These lizards use bubbles to breathe underwater
Semi-aquatic anoles have a nifty trick for extending their underwater escapades.
ByDouglas Main
Email
Aquatic insects and other invertebrates are well known for carrying bubbles underwater for respiration. Now scientists have found tropical lizards that also “breathe” underwater this way a first-of-its kind discovery.
New research shows that a dozen species of Caribbean and Latin American anoles, a type of lizard, can exhale air to create large, oxygen-filled bubbles that cling to their head. The anoles were seen periodically inflating the bubbles and then drawing them back in through their noses so to test if they use these bubbles to breathe, scientists observed the reptiles staying underwater for more than 15 minutes, according to a paper published May 12 in the journal
Date Time
Flinders Micro CT takes imaging to new levels
Micro CT Scanner Project lead, Associate Professor Egon Perilli, demonstrating the scanner’s capabilities at Tonsley.
Australia’s largest cabinet Micro-CT scanner, unveiled at Flinders University Tonsley campus, will enable South Australian researchers to scan large human bones, ancient fossils, and machine parts with unprecedented levels of detail and reveal fresh insights about the makeup of 3D objects.
The state-of-the-art piece of equipment enables 3D-scanning of large and heavy samples weighing up to 50kg, including human limbs, prosthesis devices, engineered structures, batteries, plants, fossils, vertebrates, and 3D composite materials.
Developed by Nikon Metrology (UK), the 4.5 tonne scanner will also enable custom-developed experimental systems to be placed inside, to test human limbs, biomedical devices, and engineered components.