A look at the beautiful and enigmatic angiosperms – the flowering plants. Now dominant among our plant life it is hard to believe that they are, evolutionarily speaking, quite new on the block – being only around 120 million years old with larger trees being only around 60-70 million years old! Yet they dominate our plant landscape, provide us with the bulk of our food and have changed life itself.
Author Archives: Karl Anthony Mercer
#WaspFlower – Join the Photo Challenge FOR SCIENCE!
A short article for The Big Wasp Survey 2021 where they are looking for photographs of wasps on flowers – hashtag them on instagram or twitter with #WaspFlower (and #WaspLove, of course) to join in this wonderful citizen science project.
Folkestone Museum: Tiny Charm
a look at the small museum in Folkestone’s old town hall. Showing off Folkestone maritime history, importance during world wars I and II, the romano-british history of Folkestone including finds from the villa on East Cliff and the natural history of Folkestone including the famous Cretaceous dinosaur footprints.
Caturday Special: The Rusty-Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus)
A look at potentially the world’s smallest cat, the rusty-spotted cat of India and Sri Lanka. A tiny small rodent and bird hunter that is shy, elusive and very, very cute.
Want a Free Zoo? Go Hedge-Spotting
A short and step-by-step guide on how to enjoy a day gazing into the undergrowth and overgrowth to see the wealth of biodiversity that nature has to offer. Including many pretty pictures.
On the Origin of a Species: The Common or Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
A short discussion on the common, or viviparous, lizard – true to its name it is quite common but I love them and got some good photos so had to write about them. They are viviparous, so they give birth to live young, which is unusual. They also have different colour morphs which seem to bestow different traits in terms of reproduction.
On the Origin of a Species: Tapirs (Tapiridae)
Exploring the tapir family, how they evolved, their natural history and the four extant (currently living) and undisputed species of tapir – the Malayan tapir (Acrocodia indica or Tapirus indica), the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) and the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque). I also explore man’s relationship with animals and why tapirs are endangered.
Portus Lemanis: The Forgotten Saxon Shore Fort
A sad look at forgotten history as we discuss the significant Roman remains laying unexcavated, untouched, in private land, barely accessible to people without trespassing, at Portus Lemanis. Near modern Hythe and Lympne. At one point a significant Saxon Shore Fort and Port for the Classis Britannica, the Romano-British navy.
Roman History in a Nutshell – The Samnite Wars ~343 BCE – ~290 BCE
A look at Rome’s wars with the Samnites, a central italian group mainly populating the Apenning region. These wars would lead to Rome’s first direct control of Grecian culture, via Neapolis, as well as pushing their boundaries closer to the Greek and Carthaginian superpowers.
Caturday Special: Homotherium
A look at the lesser-explored but no less impressive sabre toothed cat genus Homotherium – with a wealth of evidence for a brutal, chasing hunting style, potentially pack hunting, almost certainly a social cat, Homotherium perhaps deserves a lot more care, attention and understanding than its more widely known cousin the Smilodon.
Also they butchered stuff…Awesome!
