Close Menu
    What's Hot
    – 20230173bccc501cd5ca1cb6d4e1a55309c444

    Child mental health forum to be held in Norristown

    May 13, 2024
    – 202309651575b3861327.14722519

    GameStop's stock prices surged when Roaring Kitty made a comeback on social media

    May 13, 2024
    – 202303van Jones 2023

    Van Jones criticized possible Trump VP candidates for avoiding 2024 election questions, saying it's like failing kindergarten

    May 13, 2024
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Telegram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Plaza JournalThe Plaza Journal
    Subscribe
    Monday, June 23
    • Sports
      • American Football
      • Basketball
      • Baseball
      • Boxing
      • Cricket
      • Football
      • Hockey
      • Tennis
    • Politics
      – 2023102

      John Dean believes the hush money case against Trump is very strong

      May 13, 2024
      – 202405my screenshots 2024 05 13 at 85135am e1715608366191

      “Cruel and unfeeling” Trump assistant boasts about causing innocent homeless people to be arrested

      May 13, 2024
      – 202305stopthestealrally 01062021 getty

      Only 5 percent of people mention January 6th as the most important memory from Trump's presidency: Survey

      May 13, 2024
      – 202405AP24082659643362 e1714510107248

      7 in 10 say they’ve given a lot of thought to election: Gallup

      May 13, 2024
      – 202405AP24133009758539

      Trump: ‘Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man’

      May 13, 2024
    • Technology
    • United States
    • United Kingdom
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Science
      1. Archaeology
      2. Anthropology
      3. Space
      4. Biology
      5. Ecology
      6. Geology
      7. Nanotechnology
      8. Neurology
      9. Paleontology
      10. Psychology
      11. Mathematics
      12. Geography
      13. Astrophysics
      14. Oceanography
      15. Physics
      Featured
      – 20240513unesco hunting cave

      How perspiration and endurance helped humans become excellent runners and hunters

      Biology May 13, 20244 Mins Read
      Recent
      – 20240513unesco hunting cave

      How perspiration and endurance helped humans become excellent runners and hunters

      May 13, 2024
      – 202405112024 aurora photos

      Amazing photos of colorful skies around the world as auroras shine in bright colors

      May 11, 2024
      – 20240510mosquitoes scotland

      Scotland has suddenly seen a large increase in mosquitoes

      May 10, 2024
    • Health
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Plaza JournalThe Plaza Journal
    Home»Animals

    These birds challenge the concepts of male and female effortlessly

    By Antoine SánchezMay 8, 2024 Animals 4 Mins Read
    – 20240508green honeycreeper
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    What is the most unusual thing you discovered this week? No matter what it is, we assure you that you will get an even weirder response if you listen to PopSci’s hit podcast. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week hits Apple, Spotify, YouTube, as well as on other podcast platforms every other Wednesday morning. It's your new favorite source for the most peculiar science-related facts, figures, and Wikipedia rabbit holes from the editors of Popular Science . If you enjoy the stories in this post, we guarantee you'll enjoy the show.

    Check out Weirdest Thing's new Reddit page to connect with other unusual people!

    FACT: These birds challenge the concepts of male and female effortlessly

    By Amanda Reed

    Hamish Spencer, a zoologist and distinguished professor at the University of Otago, was on vacation in Colombia when ornithologist John Murillo pointed out an interesting bird perched on a feeding station. The bird in question was a green honeycreeper, but it looked different from any other honeycreeper they'd seen before. The right half of the bird was blue, similar to the males of the species, and the left half was green—the color usually seen in females.

    This unique honeycreeper is one of many animals that exhibit bilateral gynandromorphism, a characteristic where animals show both male and female traits although their species typically have distinct sexes.

    Other birds have also exhibited bilateral gynandromorphism. In 2019, a cardinal with male and female feathers was seen in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 2020, researchers in Pennsylvania discovered a gynandromorphic rose-breasted grosbeak displaying male feathers on the right and female feathers on the left.

    These birds, along with other gender-defying animals such as clownfish and leaping lesbian lizards, prove that nature does not adhere to simple labels as much as you might think. For more about how the natural world consistently challenges our understanding of things like sex, take a look at these gene-stealing salamanders, this super-sexy slime mold, and Rachel's book about the unusual and amazing evolution of sex. 

    FACT: Frogs make a lot more noise than you'd expect

    By Rachel Feltman

    Litter leaf frogs, residents of the Brazilian rainforest, use a unique defense strategy: producing screams at frequencies beyond the range of human hearing. Recent research has shown that these unassuming amphibians use ultrasonic screams, which are indiscernible to human ears, to deter potential threats like bats and rodents. They also perform a quirky maneuver before unleashing their defensive cries.

    So, why do these frogs scream? Well, scientists have a couple of theories. One idea is that they are attempting to scare off as many predators as possible by using a wide range of frequencies. Another notion is that the scream might actually attract other, larger predators to handle whatever is threatening the frog.

    And in case you're wondering: yes, some frogs scream at frequencies that are completely audible to us, for better and for worse.

    FACT: One scientist attempted to demonstrate that fungi could communicate (in a way)

    By Erica Brozovsky

    Fungi come in various shapes and sizes, from the tiny organisms living in and around our bodies to the largest living entity on Earth: 3.5 square miles of Armillaria ostoyae found in an Oregon forestThere are many kinds of fungi, but if you're not a specialist, when you think of fungi, you likely think of mushrooms. Sometimes tasty, sometimes dangerous, sometimes mind-altering, mushrooms are the reproductive structures of specific fungi.

    If you were wondering, “How can a fungus cover 3.5 square miles?!” The answer is the network of mycelium (consisting of long, underground filaments called hyphae) connecting fungal colonies with the soil, similar to how the nervous system links things in our bodies. Together, the mycelium makes up the mycorrhizal network that connects plants to share resources and communicate. It's often referred to as the wood wide web!

    Similar to the internet, the wood wide web enables fungi to communicate, transferring nutrients, chemicals, and electrical signals. One scientist studied these electrical signals and asserts that mushrooms communicate with each other in 'words' resembling human language. You can discover more about these potentially chatty mushrooms by listening to this week’s episode.

    Antoine Sánchez

    Keep Reading

    – 20240513Depositphotos 241148346 L

    Chicken fat supercapacitors may be able to store future green energy

    – 20240513unesco hunting cave

    How perspiration and endurance helped humans become excellent runners and hunters

    – 202405Screenshot 2024 05 13 171607

    Aquatic activities near Kradan Island will be stopped to protect the coral

    – 202405chiangmai 1

    On the intense front line of Thailand’s battle against smog

    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Must Read
    Latest Posts
    – 20230173bccc501cd5ca1cb6d4e1a55309c444

    Child mental health forum to be held in Norristown

    May 13, 2024
    – 202309651575b3861327.14722519

    GameStop's stock prices surged when Roaring Kitty made a comeback on social media

    May 13, 2024
    – 202303van Jones 2023

    Van Jones criticized possible Trump VP candidates for avoiding 2024 election questions, saying it's like failing kindergarten

    May 13, 2024
    – 20240513Depositphotos 241148346 L

    Chicken fat supercapacitors may be able to store future green energy

    May 13, 2024
    – 202405antisemitism

    Most students at prestigious universities believe that there is an issue with antisemitism, as per a survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report

    May 13, 2024
    The Plaza Journal White Logo
    X-twitter Facebook Google Pinterest Telegram

    News

    • World
    • US Politics
    • EU Politics
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • Connections
    • Science

    Company

    • Information
    • Advertising
    • Classified Ads
    • Contact Info
    • Do Not Sell Data
    • GDPR Policy
    • Media Kits

    The Plaza Journal

    • Contact Us
    • Subscription
    • Submit an Anonymous Tip
    • Newsletters
    • Sponsored News
    • Advertise With Us
    • Privacy Notice

    Keep updated

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Copyright © 2025 The Plaza Journal. All rights reserved.
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.