Tag Archives: Jan Freedman

The last squawk of the dodo

Posted on August 28, 2015 by twilightbeasts

Extinction isn’t preordained. Species have no idea if they will vanish from the face of the Earth forever. Yet they do. An animal’s daily life is a struggle for survival: find the next meal, avoid being eaten. Many individuals die. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodo | Tagged Caloenas nicobarica, Decan Traps, Dodo, Extinction, Jan Freedman, Mare aux Songes, Mauritius, National Museum, Nicobar Pigeon, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Prague, Raphus cucullatus, Tyrannosaurs rex, University of Copenhagen Zoological Museum | 20 Comments

Did humans wipe out the megafauna?

Posted on August 14, 2015 by twilightbeasts

The wonderful thing about writing for Twilight Beasts is the chance to bring back some truly incredible creatures. Here we are allowed to be taken back to a time when the largest land lizard ever walked the Earth: Megalania. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Extinction | Tagged Bison, Diprotodon, Giant Echidna, Glyptodon, Jan Freedman, Mammoth, mass extinction, Mastodon, Megalania, Megatherium, Overkill, Paul Martin, Smilodon, Woolly rhinoceros | 8 Comments

The silent hunter

Posted on August 6, 2015 by twilightbeasts

“Those who have never seen a leopard under favourable conditions in his natural surroundings can have no conception of the grace of movement, and beauty of colouring, of this the most graceful and the most beautiful of all animals in … Continue reading →

Posted in Leopard | Tagged African leopard, British Geological Survey, Cave leopard, Chauvet Cave, felid, Homotherium latidens, jaguar, Jan Freedman, Javan leopard, leopard, Panthera pardus antiqua, Panthera pardus melas, Panthera pardus pardus, Panthera pardus sickenbergi, Panthera pardus spelaea | 9 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 Acheulean Industry, Ayla, Bison, cave art, Horse, Jan Freedman, Jean Auel, Jondalar, Knapping, löwenmensch, Mammoth, reindeer, Woolly Mammoth | 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 →

Posted in Cave art | Tagged Bison, Castillo, cave art, Cave Lion, Cave of Altamira, Cave of La Pasiega, Cave of Niaux, Chauvet Cave, Font-de-Gaume, Giant Deer, Grotte de CUssac, Jan Freedman, Khoit Tsenkher Cave, La Marche cave, Lascaux Cave, Les Combarelles, Maros, Pech Merle cave, Woolly rhinoceros | 9 Comments

A test of time

Posted on July 10, 2015 by twilightbeasts

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 →

Posted in foraminifera | Tagged Axial Tilt, Eccentricity, foram, Foraminifera, glacial period, Hippopotamus, Hyena, interglacial period, Jan Freedman, marine isotope record, Milankovic Cycles, oxygen isotope, Precession, reindeer, Sunspots, Woolly Mammoth, Woolly rhinoceros | 10 Comments

	The most (and least)… on A very brief introduction to…
	The most (and least)… on The Nipple Tooth
	The most (and least)… on The burrowers
	The most (and least)… on The Stuff Of Night-Mares
	The most (and least)… on The beasts within

	The most (and least)… on A very brief introduction to…
	The most (and least)… on The Nipple Tooth
	The most (and least)… on The burrowers
	The most (and least)… on The Stuff Of Night-Mares
	The most (and least)… on The beasts within