Tag Archives: cave art

The power of wonder

Posted on June 26, 2019 by twilightbeasts

There is no denying our fascination with wildlife. Shows such as Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and the more recent Our Planet, have had millions of viewers across the world. People, young and old, flock around cases full of taxidermy in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cave art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Lost Sheep

Posted on December 22, 2016 by twilightbeasts

I don’t know about you, but I love the spirit of farmers during lambing season. Coming from a farming background, I know the farmers’ mingled emotions of dread and hope and joy as the wee lambs are born often in … Continue reading →

Posted in Giant Sheep | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lost, as the moa is lost!

Posted on January 22, 2016 by twilightbeasts

Every biologist has a gateway species. The taxon you had never heard of before that just looked so weird and unusual that you had to learn more. So, you looked up a few books, searched some library holdings, maybe photocopied … Continue reading →

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The moo of the wild

Posted on November 11, 2015 by twilightbeasts

In a sense, Pleistocene megafauna are still with us even in post-industrial England. It may not seem like it but the humble heifer is probably the most successful species of megafauna on the planet, outnumbering all the elephants, rhinos, whales, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aurochs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

From the bones of giants

Posted on July 31, 2015 by twilightbeasts

One day in 1443, a mason chiselled the letters “A. E. I. O. U.” on a giant bone which hung from the gates of the bustling city of Vienna. The mason was not making sure they never forgot their vowels … Continue reading →

Posted in Cave art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The beauty in the beasts

Posted on July 17, 2015 by twilightbeasts

Nature is beautiful. Look around at the green leaves flashing brightly as the sun bounces off them. Look closer and you spot a flash of yellow as a goldfinch nips by. Shake a branch gently and you will be rewarded … Continue reading →

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The pouched lion

Posted on October 10, 2014 by twilightbeasts

Australia is a land stripped of megafauna. The largest surviving kangaroo is a dwarf compared to the elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and hippos of Africa. Similarly, the largest living carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harisii), is a stunted furball when … Continue reading →

Posted in Marsupial Lion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments