A passion for the natural world drives many of our adventures. When I’m not outside, I love exploring discoveries about the places I live and travel to. Here are some of the best natural history links I found this week.

caribou in trouble

Labrador caribou population decline: In the 1980s, the George River caribou herd was the largest in the world, with three quarters of the animals. From the 1990s to his 2010s, the population has declined by 99%. Communities in the area were accustomed to fluctuations in caribou numbers but could not understand the dramatic decline.

To protect the remaining caribou, the government introduced a hunting ban, which has now been in place for 10 years. But for the Inuit and Canine people of Labrador, who have relied on caribou for thousands of years, the ban is tough. Caribou is not only food, it is part of culture, connecting people to the land.

“We are going to lose who we are as a culture and as a people,” said one Makovik. Another said: We are losing our traditional ways and the loss of our cultural food is as important as our language, crafts and arts. ”

Eel production areas: Every year American and European eels migrate to the Sargasso Sea. Scientists track them to discover more about these elusive species.

The ancient Egyptians believed that eels had no genitals. It took until the 1890s for a mature male eel to be discovered. Their gonads do not develop until they are 7 to 25 years old. Scientists have yet to see eels mate in the wild, and it is unclear how they find their way while migrating.

This lack of knowledge, along with the declining population, is starting to panic researchers. The current population is estimated to be 60% below his past record, but it is not known if it will be enough to restore the population. They proposed banning eel fishing.

Most of Cystisoma’s head is occupied by eyes.Photo: KJ Osborne/Smithsonian

deep sea big eyes

Crustaceans with eyes on their heads: Scientists have discovered a shrimp-like crustacean with eyes as big as its head deep in the ocean’s crepuscular zone.

cyst Inhabits water depths of 200m to 900m where light does not reach. Large eyes allow animals to detect the faintest of light.

However, large eyes can target animals. The pupil has a dark photon-absorbing pigment visible to predators. These clever crustaceans have found a way to combat this. The pigmented area of ​​the eye is divided into small spots on thin sheets. Transparent crustaceans are almost invisible except for the eyes.

Excavations of the Maya civilization: Three years ago, on a ranch in Mexico, archaeologists discovered a stone monument, utensils and the remains of a middle-aged woman. Researchers believe he discovered the capital of Sak T’zi, a 2,500-year-old Mayan kingdom.

Simon Martin, Curator of the Penn Museum, said: “The discarded carcass of the looted monument at this site is consistent with that previously attached to Sak Tzee.

The excavation was halted due to the pandemic, but this year the team is back. So far they have found a body on his 40 hectares of land. There are hundreds of rocks and remains of the platforms that once formed the Acropolis.

A satellite image shows a coral reef in the middle of the desert.Image: Curtin University

desert coral reef

An ancient coral reef in the middle of the desert: Satellite images have discovered an ancient coral reef in the middle of the desert of southern Australia.

The Digital Elevation Mission (TanDEM-X) will render a 3D mapping of the Earth’s surface. In the Nullarbor Plain of southern Australia, you can see a distinct circular terrain resembling a bull’s eye. Probably the remains of an ancient coral reef.

The plains emerged from the sea 14 million years ago. Underneath much of this area lie limestone formations that were once large seagrass meadows.

“Much of the Nullarbor Plain has remained largely unchanged over millions of years of weathering, making it a unique geological canvas documenting its ancient history,” said planetary scientist Milo Barham. said.

The team initially thought the anomalous shape was the site of a meteorite impact, but there are no chemical indicators to support this.

Oldest Heart Found: Researchers have found the oldest known heart in Western Australia. The fossilized organs are from a jawed fish that lived between 359 and 419 million years ago.

Scientists have found a perfectly preserved heart, along with fossilized intestines, liver and stomach. New fossils could help us understand how humans and other animals evolved.

“I was surprised to find a beautifully preserved 380-million-year-old ancestral heart,” said paleontologist Trina Justic. “We were especially surprised to find out that they weren’t that different from us.”