Farm workers in South Africa had been noticing year after year that some of the tangerine trees on the farms were stripped of fruit before others. This confusing situation wasn't explained until one farm worker saw baboons picking the fruit from the tree that ripened three to four weeks before all the other trees at the farm. Tests were conducted on the tree and the fruit and those tests revealed the fruit is sweeter and ripened faster. The owner of the farm, Alwyn van der Merwe, grafted more of the quicker ripening and sweeter trees which will help Van Der Merwe get into a profitable niche in the U.S. market because his trees can produce faster.
According to the head of South Africa's Citrus Growers Association, Justin Chadwick, experts are always looking for ways to ripen fruits earlier or later than they naturally would. Alwyn van der Merwe feels his tree naturally mutated which Chadwick confirms does happen and should be something farmers should watch for.
Van Der Merwe still hasn't named his new tangerine and might just give the baboons who discovered them a nod when the name is chosen. Even if he doesn't, he will be leaving a crate of tangerines for the baboons when the next harvest comes around.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41058945/ns/technology_and_science-science/
Showing posts with label New Discoveries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Discoveries. Show all posts
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
New Batfish Species Discovered
Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? No? I didn't either. Until now.
Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill.
The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom. Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling. The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen.
Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward. Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.
John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill. Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.
To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.
Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill.
The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom. Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling. The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen.
Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward. Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.
John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."
Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus. A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill. Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.
To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs
On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.
The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes. The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty. Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh. He controlled Egypt for 90 years.
The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity. The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity.
Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom". Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.
Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.
The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes. The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty. Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh. He controlled Egypt for 90 years.
The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity. The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity.
Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom". Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.
Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Scientists Find Surprises in Deep Atlantic Ocean
I love articles like this and I love them even more when there are loads of great pictures. This one certainly doesn't disappoint.
Scientists from 17 nations recently embarked on a six-week expedition aboard the British research vessel the James Cook to explore a never-before-seen area of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Some expected to see nothing. All were amazed that they were able to bring back photographs of an area that is teeming with life.
The scientists focused on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is a massive undersea mountain range that splits the ocean in half, dividing the east Atlantic from the west Atlantic. The seascape is apparently similar to the American West featuring rocky outcroppings, sheer cliffs and flat open plains. The critters that live there, however, are nothing like the rattlesnakes, jackrabbits and prairie dogs that inhabit the American West.
There were at least 10 creatures discovered during the expedition that possibly could represent new species.
Scientists from 17 nations recently embarked on a six-week expedition aboard the British research vessel the James Cook to explore a never-before-seen area of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Some expected to see nothing. All were amazed that they were able to bring back photographs of an area that is teeming with life.
The scientists focused on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is a massive undersea mountain range that splits the ocean in half, dividing the east Atlantic from the west Atlantic. The seascape is apparently similar to the American West featuring rocky outcroppings, sheer cliffs and flat open plains. The critters that live there, however, are nothing like the rattlesnakes, jackrabbits and prairie dogs that inhabit the American West.
There were at least 10 creatures discovered during the expedition that possibly could represent new species.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Giant Propeller Structures Seen in Saturn's Rings
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Thursday, July 8, 2010 that giant propeller-shaped structures have been discovered in Saturn's rings. NASA believes the structures were created by a new class of hidden moons.
The propeller-shaped structures were located by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The structures are located inside one the debris disk rings on the planet and are several thousands of miles long. This discovery marks the first time scientists have been able to track the orbits of individual objects within a debris disk. Researchers are hoping to learn how the structures form to give them more insight into the debris disks around other stars as well.
This isn't the first time propeller-like structures have been found in Saturn's rings. In 2006 an area known as the "propeller belt" was found to be located in Saturn's A ring, its outermost ring.
The structures are gaps in the ring material created by "moonlets" a new class of objects smaller than known moons but larger than the debris particles that make up Saturn's rings. Cassini scientists estimate the moonlets could number into the millions.
For more information and to see a photo of the propeller-shaped structures, click here.
The propeller-shaped structures were located by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The structures are located inside one the debris disk rings on the planet and are several thousands of miles long. This discovery marks the first time scientists have been able to track the orbits of individual objects within a debris disk. Researchers are hoping to learn how the structures form to give them more insight into the debris disks around other stars as well.
This isn't the first time propeller-like structures have been found in Saturn's rings. In 2006 an area known as the "propeller belt" was found to be located in Saturn's A ring, its outermost ring.
The structures are gaps in the ring material created by "moonlets" a new class of objects smaller than known moons but larger than the debris particles that make up Saturn's rings. Cassini scientists estimate the moonlets could number into the millions.
For more information and to see a photo of the propeller-shaped structures, click here.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Newly Discovered Dinosaur: Mojoceratops
Paleontologist Nicholas Longrich, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University discovered and named the dinosaur after the heart-shaped frill around its head. After a round of beers with some colleagues, Longrich decided upon the name "Mojoceratops". The name was thought of to be a joke, at first, but the name stuck even though Longrich tried to come up with a more serious name. The dinosaur's full and official name is Mojoceratops perifania.
Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus. Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls. It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin. It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.
Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.
Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.
Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus. Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls. It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin. It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.
Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.
Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Ten-Thousand Year-Old Spear Found in Melting Ice
The melting ice near Yellowstone National Park in Colorado has yielded a piece of the past. In 2007, researchers found a 10,000-year-old hunting weapon, a spear-like wooden dart preserved in the ice. The discovery was kept under wraps until June 29, 2010 when it was announced by the University of Colorado.
University of Colorado research associate Craig Lee said the birch dart was frozen in a sheet of ice for 10,000 years and became bowed as the ice melted. It resembles a bent tree branch. He attributed the melting to increased global temperatures. The melting has caused the release of artifacts, plant material and even animal carcasses.
Read this article to see a photo of the spear.
University of Colorado research associate Craig Lee said the birch dart was frozen in a sheet of ice for 10,000 years and became bowed as the ice melted. It resembles a bent tree branch. He attributed the melting to increased global temperatures. The melting has caused the release of artifacts, plant material and even animal carcasses.
Read this article to see a photo of the spear.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Giant Whale-Eating Whale Discovered
In a coastal desert of Peru the massive skull and jaw of a 13-million-year-old sperm whale has been discovered. The whale is the extinct distant cousin of the modern sperm whale although, this this whale is a very different beast according to Olivier Lambert of the Museum National d'Historie Naturelle in Paris, France. Lambert led a team that located the massive fossil.
The whale, Leviathan melvillei has a 3-meter (10 foot) skull with teeth in the top and bottom jaws that are each up to 36 centimeters (14 inches) in length. Modern sperm whales only have teeth in the lower jaw and feed on giant squid. It is believed the fossil sperm whales are to have eaten by actually taking huge bites out of their prey instead of swallowing it whole as modern sperm whales do.
A large hole in the skull that accommodated a large jaw muscle further strengthens this belief. The fossil most likely fed on baleen whales and lived in the same waters as Charcharocles megalodon, the now-famous monster-sized ancestor of the Great White shark.
Researchers are focusing in on the teeth of the animal to learn more about its eating habits. Horizontal wear lines suggest it swallowed prey like modern sperm whales. Vertical wear lines suggest it bit into prey.
For more information and to see an artists rendition of what Leviathan melvillei might have looked like, you can read this article.
The whale, Leviathan melvillei has a 3-meter (10 foot) skull with teeth in the top and bottom jaws that are each up to 36 centimeters (14 inches) in length. Modern sperm whales only have teeth in the lower jaw and feed on giant squid. It is believed the fossil sperm whales are to have eaten by actually taking huge bites out of their prey instead of swallowing it whole as modern sperm whales do.
A large hole in the skull that accommodated a large jaw muscle further strengthens this belief. The fossil most likely fed on baleen whales and lived in the same waters as Charcharocles megalodon, the now-famous monster-sized ancestor of the Great White shark.
Researchers are focusing in on the teeth of the animal to learn more about its eating habits. Horizontal wear lines suggest it swallowed prey like modern sperm whales. Vertical wear lines suggest it bit into prey.
For more information and to see an artists rendition of what Leviathan melvillei might have looked like, you can read this article.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Lake Michigan Shipwreck Found After 112 Years
Over a century ago, in October 1898, the L.R. Doty, a 300-foot-long wooden steamship was carrying a cargo of corn from South Chicago, Illinois to Ontario, Canada. A fierce storm on Lake Michigan that produced heavy winds, snow, sleet and waves as high as 30 feet caused the steamship to sink.
By all accounts, the Doty should have been able to withstand the storm. The ship was a mere five years old and its massive hull was reinforced with steel arches. But, it had a weakness. It was towing a small schooner, the Olive Jeanette. The schooner began to founder in the storm and the tow line snapped. Experts believe the Doty sank when it came to the aid of the Olive Jeanette. All 17 of the ships crew members, and two ship's cats, Dewey and Watson, perished when the ship sank.
Until now, the Doty was the largest wooden ship still unaccounted for. The ship was discovered in the Milwaukee-area shoreline and appears to be completely intact having been preserved by the cold fresh waters.
In 1991, a Milwaukee fisherman reported snagging his nets on an underwater obstruction about 300 feet down. His report was forgotten until diving technology improved to allow exploration at such a depth. In recent months, researchers conducted preliminary surface scouting, then used deep-sea technology to finally find the massive wreckage. Last week, divers were able to go into the waters. Immediately, they knew they had the Doty.
The Doty is sitting upright and completely intact--including the cargo of corn in the hold--in the clay at the bottom of Lake Michigan. The ship has been protected for the last 112 years because of the cold waters of Lake Michigan and its depth shielded it from storms. Brandon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association who worked on this find believes the bodies of the 17 crew members are likely intact as well, mostly likely in the boiler room where they believes they probably went as the ship sank.
Baillod believes the rudder chain must have snapped when the Doty was turning to assist the Olive Jeanette leaving the massive steamship at the mercy of the storm. He imagines the crew must have had at least an hour of knowing they were going to die in the icy Lake Michigan waters before the cargo holds collapsed.
There are no plans to raise the Doty. Doing so would probably be more harm than good. As it sits, the ship is protected by the cold Lake Michigan waters and its depth in them. Raised, the ship would be exposed to air that could cause it to rot away within a few years. Diver interference isn't something the Doty must worry over either. The depth of the ship guarantees that few divers will visit it because of the amount of experience one must have to make such a deep and dangerous dive.
For more information, to see an underwater photo of The Doty and to read about Brandon Baillod's next project, please visit the MSNBC.com Technology and Science Article.
Update: More spectacular underwater photographs of The Doty, courtesy of John Scoles, can be seen at this link. The photographs are amazing quality; very clear and you really get a great look at this amazing find.
By all accounts, the Doty should have been able to withstand the storm. The ship was a mere five years old and its massive hull was reinforced with steel arches. But, it had a weakness. It was towing a small schooner, the Olive Jeanette. The schooner began to founder in the storm and the tow line snapped. Experts believe the Doty sank when it came to the aid of the Olive Jeanette. All 17 of the ships crew members, and two ship's cats, Dewey and Watson, perished when the ship sank.
Until now, the Doty was the largest wooden ship still unaccounted for. The ship was discovered in the Milwaukee-area shoreline and appears to be completely intact having been preserved by the cold fresh waters.
In 1991, a Milwaukee fisherman reported snagging his nets on an underwater obstruction about 300 feet down. His report was forgotten until diving technology improved to allow exploration at such a depth. In recent months, researchers conducted preliminary surface scouting, then used deep-sea technology to finally find the massive wreckage. Last week, divers were able to go into the waters. Immediately, they knew they had the Doty.
The Doty is sitting upright and completely intact--including the cargo of corn in the hold--in the clay at the bottom of Lake Michigan. The ship has been protected for the last 112 years because of the cold waters of Lake Michigan and its depth shielded it from storms. Brandon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association who worked on this find believes the bodies of the 17 crew members are likely intact as well, mostly likely in the boiler room where they believes they probably went as the ship sank.
Baillod believes the rudder chain must have snapped when the Doty was turning to assist the Olive Jeanette leaving the massive steamship at the mercy of the storm. He imagines the crew must have had at least an hour of knowing they were going to die in the icy Lake Michigan waters before the cargo holds collapsed.
There are no plans to raise the Doty. Doing so would probably be more harm than good. As it sits, the ship is protected by the cold Lake Michigan waters and its depth in them. Raised, the ship would be exposed to air that could cause it to rot away within a few years. Diver interference isn't something the Doty must worry over either. The depth of the ship guarantees that few divers will visit it because of the amount of experience one must have to make such a deep and dangerous dive.
For more information, to see an underwater photo of The Doty and to read about Brandon Baillod's next project, please visit the MSNBC.com Technology and Science Article.
Update: More spectacular underwater photographs of The Doty, courtesy of John Scoles, can be seen at this link. The photographs are amazing quality; very clear and you really get a great look at this amazing find.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Great Grandfather" of Lucy Found in East Africa
A 3.6 million year old partial skeleton from the same species as "Lucy" was recently discovered . The skeleton, Kadanuumuu, meaning "big man", was found in Ethiopia's Afar region, the same place Lucy was found in 1974. Both skeletons share the species name Australopithecus afarensis. Australopiths share traits with chimpanzees and humans. They share protruding faces and small brains with chimpanzees and skeletons built for upright walking with humans.
There isn't much information on Kadanuumu at this point. I'm sure there will be more released as further research is conducted.
The complete press release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History regarding Kadanummu can be found here.
There isn't much information on Kadanuumu at this point. I'm sure there will be more released as further research is conducted.
The complete press release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History regarding Kadanummu can be found here.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Horned Dinosuar Possibly Moved From Island to Island Into Europe
There have been several great dinosaur stories in science news lately. This latest discovery is just as exciting as the others recently reported.
Horned dinosaurs, known as ceratopsians, were plentiful during the late Cretaceous, roughly 100 million to 65 million years ago (Ceratopsians include such well-known dinosaurs as Triceratops.) It wasn't until scientists found a new small horned dinosaur, possibly a dwarf dinosaur, in Europe that they believed ceratopsians lived only in Asia and North America.
Three skull bones belonging to the horned dinosaur, Ajkaceratops kozmai, were unearthed in the summer of 2009 in a Hungarian quarry near the town of Ajka. Fully grown, the newly discovered dinosaur grew to a tiny 3 feet long. Dwarf dinosaurs did live in what we now know as Transylvania.
In 2007, scientists reported fossil teeth that could have been ceratopsian having been found in Sweden. But the Hungarian find is the first clear discovery of a horned dinosaur in Europe.
The newly revealed small horned dinosaur lived roughly 85 million years ago and, at that time, much of what is now Europe was part of a complex series of island chains known as the Tethyan archipelago. These islands were situated between the African and Eurasian land masses in the Tethys Ocean. It is theorized that the small horned dinosaur moved from island to island thus eventually ending up in what we know as Europe.
For more information and to see a photo of a research team excavating the remains of the small horned dinosaur, please refer to this MSNBC.com Technology and Science article.
Horned dinosaurs, known as ceratopsians, were plentiful during the late Cretaceous, roughly 100 million to 65 million years ago (Ceratopsians include such well-known dinosaurs as Triceratops.) It wasn't until scientists found a new small horned dinosaur, possibly a dwarf dinosaur, in Europe that they believed ceratopsians lived only in Asia and North America.
Three skull bones belonging to the horned dinosaur, Ajkaceratops kozmai, were unearthed in the summer of 2009 in a Hungarian quarry near the town of Ajka. Fully grown, the newly discovered dinosaur grew to a tiny 3 feet long. Dwarf dinosaurs did live in what we now know as Transylvania.
In 2007, scientists reported fossil teeth that could have been ceratopsian having been found in Sweden. But the Hungarian find is the first clear discovery of a horned dinosaur in Europe.
The newly revealed small horned dinosaur lived roughly 85 million years ago and, at that time, much of what is now Europe was part of a complex series of island chains known as the Tethyan archipelago. These islands were situated between the African and Eurasian land masses in the Tethys Ocean. It is theorized that the small horned dinosaur moved from island to island thus eventually ending up in what we know as Europe.
For more information and to see a photo of a research team excavating the remains of the small horned dinosaur, please refer to this MSNBC.com Technology and Science article.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
500 Million Year Old Mollusk Identified
It was discovered in British Columbia, Canada and looks like a cross between a shrimp and cartoon alien but it is actually one of the world's oldest and most primitive cephalopods.
It's name is Nectocaris pteryx pushes the origins of cephalopods back at least 30 million years making them one of the longest lasting animal groups on Earth. Cephalopods include modern octopi, squids and cluttlefish.
Martin Smith, a paleobiologist at the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History told Discovery News "modern cephalopods display a quite astonishing intelligence, and I like to think that Nectocaris may have been the smartest critter in the Cambrian sea."
Smith and his colleague, Jean-Bernard Caron studied at least 91 Nectocaris fossils found from the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia. Thanks to the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied animals Burgess Shale is known for, the paleobiologists were able to get an idea as to what primitive cephalopods looked like.
Nectocaris did not have a hard shell contrary to what most scientists had thought for decades. According to Smith, "shells evolved much later, probably in response to increased levels of competition and predation in the Late Cambrian."
Nectocaris was approximately 2 inches long, quite small by modern cephalopod standards, and swam using its large lateral fins. It could accelerate to high speeds by using a nozzle-like funnel to squirt out water. It was kite-shaped and flat from top to bottom with large, stalked eyes and a long pair of grasping tentacles.
Other scientists have wondered why Nectocaris lacked such cephalopod features as a ring of tentacles around the mouth, a beak and a radula. According to Smith, he and Caron were able to identify some possible mouthparts but that they weren't well preserved for them to describe in detail.
Highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum's Burgess Shale collection will go on display in its future Peter F. Bronfman Gallery of Early Life. They will also be able to be seen on the Virtual Museum of Canada Burgess Shale website which will be launched in the spring of 2011.
For more information on this interesting mollusk and to see an artists rendition of what Nectocaris would have looked like you can read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and find further information in the Vancouver Sun's Technology section.
It's name is Nectocaris pteryx pushes the origins of cephalopods back at least 30 million years making them one of the longest lasting animal groups on Earth. Cephalopods include modern octopi, squids and cluttlefish.
Martin Smith, a paleobiologist at the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History told Discovery News "modern cephalopods display a quite astonishing intelligence, and I like to think that Nectocaris may have been the smartest critter in the Cambrian sea."
Smith and his colleague, Jean-Bernard Caron studied at least 91 Nectocaris fossils found from the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia. Thanks to the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied animals Burgess Shale is known for, the paleobiologists were able to get an idea as to what primitive cephalopods looked like.
Nectocaris did not have a hard shell contrary to what most scientists had thought for decades. According to Smith, "shells evolved much later, probably in response to increased levels of competition and predation in the Late Cambrian."
Nectocaris was approximately 2 inches long, quite small by modern cephalopod standards, and swam using its large lateral fins. It could accelerate to high speeds by using a nozzle-like funnel to squirt out water. It was kite-shaped and flat from top to bottom with large, stalked eyes and a long pair of grasping tentacles.
Other scientists have wondered why Nectocaris lacked such cephalopod features as a ring of tentacles around the mouth, a beak and a radula. According to Smith, he and Caron were able to identify some possible mouthparts but that they weren't well preserved for them to describe in detail.
Highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum's Burgess Shale collection will go on display in its future Peter F. Bronfman Gallery of Early Life. They will also be able to be seen on the Virtual Museum of Canada Burgess Shale website which will be launched in the spring of 2011.
For more information on this interesting mollusk and to see an artists rendition of what Nectocaris would have looked like you can read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and find further information in the Vancouver Sun's Technology section.
Monday, May 24, 2010
57 Ancient Egyptian Tombs Containing Mummies Discovered in Lahun
Fifty-seven ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which contain sarcophagi have been unearthed by a team of archaeologists led by Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, according to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. The find is located at Lahoun, in Fayoum, approximately 70 miles (100 kilometers) south of Cairo. This is the same area where, last year, 53 tombs dating to various periods of ancient Egypt were discovered.
The oldest of the 57 tombs dates back to approximately Egypt's first and second dynasties, 2750 B.C., with twelve dating to the 18th Dynasty during the second millennium. We are familiar with the 18th Dynasty thanks to names such as Queen Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun and Akhenaten.
The 18th Dynasty ornately painted wooden sarcophagi contain mummies covered in linen decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead.
According to Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, one of the oldest tombs discovered is almost completely intact.
Thirty-one of the tombs date to approximately 2030-1840 B.C. and contain painted scenes depicting ancient Egyptian deities like Horus, Hathor, Khnum and Amun.
Follow this link to see a photo of one of the wooden sarcophagi Lahun 20th Tomb 0-52.
The oldest of the 57 tombs dates back to approximately Egypt's first and second dynasties, 2750 B.C., with twelve dating to the 18th Dynasty during the second millennium. We are familiar with the 18th Dynasty thanks to names such as Queen Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun and Akhenaten.
The 18th Dynasty ornately painted wooden sarcophagi contain mummies covered in linen decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead.
According to Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, one of the oldest tombs discovered is almost completely intact.
Thirty-one of the tombs date to approximately 2030-1840 B.C. and contain painted scenes depicting ancient Egyptian deities like Horus, Hathor, Khnum and Amun.
Follow this link to see a photo of one of the wooden sarcophagi Lahun 20th Tomb 0-52.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
114 Terracotta Warriors Excavated in China
In 1974 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, farmers drilling a well one and a half miles from the unexcavated tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang (259-210 B.C.) discovered terracotta soldiers and horses. Since that discovery, there have been three archaeological digs that have thus far unearthed more than one thousand of the estimated eight thousand terracotta soldiers guarding the tomb.
The latest group of unearthed soldiers, mostly infantrymen, were found at Pit 1, the largest of the three pits at the excavation site. The dig began in June 2009 and was concentrated to a 656 square foot area of the main pit.
The soldiers, considered to be an "Eighth Wonder of the World" are life-sized standing over six feet tall with black hair, black or brown eyes and green, white or pink faces.
Many of the warriors had burn marks and were broken into pieces. Liu Zhanchang, director of the Museum of Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the burn marks offer evidence that the pit was at one time set afire. Research is currently being done to determine the date of the blaze that marked the figures.
Archaeologists are estimating that when Pit 1 has been fully estimated they will have found as many as six thousand more terracotta warriors and 180 or more chariot horses.
For more information on this interesting find and to see photos of the terracotta warriors you can read the MSNBC article or the discovery.com article.
The latest group of unearthed soldiers, mostly infantrymen, were found at Pit 1, the largest of the three pits at the excavation site. The dig began in June 2009 and was concentrated to a 656 square foot area of the main pit.
The soldiers, considered to be an "Eighth Wonder of the World" are life-sized standing over six feet tall with black hair, black or brown eyes and green, white or pink faces.
Many of the warriors had burn marks and were broken into pieces. Liu Zhanchang, director of the Museum of Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the burn marks offer evidence that the pit was at one time set afire. Research is currently being done to determine the date of the blaze that marked the figures.
Archaeologists are estimating that when Pit 1 has been fully estimated they will have found as many as six thousand more terracotta warriors and 180 or more chariot horses.
For more information on this interesting find and to see photos of the terracotta warriors you can read the MSNBC article or the discovery.com article.
Monday, May 10, 2010
2000 Year Old Ptolemaic-Era Statue Found near Alexandria, Egypt
I find few periods in history as fascinating as I do Ancient Egypt. The sands of Egypt have been hiding secrets for centuries and slowly but surely archaeologists are finding the bits and pieces of the lives of the ancient Egyptians.
One of the most recent discoveries is of a statue from an unknown Ptolemaic-era king.
Excavations were being done at the Borg al-Aram site, west of Alexandria, Egypt when the headless statue was found at the royal temple of Taposiris Magna. Archaeologists were searching for Cleopatra's tomb when they uncovered this statue which dates back more than two thousand years.
The statue is 53 inches (135 centimeters) tall and 22 inches (55 centimeters) wide at the shoulders.
Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist and Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said "the well-preserved statue may be among the most beautiful carvings in the ancient Egyptian style" and that there was a possibility the statue could belong to Ptolemy IV.
For more information and to see the read the article at MSNBC.com or read the article at telegraph.co.uk.
One of the most recent discoveries is of a statue from an unknown Ptolemaic-era king.
Excavations were being done at the Borg al-Aram site, west of Alexandria, Egypt when the headless statue was found at the royal temple of Taposiris Magna. Archaeologists were searching for Cleopatra's tomb when they uncovered this statue which dates back more than two thousand years.
The statue is 53 inches (135 centimeters) tall and 22 inches (55 centimeters) wide at the shoulders.
Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist and Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said "the well-preserved statue may be among the most beautiful carvings in the ancient Egyptian style" and that there was a possibility the statue could belong to Ptolemy IV.
For more information and to see the read the article at MSNBC.com or read the article at telegraph.co.uk.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I Vant To Talk Dinosaurs...
O.K. I sincerely apologize for the title. It was a bad joke, I know, but it had a purpose!
I've got another post for you about dinosaurs today and I think this one is very cool.
In the area of the world we know today as Transylvania, Romania (yes, the same place famous for Vlad the Impaler and Dracula, hence the bad title joke) there once lived a dwarf dinosaur around 70-75 million years ago.
For years, scientists have debated the remains of the dinosaur, Magyarosaurus dacus, as to whether they were really a dwarf species or if they were simply babies that had yet to grow into adulthood. What made the debates even more important was that Magyarosaurus dacus belongs to a species of dinosaurs known as titanosaurs which were giant plant-eating dinosaurs or sauropods.
One of the largest titanosaurs, Argentinosaurus, was as large as 10 African Elephants. Their weight could reach as much as 220,000 pounds. Magyarosaurus dacus tipped the scales at a mere 230 pounds and was about the size of a horse. That's quite a difference in size there!
Scientists have been studying the bone structure of the Magyarosaurus dacus remains and they have determined that the bones did come from fully grown animals and they have solid evidence to back that up.
Small bones were discovered in 1895 on a Transylvanian estate by the sister of paleontologist Franz Baron Nopcsa. Then, Nopcsa determined the bones came from a dwarf dinosaur. About the same time as the Nopsca bones were discovered, another paleontologist had turned up dwarf mammals, such as tiny elephants and hippopotamuses, on a Mediterranean island. The name Magyarosaurus dacus was given to the bones by Franz Baron Nopcsa in honor of his home country. Other titanasaur bones were found at later dates but those bones belonged to the larger variety. These discoveries led to the belief that Magyarosaurus dacus was a young dinosaur.
Isn't it fascinating that, without modern technology, a paleontologist in 1895 was able to determine what took our modern scientists years to figure out? Franz Baron Nopcsa was truly very good at what he did.
You can see an artists sketch of the dwarf dinosaur here at Livescience.com and read more about the dino itself here in MSNBC's Tech and Science Section.
I've got another post for you about dinosaurs today and I think this one is very cool.
In the area of the world we know today as Transylvania, Romania (yes, the same place famous for Vlad the Impaler and Dracula, hence the bad title joke) there once lived a dwarf dinosaur around 70-75 million years ago.
For years, scientists have debated the remains of the dinosaur, Magyarosaurus dacus, as to whether they were really a dwarf species or if they were simply babies that had yet to grow into adulthood. What made the debates even more important was that Magyarosaurus dacus belongs to a species of dinosaurs known as titanosaurs which were giant plant-eating dinosaurs or sauropods.
One of the largest titanosaurs, Argentinosaurus, was as large as 10 African Elephants. Their weight could reach as much as 220,000 pounds. Magyarosaurus dacus tipped the scales at a mere 230 pounds and was about the size of a horse. That's quite a difference in size there!
Scientists have been studying the bone structure of the Magyarosaurus dacus remains and they have determined that the bones did come from fully grown animals and they have solid evidence to back that up.
Small bones were discovered in 1895 on a Transylvanian estate by the sister of paleontologist Franz Baron Nopcsa. Then, Nopcsa determined the bones came from a dwarf dinosaur. About the same time as the Nopsca bones were discovered, another paleontologist had turned up dwarf mammals, such as tiny elephants and hippopotamuses, on a Mediterranean island. The name Magyarosaurus dacus was given to the bones by Franz Baron Nopcsa in honor of his home country. Other titanasaur bones were found at later dates but those bones belonged to the larger variety. These discoveries led to the belief that Magyarosaurus dacus was a young dinosaur.
Isn't it fascinating that, without modern technology, a paleontologist in 1895 was able to determine what took our modern scientists years to figure out? Franz Baron Nopcsa was truly very good at what he did.
You can see an artists sketch of the dwarf dinosaur here at Livescience.com and read more about the dino itself here in MSNBC's Tech and Science Section.
Friday, April 30, 2010
New Species of Ancient Flying Reptile Discovered
If you've read any of the past posts in this blog you know I am a huge fan of news about the discovery of a new species. I've talked about a few, exciting new discoveries, recently. However, this new species discovery is quite different from those I've talked about previously.
This new discovery isn't an animal you'll be able to travel to some remote location of the globe to try and catch a glimpse of or one that you'll be reading about conservation efforts to protect. This new discovery is about a species of flying reptile that lived almost 95 million years ago according to scientists.
The flying reptile, or pterosaur, had a wingspan of 9 feet and flew over what is currently the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Northern Texas in the United States. A fossilized jaw was discovered embedded in soft, powdery shale during an excavation of a hillside next to a highway in the area in 2006.
New analysis of the jaw suggests it belongs to a never-before-known genus of pterosaur named Aetodactylus halli. It was named after the individual who discovered it, Lance Hall, a hobbyist fossil hunter and member of the Dallas Paleontological Society. The animal was identified and named by Timothy S. Myers of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
The jaw measures about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long and originally contained 54 slender, pointed teeth. Only two teeth were still intact at the time of discovery. The discovery of a pterosaur with teeth was surprising to scientists as all North American pterosaurs were toothless with the exception of the Coloborhynchus.
While the Aetodactylus halli isn't something we'll ever get to actually see in the wild I still think this is a pretty fascinating and remarkable discovery.
For more information about this discovery and to see a photo of the jaw discovered by Lance Hall refer to this article.
This new discovery isn't an animal you'll be able to travel to some remote location of the globe to try and catch a glimpse of or one that you'll be reading about conservation efforts to protect. This new discovery is about a species of flying reptile that lived almost 95 million years ago according to scientists.
The flying reptile, or pterosaur, had a wingspan of 9 feet and flew over what is currently the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Northern Texas in the United States. A fossilized jaw was discovered embedded in soft, powdery shale during an excavation of a hillside next to a highway in the area in 2006.
New analysis of the jaw suggests it belongs to a never-before-known genus of pterosaur named Aetodactylus halli. It was named after the individual who discovered it, Lance Hall, a hobbyist fossil hunter and member of the Dallas Paleontological Society. The animal was identified and named by Timothy S. Myers of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
The jaw measures about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long and originally contained 54 slender, pointed teeth. Only two teeth were still intact at the time of discovery. The discovery of a pterosaur with teeth was surprising to scientists as all North American pterosaurs were toothless with the exception of the Coloborhynchus.
While the Aetodactylus halli isn't something we'll ever get to actually see in the wild I still think this is a pretty fascinating and remarkable discovery.
For more information about this discovery and to see a photo of the jaw discovered by Lance Hall refer to this article.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
New Species Discovered in Borneo
What better news could we receive for Earth Day than the discovery of a new species? How about the discovery of a whopping 123 new species! Now that is some seriously good news, isn't it?
The species live in the remote forests of Borneo and include such interesting finds as a frog that can glide through the air, numerous orchids, a gorgeous snake called the Kopstein's Bronzeback and a greenish-yellow slug that shoots "love darts" at would-be mates.
For more information and to download the report of these amazing finds visit the website WWF.
You can view a photo slide show of some of the new species here and read an e-mail exchange between MSNBC.com and Christoper Greenwood, WWF Initiative's international communications manager here.
The species live in the remote forests of Borneo and include such interesting finds as a frog that can glide through the air, numerous orchids, a gorgeous snake called the Kopstein's Bronzeback and a greenish-yellow slug that shoots "love darts" at would-be mates.
For more information and to download the report of these amazing finds visit the website WWF.
You can view a photo slide show of some of the new species here and read an e-mail exchange between MSNBC.com and Christoper Greenwood, WWF Initiative's international communications manager here.
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