Best of the Network: July 15 – August 15, 2010

It’s been a good month for us over here at the Southern Fried Science Network. Since we went live on July 15, we published 120 articles and tripled the number of participating blogs. We have several more blogs in the works, so check back often and subscribe to our RSS and Twitter feeds.

There have been many great posts this month. John McKay from Mammoth Tales kicks off the charge with The First Trilobite, an epic history of the first recorded trilobite fossils and the long history of humans and fossils. Also on Mammoth Tales is a case of the BBC plagiarizing a popular science blog.

From Ya Like Dags? Chuck brings us the good news that Spiny Dogfish have officially been listed as recovered. This news is tempered by the bizarre fact that the Spiny Dogfish fishery is already petitioning to be listed as sustainable. And is you were ever curious how dogfish destroy their prey, check out the Jaws of Death!

Over at Cephalove, Mike L features some amazing cuttlefish photos taken by Alistair Merrifield. On the research side of cephalopods, check out this post on the cephalopod circulatory system (they have three hearts!). And don’t forget to read Cephalove’s epic inaugural post – What does a Nautilus see?

Meanwhile, in Kingdom Arthropoda, Mike B has a series of insects photographs he’s taken, including a can’t miss moth being captured by assassin bug and a damsel fly having a snack. And if you were puzzled by the bizarre cover shot in the Journal of Experimental Biology last month, check here for an discription of some new advances in spider confusion.

William from BomaiCruz is trying to collect all the US state quarters before he leaves the country. Check out his list here and check your pockets for the last few coins. He also has a query up for all you geneticists out there:

So the question now is, what is the minimum number of SNPs we need to have in a sequence before we conclude that they are different species. I am also working on some samples and apart from other polymorphisms in my sequences, I also have SNPs at certain locations that have up to three different bases in the one location. Can I say these are three different species too?

Bomai Cruz

Head on over to Bomai Cruz and help him out.

Finally, from my own little corner of the net, David reviews Shark Week and discusses the problems and solutions in shark conservation. Amy tackles the Chemistry of the Great Big Blue in here soon-to-be ongoing series. I provide some advice to incoming graduate students and discuss the past and present of the bottom trawl:

The commons petition the King, complaining that where in creeks and havens of the sea there used to be plenteous fishing, to the profit of the Kingdom, certain fishermen, for several years past have subtily contrived an instrument called the wondyrechaun” made in the manner of an oyster dredge, but which is considerably longer, upon which instrument is attached a net so close meshed that no fish, be it ever so small which enters therein can escape, but must stay and be taken.

And that the great and long iron of the wondyrechaun runs so heavily and hardly over the ground when fishing that it destroys the flowers of the land below water there, and also the spat of oysters, mussels and other fish upon which the great fish are accustomed to be fed and nourished. By which instrument in many places, the fishermen take such quantity of small fish that they do not know what to do with them; and that they feed and fat their pigs with them, to the great damage of the commons of the realm and the destruction of the fisheries, and they pray for a remedy.”

Petition by the Commons to King Edward III, 1376 (from The Unnatural History of the Sea)

Finally, Charles Darwin is coming to the end of his 3 month adventure, and to prepare for the final 3 months of 365 Days of Darwin, builds a very handy stand.

So this ends my first tenure as the Southern Fried Science Network Bosun. In accordance with the laws set forth in ancient times, I hereby dub Mike L of Cephalove Bosun for August 15th through September 15th. Tag, you’re it!

~Southern Fried Scientist