animals

"The geographic location of origin can be inferred from the geographic distribution of certain alleles or lineages as follows. In all livestock species, including goats, cattle, buffalo, pigs and sheep, a divergent DNA lineage occurs only in Southern and Eastern Asia. This suggests a possible centre of animal domestication in Southern or Eastern Asia."

"The extinction of the Australian Megafauna was probably the first significant mark Homo sapiens left on our planet."

"We identified a total of 362 extant megafauna species. We found that 70% of megafauna species with sufficient information are decreasing and 59% are threatened with extinction. Surprisingly, direct harvesting of megafauna for human consumption of meat or body parts is the largest individual threat to each of the classes examined, and a threat for 98% (159/162) of threatened species with threat data available. Therefore, minimizing the direct killing of the world's largest vertebrates is a priority conservation strategy that might save many of these iconic species and the functions and services they provide."

"Hunting by humans played a major role in extirpating terrestrial megafauna on several continents and megafaunal loss continues today in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Recent declines of large marine vertebrates that are of little or no commercial value, such as s, s and s, have focused attention on the ecological impacts of , in global fisheries. In spite of the recognition of the problem of bycatch, few comprehensive assessments of its effects have been conducted. Many vulnerable species live in pelagic habitats, making surveys logistically complex and expensive. Bycatch data are sparse and our understanding of the demography of the affected populations is often rudimentary. These factors, combined with the large spatial scales that pelagic vertebrates and fishing fleets cover, make accurate and timely bycatch assessments difficult. Here, we review the current research that addresses these challenging questions in the face of uncertainty, analytical limitations and mounting conservation crises."

"may act as both and . They influence local environments and s, determine related ecosystem processes and functions, and are associated with high levels of biodiversity. However, the intrinsic characteristics of megafauna species including long lifespan, large body size, sparseness and/or rarity, late maturity, and low fecundity, as well as high market value, make them very prone to extinction. Up to now, scientific interest and conservation efforts have mainly focused on terrestrial and marine megafauna, while freshwater species have received comparatively little attention, despite evidence suggesting that freshwaters are losing species faster than marine or terrestrial realms. The high susceptibility of freshwater megafauna to multiple threats, coupled with immense human pressure on freshwater ecosystems, places freshwater megafauna amongst the most threatened species globally. The main threats include , dam construction, , , and ."

"Zoos worldwide are visited by great numbers of people, and many of these visitors prefer to see large, rare mammals, the so-called . Zoos and the researchers who use them also appear to prioritise these species, as evidenced by the number of scientific publications which investigate the welfare of charismatic rather than non-charismatic species. However, the charismatic animals also attract more welfare-related concern from groups and the media than the non-charismatics. To this extent the charismatics could be regarded as problematic animals in the zoo. ... However, there is also evidence that their popularity helps zoos achieve their conservation mission, both by increasing funding available for field conservation and by contributing towards education and awareness raising of conservation issues. Nevertheless, the non-charismatics are equally deserving of attention, and more work needs to be done on their welfare."

"At the time of the Cognitive Revolution, the planet was home to about 200 genera of large terrestrial mammals weighing over fifty kilograms. At the time of the Agricultural Revolution, only about one hundred remained. Homo sapiens drove to extinction about half of the planet's big beasts long before humans invented the wheel, writing or iron tools."

"One who has the bull as his vehicle"

"Rcisama, thou forcest men as with a bull, with anger, in the furious fray. Be thou our Helper in the mighty battle fought for sunlight, water, and for life."

"Be it known to thee, o King that... I am the servant of the eight-formed Siva and my back is sanctified by the favour of placing his footsteps, when wishing to mount his bull white as the mount Kailasa."

"O tawny Bull, thus showing forth thy nature, as neither to be wroth, O God, nor slay us. Here, Rudra, listen to our invocation. Loud may we speak, with heroes, in assembly."

"SPEAK forth three words, the words which light precedeth, which milk this udder that produceth nectar. Quickly made manifest, the Bull hath bellowed, engendering the germ of plants, the Infant."

"Zebu bulls played an important role in the religion and mythology of Indo-Aryans native to Hindustan since the composition of Rigveda where they are mentioned in an exclusive connection with Indo-Aryan Devas (‗Playing-in-Light‘) in all main chronological layers of the text"

"When to thy chariot thou hadst yoked two red steeds and two ruddy steeds, wind-sped, thy roar was like a bull's. Thou with smoke-bannered flame attackest forest trees. Let us not in thy friendship, Agni, suffer harm."

"O Aśvins, like a pair of deer, like two wild cattle to the mead: Fly hither like two swans unto the juice we shed."

"Like the wild cattle thirsty for the lightning, Heroes, come nigh this day to our libations. Men call on you with hymns in many places, but let not other worshippers detain you."

"In the stream's wave wise Soma dwells, distilling rapture, in his seat, Resting upon a wiId-cow's hide."

"The juice of Soma thus diffused, sweet to the taste, the bright cows drink, Who for the sake of splendour close to mighty Indra's side rejoice, good in their own supremacy."

"Come thou to this our song of praise, to the libation poured for thee Drink of it like a stag athirst."

"We can state with all certainty that IAs of RV during the whole period of the Samhita’s composition had a highly developed and widespread worship of buffalo which was an integral part of their more general divinization of the Bull."

"When he unbars the spaces of the mountains, and quickens with his floods the water-torrents, He finds in lair the buffalo and wild-ox when the wise lead him on to vigorous exploit."

"Knowing his form, the sages yearned to meet him: they have come nigh to hear the wild Bull's bellow. Performing sacrifice they reached the river: for the Gandharva found the immortal waters."

"Let us declare aloud the name of Ghṛta, and at this sacrifice hold it up with homage. So let the Brahman hear the praise we utter. This hath the four-horned Buffalo emitted."

"Out of 51 cases of description of buffalo in RV only 2 in the latest cycle do not have a sharply defined sacred character (X.28.10 and X.60.3 (but this mention may have religious significance if we compare it with the verse I.174.4)). In all other 49 allusions the image of buffalo is used exclusively to characterize Devas and related figures and never to signify evil powers or personages."

"This Soma, pressed into the cleansing filter, hath run as ’twere a host let loose, the Courser; Like a strong bull who whets his horns kpen-pointed, like a brave warrior in the fray for cattle."

"When, Mighty Lord of Heroes, thou didst cat a thousand buffaloes, Then grew and waxed exceeding great thine Indra-power."

"As the priest seeks the station rich in cattle, like a true King who goes to great assemblies, Soma hath sought the beakers while they cleansed him, and like a wild bull, in the wood hath settled."

"So we see that the endemic cattle of South Asia (Bos indicus, Bubalus bubalis, Bos gaurus, Bos Gavaeus) were very well known to the authors of RV during all period of its composition, played an important role in (the economy of) the RVedic society and these bovines were divinized, worshipped, sacrificed and mythologized."

"As friend to aid a friend, Agni dressed quickly three hundred buffaloes, even as he willed it. And Indra, from man's gift, for Vṛtra's slaughter, drank ofr at once three lakes of pressed-out Soma."

"… with polychaetes ... there is a huge variety of colors and shapes and behaviors. Some spend their entire lives swimming in the ocean like fish. Some are so big that they can actually catch and eat fish as big as a foot long. You've got ones that have feeding tentacles that look like spaghetti, and we call them spaghetti worms. We've got carnivores that eat meat. We've got herbivores that will only eat vegetation like and other types of . We've got ones that make tubes and amazing structures that they live in."

"Most polychaetes have some type of photoreceptor or eyes. Eyes are generally located on the . The complexity of eyes varies from simple pigment cups or , to well developed camera-type eyes, to compound eyes analogous to those found in arthropods (Eakin and Hermans 1988). Ocelli occur in a wide range of polychaete taxa. They can be as simple as two cells—a sensory cell and a pigmented support cell ... Other forms of ocelli are more complex but still may be composed of only a few dozen cells. They probably perceive information about light direction and intensity. In certain Phyllodocica, particularly the swimming predatory Alciopini, the eyes are probably capable of forming an image. The eyes of Alciopini can be up to a millimetre across and so large that they protrude laterally from the head and press into the brain. They consist of a primary retina containing thousand of cells, a secondary retina overlain by a lens and other accessory structures (Hermans and Eakin 1974). Compound eye, which evolved independently of those of arthropods, are found on the radiolar crown of some ..."

"... Alien polychaete species in the Mediterranean Sea mostly originated from the and Indo-Pacific areas. Benthic habitats of the areas between 40°N and 40°S were colonized by polychaetes mostly originating from other tropical and subtropical regions. The and shipping are the major vectors for species introductions. Some species imported and exported as fishing baits have become established at non-native localities. The invasive polychaete species have greatly altered habitat structures in some areas, restructured the food webs, and created important economic problems."

"... I spent several hours in exploring Mew Island, a little coral islet near the entrance of the This island is densely wooded to the water's edge, and is partly encircled by a barrier-reef. As I stepped from the boat upon the reef, I was struck at once with the extreme beauty of a species of , a sea-worm living in holes of the great solid s which compose the reef. The gills of these lovely creatures are in the form of spiral ribbons of a brilliant orange-green and blue; these resplendent gaudy plumes are alternately extruded and withdrawn, and seen through the pellucid water, present a very singular and beautiful appearance"

"Toward misted and ebullient seas And cooling shores, toward lost Amphibia’s emperies."

"Salamander in his dripping cave Satanic ebon-amber; ... Eft of cumbrous gait, And toads who love rank grasses near a grave."

"Poor Tom, that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall newt, and the water."

"’Twas never merry world since, of two usuries, the merriest was put down, and the worser allowed by order of law a furred gown to keep him warm; and furred with fox on lambskins too, to signify that craft, being richer than innocency, stands for the facing."

"... If we can't be cordial to these creatures' fleece, I think that we deserve to freeze."

"This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch, The lion and the belly-pinchèd wolf Keep their fur dry."

"And over all, a Counterpane was plac’d, Thick sown with Furs of many a Savage Beast, Of Bears and Lions, heretofore his Spoil; And still remain’d the Trophies of his Toil."

"Mounted on panthers’ furs and lions’ manes, From rear to van they scour about the plains."

"Tipt with jet, Fair ermines, spotless as the snows they press; Sables, of glossy black; and dark-embrown’d, Or beauteous freakt with many a mingled hue, Thousands besides, the costly pride of courts."

"Immers’d in furs, Doze the gross race."

"Was there any more repellent sight than a silly, self-centred, greedy woman clad in the skin of a beast so much more splendid than herself?"

"It is really a joy to slip furs around a beautiful, luxurious woman, to see and feel how her neck, her lovely limbs snuggle against the costly soft furs, to lift the stray locks of her hair, and place them outside the collar, and when she takes off her cloak and the cosy warmth and the subtle scent of her body lingers on the tips of the sable, the effect is overpowering."

"It’s Luca the Octopu- I mean, forget about it."

"... octopi Like blazing moons with countless arms of fire, Climb from the seas of ever-surging flame That roll and roar through planets unconsumed, Beating on coasts of unknown metals; ..."

"Strange beauty, eight-limbed and eight-handed, Whence camest to dazzle our eyes? With thy bosom bespangled and banded With the hues of the seas and the skies; Is thy home European or Asian, O mystical monster marine? Part molluscous and partly crustacean, Betwixt and between.Wast thou born to the sound of sea trumpets? Hast thou eaten and drunk to excess Of the sponges—thy muffins and crumpets, Of the seaweed—thy mustard and cress? Wast thou nurtured in caverns of coral, Remote from reproof or restraint? Art thou innocent, art thou immoral, Sinburnian or Saint?Lithe limbs, curling free, as a creeper That creeps in a desolate place, To enroll and envelop the sleeper In a silent and stealthy embrace, Cruel beak craning forward to bite us, Our juices to drain and to drink, Or to whelm us in waves of Cocytus, Indelible ink!O breast, that ’twere rapture to writhe on! O arms ’twere delicious to feel Clinging close with the crush of the Python, When she maketh her murderous meal! In thy eight-fold embraces enfolden, Let our empty existence escape, Give us death that is glorious and golden, Crushed all out of shape!Ah! thy red lips, lascivious and luscious, With death in their amorous kiss, Cling round us, and clasp us, and crush us, With bitings of agonised bliss; We are sick with the poison of pleasure, Dispense us the potion of pain; Ope thy mouth to its uttermost measure And bite us again!"

"We decided to give the name Centropyge narcosis to. That's its official scientific name, in reference to its deep-dwelling habits."

"If you would keep your soul From spotted sight or sound, Live like the velvet mole: Go burrow underground.And there hold intercourse With roots of trees and stones, With rivers at their source, And disembodied bones."