Human blood was used in an attempt to revive exsanguinated dogs. Image Credit: National Library of Medicine In 1816, a young doctor from Barbados carried out blood transfusion experiments that challenged a dangerous medical assumption and helped point the field towards a safer future. ‘John Henry Leacock’ used dogs and cats to investigate whether blood…

An eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) attached to an upper set of artificial teeth (Source: Smithsonian Institution) In 1898, a dredging boat pulling debris from the floor of the Chesapeake Bay made a discovery that looked like something from a biological nightmare: a set of human dentures with a live oyster firmly attached to them.The unusual…

The 11 plovers released this year were fitted with tracking devices that use radio and Bluetooth signals Western snowy plovers have returned to nesting at Coal Oil Point Reserve in Isla Vista, California, after about 40 years without nesting there. The return followed conservation work that included fencing and a docent programme to reduce human…