Ancient Whale Skulls and Directional Hearing: A Twisted Tale

Laura E. -- Skewed whale skulls helped the whale discriminate the direction of sound, but recently scientists have discovered that the whale's skull adapted over time to develop echolocation.

 

Asymmetric skulls [characteristic of modern odontocetes (toothed whale)] use their highly structured nose as an echolocation device, a reliable source to find food. But the other modern whale group, mysticetes (baleen whales), have symmetrical skulls and does not echolocate. Scientists thought that these abilities were passed down from the ancient whales, but now scientists are finding out that asymmetry is not derived from echolocation.

 

Faulke thought that ancient whales were like baleen whales, but the jaw lines were just not matching up. It then dawned on her that the ancient whales might have had asymmetrical skulls, and sure enough, she made the discovery that they did. She discovered that asymmetry existed well before toothed whales and baleen whales. Asymmetrical skulls actually evolved into symmetrical whales. The echolocation came from the asymmetrical whales.

Link:  Ancient Whale Skulls and Directional Hearing: A Twisted Tale

'Polarbeargate' Scientist To Head Back To Work

D'vine N. --  That complaint alleged that Department of the Interior officials are guilty of scientific ,and scholarly misconduct because of their treatment of Monnett. An inquiry is being conducted into those allegations, according to a letter sent to Ruch by the Department of the Interior's scientific integrity officer.

this Article I chose bacons it have polar bears in it and than are so cute. Also the dead polar bearsbecame are powerful, and controversial, that the melting ice and climate change we are just kill them one by one. if we keep on doing this is going to be no more of this cute animals. The Author infomashin is valid to what he put. It is also helpful to see what is happening in other places. if we can help out or not.

Link:  'Polarbeargate' Scientist to Head Back to Work

Scientists discover the diamond planet

Madison G. -- Researchers from Swineburne University of Technology in Melbourne have discovered what they believe to be a planet made of diamonds. It was said to be huge star that existed at one time in our galaxy, but is now just the remnants of that star. It has a diameter of about 20 KM and emits electromagnetic radiation. What researchers found strange about this planet was that the beams of radiation it emitted were at different angles. This attributed to their conclusion of the planet being one huge diamond. It is 40 % the size of Jupiter but contains a mass that is slightly larger than that of Jupiter’s. Researchers suggest that this planet originated from carbon and oxygen due to its density. This planet is 4000 light years away from earth and resides in the constellation of Serpens.

It’s so awesome to think that there’s an entire planet made out of diamonds. If anyone got their hands on it, they would most likely be filled with greed. There’s so much money you could make off of a giant diamond with a diameter of 20 km. If there are planets made of diamonds, it makes you wonder what other types of planets are out there. Whethere they be topaz or emerald. There could be an entire planet made from the eruption of volcanoes, similar to how an island is formed. Our universe is so vast; we’re not even close to understanding a little bit of all that it has to offer.

Link:  Scientists Discover the Diamond Planet 

Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

Dia G. -- El Nino is when the sea temperatures get warmer in the tropical Pacific, which causes abnormal weather changes around the world. David Tenenbaum; the author of the article, stated that conflicts are twice as likely to occur during El Nino in the places that they’re affecting. He states that people become more aggressive in hotter weather. They found that there was an increase in fighting during hot weather periods in Africa. Also that all the fights were happening in the regions that El Nino was affecting.
I think that this article could have had more supporting evidence, but I chose this because I can relate. When I’m really hot, or sweaty or outside in the sun for a really long time I start to get grumpy. This article might not be relevant, because I’m pretty sure that all these countries that are fighting right now aren’t fighting because they’re hot. People fight just to fight sometimes, or because they’re tired of something. 


I’d have to mostly disagree with the author, because you see all these countries fighting right now, but we’re not in the middle of El Nino right now. So it makes no sense that people are relating the two things. I mean, I can imagine that it’s hot everywhere, because its VERY hot here, but I don’t think they have enough evidence to support their theories in this article.


Link:  Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

COOKIECUTTER SHARK 'SCOOPED' OUT SWIMMER'S FLESH

Breckon C. -- The Cookie-cutter shark is maximum length approximately 42–56 centimeter. Also it is not like the other sharks by having a pattern in its teeth. When the shark bights it looks like a cookie cutter stamp. When the Cookie-cutter shark is going to attack, the shark opens the mouth 180 degrease. Bighting the fish takes that part out of the fish. But leaves the fish that was attack, and the fish that was attacked are still alive. There are most common at Miami, Florida, and the moats deaths.

This is the smallest shark that I have ever seen in my life. Even though I have been fishing I never had seen fish smaller than that. I would like to see this shark in real life. Also se a fish with those holes in another fish. This is a really weird shark but I think this is the most interesting thing that I have read. In the next few years I would like to study about this some more. Also I would like to seen a attack on a human.

Link:  Cookiecutter Shark 'Scooped' Out Swimmer's Flesh

Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication

Eddie W. -- In the 1970’s, wolf fossils were found in the Atlay Mountains of Sibera, and it was recently looked up and was found out that it was one of the first pets. Usually, 14,000 year old dog fossils are the oldest ones scientists find but this one was older, close to 26,500 years old. Because there’s not a lot of history recorded about wolves, scientists don’t know how the genes of the wolves’ population changed to be dogs and when it actually happened. ’’ That's why our find is very important—we have a very lucky case,” ( Yaroslav Kuzmin). This quote shows that they needed to find out about that dog in order to get some info on when wolves’ genes population changed. Yaroslav Kuzmin and a group of scientists compared the fossils of the dog to other wolves’ bones and dog fossils about the same age as the other dog. They found out that the dog was similar to dogs in Greenland because it looked similar to one. ’’Animals that were more comfortable around humans underwent changes in their growth rates—probably regulated by hormones—that eventually changed their reproductive patterns, sizes, and shapes, turning them into dogs,’’ ( Susan Crawford). This quote is evidence that the wolf could have enjoyed being around people so much, that there hormones took control of how they looked and their inherited traits changed.


I think this is really interesting because this one of the first pets that people had. It is helpful to people because it involves some history of wolves and dogs. The Article used evidence from scientists and zooarchaeologists, and anthoropologists so I think this author, you could agree with. This article includes a photo that would call attention to readers. This article has a few historic details about fossils. It explains why and how things could have happened. When there was evidence the article said where it came from.


Link:  Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication

Cancers Might Be Newly Evolved Species

Adrianna H. -- Cancerous tumors are parasitic organisms, according to a new paper in the journal Cell Cycle that argues cancers are newly evolving species. Each cancer is a novel species that, like other parasites, depends on its host for food but otherwise operates independently and often to the detriment of its host, according to project leader Peter Duesberg. Duesberg, a molecular and cell biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues believe that carcinogenesis—the generation of cancer is just another form of speciation, the evolution of new species.


Cancer is comparable to a bacterial level of complexity, but still autonomous, that is, it doesnt depend on other cells for survival it doesn’t follow orders like other cells in the body, and it can grow where, when and how it likes, said Duesberg in a UC Berkeley press release. Thats what species are all about Once a cell has crossed that barrier of autonomy its a new species. The key to this new theory is that he and his team negate the widely held view that tumors begin when a handful of mutated genes send a cell into uncontrolled growth. Instead, they argue that carcinogenesis is initiated by a disruption of the chromosomes, which leads to duplicates, deletions, breaks and other chromosomal damage that alter the balance of tens of thousands of genes. The result is a cell with totally new traits that is, a new phenotype representing a unique species. 


The idea is already gaining support from other experts. Mark Vincent, a medical oncologist at the London Regional Cancer Program and University of Western Ontario, said, "I think Duesberg is correct by criticizing mutation theory, which sustains a billion-dollar drug industry focused on blocking these mutations. Yet very few cancers have been cured by targeted drug therapy and even if a drug helps a patient survive six or nine more months, cancer cells often find a way around it Revived" since evolutionary biologist Julian Huxley wrote in 1956 that Once the neoplastic process has crossed the threshold of autonomy the resultant tumor can be logically regarded as a new biologic species Other researchers since Huxley have proposed that cancer is more like a parasite than a disease.Because the disrupted chromosomes of newly evolved cancers are visible in a microscope, it may be possible to detect cancers earlier. Already, Pap smears rely on changes in the shapes of cervical cells as an indication of chromosomal problems that could lead to cervical cancer. Cancer should be beatable. As Vincent points out, cancers are likely operating right at the edge of survivability, maintaining genomic flexibility while retaining the ability to divide forever. Driving them to evolve even faster, he said, "might push them over the edge.

I think this discovery will help scientist to determine what to do about the cancer. A lot of people are getting cancer, so this is a start to finding a cure to prevent and get rid of it. Disrupted chromosomes of newly evolved cancers are visible now in microscopes. For so many years people have died from cancer because there were no cures and they might have found out to late they had cancer and then die. With these new studies coming out they may can prevent an see cancer.


Link:  Cancers Might Be Newly Evolved Species

One of the world’s ‘most feared’ pests found in Chicago

Kristin H. -- One of the worlds “most feared” pests was found in Chicago… the Khapra Beetle. It’s the “most feared” pest because of its ability to destroy grain. This species originated in South Asia but came to Northern Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and South Africa. In 1953 the first Khapra beetle was seen in California. It wasn’t till 1966 when they destroyed it at a cost of 15 million dollars! This year specialist has seen them 100 times compared to when they only saw them three to six times per year. Even though we have seen some of these beetles the beetles have not made it into our grain supply.

This is something that doesn’t personally affect me but can affect our country. I personality think beetles in general are gross and nasty and when they destroy our food that makes me dislike them even more. Plus with our economy the way it is we don’t need to spend that kind of money on trying to get rid of bugs. I liked how the author made the article short and clear so it was easy to get the point without reading a book. I also liked how it was descriptive; this makes the article more attracting.


Link:  One of the world's "most feared" pests found in Chicago

Human Pathogen Killing Corals in the Florida Keys

Annie T. -- Corals in the Florida Keys are being destroyed by humans disposal of sewage which causes white pox disease in the Caibbean elkhorn coral. This white pox takes fives days to appear definite evidence that humans are the source of this pathogen. Florida Keys is a popular tourist attraction, where humans spend money on water-related activities. By doing so, humans are polluting our water and destroying the ecosystem that the sea creatures live in. Diseases such as HIV or bird flu, have also made an impact on the decline in population of marin invertebrate. These diseases from humans are killing corals, but we can solve this problem with wastewater treatment. The University of Gerogia and The Collins College have funded 2.2 million dollars to help investigate the affect of white pox in the Florida Keys.

The beautiful reefs and colrals in Florida Keys are being harmed by humans. We are destroying something that is irriplaceable. I agree that we humans need to make an effort in keeping our enviroment clean. Not only do we need to create wastewater treatment facilities but we need to enforce the law of littering. We need to limit the the water-related activites, so we can keep our oceans uncontaminated. This article is a great way to spread awareness on the affect of how humans are polluting our earth. Not only is our activities on the water affecting the ocean, but also in the atmosphere. We need to be more aware of what we do that contributes to the polluting of our earth.

Link:  Human Pathogen Killing Corals in the Florida Keys

SONGBIRDS USE GRAMMAR IN TWEETS

Justin C. -- Birds prove to be much smarter then we thought. Japanese scientist’s discovery that songbirds use their own form of grammar. This study shows that humans man not be the only organism to use grammar in sentences. The birds used in this experiment were Bengalese finches which are very social birds that do a lot of vocalizing. Each male bird has a different unique song call. Scientists played jumbled up bird songs to different birds to see how they would react to it. All the birds reacted to certain ones and had no reaction at all to other ones. It also seems that the order of the syllables mattered to the birds which suggest that the birds use grammar.

This article just amazed me. It is an excellent example of how animals are not given enough credit for what their capable of. They are much smarter then most people think. But I do think that maybe the birds are not listening for grammar but for certain sounds and they only recognize those certain sounds. I think that the scientists should play different languages to the birds and see how they respond to each language, this could prove if their listening for grammar or just sounds.

Link:  Songbirds Use Grammar in Tweets