King Penguins are notorious for their prim, tuxedoed appearance — but a recently discovered all-black penguin seems unafraid to defy convention. In what has been described as a “one in a zillion kind of mutation,” biologists say that the animal has lost control of its pigmentation, an occurrence that is extremely rare. Other than the penguin’s monochromatic outfit, the animal appears to be perfectly healthy — and then some. “Look at the size of those legs,” said one scientist, “It’s an absolute monster.”

The under-dressed penguin was photographed by Andrew Evans of National Geographic on the island of South Georgia near Antarctica. As the picture circulated, some biologists were taken aback — including Dr. Allan Baker of the University of Toronto. His first response was disbelief:

Wow. That looks so bizarre I can’t even believe it. Wow.

While multicolored birds will often show some variation, Dr. Baker explains that what makes this all-black King Penguin so rare is that the bird’s melanin deposits have occurred where they are typically not present — enough so that no light feathers even checker the bird’s normally white chest.

Andrew Evans:

Melanism is merely the dark pigmentation of skin, fur — or in this case, feathers. The unique trait derives from increased melanin in the body. Genes may play a role, but so might other factors. While melanism is common in many different animal species (e.g., Washington D.C. is famous for its melanistic squirrels), the trait is extremely rare in penguins. All-black penguins are so rare there is practically no research on the subject — biologists guess that perhaps one in every quarter million of penguins shows evidence of at least partial melanism, whereas the penguin we saw appears to be almost entirely (if not entirely) melanistic.

Whether or not the all-black look catches on in the penguin fashion world, it’s nice to see someone dressing-down for once.

A giant asteroid smashing into Earth is the only plausible explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs, a global scientific team said on Thursday, hoping to settle a row that has divided experts for decades.

A panel of 41 scientists from across the world reviewed 20 years’ worth of research to try to confirm the cause of the so-called Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) extinction, which created a “hellish environment” around 65 million years ago and wiped out more than half of all species on the planet.

Scientific opinion was split over whether the extinction was caused by an asteroid or by volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps in what is now India, where there were a series of super volcanic eruptions that lasted around 1.5 million years.

The new study, conducted by scientists from Europe, the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan and published in the journal Science, found that a 15-kilometre (9 miles) wide asteroid slamming into Earth at Chicxulub in what is now Mexico was the culprit.

“We now have great confidence that an asteroid was the cause of the KT extinction. This triggered large-scale fires, earthquakes measuring more than 10 on the Richter scale, and continental landslides, which created tsunamis,” said Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London, a co-author of the review.

The asteroid is thought to have hit Earth with a force a billion times more powerful than the atomic bomb at Hiroshima.

Morgan said the “final nail in the coffin for the dinosaurs” came when blasted material flew into the atmosphere, shrouding the planet in darkness, causing a global winter and “killing off many species that couldn’t adapt to this hellish environment.”

OMG!!! I really hope this is true! I want more Rory :)

I think I had a small stroke when I read the headline on Popeater.com: “Alexis Bledel Ponders a ‘Gilmore Girls’ Movie.” I still cannot get enough of the two Lorelais, even though “Gilmore Girls” completed its run nearly three years ago.

The show – set in fictional Stars Hollow, Connecticut – centered on a mother-daughter duo who were best friends first and parent/child second. Oh, and it was magical! Not in a wands and broomsticks sort of way, mind you; but in a “sitting on a window seat, watching snow fall, drinking hot cider (or coffee, if you’re a Gilmore) and savoring a great book” way.

While a “Gilmore Girls” movie is still feeding rumor mills, I wonder if it is better to just leave well enough alone. Perhaps it is best not to mess with perfection.

Click here to read more!

Yes, I’m aware this is fake… but I f$%ked a hotdog and a banana!

More.

And as a reminder, here’s a comparison between her and Sharapova.

Four former Dancing With the Stars couples are featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Click below to check out their photos and videos —

- Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke
- Chuck Liddell and Anna Trebunskaya
- Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower
- Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska

‘Fringe’ starlet Anna Torv is not known for being overly sexual or racy, so for her new photo spread in Esquire magazine, the Aussie’s topless photos come off as not just sensual and sexy — but surprising. Aside from the revealing photos, Torv — who has officially earned Esquire’s ‘Woman We Love’ status — chats about sex scenes in the upcoming HBO WWII series ‘The Pacific,’ practical jokes and whether she’s a fan of the Australian food staple Vegemite.

On Men Crying: “It’s heartbreaking to watch a man cry. But it’s heartbreaking to watch a woman cry, too, isn’t it? With a man, though, it happens so rarely, so it’s a sign: Take me. This is who I am and where I am.”

On ‘Pacific’ Sex Scenes: “You don’t get that on ‘Fringe,’ do you? I don’t think anyone finds them easy. It’s not that I’m embarrassed about my boobs. It’s just that some part of you really doesn’t want that out there. At the same time, you want to get good at it. In the moment, what you’re really thinking is, S–t, I need a mint.”

On the Love-It-Or-Hate-It Vegemite: “I just can’t bear to swallow Vegemite, and I don’t know how people do it. It’s revolting. If you want to try something from Australia, go with Tim Tams. They’re sweet chocolate biscuits.”

More.

Courtesy of Cashmerecock.

Although Noah is gonna kick your a$$ one day for posting all these pics… lol…