polymorph photos on Flickr

UCL Museums and Public Relations Away Day by Institute of Making

A couple of weeks ago Museums and Public relations department had an away day at the Institute of Making.

Composite materials station.

Djibouti 0373 m by roook76

DJIBOUTI - CIRCA 2012: stamp printed by Djibouti, shows mineral and mushroom, circa 2012

Common Mime by _AnjAnA_

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Red Dwarf: Just The Shows: Series I to VIII (2008) by Peter Bester

Red Dwarf I (1988)

1 The End

2 Future Echoes

3 Balance of Power

4 Waiting for God

5 Confidence and Paranoia

6 Me2

Red Dwarf II (1988)

7 Kryten

8 Better Than Life

9 Thanks for the Memory

10 Stasis Leak

11 Queeg

12 Parallel Universe

Red Dwarf III (1989)

13 Backwards

14 Marooned

15 Polymorph

16 Bodyswap

17 Timeslides

18 The Last Day

Red Dwarf IV (1991)

19 Camille

20 DNA

21 Justice

22 White Hole

23 Dimension Jump

24 Meltdown

Red Dwarf V (1992)

25 Holoship

26 The Inquisitor

27 Terrorform

28 Quarantine

29 Demons and Angels

30 Back to Reality

Red Dwarf VI (1993)

31 Psirens

32 Legion

33 Gunmen of the Apocalypse

34 Emohawk: Polymorph II

35 Rimmerworld

36 Out of Time

Red Dwarf VII (1997)

37 Tikka to Ride

38 Stoke Me a Clipper

39 Ouroboros

40 Duct Soup

41 Blue

42 Beyond a Joke

43 Epideme

44 Nanarchy

Red Dwarf VIII (1999)

45 Back in the Red: Part I

46 Back in the Red: Part II

47 Back in the Red: Part III

48 Cassandra

49 Krytie TV

50 Pete: Part I

51 Pete: Part II

52 Only the Good...

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Suzukia shikikunensis Kudo 鈴木草(假馬蹄草)- 霧頭山 by JJ-Merry

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Suzukia Kudo, a genus of the Lamiaceae with two species, is endemic to Taiwan (S.shikikunensis Kudo) and the Ryukyu Islands (S. luchuensis Kudo). Plants of Suzukia are perennial herbs, with long-creeping stems. Inflorescences of short or elongated racemes possess showy flowers that attract pollinators, mostly honey bee, to visit. Due to its limited population number and size, Suzukia has been listed as an endangered taxon by IUCN. In

this study, we investigated the genetic structure and hylogeographic pattern of the genus Suzukia based on the sequences of the trnD-trnT noncoding spacer of the chloroplast DNA and G3PDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) gne of the nuclear DNA. In both genes high levels of genetic diversity were detected in Suzukia. Chloroplast DNA genealogy identified two lineages, one exclusively consisting of most populations of S.shikikunensis, while the other containing S. luchuensis and the Chinma population of S.shikikunensis. Nevertheless, the Chinma population is phylogenetically close to S.shikikunensis in the nuclear DNA phylogeny, indicating a hybrid origin of this population.In S. shikikunensis, populations of mountain areas were significantly differentiated from the coastal populations of Taiwan. In contrast, there existed frequent gene flow between subpopulations of Yonaguni Island. In the cpDNA minimum spanning network, coastal populations of S. shikikunensis and S. luchuensis possessed ancestral polymorphisms.Based on a molecular clock, splitting from a hypothetical common distributed at low elevations may have occurred about 1.1 million years ago. Speciation followed in Taiwan and Ryukyus, respectively. Coupled with peciation, adaptive radiation to middle and high

elevations may have led to high levels of genetic diversity in S. shikikunensis. The colonization of S. luchuensis in Green Island was dated to 0.93 million years ago. In contrast to chloroplast DNA data, G3PDH gene represent paraphyly of species and populations of the both species due to effects of balancing selection. In addition, the heterozygote ratio of S. shikikunensis, S. luchuensis in Green Island and in Yonaguni were 0.8, 0 and 0.2, respectively。

Karnivool-52 by Gwendolyn Lee

To book a shoot (live or promotional) or purchase prints, please send me an EMAIL. Most photos are available for purchase, but not all.

+61 401 922 140

Gwen.B.Lee@gmail.com

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis) by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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Podarcis muralis (common wall lizard) is a species of lizard with a large distribution in Europe and well-established introduced populations in North America, where it is also called the European wall lizard. It can grow to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length. The animal has shown variation in the places it has been introduced to. Fossils have been found in a cave in Greece dating to the early part of the Holocene.

Description

The common wall lizard is a small, thin lizard whose small scales are highly variable in colour and pattern. Its coloration is generally brownish or greyish, and may occasionally be tinged with green. In some individuals, the row of spots along their backs may form a line, while others may have a reticulated pattern with dark spots on the side and scattered white spots that can be blue in the shoulder region. The tail is brown, grey or rust in colour, and may also have light bars on the sides. The belly region has six rows of larger rectangular scales that are generally reddish, pink, or orangish. Common wall lizards may also have dark markings on the throat. This lizard has six distinct morphological forms which are identified by the colouration of its throat and underbelly. Three of these are pure morphs consisting only of solid colours on their scales: white, red (orange) or yellow, and three other morphs are distinguished by a combination of colours: white-yellow, white-red and yellow-red.

Ecology

The common wall lizard prefers rocky environments, including urban settings, where it can scurry between rock, rubble, debris and buildings. In the southern part of its range it tends to occur in humid or semi-humid habitats, compared to drier habitats in the north.

Chemical communication

Common wall lizards rely both on visual and chemical signals to communicate with conspecifics. Male wall lizards are equipped with femoral glands, which produce a waxy secretion used for chemical signalling. Both the proteinic and lipophilic compounds in the secretions are known to carry socially relevant information.

Polymorphism

The six morphs of this lizard are primarily identifiable by colour and can be distinguished with the naked eye. However, they are commonly confirmed by digital photo and colour analysis. Source of colouration comes from different pigments within the lizard, with yellow colouration originating from carotenoids, and the expression of red/orange colour from pteridines. This is indicative that a phenomenon such as multiple alleles or epistasis may have a role in determining morphology. Morphs also differ in aspects other than colouration: differences between morphs are seen with femoral gland secretion, immune competence and body size. For males, colouration is visible on the underbelly, but in females of all the morphs there is less colouration seen in this region, indicating that sexual dimorphism occurs within this species. A study found sexual dimorphism in the digit ratios. Namely, they found a significant difference (after Bonferroni correction) of the 2D:4D ratio on both forepaws and the 2D:3D ratio on the left forepaw, with all ratios being larger in male animals. This study was conducted on a sample set of 18 male and 18 female museum specimens.

Variations between morphs

Aside from differences in colour, the morphs vary by length, survival rate, and immune resistance/response to infection.

Susceptibility to infection also varies between morphs, red and yellow-red morphs are the most susceptible to infection by the haemogregarine parasite, a common parasite for these lizards. White morphs are the most resistant to this parasite and the yellow morphs are at an intermediate value of immune resistance and intensity. Certain traits can also lead to a variation in snout-vent length in each of these morphs. For example, in orange morphs, sexual selection favours larger morphs which makes them, on average, larger than the other morphs.

The femoral gland secretions of males differ in chemical composition according to each respective morph. Secretions are used by males for intra-species communication, such as marking of territories and attracting potential mates. Individuals share the same organics within the secretions, but the concentrations of certain key compounds differ. For example, α-tocopherol is present in higher concentrations in the secretions of red morphs. This molecule allows for scents to remain in the environment longer by reducing the rate of oxidation in humid environments. This indicates that red morphs tend to be more territorial and maintain territories for longer periods of time compared to other morphs. This phenomenon is also seen when it comes to the age of lizards. Similarly, older, more territorial lizards have higher levels of α-tocopherol compared to younger individuals who are more prone to roaming regardless of morph. Again, indicating that the composition of the secretions relate to the function. Furanones are found in higher concentrations in white morphs, followed by yellow, then red morphs.

Among females, reproductive strategies differ by morph; yellow females are r strategists, producing many smaller eggs in their clutch which would allow for numerous offspring to be produced and proliferate in smaller populations with less competition. White females are K strategists, producing fewer, larger eggs which makes offspring more likely to survive in harsher, more competitive environments.[18] Red females can be r or K strategists based on the environment they are in. The existence of alternate strategies points to how morphs have adapted to different environments and hints to the maintenance of colour polymorphism as with fluctuations in environments each morph will eventually be the fittest and as such will not be selected out of the population.

The differences observed between morphs are unique evolutionary trade offs employed by each morph to promote survival within the different environments they face in light of limited ability to adapt perfectly to each pressure. Such a trade off is seen when comparing orange morphs to white morphs: morphs, on average, have larger body sizes compared to the white morphs but, in exchange, they are more prone to parasitic infection. In orange morphs, more emphasis is placed on being larger and having the ability to physically compete and ward of potential threats, but in white morphs, metabolic emphasis is placed on having a more hardy immune system to resist infection. Again, these trade offs can arise as there are selective differences in the environment each morph prefers. The differences in the relative proportions of the morphs with respect to location show that environmental pressures differ and some morphs' trade offs are more successful in specific environments than another's.

Distribution and status

The natural range spans much of the mainland Europe except from the north and very south and extends to Turkey. It occurs as introduced populations in southern Britain, where one such population in the seaside town of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight has become somewhat famous, and also in North America. There has been some scientific debate as to whether the populations in Southern England represent the northern edge of their native range.

North America

Podarcis muralis has been introduced in the United States and is spreading throughout the Cincinnati metropolitan area. It is commonly observed living in limestone outcrops, rock walls, and rubble along the Ohio River basin.

It is referred to locally in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area as the "Lazarus lizard", as it was introduced to the area around 1950 by George Rau, a boy who was a member of the family who owned the Lazarus department store chain (now absorbed into Macy's). After he returned from a family vacation to northern Italy, he released about 10 of the reptiles near his Cincinnati home. Genetic testing has revealed that as few as only three of these lizards survived long enough to reproduce, meaning they were subject to an extreme genetic bottleneck. This prolific lizard has reproduced exponentially; it continues to expand its distribution range annually, and has established itself so well in southwest Ohio, it is now considered a naturalized species by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and is protected under state law (it is illegal to harm, capture, or possess this animal without a proper licence).

Besides Ohio, P. muralis has also been introduced in other U.S. states. Populations occur in Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky, and in parts of Indiana.

The European wall lizard was also introduced to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada in 1970, when a dozen individuals were released into the wild from a small private zoo

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

starr-090227-4235-Metrosideros_polymorpha-habitat-Honokowai_Puu_Kukui-Maui by Forest and Kim Starr

Metrosideros polymorpha (Ohia, lehua, ohia lehua)

Habitat at Honokowai Puu Kukui, Maui, Hawaii.

February 27, 2009

#090227-4235 - Image Use Policy

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Campanula polymorpha -- sokalakú harangvirág harangvirág -- Kirándulás a Magas Tátrába by István Főzy

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Campanula polymorpha -- sokalakú harangvirág harangvirág

novenyhatarozo.info/noveny/sokalaku-harangvirag.html

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

Grenouille de Lessona - European Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) - Loire-Atlantique, France - juin 2013 (2) by Philippe Evrard

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Souvent, plusieurs espèce du genre Pelophylax cohabitent et il est difficile d'arriver alors à des déterminations fiables à 100% sur le terrain. Chaque espèce est polymorphe et il existe également de nombreux cas d'hybridation.

C'est le cas de la Grenouille de Lessona qui peut se reproduire avec la Grenouille verte - Edible forg (Pelophylax kl esculentus), son hybride associé. Le recours à la génétique s'avère souvent indispensable.

Sur ce mâle (voir la fente du sac vocal à l'arrière de la bouche), la couleur bronze est dominante et la grenouille est relativement unie. On remarque également les pattes postérieures courtes.

by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Dead Letter Circus-11 by Gwendolyn Lee

To book a shoot (live or promotional) or purchase prints, please send me an EMAIL. Most photos are available for purchase, but not all.

+61 401 922 140

Gwen.B.Lee@gmail.com

by Matthew Wells

The 56 Full Sized Morphs Are:

The 23 Mini Morphs Are:

Les Sources Occultes 004/999 - lso004-06 by thierry ehrmann

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Les Sources Occultes 004/999

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

Comédiens : Anne-Sophie Farcy et Sydney Ehrmann

Prises de vue : Laurent Courau

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

Montage et post-production : Laurent Courau

Musique : La Science des Fous / Urgence Disk

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Good and gorgeous seating by Redesigndesign Limited

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Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

butterfly by Yezhil Lakshmanan

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A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterflies comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). All the many other families within the Lepidoptera are referred to as moths. The earliest known butterfly fossils date to the mid Eocene epoch, 40–50 million years ago.[1]

Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some, like the Monarch, will migrate over long distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; however, some species are agents of pollination of some plants, and caterpillars of a few butterflies (e.g., Harvesters) eat harmful insects. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.

AU by HEXAGONE SCÈNE NATIONALE ARTS SCIENCES - MEYLAN

AU

Christian Ubl | Kylie Walters

DANSE — JE 28 – VE 29 JANVIER 2016 20H

à l'Hexagone Scène Nationale Arts Sciences - Meylan

—

Au départ du projet AU, il y a la volonté du chorégraphe autrichien Christian Ubl et de la chorégraphe australienne Kylie Walters de travailler ensemble et d’interroger la notion d’altérité avec d’autres artistes, notamment le compositeur Seb Martel et le paysagiste Gilles Clément. Un projet porté par l’envie des deux chorégraphes de questionner avec humour les notions déjà présentes dans les précédents volets de ce cycle (notamment Shake it out joué à l’Hexagone en 2013) : la culture, le vivre ensemble et la tradition. L’intention est d’établir comment et pourquoi « la différence » est un élément constitutif de « l’identité ».

L’écriture de AU est protéiforme, polymorphe, bâtie autour de la posture du trois temps de la valse et des danses traditionnelles aborigènes. Elle ne donne pas à voir la représentation d’une mixité de cultures juxtaposées mais le résultat d’une refonte de racines autrichiennes et australiennes où subsistent les traces des temps anciens, les résidus de codes et de clichés connus. Le choc des représentations conduira à emprunter des chemins détournés, tantôt ceux de l’absurde, tantôt ceux du burlesque, permettant de questionner la généralisation des logiques de déculturation et d’adaptation.

AU — Un code signifiant l’Autriche pour l’un, l’Australie pour l’autre où les erreurs d’acheminement de colis postaux sont fréquents. Un paradoxe, tant les deux pays sont différents.

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Custom Whisk Making with Polymorph by Institute of Making

'Bling' tool by Andreea

UCL Museums and Public Relations Away Day by Institute of Making

A couple of weeks ago Museums and Public relations department had an away day at the Institute of Making.

Design Challenge, The house of the future. Each team was asked to design and imagine an object/thing from a room in the house of the future.

woman in white dress shirt standing near table by IELTS Writing 1

DNA Genotyping and Sequencing. A technician at the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, part of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), washes arrays used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These studies search the genome for small variations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs, that occur more frequently in people with a particular disease than in people without the disease.

Must Credit to: writing9.com not Flickr.

Copy Link Address: writing9.com

Viviparous Lizard - Common Lizard (Zootoca Vivipara) by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, (Zootoca vivipara, formerly Lacerta vivipara) is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it gives birth to live young (although they will sometimes lay eggs normally). Both "Zootoca" and "vivipara" mean "live birth", in (Latinized) Greek and Latin respectively. It was called Lacerta vivipara until the genus Lacerta was split into nine genera in 2007 by Arnold, Arribas & Carranza.

Male and female Zootoca vivipara are equally likely to contract blood parasites. Additionally, larger males have been shown to reproduce more times in a given reproductive season than smaller ones.

The lizard is also unique as it is exclusively carnivorous, eating only flies, spiders, and insects. Studies show that the more carnivorous an individual is (the more insects they eat), the less diverse the population of parasitic helminths that infest the lizards.

Zootoca vivipara lives in very cold climates, yet participates in normal thermoregulation instead of thermoconformity. They have the largest range of all terrestrial lizards which even include subarctic regions. It is able to survive these harsh climates as individuals will freeze in especially cold seasons and thaw two months later. They also live closer to geological phenomena that provide a warmer environment for them.

Description

Zootoca vivipara is a small lizard, with an average length between 50 and 70 mm (2.0–2.8 in) and an average mass of 2 to 5 g (0.071–0.176 oz). They exhibit no particular colour, but can be brown, red, grey, green, or black. The species exhibits some sexual dimorphisms. Female Z. vivipara undergo colour polymorphism more commonly than males. A female lizard's display differs in ventral colouration, ranging from pale yellow to bright orange and a mixed colouration. There have been many hypotheses for the genetic cause of this polymorphic colouration. These hypothesis test for colouration due to thermoregulation, predator avoidance, and social cues, specifically sexual reproduction. Through an experiment conducted by Vercken et al., colour polymorphism in viviparous lizard is caused by social cues, rather than the other hypotheses. More specifically, the ventral colouration that is seen in female lizards is associated with patterns of sexual reproduction and sex allocation.

The underside of the male is typically more colourful and bright, with yellow, orange, green, and blue, and the male typically has spots along its back. On the other hand, females typically have darker stripes down their backs and sides. Additionally, males have been found to have larger heads than their female counterparts, and this trait appears to be sexually selected for. Males with larger heads are more likely to be successful in mating and male-male interactions than smaller-headed Z. vivipara. Larger males also have been shown to reproduce more frequently during one mating season compared to smaller males. Characteristic behaviors of the species includes tongue flicking in the presence of a predator and female-female aggression that seems to be mediated by the colour of their side stripe.

Habitat and distribution

Z. vivipara is terrestrial, so they spend most of their time on the ground, though they do occasionally visit sites of higher elevation. The lizard thermoregulates by basking in the sun for much of the time. In colder weather, they have been known to hibernate to maintain proper body temperatures. They hibernate between October and March.[11] Their typical habitats include heathland, moorland, woodland and grassland.

The viviparous lizard is native to much of northern Eurasia. In Europe, it is mainly found north of the Alps and the Carpathians, including the British Isles but not Iceland, as well as in parts of northern Iberia and the Balkans; In Asia it is mostly found in Russia, excluding northern Siberia, and in northern Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and Japan.[citation needed] Z. vivipara has the largest distribution of any species of lizard in the world.

Home range

The size of the home range of the lizard ranges from 539 m2 to 1692 m2, with males generally having larger home ranges. The size of an individual lizard's home range is also dependent on population density and the presence of prey.

Ecology

Diet

Unlike many other lizards, Z. vivipara is exclusively carnivorous. Their diet consists of flies, spiders, and various other insects, including hemipterans (such as cicadas), moth larvae, and mealworms. The species is a predator, so it actively hunts down all of its prey. One study found that when controlled for body size, females consumed more food than males. Feeding rates also increased with increased sunshine.

Predation

Birds are common predators of Z. vivipara. Male-biased predation of Z. vivipara by the great grey shrike (L. excubitor) has been studied, finding that adult males, over adult females and juveniles, were preferentially predated on. This bias may be due to increased activity of adult males during the reproductive season.

Predators of this species include birds of prey, crows, snakes, shrikes, hedgehogs, shrews, foxes, and domestic cats.

Diseases and parasites

Z. vivpara can be infested by helminths, a small parasitic worm. The species diversity of parasites is affected by the diet of the individual lizard and the number of parasites on a host is affected by the host's size. Results of a study shows that the more carnivorous an individual is, the less diverse its parasite population. Additionally, larger lizards had a greater number of parasites on them.

Z. vivipara is also infected by blood parasites. In a study investigating the prevalence of blood parasites in Z. vivipara and L. agilis, Z. vivipara was found to be parasitized with an incidence rate of 39.8%, while L. agilis was parasitized with an incidence rate of 22.3%. This same study shows that there was not a significant difference between the parasitization of male and female Z. vivipara.

Reproduction and life history

The viviparous lizard is named as such because it is viviparous. This refers to its ability to give birth to live young, although the lizards are also able to lay eggs. The origin of this characteristic is under debate. Some scientists argue that viviparity evolved from oviparity, or the laying of eggs, only once. Proponents of this theory also argue that if this is the case, it is possible, though rare, for species to transition back to oviparity. Research from Yann Surget-Groba suggests that there have in fact been multiple events of the evolution of viviparity from oviparity across different clades of the viviparous lizard. They also argue that a reversion to oviparity is not as rare as once believed, but has occurred 2 to 3 times in the history of the species.

The range of viviparous populations of Z. vivipara extends from France to Russia. Oviparous populations are only found in northern Spain and the southwest of France. Some research in the Italian alps has suggested that distinct populations of oviparous and viviparous Z. vivipara should be considered separate species. Cornetti et al. (2015) identified that viviparous and oviparous subpopulations in contact with each other in the Italian alps are reproductively isolated. Hybridization between viviparous and oviparous individuals of Z. vivipara leads to embryonic malformations in the laboratory. However, these crosses do produce a "hybridized" generation of offspring, with females retaining embryos for much longer in utero than oviparous females, with embryos surrounded by thin, translucent shells.

Fertilization

Z. vivipara juveniles reach sexual maturity during their second year of their life. A study that explored the presence of male sex cells in reproducing males found that for the two weeks following the end of hibernation, males are infertile, and therefore incapable of reproducing. The same study also found that larger males produce more sperm during the reproductive season and have fewer left over at the end of the reproductive season than their smaller counterparts. This suggests that the larger a male is, the more reproductive events they participate in.

Brood size

Research also suggests that in exclusively oviparous populations of Z. vivipara, altitude influences the number of clutches laid in a reproductive season as well as when reproduction begins. Generally, lizards living at higher altitudes have been found to begin reproduction later and lay fewer clutches (often 1) in a given reproductive season.

Life span

Z. vivipara typically lives for 5 to 6 years.

Mate searching behavior

Head size is a sexually dimorphic trait, with males having larger heads than females. The average head width and length of the males measured were found to be 5.6 and 10.5 mm (0.22 and 0.41 in), respectively. The average head width and length of the females measured were found to be 5.3 and 9.7 mm (0.21 and 0.38 in), respectively. During the first state of courtship in Z. vivipara, called "Capture", the male uses its mouth and jaw to capture the female and initiate copulation.[6] The results of this study demonstrated that males with larger head sizes (both length and width) were more successful in mating than those with smaller heads, suggesting that head size undergoes sexual selection.

Male-male interaction

Head size has also been shown to be a predictor of success in male-male interactions. The head is used as a weapon in male-male interactions, and a larger head is typically more effective, leading to greater success during male-male aggressive encounters. This aggression and interaction is centered around available mates, so males with smaller heads have significantly less access to females for reproduction.

Thermoregulation

This lizard has an exceptionally large range that includes subarctic geography. As a result, thermoregulation is necessary for the thermal homeostasis of the species. Typically, in temperature extremes, a species will adopt the behavioral strategy of thermoconformity, where they do not actively thermoregulate, but adapt to survive in the harsh temperature. This occurs because the cost of thermoregulating in such an extreme environment becomes too high and begins to outweigh the benefits. Despite this, Z. vivipara still employs the strategy of thermoregulation, like basking. Thermoregulation is important in Z. vivipara as it allows for proper locomotive performance, escape behavior, and other key behaviors for survival. The ability of Z. vivipara to thermoregulate in such harsh environments has been attributed to two primary reasons. The first is that Z. vivipara has remarkable behaviors to combat the cold, and there are geological phenomena in their distribution that maintains their habitats at a temperature that the species can survive in. One of the specific behaviors used to combat the extreme cold is a "supercooled" state. Z. vivipara remains in this state through the winter until temperatures dropped below −3 °C (27 °F). After that, individuals completely froze until they were thawed by warmer weather later in the year, often 2 months later. Despite very cold air in the subarctic habitats of these lizards, the soil-heating effects of unfrozen groundwater has been observed regulating the temperature of their soil habitats. They find warm microhabitats that do not drop below the freezing point of their body fluids. These lizards have exceptional hardiness to the cold, which allows them to hibernate in upper soil layers in temperatures as low as −10 °C (14 °F). This cold hardiness along with the favorable hydrogeological conditions of groundwater-warmed soil habitats allows for the wide distribution of lizards throughout the palearctic.

The colour polymorphism of female Z. vivipara has not been thoroughly studied in past years, regardless of the extensive research done on the species itself. Females exhibit three types of body colouration within a population: yellow, orange, and mixture of the two. These discrete traits are inherited maternally and exist throughout the individual's lifetime. The organism's colour morphs are determined by their genotype as well as their environment.

The frequency of multiple morphs occurring in a population varies with the level of population density and frequency-dependent environments. These factors cause the lizards to vary in terms of their fitness (clutch size, sex ratio, hatching success). In lower density populations, colour polymorphism is more prevalent. This is because viviparous lizards thrive in environments where intraspecific competition is low. Increased competition among individuals results in lower survival rates of lizards. Additionally, female lizards disperse through habitats based on the frequency of colour types that are already present in the population. Their reproductive abilities vary according to this frequency-dependent environment. The number of offspring that they produce correlates with the colour morph: yellow females produce the fewest offspring, while orange females produce more than yellow, but fewer than mixed females, which produce the most offspring. The amount of offspring produced varies in regards to colour frequencies in the population; for example, if yellow females have higher density within the population, the clutch size for orange lizards is usually lower.

Orange females are more sensitive to intraspecific and colour-specific competition. They have smaller clutch sizes when the density of the population is high, or when the number of yellow females in the population is high. This could be due to their need to conserve energy for survival and reproductive events.[9] Their colour morph remains in the population due to the trade-off between the size of offspring and the clutch size. Offspring born in smaller clutches are often larger and thus have a higher survival likelihood. Natural selection will favor individuals with larger size because of their advantage in physical competition with others. Yellow females have larger clutch sizes early in their life, but their hatch success decreases as the female ages. Their reproductive viability decreases, resulting in fewer offspring throughout their lifetime. Yellow morphs remain in the population due to their large clutch size, which causes an increased frequency of those females. Selection favors the yellow morph because of the ability to produce large clutch sizes, which increases the female's fitness. In mixed-coloured females, reproductive success is less sensitive to competition and frequency-dependent environments. Since these lizards show a mixture of yellow and orange colouration, they adopt benefits from both of the morphs. As a result, they can maintain high reproductive success and hatching success with large clutch sizes. Their colour morph remains in the population due to its high fitness, which selection will favor.

All three colours have evolutionary advantages in different ways. While yellow females have higher fitness due to their large clutch sizes, orange females enjoy high fitness due to their large body size and increased competitive advantages. Mixed females exhibit both of these advantages.

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Lomatia polymorpha R.Br. 1810 (PROTEACEAE) by Paco Garin

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Arbusto alto y delgado, de 2,5-4 m de altura, ramas e inflorescencias ferruginosas o sedoso-tomentosas. Hojas en su mayoría oblongo-lineales o lanceoladas, obtusas o agudas, enteras, ahusadas en un pecíolo, de 2-8 cm de largo x 2,5-10 mm de ancho, raramente más o menos pinnatífidas, gruesas, lisas y sin nervios en el haz, envés densamente tomentoso, nervio central prominente, los márgenes suelen ser con aspecto de nervio o recurvados. Racimos terminales, cortos y densos. Pedicelos de 6-12 mm de largo. Frutos verde oscuro o negros, de 2-3 cm de largo. Crece en bosques subalpinos, vegetación de matorrales de tierras bajas en áreas más húmedas, y ocasionalmente en la selva tropical. Australia: Tasmania. En Iturraran se encuentra en la zona 4.

Tall slender shrub, to 2,5-4 m tall, branches and inflorescences ferruginous or silky-tomentose. Leaves mostly oblong-linear or lanceolate, obtuse or acute, entire, tapering into a petiole, 2-8 cm long x 2,5-10 mm wide, rarely more or less pinnatifid, thick, smooth and veinless above, densely but closely tomentose beneath, the midrib prominent, the margins often nerve-like or recurved. Racemes terminal, short and dense. Pedicels 6-12 mm long. Perianth pubescent, white, cream or white-greenish, 1,25 cm long. Fruit dark grey to black, 2-3 cm long. It grows in subalpine woodlands, , Australia: Tasmania. In Iturraran is located in area 4.

Leafcutter Ants by Jeff Nyveen

In a mature leafcutter colony, ants are divided into castes, based mostly on size, that perform different functions. Acromyrmex and Atta exhibit a high degree of biological polymorphism, four castes being present in established colonies — minims, minors, mediae, and majors. Majors are also known as soldiers or dinergates.

UCL Museums and Public Relations Away Day by Institute of Making

A couple of weeks ago Museums and Public relations department had an away day at the Institute of Making.

Pewter casting with cuttlefish.

Horizons « Arts-Nature » en Sancy 2013 - Les Encorbellements by virole_bridee

Matthieu Pilaud - Paris - artiste

Matthieu Pilaud a été formé à l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris. Sa pratique s'articule autour de la métamorphose de l'objet et de son caractère polymorphe. Ses œuvres sont construites selon un rapport tantôt sérieux, tantôt ludique, tantôt factuel à la forme et à sa composante. Son parcours est ponctué d'expositions en France et à l'étranger (Belgrade, Mumbaï, Xi'an...)

Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum, Oaks Wood, Cambourne with strongly purple spathe, unmarked spathe edge, purple spadix, and pale leaf edge DSC_9056 by Brian Eversham

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A species which is variable in flower colour and leaf spotting. Cambourne seems to have almost the full range of colour combinations.

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Les Sources Occultes 004/999 - lso004-03 by thierry ehrmann

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Les Sources Occultes 004/999

Un film de Laurent Courau, d'après un scénario de Thierry Ehrmann.

Comédiens : Anne-Sophie Farcy et Sydney Ehrmann

Prises de vue : Laurent Courau

Maquillage : Alisha Henry

Montage et post-production : Laurent Courau

Musique : La Science des Fous / Urgence Disk

Entre effroi et merveilles, une zone mouvante aux portes du futur et des enfers...

Les Sources Occultes vous entraînent au coeur d'un univers polymorphe dont les clés et les motifs se révéleront au fur et à mesure des épisodes de cette série de fictions. En attendant un final apocalyptique, au sens premier du terme, qui révélera la structure générale sous la forme d'un long-métrage...

Les Sources Occultes offrent aussi une nouvelle porte d'entrée dans le labyrinthe multidimensionnel de la Demeure du Chaos à celles et ceux qui postulent à notre casting, une occasion unique de pénétrer les arcanes de l'esprit de la Salamandre.

Secrets revealed of the Abode of Chaos (112 pages, adult only) >>>

Alain Hovnanian presents his metalloproteinase polymorphisms to explain RDEB diversity in one family by Dedee Murrell

Teapotty: some last pix before taking to the V&A by Rain Rabbit

Teapotty! is a teapot sitting on a servo which takes readings from a magnetometer which is influenced by neodymium magnets in a cup. The magnetometer takes the reading from the north position, plays a bit of something similar to the Tetley Tea tune and then moves to a new position - where the teacup moves to. BlinkM RGB LEDs indicate the new position of the teapot by changing colour based on the teapot's new position from 0-180 degrees. I made some polymorph diffuser covers for them & also added heart confetti to emphasise the feeling of heartwarming happiness a cup of tea can bring :-)

Stickytape sensor in polymorph by Plusea

Reddish Crystalline Melt Meteorite by RockSteadyGlitter

I believe this is a polymorph form of diamond similar to Carbonado

Aragonit 1 by Jörg Holtermann

Aragonite is one of the polymorphs of CaCO3 (aka calcium carbonate) and as such the "brother" of Calcite.

More informations on aragonite here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragonite

Now some detail about this photo:

The whole crystal nodule has a maximum length of 3 cm (i.e. from one crystal's end to the furthest end of another crystal), the thickest crystal has a diameter of about 12 mm thanks to twinning. The thickest in view has a diameter of about 6 mm.

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Tools used:

Tamron 18-200 mm lens @ 200mm

(cheap) bellows @ 150 mm extension

IKEA desktop lamp as main light source

Nouilles Rouges - Parc des Coudrays - Elancourt by Christophe Hennegrave

Parc crée au début des années 1970 avec cette superbe sculpture de Marthe et Jean-Marie Simonnet : Arborescence polymorphique.

Je préfère "Nouilles Rouges" et j'adore cette sculpture sur laquelle, gamin, j'ai grimpé plus d'une fois !

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) by Brian Carruthers-Dublin-Eire

Measurements

spanwidth min.: 54 cm

spanwidth max.: 60 cm

size min.: 32 cm

size max.: 36 cm

Breeding

incubation min.: 11 days

incubation max.: 12 days

fledging min.: 17 days

fledging max.: 17 days

broods 15

eggs min.: 1

eggs max.: 25

Status: Widespread summer visitor to Ireland from April to August.

Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is currently evaluated as secure.

Identification: Despite its obvious song, relatively infrequently seen. In flight, can be mistaken for a bird of prey such as Sparrowhawk, but has rapid wingbeats below the horizontal plane - ie. the wings are not raised above the body. Adult male Cuckoos are a uniform grey on the head, neck, back, wings and tail. The underparts are white with black barring. Adult females can appear in one of two forms. The so-called grey-morph resembles the adult male plumage, but has throat and breast barred black and white with yellowish wash. The rufous-morph has the grey replaced by rufous, with strong black barring on the wings, back and tail. Juvenile Cuckoos resemble the female rufous-morph, but are darker brown above.

Similar Species: Sparrowhawk

Call: The song is probably one of the most recognisable and well-known of all Irish bird species. The male gives a distinctive “wuck-oo”, which is occasionally doubled “wuck-uck-ooo”. The female has a distinctive bubbling “pupupupu”. The song period is late April to late June.

Diet: Mainly caterpillars and other insects.

Breeding: Widespread in Ireland, favouring open areas which hold their main Irish host species – Meadow Pipit. Has a remarkable breeding biology unlike any other Irish breeding species.

Wintering: Cuckoos winter in central and southern Africa.

To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises.

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. On hatching, the young cuckoo ejects the host's eggs and chicks from the nest, so the hosts end up raising a cuckoo chick rather than a brood of their own. To fight back, reed warblers (a common host across Europe) have a first line of defence: they attack, or ‘mob’, the female cuckoo, which reduces the chance that their nest is parasitized.

To deter the warbler from attacking, the colouring of the grey cuckoo mimics sparrow hawks, a common predator of reed warblers. However, other females are bright rufous (brownish-red). The presence of alternate colour morphs in the same species is rare in birds, but frequent among the females of parasitic cuckoo species. The new research shows that this is another cuckoo trick: cuckoos combat reed warbler mobbing by coming in different guises.

In the study, the researchers manipulated local frequencies of the more common grey colour cuckoo and the less common (in the United Kingdom) rufous colour cuckoo by placing models of the birds at neighbouring nests. They then recorded how the experience of watching their neighbours mob changed reed warbler responses to both cuckoos and a sparrow hawk at their own nest.

They found that reed warblers increased their mobbing, but only to the cuckoo morph that their neighbours had mobbed. Therefore, as one cuckoo morph increases in frequency, local host populations will become alerted specifically to that morph. This means the alternate morph will be more likely to slip past host defences and lay undetected. This is the first time that ‘social learning’ has been documented in the evolution of mimicry as well as the evolution of different observable characteristics - such as colour - in the same species (called polymorphism).

From the University of Cambridge “When mimicry becomes less effective, evolving to look completely different can be a successful trick. Our research shows that individuals assess disguises not only from personal experience, but also by observing others. However, because their learning is so specific, this social learning then selects for alternative cuckoo disguises and the arms race continues.”.

“It’s well known that cuckoos have evolved various egg types which mimic those of their hosts in order to combat rejection. This research shows that cuckoos have also evolved alternate female morphs to sneak through the hosts' defenses. This explains why many species which use mimicry, such as the cuckoo, evolve different guises.”

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