(Encyclopedia) skunk, name for several related New World mammals of the weasel family, characterized by their conspicuous black and white markings and use of a strong, highly offensive odor for…
TYPES OF FOSSILBIOGRAPHY: WILLIAM SMITH British, 1769-1839FOSSILIZATIONFIND OUT MOREFossils are the remains or traces of an animal or plant that are preserved in rock. They come in many forms,…
(Encyclopedia) toxoplasmosis, infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled parasitic microorganism that can infect most warm-blooded animals but reproduces only in animals of the cat family…
(Encyclopedia) Tasmanian devil, extremely voracious marsupial, or pouched mammal, of the dasyure family, now found only on the island of Tasmania. The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisi, formerly…
(Encyclopedia) parthenogenesisparthenogenesispärˌthənōjĕnˈəsĭs [key] [Gr.,=virgin birth], in biology, a form of reproduction in which the ovum develops into a new individual without fertilization.…
Ever wondered what the story was behind these two famous party animals? The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His…
(Encyclopedia) neuron, specialized cell in animals that, as a unit of the nervous system, carries information by receiving and transmitting electrical impulses.
(Encyclopedia) fur, hairy covering of an animal, especially the skins of animals that have thick, soft, close-growing hair next to the skin itself and coarser protective hair above it. The underhair…
(Encyclopedia) notochordnotochordnōˈtəkôrdˌ [key], in biology, supporting rod running most of the length of animals of the phylum Chordata and present at varying times in the life cycle. Composed of…