Coleman explains that most bones in forests are, of course, picked clean by predators. So that explains why we don't find dead Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) everywhere, as well as the carcasses of creatures like tigers and moose. Still, that begs the question: Where are the bones? Apparently, porcupines eat bones, as well as hoarding them:

One important behavior of some species of porcupines is that they hoard bones of other animals in or around their dens. Porcupines sometimes are found with bones in their living spaces. For example, the North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) and the Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in areas deficient in phosphorous, will practice osteophagia, or gnawing on bones. These porcupines will often accumulate large piles of bones in their dens . . . In North America, studies of situations in which bones accumulate today and in the past often include porcupine caves. For an intriguing article on what Pleistocene mammal remains were found in one such gathering of bones, see "Bears and Man at Porcupine Cave, Western Uinta Mountains, Utah" by Timothy H. Heaton, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, in Current Research in the Pleistocene, vol. 5, pp. 71-73 (1988).

The odds are more highly in favor of Bigfoot bones and bodies never being found . . . But if they are ever found, Bigfoot teeth or old bones possibly might be discovered near or in porcupine habitation sites . . . We won't know unless we look, and reexamine past and future "unidentified" finds from porcupine caves, digs, and dens.

via Cryptomundo

Bigfoot photo by Douglas E. Egolf.

The BBC captured this rare timelapse video of Antarctic creatures feeding on a fallen seal carcass. Its estimated that they see this kind of bounty just once every ten years or so, and the critters have taken the opportunity to swarm the body, picking it down to its skeleton. Several species of worms from the phylum Nemertea use their sometimes venomous proboscises to pierce the seal's flesh, while starfish attach themselves to the carcass, pushing their stomachs out through their mouths to feed. Sea urchins and sea spiders, the latter of which can grow up to 30cm across, also flourish here, with no crabs and few fish.

Be warned, the video below contains graphic images of these animals feeding, but it's also fascinating to watch them pick apart a rare, meaty find.

Monster worm and sea star frenzy [BBC]

A BBC scuba diving crew grabbed a video of the smalleye, which is the largest and one of the rarest of the 70 species of stingray. The smalleye, which can grow to be more than two meters wide, was first discovered in 1908 and has been found alive only off the coast of Tofo, a small town in Southeastern Mozambique.

You can see the video at the BBC's website, and the footage will also be part of the BBC Two documentary Andrea: Queen of the Mantas this Wednesday.

First film of a 'giant' stingray [BBC]

Researchers from Brazil's TAMAR Project, a sea turtle conservation group, found the dead fish floating near the surface off the Bahia Coast. Although the researchers initially believed they had discovered an entirely new species off fish, ichthyologists believe this odd creature belongs to the Jellynose family of fishes, although no Jellynose has ever been spotted near Brazil. Because of their limited muscle mass, the bodies of the Jellynose are largely gelatinous, and can grow to about six feet in length and up to 100 pounds.

Bizarre Gelatinous Fish Found in Brazil [National Geographic]

Also on the list of newly discovered species is the tiger-striped pitviper (Cryptelytrops honsonensis). It's a snake that's around a half meter long and yellow with a complex zig-zag pattern on its body. The new species include 100 plants, 14 amphibians, 18 reptiles, 28 fish, one bird, and two mammals. The report was mostly centered on how climate change is threatening the habitats of these species.

The fanged frog, though, is the highlight of the report. It's been classified as Limnonectes megastomias, and it's MO is to wait in Thailand's streams and attack when a bird comes near. The scientists also discovered that the males of the species use these fangs in combat, sometimes scarring or even dismembering their opponents. Looks like we may be seeing a global plague of frogs with fangs creeping up on us...

Fanged Frog and Other Bizarre Species Discovered [LiveScience]

A few years ago, students at the Obama Fisheries High School in Fukui Prefecture developed a method of processing the monstrous jellyfish into an edible powder, which has been used to make cookies. But lately, raw caramel has been all the rage in Japan, prompting the students to try their hands at sea creature-based caramels. Adding sugar and starch syrup to the jellyfish powder, they have produced a sweet and salty candy.

It was a NASA-designed food safety management system that kicked off this jellyfish cuisine in the first place, and the high school is looking to give something back to the space program. The students have a meeting this week with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to make their caramels an official part of the menu aboard the International Space Station.

Space caramel made from giant jellyfish [Pink Tentacle]

Unfortunately, Duan Qiongxiu of Suining, China, killed the snake before it could be captured and studied by scientists. She said "the monster" was crawling along her wall using its foot and she beat it to death.

According to the London Telegraph:

The snake – 16 inches long and the thickness of a little finger – is now being studied at the Life Sciences Department at China's West Normal University in Nanchang.

Snake expert Long Shuai said: "It is truly shocking but we won't know the cause until we've conducted an autopsy."

Creatures can re-evolve old features. Maybe this snake is the first mutation in a series that will bring back snakes with legs? Perhaps as the snakes' environments disappear, it will be better for them to have legs with claws. All the better for climbing around in cities.

via Telegraph

Of course, the paper's main conclusion isn't that the 40-pound predator of the sky was eating children. The real significance of the paper is that the bird wasn't the scavenger that some paleontologists thought it was. It's evolutionary characteristics and brain size, as measured using CAT scans, indicate that it was more of a big-game hunter.

The paper also offers another example of how rapidly evolution can happen in a closed ecosystem like an island. The eagle's body grew much faster than its brain, in this case. This growth was apparently due to the availability of much larger prey. This prey was most likely the moa bird, but the study also suggests that the eagle might have victimized small children.

In fact, if this bird really did harass the Maoris in New Zealand, it would explain their legend of the pouakai or hokioi, a giant bird that would swoop out of the mountains to attack people, sometimes even killing small children. This giant Haast's eagle might be the mythical beast from these stories. Hopefully this news doesn't mean that there actually is a frightening beast roaming the Americas sucking the blood of innocent goats.

Extinct New Zealand eagle may have eaten humans [via PhysOrg]

(Image: the Haast's eagle attacking moa birds, from PLoS)

A team of researchers from the US, UK, and Papua New Guinea launched an expedition inside Mount Bosavi, a now-dormant volcano that last erupted 200,000 years ago. The team discovered more than 40 new species, including 16 new species of frog — one with fangs — three previously unrecorded species of fish, and the Bosavi Woolly Rat, which has no fear of humans and is believed to be the largest rat ever recorded. There are no cats or monkeys located in the Bosavi crater, so the crater's main predators are giant monitor lizards. Below are a handful of the new and endangered species discovered by the team.

Lost world of fanged frogs and giant rats discovered in Papua New Guinea [Guardian]

Bosavi Woolly Rat, believed to be the largest rat ever recorded
Fruit Dove
Iridescent Beetle
Spider Camouflaged as Lichen
Common Tube-Nosed Bat
Buff-Faced Pygmy Parrot
Litoria Sauroni
Striped Possum
Bosavi Silky Cuscus
Hairy Caterpillar
Two Black and Yellow Noctuids, which together resemble a snake
King Bird of Paradise

After District 9 screened in Johannesburg, many noted that the "prawns" — as the aliens are contemptuously referred to by many humans — are a reference to Parktown Prawns, a common and much-loathed creature often found in Johannesburg homes. Parktown Prawns are not, in fact, prawns, but a species of king cricket that has likely been around since prehistoric times. The critters can grow up to 10 centimeters in length, and sport barbed legs and powerful mandibles.

But it's more than their name and their insect-like appearance that the District 9 aliens borrow from the South African bugs. One of the Parktown Prawn's less endearing qualities is its tendency to spew a noxious black sludge, which one commenter on the William Gibson discussion board points out is likely the inspiration for the black alien liquid that is central to the movie's plot.

As for human interactions with the Prawns, a New York Times article from a decade ago relates a story of a woman who screamed upon spotting a Parktown Prawn, prompting the confused creepy crawly to leap into her mouth, and was summarily rushed to the hospital after chocking on the barbed legs. But the commenter from the William Gibson boards takes a much calmer approach:

[T]he real secret is to TALK to your Prawn — I would always say, "Hello, Prawn, well, I know this is a nice house but really, you belong outside in the garden, so just stay calm, and I'll pick you up and put you there." It really works, if you ever encounter a Prawn, try it.

The film's military contractor, Multinational United, would likely be impressed, since they advise a similar approach:

When dealing with aliens, try to be polite, but firm. And always remember that a smile is cheaper than a bullet.

[William Gibson Discussion Board via Reddit]
These Streets Belong to the Pre-Millennium Bug [NY Times via Reddit]

Cryptozoology nerd Loren Coleman is dubious about whether these images are truly of the legendary creature, but they sure do look real. Quite frankly I can't believe the Scottish government hasn't tried to cover this up and get these images removed from Google Earth.

via Cryptomundo

Naturalists have known for well over a century that the ribbed newt is capable of exposing its sharply pointed ribs when threatened, but it is only recently that zoologists at the University of Vienna have looked into the mechanism by which the creature protects itself. Using x-ray imaging, the zoologists have determined that the newt is able to move its rib cage while keeping the rest of its body still, creating enough pressure for the newt to pierce its own skin, so that the ribs can be used as a weapon against would-be predators.

Much like the X-Men mutant Wolverine, the ribbed newt is able to pop its bones back inside its body and quickly heal the skin after an attack, but this amphibian has an extra feature Logan doesn't. When stressed, it secrets a highly toxic poison, which coats the points of the rib bones as they pierce the skin. Thus, the ribs can deliver a quick shot of poison to any animal that tries to grab the newt, leaving the attacker to retreat in great pain.

Bizarre newt uses ribs as weapons [BBC via Reddit]

Though worms with the glowing bombs have been documented before, they are now numerous enough that researchers have classed them together as a group. All the worms studied propel themselves with long, bristly fans that serve as paddles. The "bombs" themselves form on these 18-93 milimeter-long worms' heads, and are basically tiny sacs filled with two bags of fluid. Presumably, releasing the "bomb" causes the two fluids to mix and become bioluminescent.

Write the researchers:

Green bioluminescence occurs in all the "bomb"-bearing species tested for luminosity. The luminescent structures are colloquially termed bombs because they suddenly burst into light when released by the animal, glowing intensely for many seconds then slowly diminishing. Similar autotomy of bioluminescent structures is thought to be a defensive behavior, distracting a predator while the animal escapes, and has been documented in a brittle star and a squid.

via Science

During a recent expedition to the Philippines' central highlands, a group of botanists discovered several unusual and previously undocumented plants and fungi. Among these discoveries was the Nepenthes attenboroughii, which they named for naturalist and carnivorous plant enthusiast David Attenborough. One of the largest pitcher plants ever discovered, N. attenboroughii produces pitchers up to two liters in volume, which attract and trap small animals. Like other carnivorous plants, N. attenboroughii traps and eats insects, but can also snack on rodents as large as rats.

They're attractive enough that I wouldn't mind having a couple around as organic mouse traps, but I'd certainly keep some weedkiller handy in case it pulls a Little Shop of Horrors and starts singing showtunes about killing my dentist.

Giant 'meat-eating' plant found [BBC via Reddit]

Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth. From the sulphuric hot springs in Yellowstone National Park to the icy Antarctic, these creatures push the limits of what we know about biology, and force us to reevaluate the possibility of extraterrestrial life forms. Scientists are finding an ever-increasing number of these tough little organisms living quite happily in places where we previously believed no life could possibly exist. Extremophiles have even been found nestled in the heart of a nuclear reactor.

The Chernobyl fungus was discovered several years ago, when scientists were using an R.O.V. to inspect the Chernobyl site. To their surprise, they found a dark slime on the walls, living within the reactor and actually feeding on the radiation. The melanin-rich fungus increases rapidly in size when exposed to a high level of gamma rays (and no, you wouldn't like it when it's angry). Other fungi and bacteria have been discovered with the same ability to thrive within radioactive environments. Deinococcus radiodurans, an amazing polyextremophile with the distinction of being considered the world's most durable bacterium, is capable of withstanding 5,000 Grays of radiation (500,000 rads). The discovery of such fungi and bacteria have provided scientists with a dramatic breakthrough in finding organic ways in which to detoxify radioactive waste.

Extremophiles are not just microbes; more highly evolved creatures have also proved to be as durable, and as strange and wonderful, as the Deinococcus radiodurans bacteria.

The Pompeii Worm

This extremophile keeps a cool head even in extreme temperatures. The Pompeii Worm finds a habitat on or near Black Smokers, hydrothermal vents on the sea floor, which give the worm its volcanic name. Nestled within its cozy tube, its body stays at a very toasty 175º F, while its plume-like head protrudes from the tube into water that is a much more temperate 72º F. Weirder still, its fleecy coat is actually a colony of bacteria that lives in a symbiotic relationship with the worm, fed by mucus secretions produced by the worm. Truly an oddity, the Pompeii worm (and its living coat) obviously has a lot to teach us about living in an extreme range of temperatures.

The Tardigrade
The Tardigrade is considered the king of the extremophiles. These microscopic organisms look like clear gummi bears come to life (hence their more common name, "Water Bears") and have proven to be more durable than Twinkies. Tardigrades have been discovered all over the world, and in the most amazing places, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sea floor, from temperatures approaching absolute zero to temperatures over 303° F.

Like the Chernobyl fungus, these wonderful Water Bears can withstand doses of gamma rays lethal to humans without flinching. Tardigrades can also withstand the extreme pressure of a vacuum, and research is being conducted to test Tardigrades' durability in space. The Tardigrade Space program has been geekily nicknamed... yes, you guessed it... TARDIS.

NASA astrobiologist Richard Hoover is leading the hunt for more extremophiles, hoping to prove that some of these little fellas are not of our world, but interstellar hitch-hikers that came here millions of years ago on meteors. The existence of organisms like Deinococcus radiodurans and the Tardigrades gives weight to the argument that some of these extremophile lifeforms are actually aliens among us. If these creatures can exist in the vacuum of space and withstand such high levels of radiation, then it is just possible that these abilities are evolutionary traits that enabled them to arrive here, on Earth, from somewhere else in the galaxy.

The Extremophile Hunter:

The blob was first spotted last week, floating in Arctic waters. Big chunks of it - some as much as "12 miles long," according to the Anchorage Daily News, are drifting through the sea. A helicopter tracked the spread of the goop for 15 miles and saw no end to it. So far, none of unknown substance has touched shore.

Coast Guard officer Terry Hasenauer said:

It's certainly biological. It's definitely not an oil product of any kind. It has no characteristics of an oil, or a hazardous substance, for that matter. It's definitely, by the smell and the makeup of it, it's some sort of naturally occurring organic or otherwise marine organism. in recent history I don't think we've seen anything like this. Maybe inside lakes or in stagnant water or something, but not (in the ocean) that we could recall ... If it was something we'd seen before, we'd be able to say something about it. But we haven't. [The stuff is] gooey [and dark]. It's pitch black when it hits ice and it kind of discolors the ice and hangs off of it. It kind of has an odor; I can't describe it.

Apparently he saw jellyfish tangled in the goo, and somebody else retrieved bones and feathers from a dead goose they found in the goo as well.

Is this the creature described in io9's mad scientist contest from last year? Perhaps a relative of the North Carolina sewer monster? Or is it just a massive algae bloom? The Coast Guard says they're getting it examined and test results will be back in a week.

via Anchorage Daily News and Xenophilia