “The first phase, which dates to between 52,000 and 40,000 years ago, includes hand stencils and reddish-orange ochre-drawn animals,” Geggel claims. At that time, the island of Borneo was connected to the mainland, according to long-age geology.2. “A major change happened to the culture during the icy Last Glacial Maximum about 20,000 years ago, which led to a new style of rock art — one that focused on the human world. The artists in this phase favored a dark mulberry-purple color and painted hand stencils, abstract signs and human-like figures wearing elaborate headdresses and engaging in various activities, such as hunting or ritualistic dancing, the researchers said.” And yet the hand stencils appear virtually identical to the older ones just inches away, which they claim were made at least 20,000 years before that.“We don’t know if these [different types of cave art] are from two different groups of humans, or if it represents the evolution of a particular culture,” Aubert said.3. “The final phase of rock art includes humanlike figures, boats and geometric designs that were mostly drawn with black pigments, the researchers said.” They claim these are 4,000 years old, when Neolithic (stone age) farmers moved into the region. The island of Borneo was separated from the Malay peninsula by at least 330 miles long before that, according to the story.The scientists used uranium-thorium dating of calcite deposits in the cave to make their timeline, extracting microscopic bits of it for dating. But given their results, they have no idea how to reconcile the long ages and “convergent” features so widely separated temporally and geographically. Scientists can always use humor for relief of bafflement caused by incredulity, by restating their dogma with a smile. Phys.org quips,“That’s very cool, from a human point of view,” said Peter Veth, an archaeologist at the University of Western Australia, who was not involved in the study. “People adopted similar strategies in different environments as they became more modern.“The cave paintings were known since 1994, Live Science says, but were not radiometrically dated till now. The ochre bull painting is about 5 feet wide, showing good representation of musculature and form. The same kind of bull lives in Borneo today. As in Europe, the earliest cave art is of higher quality than the more recent drawings, which portray humans as simple stick-figures.To see how ridiculous the evolutionists’ tale is, let’s recreate it with friends you know. Remember, the evolutionists are talking about fully modern humans making this art: modern Homo sapiens, with all the brain power and physical features we have, and probably less corrupted than ours because of our civilized lifestyles. Let’s assume four generations per century.The story begins with people like you, before civilization, hunting and gathering and eating and sleeping. A few of them find a cave one day and decide to make hand prints on the wall. Another one draws a bull he had just slaughtered for the cave cookout. They go home, hunt, gather, grow old, and die. Their children hunt, gather, grow old, and die. Johnny gets so fed up with this tedious life, he asks mom and dad, “I’m so bored! Can’t we make a hut and plant some of these vegetables instead of walking so far to find them?” Two hundred centuries pass. In that time, 800 generations do nothing but hunt, gather, grow old, and die. Their land gradually separates from the mainland and becomes an island.Finally, someone goes into the same cave, finds the hand prints, and decides to make more, using a different color. His friends etch some silly stick figures next to the prints and draw funny hair on top. They laugh and go home, and continue to hunt, gather, grow old, and die. More hundreds of generations pass. Susy is so fed up with this tedious life, she asks, “Can’t I have a pony for my birthday?” Johnny the Thousandth asks his parents, “Can’t I get a video game for a change? I’m sick of this life!” After 640 more generations have passed, someone enters the very same cave and draws more figures, which are not any better artistically than the first ones. Then something amazing happens. Poof!Civilization!Who can believe this myth? We know what humans do. We know they are creative, inventive, and motivated to improve their lives. Why doesn’t anybody in the media stare down the scientists who write these silly tales and tell them, “Your story is incredible! Nobody could ever fall for it.” Why is there no critical thinker in the media questioning these vast eons where nothing interesting happens, but then civilization appears almost by magic? Here’s why: Darwin needs the time.The Biblical story is so much more lifelike. It feels exactly like what we know to be true about human nature. Just a few thousand years ago, people with fallen natures but the image of God in them want to unite and build a tower, to make a name for themselves. When their plan is thwarted, they go their separate ways, each with complex languages. A few struggle to survive in harsh environments, but villages, towns, and cities emerge rapidly. Ambitious men decide to gain power, and become kings and dictators, waging war on each other. They get more creative at war over time. Others use their creativity for nobler purposes. It’s just like the Bible says.But what about the radiometric dating? No dating method comes without assumptions. When you take microscopic bits of calcite out of a cave, with possibilities for contamination and erosion of your samples, and use decay rates that we have only measured for a little over a century, can you really speak with confidence about happenings that are orders of magnitude longer? Has anyone experienced 40,000 years, let alone millions? Remember, these ages are being told by the same fallible people who want you to believe their story about the hand prints being made hundreds of generations apart.Scientists are good at measuring repeatable things in the lab, but they don’t know everything about the distant past. They weren’t there, and not one of them has ever experienced 100 years, let alone 40,000. Here’s a case where the man on the street who has common sense about human nature could be a better judge of which story is more plausible, if the two stories were told side by side without jargon.Lizards with bright green blood baffle scientistsBy Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD May 17 2018A species of lizards has been found to have bright green blood. Researchers in their study published this Tuesday said that this finding could provide understanding in illnesses such as malaria and jaundice. The study was published in Science Advances.Prehensile Tailed Skinks (Corucia zebrata), Image Credit: Yury Nevalenny / ShutterstockThe team of researchers came across these foot long skinks (genus Prasinohaema) found in New Guinea, an island off of Australia. These lizards have bright green blood, body, mucosa, mouths etc. Chris Austin, a biologist at Louisiana State University, has been studying these unique lizards for nearly 10 years now. Austin said that there is a large amount of green pigment in the lizard’s blood. This pigment overshadows the red blood cells and changes the colour of the blood. The lizards have green bones, muscles, tongues, mucosa and tissues. This green is contributed by biliverdin. Biliverdin is a toxic waste product of the body that is released in bile and excreted in stool in all animals. Biliverdin is produced when the red blood cells are broken down. In humans an equivalent is bilirubin that when accumulated leads to jaundice.The researchers led by Zachary Rodriguez, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University, noted that at the levels of biliverdin that should have killed the lizards, these can live and perform their functions normally. This is a baffling find. More than one species of lizards have shown this tolerance for rising levels of biliverdin. Austin and his colleagues including Rodriguez and Susan Perkins, curator and professor at the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics and the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, then went on to look at the DNA of 51 species of Australasian skinks. Of these six species had green blood. These green blooded lizards were not even related to each other and had their green blood as the only common factor.The study results showed that the ancestors of the lizards had red blood. The green blood developed in separate lineages and four times independently. Austin explained that there is a “scenario of four independent origins of green blood,” which they would confirm with genetic work. The reason why these lizards prefer to be green is not yet known they say. They speculate that it could be to keep predators at bay making the lizards bad to taste. This was however negated when they tried to offer these green lizards to birds and the birds ate them up. Austin even went further to taste both the lizards himself and found that they tasted the same!The team then speculated that the green could be a good camouflage. But this theory also did not work because they noted that several red blooded lizards were also green and some green blooded lizards were not green. They also speculated that this green blood could be protecting them from malaria. This is being studied at present Austin said. Austin also said that there are several other species of fish and frogs that have similar green blood. Altogether the presence of green blood remains rare in the animal kingdom they write.Mysterious Purple Orb BAFFLES Scientists [VIDEO]June 5, 2019Scientists aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus were stumped when they stumbled upon a small purple orb tucked halfway under a rock off the coast of California. The dark purple blob has become a marine mystery and scientists still aren’t entirely sure what it is they were observing. Their best guess is that it is a gastropod called a pleurobranch—and potentially a new species.“None of the known species of California pleurobranch are purple,” Susan Poulton, a spokeswoman for the E/V Nautilus expedition commented.The oddball creature is about 2 inches across. When scientists brought it onboard in July off of Arguello Canyon, it unfurled its two lobes. A live video featured captured the discovery. You can watch as the cameras scan the muddy ocean floor, observing clams and crabs, when suddenly the mysterious purple blob comes into view.The researches decided to collect the creature and have since sent the organism to the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology for analysis. They also obtained samples for RNA analysis and have plans to conduct DNA analysis as well.“Confirming it’s a new species will take considerable months,” Poulton added, noting that it is relatively unusual for the ship to discover a completely new species. More often, the Nautilus researches find organisms in areas they didn’t know life existed. It’s possible the purple orb is well know elsewhere but has never been in California waters before.The Nautilus is operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit organization founded by oceanographer Robert Ballard. The vessel has been exploring the Pacific Ocean since May of last year. The research team broadcasts its activities at Nautilus Live and scientists throughout the country tune in.“We sort of sail with a science team of hundreds,” Poulton commented.Mysterious purple ocean orb starts to reveal its secretsScientists get a closer look at a strange purple sphere found in the ocean and have some ideas about its origins.AMANDA KOOSERJULY 28, 2016The purple orb actually has two lobes.Ocean Exploration TrustEverybody loves a good mystery.Researchers with the Exploration Vessel Nautilus peered down through a camera at the ocean floor in mid-July and found something very odd there. A bright-purple sphere glowed in the camera's light. Scientific curiosity kicked in and the researchers suctioned up the strange creature for a closer look. Now they're sharing the latest information on the discovery.The Nautilus team initially thought the critter might be a nudibranch, a type of soft-bodied marine mollusk. Current thinking is that it could actually be a close relation called a pleurobranch."Pleurobranchs have rhinophores (ear-like structures) in a particular location and a gill under the emantle on the right side, but we are still determining if this is present on this sample. Currently none of the known species of California deep-sea pleurobranchs are purple, so this could be a new discovery," the team said on its website Wednesday.The orb was found in Arguello Canyon, an underwater canyon west of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Southern California. It was living at a depth of 5,301 feet (1,616 meters). It's only about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in size. Researchers sent samples of the creature to the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology for further identification work.Now playing: Purple orb at the bottom of the ocean baffles scientistsCloseup photos of the purple orb show a more complex creature than could originally be seen on underwater video. It's not just a single sphere but seems to have a couple of lobes, making it look a bit like a sci-fi alien brain. There's also a slug-like part of the creature, which fits with the pleurobranch idea. Pleurobranchs are a type of sea slug.The Nautilus is funded by the Ocean Exploration Trust, an organization dedicated to studying the scientific wonders of the seafloor. The Nautilus is a high-tech floating laboratory that aims to "explore areas of the ocean that have never been explored before, seeking out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, archaeology, and chemistry." Think of it as the USS Enterprise of ocean vessels.The Nautilus team isn’t rushing to conclusions: "It could possibly take years for scientists to definitively determine whether it's a newly discovered species!"March 29, 2017: Mysterious purple orb finally identifiedScientists have finally identified a mysterious purple orb found 1.5km below the surface of the ocean off the Californian coast 10 months ago.The crew of the Exploration Vessel Nautilus were immediately drawn to the almost luminescent object when they spotted it during an observation mission in an underwater canyon off the US state's southern coast."I’m stumped, I have no idea. I can’t even hazard a guess," said one of the crewmembers off camera as they attempted to retrieve the unknown spherical object.A vacuum hose sucked the orb into a catchment on board the vessel as the crew began to hypothesise what it could be as creature unfolded.The group originally thought they had found a variant of the sea slug until extensive research by a team at Harvard University and the Museum of Comparative Zoology discovered the creature is likely a new species of snail.Research will continue to examine the creature in hopes of learning more about it and others like it lurking in the depths of the ocean.Sea Star Die-off Baffles ScientistsBrendan D. Bane, December, 2014Stars of Santa Cruz ocean go missingTide pools along Santa Cruz beaches are rich with marine life. Peer into the pools and you’ll see dark olive crabs darting between crevices and clambering over purple urchins and gelatinous anemones to find protection.But one creature familiar to the same tide pools, the starfish, may be becoming less common. The multi-legged invertebrates, known to scientists as “sea stars,” are disappearing up and down the West Coast, thanks to a disease known simply as “sea star wasting syndrome” which has recently swept across Pacific shores. Leaving the withered remains of millions of sea stars in its wake, the disease may spread to the next generation of sea stars that is taking the place of the first wave of dead stars. While the disease is still largely a mystery, scientists just identified a candidate virus that could provide answers.Scientists from across the country just released strong evidence that the disease is caused by a microbe known as densovirus. Their study was published Dec. 2 in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.“We are absolutely confident that a virus-sized organism is responsible for the disease,” says Hewson, who led the study that uncovered the candidate virus. When his team transplanted the densovirus from infected to healthy stars, the same symptoms emerged. They even looked at preserved stars from 72-year-old museum collections and found traces of the virus, suggesting that it had lain dormant all this time.Hewson found multiple viruses dwelling within the tissues of afflicted stars. But densovirus was the only one capable of infecting healthy animals (in essence, using them as hosts), and he regards it as the most likely cause of the disease.Anyone who happens to come across a star stricken with wasting disease should avoid eating while watching the sickness unfold (or plan on skipping their next meal). Gruesome symptoms appear quickly, beginning with lesions that crop up around their bodies. The whole animal may take on a deflated appearance. In some cases, the star’s internal organs begin to dribble forth from its open wounds. Then its arms start falling off. In just a few days, the once-efficient predator deliquesces into disorganized pulp. (Remember when Major Toht’s face melts off in Raiders of the Lost Ark?)But wasting syndrome is not new. Stars in Santa Cruz began showing signs of disease last year.“All UCSC tide pool monitoring sites in the Monterey Bay area have been greatly impacted,” says UCSC researcher Melissa Redfield. The university’s wasting syndrome webpage features maps showing where the disease has spread, with several dots peppered around Natural Bridges and on the wharf, too.Large die-offs have happened before, with some events affecting as few as one species of sea star. But what’s happening today is more severe.“The current event is far more geographically widespread and affects a much wider diversity of sea stars than in previous years,” says biological oceanographer Ian Hewson of Cornell University, who studies the cause behind the mysterious disease. “The current event, which has occurred in 20 species of sea stars and counting, from Anchorage [Alaska] to Baja California, is by far the largest marine disease event ever seen.”The first cases of this most recent outbreak were recorded on the Washington coast in June 2013. From there, the disease spread in both directions. It hit Vancouver, British Columbia two months later. Sea stars in Monterey began dying off by October.But this outbreak is different, and there may be other causes behind its pervasiveness, explains UCSC researcher Melissa Miner. Because so many sea star species are afflicted and the disease’s onset has been so sudden, there’s still plenty left to investigate.“The discovery of the virus that is associated with sick and sometimes healthy-appearing stars is a good first step,” writes Miner via email, “but it by no means tells the complete story.” She suggests that links between environmental factors and the outbreak may exist, but the relationship is not yet clear.Miner and her colleagues have hypothesized that a number of factors may inhibit a sea star’s ability to fight the virus, just as stress may reduce any person’s ability to fight sickness.“At this point we know the virus is associated with sick sea stars,” adds Miner, “but it has also been found in stars that superficially appear healthy. We don’t understand the cause of the disease, but suspect that other factors are involved (e.g. temperature, pollution, pH) that could be decreasing sea stars’ ability to fight the virus.”Citizen scientists are pitching in, too, as volunteer high school students and divers scour the coast to share their observations with researchers.“The information provided by recreational divers, snorkelers and folks in the intertidal has been useful in figuring out which species are being affected and where,” says Hewson.The data will tell researchers how marine communities respond to the die-off, which will inform future studies. Citizens and scientists alike are already observing juvenile sea stars moving into the vacant real estate.“In a few areas,” writes Miner, “we’re seeing large numbers of juvenile stars that, if they survive, would mitigate the recent loss of adults.” These young stars are popping up in Santa Cruz and Big Sur, but they, too, show signs of disease.Subsequent generations may grow resistant, but only time will tell if they can adapt. With a potential virus identified and so many eyes in the water, scientists may be able to predict how new stars will fare.“Sea stars will probably not be wiped out entirely by this disease,” says Hewson, “though they will become rarer. Hopefully their populations will increase slowly as resistance to the virus amongst the sea star population grows, or pathogens become less lethal.”The sea star die-off could have ramifications throughout the tide pool, too.Some star species bear a lot of weight on their spiny, calcified shoulders. As ecological linchpins in marine food webs, certain sea stars keep mussel or urchin populations in check. When they disappear from the environment, those animals can grow wildly abundant, sometimes throwing the balance into biological disarray.When one animal bears greater influence on its ecosystem than others, ecologists call that organism a “keystone species”—a phrase that actually comes from studying sea stars. Zoologist Robert T. Paine coined the concept in 1969 after studying the Ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, one of the many species afflicted by wasting syndrome. Paine dedicated 25 years to removing the Ochre star from a tidal plain on Tatoosh Island, Washington. When the Ochre stars were gone, mussels dominated the ecosystem. Not all sea stars are keystone species, though. Some disappearances may lead to only mild changes in the ecosystem composition.Sea stars in Southern California are dying in droves from mysterious diseaseA sea star at Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach has lost three arms, possibly as a result of wasting disease.Jed Kim | April 3, 2014A mysterious disease that has been killing massive numbers of sea stars along the West Coast is now firmly entrenched in Southern California waters.“Other than perhaps some of the islands, where it hasn’t ravaged yet, it’s pretty clearly throughout Southern California at this point,” said Pete Raimondi, a researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz who has been leading efforts to track the disease's spread.The illness, commonly referred to as "sea star wasting disease" targets several species of sea star, including most major ones found along the West Coast. Though its effects vary among species, it is often lethal, causing some species to disintegrate and liquify into bacterial goop within days.Scientists do not yet know what is causing the widespread illness, which has been seen in populations stretching up into Alaska. A similar wasting disease seen in the 1980s was tied to warmer water temperatures caused by an El Niño weather system. That is most likely not the case in the current outbreak since an El Niño has not occurred in several years.“We’re in unchartered waters in lots of ways. We’re in the middle of a disease the likes of which we haven’t seen before, meaning the spatial extent and the movement from north to south. It’s apparently unassociated with warming water, which other kind of events have typically been associated with," Raimondi said.Difficult to diagnoseIan Hewson first heard of sea star die-offs in the Pacific Ocean last summer, but he said he really started paying attention when public aquariums in Seattle and Vancouver began losing their sea stars."They’d been in captivity for 30 years, and they died in the space of about 24 hours. That’s when I sort of realized that there was something going on there, that there was potentially some form of waterborne pathogen or some other disease agent," Hewson said. "And that’s basically when I swung into action.”Hewson is a microbial oceanographer at Cornell University and is part of a collaborative effort to determine the nature and extent of the disease. He said it's difficult to know whether the disease is caused by bacteria, a virus or another pathogen in the environment. Part of the problem is sea stars move seawater into and out of their bodies."That actually makes it more complicated to look from a microbial standpoint, because seawater has itself naturally about a million bacteria per [millileter] and about 10 million viruses per [millileter], and sorting out what’s naturally there [and] is not involved in the disease, with what is involved in the disease is somewhat of a challenge," Hewson said.Hewson said he and other researchers are monitoring potential pathogens and are working to better understand their incubation periods."We’ve been doing that now for several weeks — in a couple cases, for a couple months — and it’s very difficult to say when we’ll have a definitive answer,” he said.Tracking lossesLast Saturday, Jayson Smith, a marine conservation ecologist at Cal Poly Pomona was at Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach, along with other researchers and students from his school and California State University--Fullerton. They were performing a biannual count of marine organisms living in the intertidal zone.Smith said that the last time they surveyed the spot, they tallied up 111 sea stars."We surveyed in the summer and fall and really didn’t see very many affected sea stars at all, you know, one percent, zero percent at most of the sites," Smith said. "We actually thought we were going to escape it. And then when January, early February came around, we just got hit really hard, and we’ve lost probably 95 percent of our sea stars."At the end of the day on Saturday, Smith and the others had found 11 sea stars, four of which were exhibiting signs of infection. Despite that, he said the low numbers were actually a welcome sight."Clearly it’s not the high abundances that it used to be, but it is positive sign that there are some here, because that’s more than I’ve seen in other places," Smith said.The next day, Smith and his crew found no sea stars at Shaws Cove, a spot where they had previously counted about 400.Tiny silver liningsAs bleak as the widespread die-offs have been, some researchers are excited by the research opportunity they bring. Sea stars are the dominant predators in many marine ecosystems, and Raimondi said that their absence will allow scientists to test predictions about their role in marine environments. It will also allow them to observe the ways in which sea stars return to their habitats."Will it be patchy everywhere? Will it sweep up and down the coast? Will there be a delay? All those kinds of things will give us a lot of information about how changes — either anthropogenic or natural disturbances — are likely to affect systems in the future," Raimondi said. "That will be really important information.”Most of those effects will take years of careful observation to understand, but some new discoveries already seem to be exhibiting themselves. Raimondi said that he'd received reports this week that baby sea stars have been seen in some areas that have lost their adult sea stars to the wasting disease."It’s very exciting to see these new guys. We don’t know if it’s symptomatic or whether it’s isolated. But it’s better than not seeing them at all. That’s for sure," Raimondi said.Raimondi said that such an appearance of baby sea stars is uncommon and that he and other scientists will try to understand what is causing it. His group already tracks reports from citizen scientists on instances of wasting disease that they find. He said he's hoping beach goers will begin contributing sightings of young sea stars."If people start seeing babies, then we would love to know about that,” Raimondi said.White tiger’s celibacy baffles Jharkhand zoo officialsJULY 23, 2006By Indo Asian News ServiceRanchi, July 23 (IANS)Zoo officials in Jharkhand’s Bokaro city are baffled by the behaviour of a white tiger, which is maintaining celibacy during the mating season.The mating season of tigers will end soon but the white tiger at the Jawaharlal Nehru Zoological Park in Bokaro is not allowing any female to even come near him. Zoo officials have been trying to allure the white to interact with a female but in vain. ‘When the female tiger chosen for mating is taken near the white tiger, he starts gnashing his large teeth. He also starts chewing the tail of the tigress in anger,’ said an official.‘We are also trying to create an environment so that the tiger falls in love with the tigress,’ he added. Despite all these efforts, the white tiger is maintaining his celibacy and becoming more aggressive towards the tigress. The zoo officials are now thinking of putting the tigress in the same cell with the white tiger. ‘We want to put them in one cell. But it could be dangerous. They can fight and may kill each other. We cannot take such risks without consulting experts. We are taking experts’ opinion on this,’ the zoo official said.The Bokaro zoological park has three lions, four tigers and four leopards. The zoo officials are keeping a close watch on the big cats as babesiosis disease has claimed the lives of five big cats, including four tigers in Birsa Munda Zoological Park in Ranchi.April 2011'Naked' penguins baffle expertsWildlife Conservation Society and others discover chicks with feather-loss disorder in Argentina and South AfricaResearchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Washington, and other groups are grappling with a wildlife mystery: Why are some penguin chicks losing their feathers?The appearance of "naked" penguins--afflicted with what is known as feather-loss disorder--in penguin colonies on both sides of the South Atlantic in recent years has scientists puzzled as to what could be causing the condition.A study on the disorder appears in a recent edition of the journal Waterbirds. The authors of the paper are: Olivia J. Kane, Jeffrey R. Smith, and P. Dee Boersma of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Washington; Nola J. Parsons and Vanessa Strauss of the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds; and Pablo Garcia-Borboroglu and Cecilia Villanueva of Centro Nacional Patagónico."Feather-loss disorders are uncommon in most bird species, and we need to conduct further study to determine the cause of the disorder and if this is in fact spreading to other penguin species," said Boersma, who has conducted studies on Magellanic penguins for more than three decades.The feather-loss disorder first emerged in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006, when researchers for the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) first observed the disorder in African (or black-footed) penguins in a rehabilitation center. During that year, approximately 59 percent of the penguin chicks at the facility lost their feathers, followed by 97 percent of the chicks at the facility in 2007, and 20 percent of the chicks in 2008. Chicks with feather-loss disorder, it was discovered, took longer to grow to a size deemed suitable for release into the wild. The chicks eventually began growing new feathers.One the other side of the South Atlantic, researchers from WCS and the University of Washington observed feather-loss disorder in the chicks of wild Magellanic penguins (closely related to African penguins) for the first time in 2007 in four different study sites along Argentina's coastline. Researchers also noted that while feathered chicks sought out shade in the hot midday sun, featherless chicks remained in the sun's glare. Several of the chicks with feather-loss disorder died during the study.In both instances, penguin chicks with feather-loss disorder grew more slowly than feathered chicks. Featherless chicks were also smaller in size and weight than feathered chicks; both disparities were due to the increased energy spent in thermoregulation in the absence of an insulating coat of feathers and/or down. So far, the possible causes include pathogens, thyroid disorders, nutrient imbalances, or genetics."The recent emergence of feather-loss disorder in wild bird populations suggests that the disorder is something new," said Mariana Varese, Acting Director of WCS's Latin America and Caribbean Program. "More study of this malady can help identify the root cause, which in turn will help illuminate possible solutions.""We need to learn how to stop the spread of feather-loss disorder, as penguins already have problems with oil pollution and climate variation," said Boersma. "It's important to keep disease from being added to the list of threats they face."Naked penguins? Feather loss baffles scientistsRare migration of butterflies from Meru to Embu baffles scientists and residentsTrees showing defoliation after caterpillar invasion in Chuka. Scientists have raised the alarm over the migration of butterflies from Meru to Embu, a phenomenon that has baffled residents.IN SUMMARYThe insects belong to a species called Sallya boisduvali in the family Nymphalidae.Unlike most other migrations, this species was reported to breed along its path, helping to keep the numbers high.Staff from the invertebrate zoology section of NMK visited Chuka on April 2, 2016 to collect specimen.Motorists have claimed that the migrating butterflies have made visibility low.Scientists have raised the alarm over the migration of butterflies from Meru to Embu, a phenomenon that has baffled residents.The insects belong to a species called Sallya boisduvali in the family Nymphalidae, the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) announced Wednesday.A statement from NMK public relations officer Juliana Ruto said the migration of "members of this family is not as common as those of another family called Pieridae.""These are normally the whitish/yellowish species pretty well known by Kenyans.“Sallya boisduvali may have migrated before but there exists no record of this happening in Kenya," she said, quoting NMK research scientists. She added: "This may therefore be the very first record of it in Kenya." She said butterfly experts have, however, seen the species migrate in Ethiopia "many" years ago.She said the migration has been happening between Meru and Runyenjes in numbers that have baffled residents. She said butterfly experts have, however, seen the species migrate in Ethiopia "many" years ago.She said the migration has been happening between Meru and Runyenjes in numbers that have baffled residents.MOVE EAST TO WEST"The general direction of migration was from West to East and normally in the hottest time of the day.“Motorists have claimed that the migrating butterflies have made visibility low," Ms Ruto said.Unlike most other migrations, this species was reported to breed along its path, helping to keep the numbers high."Thousands of larvae and pupae were observed on a particular species of tree.“It has since been identified in the herbarium department of the museum as Sapium sp. in the family Euphorbiaceae.“The affected trees appear dry, something that has annoyed many farmers," she said.She said staff from the invertebrate zoology section of NMK visited Chuka on April 2, 2016 to collect specimen as well as report on the migration.Collections were done in Giampampo in Chuka, Ms Ruto said.Bizzare squid in the Gulf of Mexico baffles marine biologistsA bizarre squid has managed to deceive a marine expert and baffle marine biologists. They say the mysterious squid could be a new creature from the deep sea. The scientists seized this strange squid from the Gulf of Mexico and capture their behavior through a camera.The video showed that the squid had contorted in such a peculiar way that it hardly looked like a normal squid. The squid had unusually shorter arms and had no tentacles, which is considered a defining characteristic of all squid. Mike Vecchione, a research zoologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), called the contorted cephalopod the strangest squid he has ever seen. The squid seemed to be bent and inverted.The Okeanos Explorer team, a research vessel run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, discovered this unusual squid while diving in the sea. The immersion will take place from April 11 to May 3 and its main objective is to investigate the deep water habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, from the Okeanos explorer, scientists send remote-controlled vehicles (ROVs) to the waters to capture high-resolution images and videos of marine communities and also to map the geography of deep-sea marine habitats. sea.Recently, the Okeanos mission shared a video on YouTube that showed a bizarre squid drifting face down to a depth of about 2,790 feet (850 meters), in the water near an underwater mound. The squid was fully bent or had been squeezed into a defensive position, although its four limbs were extended outward. Vecchione said that the crouched defensive posture is common in squid, this bizarre squid snuggled to the extreme and therefore no one could call it squid. "It did not look like any squid I had seen, until we started to get closer and the animal started to spin around," Vecchione said.Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut said: "This one looks more like a vampire squid in color, but then it has this completely strange body pattern that left me totally dumbfounded. "10 Biological Mysteries That Continue To Baffle ScientistsWritten by Paul Jongko, April, 2016For centuries, scientists have used biology to help understand life. Many phenomena that our ancient ancestors have attributed to the gods and spirits are now easily explained with biology. This important scientific field of study has helped us better understand ourselves and the world we live in. But despite the many advances we’ve made in biology, there are still some questions that even our best and most intelligent scientists can’t answer.Why Do Hammerhead Sharks Look Like That?Out of all the shark species in the world, hammerhead sharks are the most mysterious. These sea creatures got their name from the unusual shape of their heads, but their heads don’t really resemble a hammer. Scientists prefer to use the term “cephalofoil” when referring to the unique shape of the shark’s head. According to David Jacoby of the Zoological Society of London, hammerhead sharks are the youngest extant species of sharks. While the first shark species appeared 450 million years ago, hammerheads have only been around for 20 million years.Scientists have proposed several theories about the unique shape of the hammerhead shark. One of those theories suggested the flattened head enhances the shark’s swimming performance. Another possible explanation is that the unique shape improves the shark’s sense of sight and smell. But perhaps the most bizarre theory scientists have postulated is that hammerhead sharks use their unique heads as a form of weapon to help them handle their prey better.Why Is Kava Safe For Pacific Islanders, But Toxic For Some Westerners?During the ’90s, kava became popular in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It was marketed by the health supplement industry as a natural treatment for sleeping problems, emotional stress, and anxiety. But in 2001, kava users reported that they experienced liver problems. Because of this, many Western countries either banned or regulated the plant-based supplement.The inhabitants of the Pacific Islands have used kava as a ceremonial drink for many years. People who consume it say its effects are similar to the consuming alcohol. Aside from using it in ceremonies, Pacific Islanders also use kava to help them relax and improve their mood and their health.What puzzles scientists is that Pacific Islanders do not experience any toxic effects from drinking kava. They do not suffer from liver problems like Westerners. Several theories have been proposed in an effort to solve this mystery. Some theories are the genetic differences between Westerners and Pacific Islanders, the particular type of kava used, or the way the plant was prepared.What Causes Putrid Finger And How Do You Cure It?An unnamed Welsh man became the subject of an interesting—but rather ridiculous—article published in the Lancet after he accidentally cut his finger with a chicken bone. The man didn’t die, but he suffered immensely. After he got cut, his finger started to smell. The odor was so terrible that it was comparable to rotten meat, and it lasted for five years.The incident happened in September 1991. At that time, the Welsh man was 29 years old and was making a living by dressing chickens. When the man’s wound became smelly and reddish, he went to Gwent Hospital in Newport Wales to consult with four doctors (Peter Holt, Meirion Llewely, David Kelly, and Caroline Mills). The physicians tried using different antibiotics, such as flucloxacillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and metronidazole, to get rid of the putrid smell. When that failed, they tried hand surgery, but this didn’t solve the problem, either.Over the course of half a decade, the doctors tried almost every solution: ultraviolet light treatment, probanthene, colpermin, antibiotic withdrawal, psoralen, and more. The physicians decided to publish the strange case in the Lancet with the hopes that “some physician somewhere had encountered a similar problem and could suggest a way.” After five long years of trying and failing, the putrid smell mysteriously vanished.What Caused A Mountain Lion to Become Monstrously Deformed?In late 2015, a hunter from Preston, Idaho, spotted and killed a strange-looking mountain lion. The animal had small, white whiskers and fully formed fangs on the top of its head. The unnamed hunter spotted the mountain lion when it attacked a dog. The dog survived, but the rare cat was legally harvested by the hunter.Scientists don’t know what caused the cat to become monstrously deformed, but they offered two solid explanations. The unusual growth on the animal’s head might be “the remains of a conjoined twin that died in the womb, but was absorbed by the surviving fetus.” It could also be a teratoma tumor. This kind of tumor is usually benign and can contain hair, teeth, toes, and fingers. Teratoma tumors don’t usually occur in animals and humans, but they do pop up from time to time, just like the baby from Maryland whose teratoma tumor contained fully formed teeth.While the two theories offer plausible explanations about the mountain lion’s looks, the biologists who postulated them admit that “the exact cause of the [animal’s] abnormality is everyone’s guess.”What Is The Purpose Of The Hymen?The hymen has been traditionally associated with virginity, but now, we know that this belief is not entirely true. The hymen can tear due to exercise, tampon use, and masturbation in addition to sexual intercourse. Human females aren’t the only ones who possess these crescent-shaped, thin membranes. Mammals, such as whales and elephants, have hymens too.There are several theories that try to demystify the hymen, but evolutionary scientists are still perplexed as to its true physiological purpose. One theory suggests that “the hymen arose because it was a desirable trait, due to the common societal preference for virgin wives.” However, the problem to this reasoning is that it only applies to humans. Animals don’t really care whether the female is a virgin or not when it comes to mating and reproduction. Another theory suggests that the hymen is to protect women from vaginal infections.Why Can’t Humans Walk Straight?A German research scientist named Jan Souman conducted an experiment that showed that humans are incapable of walking in a straight line. Souman blindfolded his subjects and instructed them “to try to walk straight for up to an hour.” Instead of walking straight, the volunteers walked in circles. The German scientist conducted the experiment in various locations, such as the beach and the Sahara Desert, but the results were the same.Souman then tried another experiment, and this time there were no blindfolds. The results were different and a bit surprising. If it was cloudy out, the subjects walked in circles. When the weather was good and sunny, only one of the subjects was able to walk relatively straight.So why does this phenomenon exist? Scientists don’t really have an explanation, and Jan Souman is still working on a multi-causal theory.Why Do Humans Have Pubic Hair?Have you ever wondered why we have hair in our genital areas? Society says it is unappealing and that we should get rid of the hair, but it does have a purpose. Unfortunately, scientists don’t exactly know what this supposed purpose is. Many theories have been proposed to explain the hair’s function, but there’s really no clear answer.One theory suggests that pubic hair releases pheromones—bodily scents that others might find sexually stimulating. Some people are capable of consciously smelling the presence of pheromones. For others, detection of the scent and sexual stimulation happens at a more subconscious level. If this theory is correct then we should stop shaving our pubic hair, being that it can decrease or even eliminate our sexual attractiveness.Another theory suggests that genital hair protects the reproductive organs, especially the vagina, from dirt and particles. However, there’s one problem to this theory: It only applies to women. If it is applied to men then there should also be pubic hair protecting the urethra.Why Do Humans Love Music?Music gives color and flavor to life, and without it, the world would be a boring, lifeless place. Scientists are trying to figure out the exact reason why humans have a natural inclination and affection for music.The brain does not really have a “music center,” or if such a faculty does exist, scientists have not yet discovered it. Just like memory and learning, processing or appreciating music is a higher-order process that involves several areas of the brain. According to one study, the right temporal lobe is activated when a person focuses on the harmony of a song. This particular region of the brain also works closely with the frontal lobe to form “meaningful musical syntax (or structure).”In another study conducted by McGill College in 2001, researchers discovered that the brain’s area activated when people heard songs that induced goosebumps. These were the same regions that activated for other pleasurable activities, like drugs and sex. Scientists deduce that since the stimulation produced by music is comparable to a few other survival mechanisms, such as sex and good food, then having the ability to appreciate or play music might have given humanity some evolutionary advantage.Why Have Ultraconserved Elements Remained Unchanged For Millions Of Years?A genetics professor and her team at Harvard Medical School are working hard to solve a biological mystery that could potentially prevent cancer and other illnesses. Professor Ting Wu wants to discover the reason why hundreds of small segments of the human genome have remained unchanged for more than 300 million years. This phenomenon does not only occur in humans—it also shows up in other animal species, such as rats, dogs, cows, and horses.Known as ultraconserved elements (UCEs), these stable chunks of DNA are believed to have remained unchanged for millions of years because they carry out life-sustaining functions. Several studies show that UCEs don’t seem to have any purpose. They don’t even play a role in protein production, like most other DNA strands.In one experiment, scientists removed the UCEs of mice. If UCEs do indeed carry out life-sustaining functions, then the mice should have died, but they were completely healthy after the experiment. Wu proposed a theory of her own called the surveillance hypothesis. She believes that UCEs act as “surveillants” scanning individual cells for errors. If there are many errors, then the affected cell is commanded to exterminate itself or “somehow be killed off.” Wu admits that her explanation is not conclusive, and UCEs remain a biological mystery.Why Do We Pick Our Nose?Have you ever wondered why we pick our nose? Probably not, because there are far more important things in life to worry about than this disgusting behavior. Surprisingly, there are several scientists who are intrigued about nose-picking and are working hard to discover the reason as to why we do it. Though it is considered taboo, almost all of Earth’s population, whether in public or in private, is picking their nose.Nose-picking is seen as a hygienic but disgusting act of removing nasal debris. This might seem like an excellent explanation as to why humans do it, but one study in 2006 showed that nose-picking could potentially cause harm. People who pick their noses are more likely to become carriers of a certain nasty bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus than their non-picker counterparts. In other words, picking your nose can make you a spreader of bacterial infections. For some, nose-picking has becoming an unhealthy and harmful behavior. A 53-year-old woman carved a hole into her sinus and nasal septum (the cartilage and bone that separates the nostrils) as a result of chronic nose-picking.So why do humans still continue to pick if it’s more harmful than helpful? Scientists still don’t have an answer. Perhaps, as trivial and disgusting as it is, this behavior is destined to remain an eternal biological mystery.Here’s a feel good story for you about a group of very, um, diverse animal friends!Zoologists Are Baffled By These Dachshunds And Their Huge Lion Friend - Page 2 of 25 - HealevateZoologists Are Baffled By This Lion And His Three Dachshunds Friends - Natural Healthy LivingWeird 'plant-animal' baffles scientistsA strange creature that’s neither animal nor plant is causing researchers to rethink traditional ways of classifying living organisms.A strange, green creature that lives at the bottom of the sea mystifies researchers. It’s neither plant nor animal, and the researchers know almost nothing more about it.“We can’t get it to grow in our laboratory,” says Øjvind Moestrup. “We can feed it and it will eat – but it dies after a couple of months and we have no idea why.”Moestrup, a professor in the Marine Biological Section of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biology, adds: “We’re seeing more and more examples of creatures that show us that the old way of classifying living organisms as animals and plants is too simplistic.”The new creature is so small it can only be seen through a powerful microscope. Such microscopes have enabled researchers to find several otherwise undetectable amoebas that are just as difficult to classify.Animals live from photosynthesisMesodinium chamaeleon is neither plant nor animal. Using its hundreds of small hairs, it can move rapidly through water, finding plants to eat – after which it changes into a plant. (Photo: NOAA)The strange, single-cell green creature, found in Danish waters north of Copenhagen, has been named Mesodinium chamaeleon. It’s special because it gets its energy by eating other organisms – like an animal – and through photosynthesis – like a plant.On the sea bottom, Mesodinium chamaeleon finds tiny plants that contain chlorophyll granules – which are responsible for photosynthesis. And when Mesodinium chamaeleon eats the plant, it becomes a plant:• By keeping the chlorophyll granules active in its stomach, Mesodinium chamaeleon uses the granules’ ability to convert sunlight into energy. This photosynthesis makes Mesodinium chamaeleon a plant.• After a while, Mesodinium chamaeleon digests the plant, getting energy from the plant – which actually makes it an animal that then goes hunting for a new plant to consume.Mesodinium chamaeleon is neither plant nor animal. Using its hundreds of small hairs, it can move rapidly through water, finding plants to eat – after which it changes into a plant. (Photo: Øjvind Moestrup/Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology)A strange, green creature that lives at the bottom of the sea mystifies researchers. It’s neither plant nor animal, and the researchers know almost nothing more about it.“We can’t get it to grow in our laboratory,” says Øjvind Moestrup. “We can feed it and it will eat – but it dies after a couple of months and we have no idea why.”Moestrup, a professor in the Marine Biological Section of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biology, adds: “We’re seeing more and more examples of creatures that show us that the old way of classifying living organisms as animals and plants is too simplistic.”The new creature is so small it can only be seen through a powerful microscope. Such microscopes have enabled researchers to find several otherwise undetectable amoebas that are just as difficult to classify.Mysterious creature: We can’t get it to grow in our laboratory. We can feed it and it will eat – but it dies after a couple of months and we have no idea why.The researchers have not yet been able to describe the creature in detail, and they have many questions that need answers.“It could be quite interesting to see how much energy it gets from photosynthesis,” says Moestrup. “And we don’t know when or why it decides to eat the chlorophyll granules.”All that the researchers know about Mesodinium chamaeleon concerns the creature’s appearance and ability to survive.They know it’s a ciliate, a hair-like appendage found on the surfaces of some cells, and it has hundreds of such hairs on its body.Traditionally there is a difference between animals and plants:• Animals eat other animals or plants to get energy for their survival• Plants use photosynthesis to get energy for their survival from the sunMesodinium chamaeleon does both.“It has hairs like the thousands we have in our respiratory system,” says the researcher. “It uses these hairs to swim quickly when catching its prey.”Red cousin: The creature is also characterised by its green colouration, which differentiates it from its red cousin, which many people may have met while bathing.“Red Mesodiniums are well known, and Darwin described them,” says Moestrup. “When they’re healthy they colour the sea red – ‘red tide’. But we’ve not seen the green ones before.”The researcher adds that studying DNA from a creature like Mesodinium chamaeleon teaches us fundamental lessons about how a cell functions, how it divides, giving insight into cancer cells that get out of control.Keeping it alive: Initially, however, the researchers will try to learn more about these mysterious creatures.“We would like to work on getting this animal-plant established in a culture in our laboratory,” says Moestrup. “That should enable us to find out how large a role photosynthesis plays – how much of it functions as a plant and how much as an animal.”