Great pictures and a notable birthday

Canada Goose by J.J. Audubon

If you haven't seen the cover of this month's National Geographic, you need to. Also, some spectacular photos of rock climbing in Yosemite that you can see online here.

On a biology related note, today is the 226th birthday of John James Audubon. If you're not familiar with Audubon, check out his Wikipedia page here. Not only was he an incredible ornithologist, but many also credit him for starting the conservation movement in the United States.

Gut bacteria and you

A little light reading for vacation. Carl Zimmer reports on a new study that identified four distinct groups of gut bacteria (similar to the idea of blood types) found in humans. You can read about the story here at his blog The Loom.

Happy Easter!