Tag Archives: Hyena

Eye of the beholder

By looks alone there are many animals that do not win our hearts. People don’t coo over wasps; vultures are grotesque; don’t get me started on elephant seals. Sadly this is due to what we see as beautiful. David Hume, the … Continue reading

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A test of time

Nothing beats the thrill of holding a fossil in the palm of my hand. Feeling the smooth cold surface gently resting on the top of my bare skin instantly transports me back to the time that creature was alive: for … Continue reading

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T’was the night before Christmas

Head held down, the reindeer forced itself forwards. A strong, icy wind blasted against it’s thick hide. Straining to hear in the howling storm, there was no sign of the herd. Some moments earlier it had become separated from the group. Something had startled … Continue reading

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Dire times for bone crushing dogs

Dogs. (Hu)man’s best friend. For around 15,000 years, these furry, sensitive canines have been our close companions. All dogs alive today descended from a wolf ancestor into a massive array of variations today; from the laughable but slightly cute Chihuahua, to the unbelievable … Continue reading

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The hyena that was overshadowed by a Tyrannosaurus rex

One of the wonderful things about being part of Twilight Beasts is that we are discovering new beasts all the time. Many beasts are familiar, like mammoths and sabretooth cats. Others not so much, like the unbelievably cute Great Jerboa, … Continue reading

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An unexpected river horse

In the cool breeze, beneath the shady cover of beech trees in the valley of Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, quarry workers revealed a world long forgotten. It was the summer of 1821, when shrubs and trees were being removed to excavate … Continue reading

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Mammoths!

The first animal that pops into anyone’s head when you say ‘Ice Age’ will be the woolly mammoth. This is the iconic animal of the Pleistocene. There were other large proboscideans lolloping across the landscape, including the mastodon and the … Continue reading

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