*biodiversity

/bi.o.di.vèr.si.ty/

noun

The coexistence, within a single ecosystem, of different plant and animal species that interact with one another, creating a condition ofdynamic equilibriumover time.

*equinox

/è·qui·nox/

noun

Both of two moments during the year in which the sun, during its apparent ecliptic,crosses the celestial equator.

*microorganism

/mì·cro·òr·gan·iṣm/

noun

Any microscopicanimal or plant organism, prokaryote o eukaryote; bacteria, viruses, and protozoans are microorganisms.

*solstice

from the Latin word solstĭtĭum
(made up of sōl, “sun”, and sistĕre, “stop”)

Indicates the day in which the sun seems to stand still, remaining in the sky longer than ever. Not just one day actually, but several days, until the 24th of June, when it slowly starts to descend once again.

*fin whale (or Balaenopteridae)

from the Latin word Balaenoptera (made up of balaena“whale”, and petra, “wing, fin”)

The common name for one of the whales in the Balaenopteridae family, and in particular for the Balenoptera physalus. Up to 25 metres long, it lives in the northern Atlantic Ocean, often arriving in the Mediterranean. It has a more slender body than other types of whales, a smaller head, and a dorsal fin. It lives primarily on tiny plankton, certain species of cephalopods, and fish.

*fauna

from the title of the work by Linneo, Fauna Suecica(1746), taken from the name of the goddess Fauna, an ancient Italic divinity.

The entirety of the animal species found within a specific environment or region. Thefaunaof a region is not static, but rather dynamic, meaning that it changes over time due to processes of extinction, evolution, specification, and replacement.

*fossile

/fòs·si·le/

aggettivo e sostantivo maschile

Traccia di organismo animale o vegetale conservato negli starti della crosta terrestre, vissuto in epoca anteriore a quella attuale. Dai fossili possiamo imparare molte cose su animali, piante, e batteri vissuti nel passato. Lo studio di questi resti ha permesso di fornire basi scientifiche alle ipotesi sull’evoluzione della vita sulla Terra.