Sorting out Science

Seen at the Petrified Forest National Park’s visitor’s center in Arizona, it’s Desmatosuchus spurensis — and like all Aetosaurs, it was an odd looking thing:

Aetosaurs were an order of reptiles that lived in the Late Triassic, about 200 – 230 million years ago. Aetosaur comes from the Greek for “eagle lizard,” since their skulls somewhat resemble those of birds — but they had pig-like snouts (for rooting), a body much like those of crocodiles, and armored plates on their backs like those of modern-day armadillos. So picture an armored crocodile with a bird-like head and a pig-like snout, and you’ve got a good idea of what an odd sort of creature an aetosaur was.

Desmatosuchus was one of the largest aetosaurs, about 5 meters (16 feet) long, and standing about 1.5 meters (5 feet) high. It had the additional feature (unlike most other aetosaurs) of two rows of spikes along the sides of its back — one over each shoulder. The spikes grew some 45 centimeters (18 inches) long, definitely useful for discouraging predators.

BTW, aetosaurs star in an interesting bit of paleontological history — written up nicely here.

Formally known as Parambassis ranga, the glass fish (or Indian glassy fish) is a freshwater fish native to south Asia, and a popular species in the aquarium trade.

A shy little fish, Parambassis ranga unfairly gained a reputation for being a short-lived species. But this is largely due to some specimens being sold after being injected with dyes for a more colorful appearance.

This particular specimen was seen at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Otherwise known as the common lagoon jelly, or the spotted jelly — pretty little things, they eat zooplankton, but also get nutrition from tiny symbiotic algae in their tissues.

For the algae to photosynthesize, the jellies need to swim near the surface during daylight. They’re found throughout the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans (but primarily in the southern Pacific), as well as the Western Atlantic Ocean. These particular jellies, though, live in the California Academy of Sciences — in Golden Gate Park; San Francisco, California.