iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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The evolution of cattle and their relatives is such a fascinating story. It’s great to see some of the same sites in the Altai providing information about unexpected bovines, after already highlighting the unexpected diversity of human ancestors. www.johnhawks.net/p/denisova-c...

johnhawks.net

Denisova Cave mystery yak

DNA from bone fragments reveals lost populations of bovines in the cold caves of Central Asia.

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Washington Emergency Management Division @emd.wa.gov · 11h

Even your neighborhood deer wants you to be ready for earthquakes. Don’t be left out, there’s still time! Register at shakeout.org/washington

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 10h

The rut is ON! Our massive bull elk are in full display mode, bugling to declare their dominance, sparring with rivals, and even decorating their antlers with vegetation to impress the herd. This dramatic season only comes once a year, and it’s nature’s version of a competition for the crown.

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Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · 9h

And if you’re celebrating World Octopus Day, check out our Cephalopod Week Spotlight for more stories, games, and activities. www.sciencefriday.com/spotlights/c...

sciencefriday.com

Happy Cephalopod Week from Science Friday

Cephalopod Week is back! Time to poddy.

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 8h

Turn up the sound to hear Bramble the porcupette's care team describe how her boopable snoot feels.

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 7h

Turn up the sound to hear a chorus of howls from our critically endangered Red Wolf pack! 🐺 Born in April, these pups are growing up fast, and they’re enjoying some nighttime howling with their parents, Violet and Fiddle. 🌙

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 7h

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All the Galaxies! @allthegalaxies.galaxyzoo.org · 6h

A barred spiral galaxy, observed with the Apache Point 2.5m Telescope in the SDSS survey. It is at redshift 0.028 (lookback time 397.0 million years) with coordinates (228.66580, 26.59420). 43 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo 2.

A barred spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo 2 project, classified by 43 volunteers.

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 5h

2,000 pounds of handsome sporting a leafy crown! 🍁👑 📸: Keeper Deanna

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Brookfield Zoo Chicago @brookfieldzoo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It’s always a gourd time for some pumpkin enrichment! 🎃🐻 Recently, sloth bears Lila and Kartik got a special Halloween treat from their animal care team: pumpkins packed with crickets, grapes, and other fruits and veggies!

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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance @sandiegozoo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

⚠️Busy beavers at work⚠️

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garrodgetswell.bsky.social @garrodgetswell.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Just a little guy on a very important mission. 🐾 Look at him go! #Groundhog #WildlifeOnTheProwl #BackyardWildlife #NatureTok #CuteAnimals

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 28/09/2026

Have you ever spotted a rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus)? Found throughout much of the southwestern United States and Mexico, this rodent can weigh up to 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg). While it does forage in the trees, this species prefers to make its dens in rocky terrain like cliffs and canyons.

A photo of a rock squirrel. The squirrel is plump in shape and has tan fur.

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Our first-ever prehensile-tailed porcupette is happily nibbling on a hibiscus flower, and clearly enjoying every bite. 🥰 Now she needs a name! Keepers have narrowed it down to Amora, Bristle or Bramble, and you get to choose. 💕 Vote now at PDZA.org. We’ll announce the winning name this Thursday!

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Stephen Barten @stephenbarten.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

There's no such thing as too many Flying Squirrel videos. #SouthernFlyingSquirrel #backyardwildlife #trailcamera #trailcamera

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In Otter News @in-otter-news.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

After a long day at the aquarium, the otters help tidy their toys away. Payment is made promptly and entirely in ice cubes.

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Whale Tales @whaletalesorg.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Orca Sounds. Read the full story here: buff.ly/P91xFPW Video by Maria This is an encounter from 2026 #WhaleTales #orca

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Happy Sea Otter Awareness Week, Moea! 🦦 Our rescued Southern sea otter is an estimated 17 years old. She is calm, confident, and loves spending time with her fellow otter pal, Clara. She’s also a foodie at heart, and her name is too! "Moea" is a nod to the scientific name for sweet potato. 🍠

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All the Galaxies! @allthegalaxies.galaxyzoo.org · 26/09/2026

A barred spiral galaxy, observed with the Apache Point 2.5m Telescope in the SDSS survey. It is at redshift 0.050 (lookback time 698.4 million years) with coordinates (346.42330, 0.29345). 50 volunteers classified this galaxy in Galaxy Zoo 2.🔭

A barred spiral galaxy from the Galaxy Zoo 2 project, classified by 50 volunteers.

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The current lead bull is busy bugling all around the Free-Roaming Area! 📯 📹: Keeper Kailey

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Pufflings are here! Multiple adorable puffin chicks have hatched and fledged at the seabird habitat. Adult puffins are known for their vibrant orange beaks and feet, but pufflings are less colorful. See the baby birds explore their habitat among adult puffins and murres. 📹: Animal care staff Dayna

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Hawthorne, the rescued grizzly bear, enjoying today’s sunshine in his weeble. ☀️ 📹: Keeper Caroline

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Up close and behind the scenes with Bini (short for Bintang) the endangered Sumatran tiger. 🐯 Tigers dip the tip of their tongue into the water, then quickly pull it upward, creating a little column of water they catch in their mouths. 📹: Animal care staff Katie

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MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A very particular kind of star 🧡⭐⁠ ⁠ Spiny sea stars (Hippasteria sp.) roam the seafloor searching for a delicious dinner. And a hungry Hippasteria can be quite particular about feeding. For some, sea pens or anemones are their sole preference. Here in our backyard, they prefer deep-sea corals.⁠

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Woodland Park Zoo @woodlandparkzoo.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Our favorite greater one-horned rhino is treated to a warm spa with rose petals because he deserves the world. We love you Glenn 🦏💐🛁 Thanks to our fabulous horticulture team for delivering the most perfect (and organic) petals for this rose-nibbling love.

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Rut season is getting a little muddy! Bull elk wallow in mud during the rut, coating themselves in scent and showing off for potential mates (and rivals). Basically, it’s elk cologne, but make it earthy. 🦌 📹: Assistant curator Dave

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Today is National American Red Wolf Day! We have continued our partnership with AZA’s Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) American Red Wolf program to help secure a future for one of North America’s most endangered predators. Read the story at AZA.org

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

💗 Porcupette update! 💗 Our tiny prehensile-tailed porcupette is doing really well and gaining weight! While she’s now being fully hand-raised by our animal care team, she’s living right next door to Mom and Dad, Nigel and Quillow. And there’s more good news: she’s starting to eat solids!

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IUCN SSC Marine Conservation Committee (MCC) @sscmarine.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Happy World Dolphin Day! Dolphins are highly social animals that use a variety of sounds to communicate with one another, from clicks and whistles to other vocalisations. Their complex communication helps them navigate their surroundings and maintain social connections.

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Too cute! Huckleberry, the rescued grizzly, has perfected yoga's Happy Baby Pose. 🐻 📹: Keeper Joelle

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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance @sandiegozoo.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Wattle you waiting for? Head to the Hummingbird and Songbird Habitat to say hello to these two chicks! 🐥🐥

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MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Scrolling can wait. Sit with us and enjoy this pigbutt worm. ⁠😍⁠ ⁠ This little worm is about the size of a hazelnut, and even using our high-resolution cameras, it took the eagle eyes of our expert biologists to spot these miniature orbs in the massive ocean.⁠

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 05/09/2026

Meet the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus)! It inhabits parts of Australia’s coastal regions and Tasmania. This critter puts its long nose to work on the forest floor to track down snacks like seeds, fruit, invertebrates, and fungi. Photo: Brett Vercoe, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a long-nosed potoroo. The animal somewhat resembles a kangaroo but is much smaller, and has a more rodent-like face. It is covered in brown hair.

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Wolf Conservation Center 🐺 @nywolforg.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

BREAKING: President Trump signed an Executive Order today requiring Sec. of the Interior Burgum to explore removing federal protections for gray wolves + Mexican gray wolves. It's clearly meant to appease ranchers, despite the biggest threat to their businesses coming from tariffs, not wolves.

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The results are in: our prickly new arrival is a girl! DNA testing has confirmed that our first-ever prehensile-tailed porcupupette is female, and she’s growing quickly. Born to parents Nigel and Quillow, the one-pound porcupette will remain behind the scenes with its first-time parents.

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Northwest Trek Wildlife Park @nwtrek.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Hudson had one very important mission: GET ALL THE CORN! 🌽 The male beaver gathered as many corn cobs as he could fit in his mouth before making the trip back to his den. 📹: Keeper Tess

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Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 04/09/2026

A new cohort of juvenile lumpfish just joined the Into the Deep/En Lo Profundo exhibit! They hatched behind the scenes on January 2 and spent the past months being raised by our expert animal care staff! Learn more about the amazing lumpfish at: mbayaq.co/462IbIb #LumpfishBabies #MarineConservation

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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium @ptdefiancezoo.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Sumatran tiger Indah’s meatball-catching skills are top tier!

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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance @sandiegozoo.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Where there's a quill, there's a way ✍️

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