tagged w/ new discoveries
-
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Scientists photograph what may be new species
Elusive elephant shrews live in the Boni-Dodori forest
Discovery may bring more attention to East Africa's dwindling coastal forests
Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- A group of international and Kenyan scientists believe they may have discovered a new mammal species in a Kenyan forest near the Somali border.
The scientists were using camera traps to photograph elusive elephant shrews in the Boni-Dodori forest. They were thrilled to photograph what they believe is an entirely new species of giant sengi, or elephant shrew.
"This is an important discovery," said biologist Dr. Rajan Amin of the Zoological Society of London. "The whole team was very excited to capture pictures of this mammal."
There are 17 known species of elephant shrew, all native to Africa. They got their name because of their bizarre flexible nose which resembles an elephant's trunk, and because of their superficial resemblance to true shrews.
The Zoological Society of London and Kenya Wildlife Service captured the images. Researchers hope DNA samples will definitely prove whether it is a distinct species. The discovery could help in understanding this coastal forest region, which has been difficult to study at times because of its proximity to Somalia.
"Prior to our study, the biodiversity of the Boni-Dodori forest was poorly understood as a result of limited access due to security and problems of poor infrastructure," said Sam Adanje of the KWS.
Scientists believe that if the shrew is found to be a distinct species, the discovery could bring more attention to East Africa's dwindling coastal forests.
"With their ancient and often misunderstood ancestry, their monogamous mating strategies, and their flexible snouts, they are captivating animals," said Galen Rathbun of the California Academy of Sciences. "It is always exciting to describe a new species -- a necessary precursor for ensuring that the animals are protected."
Elephant shrews are more closely related to elephants than to shrews, according to the KWS, which uses the alternate name, sengis.
"Sengis belong to an ancient group of animals that evolved in Africa over 100 million years ago, and share a common ancestor with elephants, sea cows, hyraxes, aardvark, tenrecs and golden-moles (the super-cohort Afrotheria)," according to the KWS.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Scientists photograph what may be new species
Elusive elephant... more
-
-
What Are The Ancient Solfeggio Frequencies?
These original sound frequencies were apparently used in Ancient Gregorian Chants, such as the great hymn to St. John the Baptist, along with others that church authorities say were lost centuries ago. The chants and their special tones were believed to impart tremendous spiritual blessings when sung in harmony during religious masses. These powerful frequencies were rediscovered by Dr. Joseph Puleo as described in the book Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse by Dr. Leonard Horowitz. I give honor to both of these gentleman for the part they’ve played in helping return these lost frequencies back to humanity.What Are The Ancient Solfeggio Frequencies?
These original sound frequencies were... more
-
-
Charles Q. Choi
Special to LiveScience
LiveScience.com charles Q. Choi
special To Livescience
livescience.com – Mon Jul 27, 5:12 pm ET
Conventional wisdom has it that the first animals evolved in the ocean.
Now researchers studying ancient rock samples in South China have found that the first animal fossils are preserved in ancient lake deposits, not in marine sediments as commonly assumed.
These new findings not only raise questions as to where the earliest animals were living, but what factors drove animals to evolve in the first place.
For some 3 billion years, single-celled life forms such as bacteria dominated the planet. Then, roughly 600 million years ago, the first multi-cellular animals appeared on the scene, diversifying rapidly.Charles Q. Choi
Special to LiveScience
LiveScience.com charles Q. Choi
special To... more
-
-
gory Mone Posted 07.12.2007 at 5:28 pm 4 Comments
Homestakeminew All top-secret government labs are either buried underground or hidden deep in a mountain. Everyone knows that, which is what makes the National Science Foundation’s recent announcement that it plans to convert the Homestake Mine, the deepest of its kind in the U.S., into a research facility, so surprising. How can it possibly be top secret if they’re telling everyone? The only answer, of course, is that they really are going to conduct legitimate research in astrophysics, biology and geology.
The Homestake Mine, located in Lead, South Dakota, extends 8,000 feet down into the Earth and has over 375 miles of tunnels. It already has a rich scientific history: In 1965, physicist Raymond Davis led a team that set up the world’s first underground solar neutrino detector in a cavern deep in the mine, and eventually earned the Nobel Prize for his work. Scientists at the new lab will also pursue astrophysics research, along with work on carbon sequestration, organisms living in extreme conditions and geophysics. Over the next 30 years, two laboratories will be constructed. One will extend down to 4,800 feet, and the other will lie all the way down at 7,400 feet. We’re guessing that’s where they’ll hide the aliens.—Gregory Monegory Mone Posted 07.12.2007 at 5:28 pm 4 Comments
Homestakeminew All top-secret... more
-
-
It wasn't me I swear, I was at the Cave Pub that day. This explains a lot. It hasn't got it's due in the scientific community yet. But, there is a lot of evidence to support the theory.It wasn't me I swear, I was at the Cave Pub that day. This explains a lot. It... more
-
-
This one takes a very special volunteer!!!
-
-
Morning Edition, March 19, 2008 · Some 3,000 scientific robots that are plying the ocean have sent home a puzzling message. These diving instruments suggest that the oceans have not warmed up at all over the past four or five years. That could mean global warming has taken a breather. Or it could mean scientists aren't quite understanding what their robots are telling them.
This is puzzling in part because here on the surface of the Earth, the years since 2003 have been some of the hottest on record. But Josh Willis at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory says the oceans are what really matter when it comes to global warming.
In fact, 80 percent to 90 percent of global warming involves heating up ocean waters. They hold much more heat than the atmosphere can. So Willis has been studying the ocean with a fleet of robotic instruments called the Argo system. The buoys can dive 3,000 feet down and measure ocean temperature. Since the system was fully deployed in 2003, it has recorded no warming of the global oceans.
"There has been a very slight cooling, but not anything really significant," Willis says. So the buildup of heat on Earth may be on a brief hiatus. "Global warming doesn't mean every year will be warmer than the last. And it may be that we are in a period of less rapid warming."
In recent years, heat has actually been flowing out of the ocean and into the air. This is a feature of the weather phenomenon known as El Nino. So it is indeed possible the air has warmed but the ocean has not. But it's also possible that something more mysterious is going on.
That becomes clear when you consider what's happening to global sea level. Sea level rises when the oceans get warm because warmer water expands. This accounts for about half of global sea level rise. So with the oceans not warming, you would expect to see less sea level rise. Instead, sea level has risen about half an inch in the past four years. That's a lot.
Willis says some of this water is apparently coming from a recent increase in the melting rate of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica.
"But in fact there's a little bit of a mystery. We can't account for all of the sea level increase we've seen over the last three or four years," he says.
One possibility is that the sea has, in fact, warmed and expanded — and scientists are somehow misinterpreting the data from the diving buoys.
But if the aquatic robots are actually telling the right story, that raises a new question: Where is the extra heat all going?Morning Edition, March 19, 2008 · Some 3,000 scientific robots that are plying... more
-
-
A burial chamber containing what may be the remains of a retainer of an early ruler of Teotihuacan, an ancient metropolis 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, has been found within the Pyramid of the Moon, at the northern end of the site's main thoroughfare, the Street of the Dead. Discovered by Arizona State University (ASU) archaeologist Saburo Sugiyama, the skeleton, thought to be that of an adult male who was bound and sacrificed, was buried in a square chamber 11.3 feet on each side and five feet deep. He was surrounded by more than 150 burial offerings, including obsidian and greenstone figurines, obsidian blades and points, pyrite mirrors, conch and other shells, and the remains of eight birds (hawks or falcons) and two jaguars, which may have been buried alive. "The quality of the offerings," says Sugiyama, "is exceptional, particularly in light of the more than 1,200 burials found at the site so far."
[image] A greenstone figurine with inlaid pyrite eyes (Brad Lang) [LARGER IMAGE]
Mexico's first great city, Teotihuacan coalesced out of a number of small hamlets in the early years of the first century B.C., after, as archaeologists believe, the discovery of a four-chambered lava-tube cave in the Teotihuacan Valley. Caves played an integral role in Mesoamerican religion, being places of emergence of gods and ancestors as well as portals to the underworld, the world of demons and other potent beings. The Teotihuacan cave may have held particular significance, its four lobes representing the four parts of the Mesoamerican cosmos. It soon became a focal point of ritual activity and settlement in the valley. Teotihuacan's Pyramid of the Sun was built directly over the cave in the second century A.D.A burial chamber containing what may be the remains of a retainer of an early ruler of... more
-
-
What started out as a heat lamp, a waffle iron, a timer, and one retired Texas rancher, has evolved into a non-toxic fire ant control system with two U.S. Patents to its credit. This is a “green”, long-term solution to the fire ant nightmare and it is perfectly named, The AntAgonizer.
The guiding principles of the invention were discovered by long time Mills County Rancher Sid Brooks. Sid became fascinated by fire ants and their behavior around food and electricity. After some ideas and experimentation, Sid came up with a rudimentary contraption that was both killing and driving away fire ant colonies. Some ants would die on the spot. Others would wander around in circles a bit. According to Sid, “They were dead, they just hadn’t been notified yet.” Without these foragers, food was not getting to the queen and her eggs. Colonies were abandoned.
The AntAgonizer is now top tier technology. Development and design is by Alan Abele, a brilliant engineer with eight U.S. Patents to his credit, several of those in the aerospace industry. Two are for The Antagonizer, one for the innovative timer that controls pulses of infrared energy. The second is for the methodology of the unit, in other words how it kills and controls fire ants. Abele stated, “This product represents the fusion of the biological and engineering sciences and it works.”
The AntAgonizer uses small pulses of infrared energy to disrupt and ultimately destroy fire ant colonies. The system controls fire ants without using toxic chemicals that can poison property, contaminate water resources and endanger children, pets, livestock, fish, waterfowl, and beneficial insects.
The Antagonizer has been in development for almost seven years, says Ginger Spies, AntAgonizer principle. “During that time we have learned a lot about the behavior of fire ants and we have heard stories that are just amazing. We know of a fire ant attack that ended a funeral service and sent people running for their cars; of golfers who couldn’t putt out because of infested greens; of football players who were taken to the hospital during a game because the field had been treated with pesticides earlier that day; and numerous attacks on small children and the elderly. Fire ants are truly capable of spectacular injury and damage.
Sid Brooks, retired rancher, has started a movement and it’s one he hopes will contribute to a major paradigm shift for the way we treat the Earth and ourselves.
What started out as a heat lamp, a waffle iron, a timer, and one retired Texas... more
-
