The octopus has a unique ability. It can change the color, pattern and even texture of its skin not only for purposes of camouflage but also as a means of communication. The most intelligent, most mobile and largest of all mollusks, these cephalopods use their almost humanlike eyes to send signals to pigmented organs in their skin called chromatophores, which expand and contract to alter their appearance.

New research on bioluminescent ostracods shows how tiny crustaceans are helping scientists to understand evolution by sexual selection. 

Graduate student Des Ramirez walked away with the lab NCAA bracket challenge, scoring a 96.4% over runner-up, sixth grader, Ian Oakley. Des presciently,nay prophetically chose Big 10 teams like MSU and WI to go deep into the tournament. Second place finisher Ian got off to a good start in the first round, but consistently lost ground after that. Third place finisher and professor Todd Oakley had his brackets completely busted early on when his alma mater, Duke, were knocked out in the first round. At least he filled a bracket, unlike anyone else in the lab.

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Pop Quiz: what creatures make up more than 70% of the approximately 1.9 million described species on earth and have long served as model organisms in many areas of biology? If you guessed invertebrates, you’re right!