How the tortoise got its shell
Why the tortoise got its shell The first reptiles to develop shells did so not for protection but to make it easier for them to burrow underground, say scientists in the US. Many palaeontologists believe that Eunotosaurus africanus, a lizard that lived 260 million years ago, was the first animal to broaden its ribcage and stiffen its back – adaptations that would eventually lead to the rigid shells found on today’s tortoises and turtles. But what has remained something of a mystery is why they would develop those traits, given that – at least to begin with – they’d have made it harder for the creatures to walk, and breathe, without conferring any obvious benefits. But after studying Eunotosaurus fossils, researchers at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science believe they have the answer. “The original expansion of the ribs was an adaptation for stiffening the skeleton to provide a stable base from which to operate a powerful forelimb digging apparatus,” they write in the journal Current Biology. An ability to dig would have been valuable in the creature’s sandy habitat – and indeed, may have been crucial to its survival during the PermianTriassic extinction some 252 million years ago, when burrowing would have enabled it to escape the harsh, arid environment.
Interactive orangutans Orangutans at Melbourne Zoo have been given video games to play, as part of a pioneering “interactive enrichment programme”. Staff at the zoo came up with the idea after noticing that the apes were fascinated by the games on the tablets they sometimes carried. As it didn’t seem wise to unleash the animals on ipads, they asked researchers at the University of Melbourne to develop an ape-friendly gaming system: this involves projecting images onto the ground of the orangutans’ enclosure, and using 3D cameras to sense their movements. In the game itself, the apes have to tap specific images in order to be rewarded with bursts of colour. A second version allows the apes to play in conjunction with someone outside their enclosure – raising the possibility of zoo visitors being able to play computer games with the animals. The apes have played the game so enthusiastically – becoming absorbed not only with the images on the floor but also with how the light reflects onto their bodies – the researchers are now developing several new ape-specific games. One is a painting app; another will let the apes “compose” music, creating different sounds according to how they move.
No “sex in the city” for falcons Birds are surprisingly promiscuous: recent research has revealed that even among species whose members mate for life, such as the sparrow and the zebra finch, the creatures are quite likely to be unfaithful. However, one type of bird – the peregrine falcon – really does take commitment seriously. Scientists at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago carried out DNA tests on the 50 or so falcons that live on the city’s skyscrapers and bridges, and also tested the DNA of their offspring. Of the 35 broods tested, only one had been fathered by a bird other than the mother’s partner – and this, the researchers believe, only happened because the biological father had died, leading the mother to form a bond with a new male, who helped raise the chicks. The results surprised the researchers: they had hypothesised that falcons living in urban conditions would be more promiscuous than those in the wild, where the birds tend to live in solitary couples on isolated cliffs.
How whales mourn their dead Whales and dolphins mourn their dead by bearing their bodies aloft, often flanked by other adults, marine biologists believe. Over the years, there have been numerous sightings of bottlenose dolphins, killer whales and other species swimming with dead calves on their backs, or nudging them through the water; some have been in a state of advanced decay, suggesting they have been carried for some time. However, these were all treated as isolated incidents – until a team of Italian scientists collated various different reports, and noticed a pattern. They say their only explanation is that the creatures are in mourning. In one case, biologists had intervened, and tugged the carcass to shore and buried it. Rather than swimming off, the other members of the group followed the dead dolphin as far as they could, then waited in the shallow water, as though holding a vigil.
told her that The Donald was too busy to speak to her, because he was being chased by so many women, including the model Carla Bruni. Years later, when Bruni was about to marry President Sarkozy, Trump was quizzed about her by the DJ Howard Stern. Why wasn’t he still dating Bruni? “Very flat-chested... smaller than A cup – minus A,” came Trump’s response. “Was she bad in bed?” Stern asked. “I can’t comment,” said Trump. “I don’t want to be criticising the first lady of France...” And so the conversation went on. At no point did Trump admit the truth, which is that he barely knew Bruni, and that they’d never had an affair. “Trump is obviously a lunatic,” she noted.
David Cameron is planning to withdraw from the public eye over the next year, while he writes his autobiography – with the aim of securing an advance even bigger than the £4.6m awarded to Tony Blair, claims The Mail on Sunday. The book will chart his rise to power, from Eton and Oxford, via the Conservative Research Department, and his downfall. Blair’s A Journey was the fastest-selling autobiography of all time. Cameron may or may not be expecting to beat that record, but he’ll surely be hoping that his book will sell more copies than Lord Ashcroft’s unauthorised biography, Call Me Dave – even if it doesn’t have any scurrilous stories about pigs’ heads.