#but they're more closely related to sea lions I think

[sylvrndoodles]

most tired-looking dude ever

#taken at the vancouver aquarium! it's called a fur seal #but they're more closely related to sea lions I think #fur seal #photography #vancouver aquarium #my photography!

[enthusispastic]

As a biology teacher on Tumblr, I believe it is my responsibility after seeing this on more than one post now, to send out this reminder:

Class Mammalia (the mammals) comprise 3 major groups with living representatives. The first is the most uncontroversial, the placental mammals. This group contains us humans, as well as most things you think of when you hear the word "mammal" such as horses, orcas, hamsters, lemurs, tigers, elephants, bats, manatees, sloths, raccoons, sea lions, pigs, deer, armadillos (who yes, are mammals, my own mother). We have hair, and nipples to produce milk for our young. These two traits (hair follicles and skin glands that produce milk) are typically seen as hallmarks that define mammals in modern biology, and placentals obviously have both.

Then there are the weirdest ones, the monotremes. These are the weird little critters who make milk but don't have nipples. The egg-laying mammals. Platypus are the most famous, but there are also a few species of echidnas (spiny anteaters) who also belong here. And there were more in the fossil record. Point is, milk (but no nipples, so that's weird) and hair, monotremes tick the boxes.

Finally, the last group, that seems to be giving some of us trouble, are the marsupials. These ARE MAMMALS. They have hair and nipples. In fact, their young are perhaps the MOST dependent on milk, that wonder of mammalian evolution, compared to other mammals. They're typically born as little more than a fetus, and their young live in the pouch, depending on milk for their early development. This includes all of the charismatic Australian megafauna mammals (except dingos and bats) like kangaroos, wallabys, koalas, wombats, and the extinct thylacine, as well as smaller creatures like quolls, tasmanian devils, possums, etc. It also includes animals from South America (like the monito del monte) and yapoks, as well as the iconic American opossum. They are mammals!

Please spread the good news! Opossums are more closely related to you than either of you are to, say, dimetrodon or lystrosaurus. And they ARE MAMMALS!

#animals #science #mammals #opossum #marsupials #teacher #im a science teacher and i say stop harrassing people for saying correct facts about opossums

[katelynnideation]

Endangered Animal Project: Sea Lion

For many years, sea lions have been considered endangered, mainly due to humans killing them for "stealing" their fish. Sea lions are also endangered due to climate change, which has caused a great decrease in the number of the kinds of fish they eat. Luckily, their populations have been springing back in recent years, and they may soon come off the endangered species list. I chose to do a sea lion because I think they're a very fun animal. They are closely related to dogs (my favorite animal) and I love how they don't really have legs. I like how they lay about so lazily but swim with such grace (I can relate to this.) I always love to visit them at the Bronx Zoo. From one entrance, you're always greeted by their loud barks and yells as they swim about and play with one another. I can watch them for a while - I find them pretty entertaining.

For this project, I decided to begin my process by doing some rough sketches in pen, and then a quick sketch in charcoal. I really enjoyed this part of the process because I love drawing and I just haven't made any art in a while. I found this to be very helpful in conceptualizing the shape of a sea lion.

Then, after doing the readings, I decided to try and plan out my build. I tried to divide up the sea lion into simple shapes such as spheres, cones and cylinders.

For materials, I used cardboard boxes from my recycling bin, craft glue, an exacto knife and painters tape. In retrospect, I probably should have paid closer attention to the guide I created, but it's alright. I then began to craft the two spheres, which was the most difficult part. I crafted the sphere by cutting out 3 circles, cutting 2 into semi circles, and then creating slits in the semi circles to fit the pieces together. I glued these two x-shaped semi circles onto the remaining circle on both sides to create a 3d object. I then covered the open faces with triangles.

Next, I created a neck by crafting a cone, and made some whiskers. I made a smaller circle to represent its little nose/mouth area, and attached them together.

After this, I crafterd a large cone and a cube for the body. The cube was not part of the original plan but I think it was good at conveying the body. Below is the construction of the cube. I taped 6 squares together and then bent them into a cube.

I then created the tail by cutting the middle part out of a square and adding two rounded parts to represent its tail fins. Finally, I created its front fins by cutting two round pieces of cardboard. Here is the final assembled piece.

If I were to do something differently for this project, I think I would have tried to keep the head/neck area the same color as the body/tail/fins. I think it looks kinda like a sea lion, but if the colors were more cohesive it would help convey more unity. This project was more challenging than I anticipated, buy overall I found it enjoyable to sculpt something with materials I haven't sculpted with before.