tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19085137905641434362024-03-09T21:09:05.166-08:00Bizarre ZoologyA blog which aims to inform the general public about the captivating side of our Earth's fauna through an exploration of bizarre facts and hypotheses relating to the fields of Zoology, Cryptozoology, Paleontology, and Paleoanthropology.Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-52621373761909685532018-06-10T11:33:00.002-07:002018-06-10T11:33:12.457-07:00New Study Illuminates the Bear-Salmon Synergy<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1000" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em; max-width: 100%; width: 1000px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="IMG_4053" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1000" data-attachment-id="1000" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"6.3","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS-1D X Mark II","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495220035","copyright":"","focal_length":"400","iso":"2000","shutter_speed":"0.0005","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_4053" data-large-file="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=809?w=809" data-medium-file="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=809?w=300" data-orig-file="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=809" data-orig-size="1000,681" data-permalink="https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=1000" sizes="(max-width: 809px) 100vw, 809px" src="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=809" srcset="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=809 809w, https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=150 150w, https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=300 300w, https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg?w=768 768w, https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_4053.jpg 1000w" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588); box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0.8075em 0px; text-align: center;">The black bear individual observed on Vancouver Island who inspired the creation of this article, and who I will never forget. Photograph coursesy of<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://michaelnoonan.org/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #207878; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">Dr. Michael Noonan</a></span>.</figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
During my visit to British Columbia last May as a student of the Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation program, a recurring topic of discussion was the substantial influence that the consumption of salmon by black bears and brown bears has on terrestrial ecosystems. Bears consume salmon selectively to optimize their intake of fat, and the caloric energy remaining in the discarded carcass or spread through ursine feces provides a foundation for the flourishing of biodiversity on streamsides and coastlines. A study by Gene & Quinn (2006) demonstrated that a staggering 70 percent of the nitrogen within trees along streamsides and coasts originates from partially eaten salmon. During our hikes, we were frequently reminded to reflect upon the flow of nitrogen throughout the groves of awe-inspiring temperate rainforest. This inspired a deep appreciation for the enormity of species interactions occurring around me, and an emotional manifestation of biophilia that culminated with our observations of a black bear while on a boat tour off the coast of Vancouver Island. This sight of such an impressive animal against a gorgeous backdrop of green, with the bear-salmon synergy in mind, served as a reminder of the magnitude of beauty that we have the potential and indeed the duty to conserve despite our anthropocentric blunders. For my first article for the Bear Trust International e-newsletter, I knew I had to attempt to instill in readers the same profound feelings that this unforgettable sight compelled in me. It is my sincere hope that my piece, titled, “New Study Illuminates the Bear-Salmon Synergy,” will succeed in this manner. With college in full swing and my internship with Bear Trust occupying the majority of my free writing time, my articles here will be scant. Please subscribe to the quarterly e-newsletter <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #207878; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a href="https://beartrust.org/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #207878; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">here</a> </span>for more content from this fantastic group, as well as my own writing. It is my goal to apply an anthrozoological lens to bear conservation to improve our interspecies interactions, and to spread the same reverence for bears that I felt so viscerally in British Columbia. The full article is featured here: <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://beartrust.org/new-study-illuminates-the-bear-salmon-synergy" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #207878; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">New Study Illuminates the Bear Salmon Synergy</a></span>.</div>
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I have reproduced an excerpt below that is especially applicable to the theme of this blog…</div>
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This finding serves as a reminder that we must not limit the scope of conservancies to the confines of human constructs and current understanding, such as our legislative boundary between land and sea. The famed luminary of sociobiology Edward O. Wilson (2015) described food web interactions as “near-bottomless in complexity,” and stressed the importance of intimately understanding all facets of an ecosystem before proper conservation can occur. A holistic approach to ecology also supports the call for management of the quota of harvested salmon to consider the critical relationship between these fish and other prominent predators such as orcas and eagles (Raincoast Conservation Foundation 2011). If we are to base our appreciation of wildlife on a standard of profit to our species, bears certainly benefit both the forests that we obtain wood from or seek mental refuge in, as well as the seafood on our plates. However, with an understanding of the delicate yet instrumental bear-salmon synergy, it is hard to not feel a strong sense of reverence for these charismatic animals beyond their conceived worth. On a personal note, perhaps my most profound feeling of biophilia was felt while observing a muscular black bear amble along a shoreline on Vancouver Island against a backdrop of lush temperate rainforest, habitat substantially fostered by the feeding of such influential mammals. If more observers of this breathtaking sight learn to see the forest through the trees, which in this case are invigorated by nitrogen from decomposed salmon, then a drive for conserving British Columbia’s pivotal carnivores may spread like wildfire.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Read more at <a href="https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com/">https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com</a></span> Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-19715055320403157862018-06-07T21:00:00.000-07:002018-06-10T10:27:46.811-07:00The Ape That Denied Its Nature<div class="tiled-gallery type-circle" data-carousel-extra="{"blog_id":129650974,"permalink":"https:\/\/animalinthemirror.wordpress.com\/2017\/07\/24\/the-ape-that-denied-its-nature\/","likes_blog_id":129650974}" data-original-width="809" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageGallery" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Here is a reprint of my first article from my new blog, "<a href="https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com/">Animal in the Mirror</a>." In it, I muse on perhaps the most bizarre behavior exhibited by the human animal, our denial of being animals tied to the biosphere.<br />
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<a border="0" href="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/astroman.jpg" itemprop="url" style="border: none; box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto; word-break: break-word;"><img alt="Humankind may have displayed godly achievements, but knowledge of our evolutionary origins dispels the notion that we are angelic beings bearing no relation to the 'dull' animal kingdom. Unfortunately, the modern human-animal relationship continues to operate largely under the latter premise." data-attachment-id="3049" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Reuters","camera":"","caption":"NASA file image shows Buzz Aldrin on the moon next to the Lunar Module Eagle...This NASA file image shows Apollo 11 U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing on the Moon, next to the Lunar Module \u0022Eagle\u0022 (R), July 20, 1969. Apollo 11 was launched forty years ago today on July 16, 1969, and carried astronauts Neil Armstrong, who was the Mission Commander and the first man to step on the Moon, Aldrin, who was the Lunar Module Pilot, and Michael Collins, who was the Command Module pilot. Armstrong took this photograph. REUTERS\/Neil Armstrong-NASA\/Handout (UNITED STATES ANNIVERSARY SCI TECH IMAGES OF THE DAY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"USA\/","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="USA/" data-large-file="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/astroman.jpg?w=620" data-medium-file="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/astroman.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/astroman.jpg" data-orig-size="620,387" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" itemprop="http://schema.org/image" src="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/astroman.jpg?w=400&h=400&crop=1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 50% !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 50% !important; border-top-left-radius: 50% !important; border-top-right-radius: 50% !important; border: none; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; height: 328px; margin: 2px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 328px;" title="USA/" width="400" /></a></div>
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Humankind may have displayed godly feats, but knowledge of our evolutionary origins dispels the notion that we are angelic beings bearing no relation to the ‘less advanced’ animal kingdom. Unfortunately, the modern human-animal relationship continues to operate largely under the latter premise. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(TOP ILLUSTRATION IS BY </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dv8sheepn/">ALAN KENNEDY</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">, BOTTOM RIGHT IS </span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/images/apollo_image_12.html">NASA</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> IMAGE OF BUZZ ALDRIN)</span></h4>
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Many people put an unconscious distinction between the world as experienced by our daily lives and society’s activities, and the landscapes that we perceive as the ‘natural world’ or domain of the animals. At the basis of this dichotomy, there is ‘Nature’ and then there is humanity, with a clear divide being drawn due to humankind’s alleged special traits that have largely been demonstrated to be of trivial novelty by modern animal cognition research. With the natural environment being outside of our immediate concerns and instead acting as the backdrop to our species’ progress, countless short term concerns take precedence over the imperative of fostering a healthy biosphere. Nonhuman animals are often placed in the distant categories of pests to drive out of our properties, food to consume on our plates, or curiosities to gawk at in the local zoo. When it comes to our nonhuman kin and the environment, humankind certainly acts in a peculiar and often contradictory fashion. We launch exhaustive searches for extraterrestrial intelligence in the far reaches of our galaxy while ignoring the complex minds of the nonhuman species with whom we share our planet (de Waal 2016). Stretches of forest just like those that our hominid ancestors inhabited are cleared for lumber or farming, despite their vital role in providing the very oxygen that we breath. Yet we decorate our cities with green spaces, paint animals on the walls of our newborn children’s rooms, and share a considerable amount of resources with the small carnivores that we welcome into our homes as pets. In a beautiful testament to humankind’s moral reach, ecotourism agencies characterizing wildlife as natural heritage worthy of living space and protection are beginning to outpace industries capitalizing on the death and commoditization of such species. Human compassion is gaining in its inclusion of our planet’s nonhuman life with recognition of both their intrinsic value and our reliance on the ecosystem services they provide, but there is still plenty to consider about the past, present, and future of our coexistence.<br />
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<img src="https://animalinthemirror.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/13559033_229927037401003_6569678443444683883_o.jpg?w=809" />Thought-provoking painting by <a href="https://www.stencilrevolution.com/banksy-art-prints/cave-painting/">Banksy</a> titled “Cave Painting,” depicting a street worker power washing various Paleolithic-style artworks</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Read more at <a href="https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com/">https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com</a></span></div>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-51752774865364273762018-06-01T14:16:00.000-07:002018-06-07T21:01:17.164-07:00The Human Animal: Denial and Reconciliation with Our Nature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpj8aNDXUOT4ZBZbl18RhS7rMn7AVmxTbjIHrJWPWhihGVeMS4NMNWpR7y00cJhgKlX5c17EduuJlzyNzr9E82-mYRE_dlPJyyFOzDPdakUibj7GphtYUcDiwkrRqBQq-4PGKStaskK8H/s1600/IMG_1728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpj8aNDXUOT4ZBZbl18RhS7rMn7AVmxTbjIHrJWPWhihGVeMS4NMNWpR7y00cJhgKlX5c17EduuJlzyNzr9E82-mYRE_dlPJyyFOzDPdakUibj7GphtYUcDiwkrRqBQq-4PGKStaskK8H/s640/IMG_1728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have come a long way since I began writing at the blog, and my perspectives and interests have undergone substantial change. As such, I have embarked on yet another intellectual journey, resulting in my third and hopefully final blog relocation. I have started “<a href="https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com/">Animal in the Mirror</a>," the result of a year’s worth of formal education in Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation at Canisius College that has challenged and altered how I view our relationship with nonhuman animals, as well as the best manner in which to seek to understand them. Carrying on this blog's legacy of examining peculiar aspects of the animal kingdom, this blog’s topics will center around arguably one of the most bizarre behaviors exhibited by the human animal: our attempts at anthropocentric dominion often coupled with a denial of animal self. The focus on this topic will seek to evoke readers’ reconsideration of their attitudes towards the human-animal relationship, as well as foster hope amidst the impending Anthropocene. It is my hope that this blog will serve as a channel for my musings as a rising scientist, and actively inspire readers to live consciously in accord with the conservation and well-being of our nonhuman animal kin. I will be reposting some articles here given that this page receives substantially more viewer traffic. Thank you for sticking with me!</div>
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My new site can be found at the link here, please check it out: <a href="https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">https://animalinthemirror.wordpress.com</span></a></div>
Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-23372862849502513162015-05-01T10:04:00.001-07:002015-09-12T16:35:20.400-07:00Rhinoceros Giants: A Fresh Look at the Largest Land Mammal Ever<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPd7-tm15tHFUw_VB29xutgxnf5gvXxc6aHpcOgTYUPD8VoDfw1Mn81WlnDQaVrXjyLpKEx3cTV31wpZf29Sb6IlyQtEKvwObstIXrMCgymAbJuAc3-hyfGj0hKar0DioMNUs6O_101Tc/s640/blogger-image--1796083070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPd7-tm15tHFUw_VB29xutgxnf5gvXxc6aHpcOgTYUPD8VoDfw1Mn81WlnDQaVrXjyLpKEx3cTV31wpZf29Sb6IlyQtEKvwObstIXrMCgymAbJuAc3-hyfGj0hKar0DioMNUs6O_101Tc/s640/blogger-image--1796083070.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cover of <em>Rhinoceros Giants</em>, with brilliant artwork by Carl Buell. (<a href="http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/product_info.php?products_id=806719">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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The ungulates are an exceptionally diverse group of mammals, with members having conquered a wide range of niches and even returning to the sea. One of the most interesting representatives of this clade was the impressive fossil perissodactyl <i>Paraceratherium</i>, the focus of a<i> </i>book recently published by Dr. Donald Prothero. <i>Paraceratherium</i> holds the title of the largest terrestrial mammal ever, having stood twenty-two feet tall at the shoulder and outweighing the largest modern elephant by twice its bulk. This animal possessed a skull which could grow to six feet in length and exhibited a pair of conical tusks. Prothero details an intriguing new interpretation of the skull's anatomical features which suggest that this rhinocerotoid would have possessed a form of trunk or proboscis and relatively large ears: striking morphology illustrated in the vibrant cover of this book. <i>Rhinoceros Giants </i>provides an exciting narrative on both the discovery and evolutionary history of <i>Paraceratherium</i>, shedding much light on the diverse past of the rhinoceros. I feel that a book of the nature as this one has been well-warranted for quite some time now. Prothero helps to clear up controversy over the proper name for these behemoths, and provides a better understanding of the ecology and potential life behavior of the indricotheres in detail not matched by the documentaries which helped <em>Paraceratherium</em> gain its fame. <i>Rhinoceros Giants</i> gives the unprecedented textual attention that this remarkable fossil mammal deserves.<br />
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The breathtaking skull of <em>Paraceratherium</em>: note the long nasal incision which give clues as to a rather peculiar trait revealed in Prothero's new book. (<a href="https://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2014/mroczens_jord/adaptation.htm">Source</a>)</div>
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This superb book was published by Indiana University Press, and you can purchase it <a href="http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/product_info.php?products_id=806719">here</a>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Written for everyone fascinated by the huge beasts that once roamed the earth, this book introduces the giant hornless rhinoceros, Indricotherium. These massive animals inhabited Asia and Eurasia for more than 14 million years, about 37 to 23 million years ago. They had skulls 6 feet long, stood 22 feet high at the shoulder, and were twice as heavy as the largest elephant ever recorded, tipping the scales at 44,100 pounds. Fortunately, the big brutes were vegetarians. Donald R. Prothero tells their story, from their discovery just a century ago to the latest research on how they lived and died.</blockquote>
Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-18274314913832256252015-03-05T18:18:00.002-08:002015-10-24T18:22:07.874-07:00Fossil Find May Conclude Controversy Over Hippo Origins <div style="border-image: none;">
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Two pygmy hippos (<span class="sciname"><em>Choeropsis liberiensis</em>) photographed at the Columbus Zoo by yours truly. The evolutionary origin of such mammals</span><br />
<span class="sciname"> has been long unknown, although a recent study in <em>Nature Communications</em> proposes an answer. </span></div>
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A new <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150224/ncomms7264/full/ncomms7264.html">paper</a> published in the journal <em>Nature Communications</em> has shed crucial light on the ancestry of Africa’s sub-Saharan semiaquatic giant, the hippopotamus. The origins of these animals have long been shrouded in ambiguity but, according to the recent study, can now be definitively placed with the fossil ungulate family Anthracotheriidae. First found in coal deposits, the anthracotheres were aquatic browsers dating back to the late Eocene in Asia and North America.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> </span>Anthracotheres were among the first animals to colonize Africa, although their range was quite diverse throughout the Oligocene and Miocene epochs.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> Morphological features such as the flaring snout, wide heavy feet, hippo-like lower jaw, cetacean-like premolars, and prominent tusks of anthracotheres like <em>Elomeryx</em> and <em>Merycopotamus</em> have been cited in support of a link with Hippopotamidae and Whippomorpha (the clade uniting whales and hippos) as a whole.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1,2</sup> The swamp-dwelling tendency of anthracotheres indicated by the presence of their fossil remains in remnant coal seams likely hints at what stimulated differences in morphology and specilization between the otherwise closely related whales and hippos. Stem-whales most probably evolved in coastal environments promoting a carnivorous diet whereas the anthracotherian hippo-progenitors inhabited habitats in which they were restricted to feeding on aquatic plants. As some extant ungulates like pigs occasionally exploit a carnivorous diet, it is not too difficult to imagine stem-whales adopting this trait under restrictive ecological pressures. </span><span style="font-size: small;">While fossil stem-cetaceans are numerous and well documented, the ancestry of the 'river horse' has been quite the enigma with ghost lineages remaining between the known anthracothere lineages and the oldest fossil hippopotamus. However, the fossil material described in the <em>Nature Communications</em> publication may help to bridge this paleozoological gap. </span><br />
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Although such a linear evolutionary diagram is an innacurate depiction, anthracotheres such as <em>Elomeryx</em> link extant hippos to the common ancestor of Cetacea and Hippopotamidae (grouped in the clade Whippomorpha) according to the recent <em>Nature Communications</em> study. (<a href="http://scienceisbeauty.tumblr.com/post/54197571252/elomeryx-top-was-a-land-animal-related-to">Source</a>)</div>
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The preceding diagram placed in proper phylogenetic format, and serving to further illustrate the link which anthracotheres form between Hippopotamidae and the common ancestor of Whippomorpha. Direct fossil evidence to substantiate this notion has been lacking, perhaps until now. (<a href="http://www.turandursun.com/forumlar/showthread.php?t=27887&page=4">Source</a>)</div>
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This revelation comes with the discovery of a sheep-sized anthracothere from Kenya, dubbed <em>Epirigenys lokonensis</em>. This animal lived approximately thirty million years ago, older than any previously uncovered hippo ancestor, and has been described as an unambiguous root between Hippopotamidae and the bothriodontine anthracotheres.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>3</sup> The fossilized molar representative of <em>Epirigenys</em> bears a morphology distinctly similar to that of the two ungulate groups, leading to the conclusion that <em>E. lokonensis</em> acts as a sort of evolutionary transition which is in keeping with modern phylogenetic analyses.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></sup> As a result, it is postulated that the new Kenyan fossil mammal and the modern day hippopotamus are both the descendants of a primitive anthracothere which swam to Africa from Asia around thirty-five million years ago.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></sup> The bothriodontines cited in the <em>Nature </em><em>Communications</em> paper were, in fact, one of the early anthracotheriid groups which dispersed into Africa. These findings also place the extant hippopotamus as a true native of the Mother Continent, belonging to a lineage populating Africa long before other iconic species such as lions and rhinoceros.<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></sup> Overall, these findings help to dispel years of paleozoological controversy and should stimulate further research into this most-interesting evolutionary narrative. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diagram illustrating the transitional similarities between the upper molars of an anthracothere (left), the newly-discovered <em>Epirigenys</em> (middle), and a primitive hippo specimen (right). (<a href="http://whyfiles.org/2015/fossil-find-supports-hippo-whale-dolphin-ties/">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simplified phylogeny detailing the relationship of <em>Epirigenys</em> with the other cetartiodactyls. (<a href="http://whyfiles.org/2015/fossil-find-supports-hippo-whale-dolphin-ties/">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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References:<br />
<ol>
<li>Prothero, Donald R., and Robert M. Schoch. <i>Horns, Tusks, and Flippers: The Evolution of Hoofed Mammals</i>. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2002. Print.</li>
<li>Dixon, Dougal. <i>The World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures: The Ultimate Illustrated Reference Guide to More than 1000 Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures, with 2000 Specially Commissioned Watercolours, Maps and Photographs</i>. London: Lorenz, 2010. Print.</li>
<li>Lihoreau, Fabrice, Jean-Renaud Boisserie, Fredrick Kyalo Manthi, and Stéphane Ducrocq. "Hippos Stem from the Longest Sequence of Terrestrial Cetartiodactyl Evolution in Africa." <i>Nature Communications Nat Comms</i> 6 (2015): 6264. Web. </li>
</ol>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-3001400477598606312015-02-08T19:19:00.001-08:002015-03-30T17:13:49.294-07:00New Fossils Reveal The Mother Continent for South American Monkeys<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://a.scpr.org/i/8f2df069f65000fc893129c3692fd2d4/99631-full.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="332" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration of <em>Perupithecus ucayaliensis </em>by Jorge González</td></tr>
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Arguably one of the best nicknames for the continent Africa is that of 'The Mother Continent', a name owing to the fact that our own Mitochondrial Eve can be traced to this location. However, <i>Homo sapiens</i> was not the only primate species to derive out of Africa. A <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature14120.html">paper</a> recently published in the journal <em>Nature</em> has revealed new fossil material which sheds light on the origins of South America’s iconic monkey species. In 2010, a team of paleontologists led by Los Angeles County Natural History Museum curator Dr. Ken Campbell uncovered the teeth of three novel extinct primates in the east Peruvian Amazon. The first specimen took two years to identify as a result of its anatomy being distinct from that of modern day South American monkeys, the platyrrhines. The date of this species was traced to the Eocene epoch approximately 36 million years ago, making it ten million years older than any other fossil platyrrhine known. As a result, the newly named <em>Perupithecus ucayaliensis</em> is considered by scientists as a significant piece of the puzzle that is the evolutionary history of South American monkeys.<a name='more'></a>The roughly squirrel-sized <em>Perupithecus</em> was clearly a striking find for Dr. Campbell and his team, but even greater implications surfaced in the similar characteristics which this primate’s molars share with those of primitive African monkeys rather than modern South American species. Along with this comparative anatomy, phylogenetic analyses conducted for the <em>Nature</em> paper imply an African ancestry for New World Monkeys as a whole. The hypothesis of a transatlantic origin has been long-held yet controversial among primatologists, with the recent Peruvian discoveries serving as important supporting data. Still, questions remain as to how this dispersion across the Atlantic Ocean would have occurred, the most prominent suggestion being via rafts of vegetation. Further efforts in understanding the evolutionary history of these South American primates and other Peruvian fauna as well will hopefully lead towards solving this paleozoological riddle. In turn, knowledge regarding the past of these remarkable primates may well assist in the appreciation and preservation of their current ecology.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.phys.org/newman/gfx/news/hires/2015/54d235b3e934f.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" /></td></tr>
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Graphic illustrating the similarities <em>Perupithecus</em> shares with Eocene African monkeys such as <em>Talahpithecus parvus</em>, a resemblance strongly suggesting an Africa to South America dispersal. (<a href="http://phys.org/news/2015-02-fossils-heart-amazon-evidence-south.html">Source</a>)</div>
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For referenced information, see paper linked above as well as the links <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150204134121.htm">here</a> and <a href="http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/04/49645/ancient-teeth-may-help-solve-a-monkey-mystery/">here</a>.Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-35238649507300857812015-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:002015-01-01T18:55:19.068-08:00A New Year and New Zoological Musings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/mongabay-images/14/0630.Micus_side_Jack-Dumbacher.600.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Etendeka round-eared sengi, a new species of elephant shrew which posed a surprise to mammalogists in 2014. (<a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0630-hance-etendeka-round-eared-sengi.html">Source</a>)<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></em></td></tr>
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With the occurrence of this New Year's Day, yet another year of my writing on this blog has transpired. I hope to deliver fresh material throughout this coming year, with an increased focus on non-cryptozoological topics. I feel that time constraints and my own personal favoritism for the study of unverified animal species have caused me to neglect other zoological matters and even miss opportunities to write on recent discoveries. Also, I have since come to a significant turning point of sorts in regard to my views on this controversial field and its more popular mystery animal elements.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Having taken alternate hypotheses and data interpretations into account from recent skeptical literature such as <i>Abominable Science</i> and <i>The Cryptozoologicon</i>, with consideration of the continued lack of substantiated data (even with the Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project having occurred), I have grown to adopt a more critical stance towards the idea of an undiscovered species of North American primate. As an effort of self-correction (<a href="http://darrennaish.blogspot.com/2006/04/on-those-pesky-prehistoric-survivors.html">the lacking of which in cryptozoological literature has formerly constituted a point of criticism towards the field</a>), I will be reverting the pro-sasquatch articles on this blog back into a draft format. It is my opinion that this action does not reflect poorly on my reputation but rather shows that I am willing to adapt my own hypotheses when met with contrasting data. I will continue to examine any alleged evidence which comes my way with an impartial mind, but until more telling signs such as skeletal remains arise, I will withhold published commentary. While it may sound like my current views towards cryptozoology are predominantly negative, I have one especially exciting piece of information to share. Today, a revised edition of Peter Costello's <em>In Search of Lake Monsters</em> has been released by Anomalist Books. Additions to this cryptozoological classic include a new cover, an afterword by Peter Costello, an introduction by Loren Coleman, and a preface by Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans. This work has been considered a pioneering review of globally observed "lake monsters", with researcher Scott Mardis describing it as a sort of freshwater-oriented sequel to Heuvelmans' <em>In The Wake of The Sea-Serpents</em>. It also stands as an old guard for the long-necked pinniped hypothesis in explanation of certain freshwater mystery animals, the line of thinking which I was once a strong proponent of. I have already preordered a copy of this promising revision, but the webpage containing information and purchasing details can be found <a href="http://www.anomalistbooks.com/book.cfm?id=81">here</a>. As <em>Discovering Cadborosaurus</em> and an updated republication of <em>In Search of Prehistoric Survivors</em> are also set for printing during this upcoming year, it may very well prove to be a newfound time of cryptozoological advancements with fresh literature.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cover of the revised <em>In Search of Lake Monsters</em>. (<a href="http://anomalistbooks.com/book.cfm?id=81">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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With discoveries such as <a href="http://shark-references.com/literature/listBySpecies/14014">a new species of fossil basking shark</a>, <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0430-hance-alligator-snapping-turtle.html">the splitting of the American snapping turtle into three distinct species</a>, <a href="http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/22/deinocheirus-exposed-meet-the-body-behind-the-terrible-hand/">well preserved skeletons of the "terrible hands" <em>Deinocheirus</em></a>, <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0313-potamites-erythrocularis-lizard.html">a new cold stream-dwelling lizard species</a>, and <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/12/17/new-living-species-of-tapir/">what may be the largest new terrestrial mammal species since the Vu Quang Ox</a>, 2014 was a goldmine of bizarre zoological findings. Let's hope that 2015 holds the same thrilling potential. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.wildlife-photography.uk.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/720-1440-grey-seal-BN3Z3160.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your typical gray seal, <em>Halichoerus grypus</em>, a hunter of small cetaceans? (<a href="http://www.wildlife-photography.uk.com/blog/?p=7033">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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Following the regular discovery of mutilated harbor porpoise carcasses on Dutch beaches since 2003, a group of biologists began a ten year investigation into the situation's cause.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> The usual suspects of boat propellers or hostile fishermen were dismissed after the deaths regularly continued their toll, and the enigma continued until a group of Belgian researchers came to a startling conclusion.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> In 2012, these researchers took note of apparent bite marks present in some of the wounds inflicted upon the thousands of porpoise carcasses.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> These matched the canine teeth of an unexpected yet certainly capable mammalian predator: the gray seal <em>Halichoerus grypus</em>. With bulls reaching up to almost eleven feet in length and weighing as much as 310 kilograms this was no huge surprise, especially considering their being relatives of animals like the </span><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0806_030806_sealkiller.html">formidable leopard seals</a>. Further examination of the carcasses showed the marks of pinniped claws and signs of the seals having gone after the nourishment of a porpoise's blubber<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup></span>, yet the proposition was still subject to some debate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="cboxPhoto" src="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/royprsb/282/1798/20142429/F1.large.jpg?width=800&height=600" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="587" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harbor porpoise carcass with wounds indicative of gray seal predation. (<a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/282/1798/20142429">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>The real clincher came on April 19, 2013.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>2</sup> A series of attacks on a juvenile harbor porpoise by an adult male gray seal were observed by wildlife spotters from the cliffs of Cap Gris-Nex.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>2</sup> The pinniped apparently bit down onto the porpoise's head in an attempt to drown it, attacked it in such a manner a second time, and then carried the carcass out to sea.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>2</sup> This was duly photographed, the images of which are reproduced below. While this event brought confirmation that gray seals can and do prey upon such cetaceans, the question still lingered as to whether the aforementioned Dutch carcasses were definitely the result of such an occurrence. The Belgian biologists took to analyzing any DNA samples left in the wounds, although the possibility of salt water having degraded such genetic material was strong.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> In the deep bite marks left on three porpoise bodies, the scientists found their jackpot: gray seal salivary DNA.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup></span> With these recently published findings, an excellent case of zoological forensics work was concluded. However, an enigma still remained as to what caused these gray seals to adopt such a unique prey item. The researchers from Belgium suggest that this habit began as a result of porpoises being caught in the wider sea nets recently employed by Dutch fishermen.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> Gray seals notoriously steal fish from such nets, and it has thus been suggested that the pinnipeds stumbled upon the better-nourishing porpoises and began actively preying upon them as a result.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> There is worry not only that the new predatory habits may lead to ecological unbalance, but also that human bathers and surfers may be in danger as well.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> Although it may sound to be a stretch, the Belgian researchers warn that the seals' hunting of larger prey may very well lead to an accident between humans and a curious individual.<sup><span style="font-size: small;">1</span></sup></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="288" src="https://www.sciencenews.org/sites/default/files/main/blogposts/seal_porpoise_Scalabre_OCEAMM_free.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first confirmed act of gray seal predation upon a harbor porpoise individual. (<a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/wild-things/gray-seals-snack-harbor-porpoises">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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As mentioned previously, I'm not particularly surprised in regard to this discovery considering these often impressive mammals are essentially "<a href="http://oceanwildthings.com/2010/05/sea-lions-weasels-and-bears-oh-my/">sea bears</a>" sharing a common ancestry with modern day Ursidae. Nonetheless, this finding certainly contributes new light to be shed on the bizarre and unexpected habits of modern day fauna, and gives a shocking reminder to never underestimate the capabilities of large mammal species! <br />
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References:<br />
<ol>
<li>You, Julia. "Gray Seals May Be Becoming the Great White Sharks of Dutch Beaches." <i>Science/AAAS</i>. N.p., 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. <a href="http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/11/gray-seals-may-be-becoming-great-white-sharks-dutch-beaches">http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/11/gray-seals-may-be-becoming-great-white-sharks-dutch-beaches</a></li>
<li>Gregg, Justin. "Scientists Confirm That Gray Seals Kill and Eat Harbor Porpoises | Justin Gregg | Science Writer." <i>Justin Gregg</i>. N.p., 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. <a href="http://justingregg.com/scientists-confirm-that-gray-seals-kill-and-eat-harbor-porpoises/#!prettyPhoto">http://justingregg.com/scientists-confirm-that-gray-seals-kill-and-eat-harbor-porpoises/#!prettyPhoto</a></li>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-62145072109821817102014-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:002014-12-24T18:49:38.561-08:00New Findings Suggest Odd-Toed Ungulates Originated On Continental "Noah's Ark"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration of the compelling <em>Cambaytherium thewissi</em> by Elaine Kasmer.</td></tr>
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As reported on the <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141120081752.htm">Science Daily website</a>, John Hopkins University researchers excavating fossils at the edge of a coal mine in India have recently made a discovery which brings revelations on the origins of odd-toed ungulates. Although past research has traced the presence of these animals back to the early Eocene epoch fifty-six million years ago, details on their earlier evolution is shrouded in mystery. The odd-toed ungulates, classified in the order Perissodactyla, include modern day horses and rhinos and are distinguished from other orders due to their uneven number of toes and unique digestive system. Following the proposition of perissodactyls having their origins in Western India, the John Hopkins University research team took to Eocene sediments in this region and unearthed several remains of the little-known ungulate <em>Cambaytherium thewissi</em>. According to these researchers, the teeth, number of sacral vertebrae, and hand and feet bones of <em>Cambaytherium</em> suggest that it is the species most like a common ancestor to all members of Perissodactyla yet discovered. Apart from filling an evolutionary gap, this finding also supports the notion that a diverse number of early mammal groups might have evolved in India while it was still an isolated island continent. This isolation would allow the groups, which included lemur-like primates and both perissodactyls and the even-toed artiodactyls, to evolve without competition from other Paleocene animals.<br />
<a name='more'></a> As detailed in Dr. Donald Prothero and Dr. Robert Shoch's <span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle"><em>Horns, Tusks, and Flippers: The Evolution of Hoofed Mammals</em></span> (a book I recently purchased which has rekindled my strong interest in the ungulates), several scientists have previously suggested that India acted as a sort of "Noah's Ark" which allowed the dispersal of these groups to the rest of the globe following its collision with Asia at the start of the Eocene. The sudden presence of some mammal genera such as the chevrotain-like artiodactyl ancestor <em>Diacodexis</em> in European and North American Eocene sediments without evolutionary precedent certainly suggests that such a hypothesis is more than plausible. The recent <em>Cambaytherium</em> discoveries have apparently yielded "the first concrete evidence" to support this hypothesis, and thus hold even more interesting implications as to the evolution of significant early mammal groups. It is my hope that future research from the aforementioned John Hopkins University researchers who are continuing their work at nearby mines will reveal more exciting data on the evolutionary history of ungulates and other significant early mammal groups.<br />
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<a href="http://pristichampsus.deviantart.com/">Tim Morris</a>' illustration of the ancestral artiodactyl <em>Diacodexis</em>, quite fittingly referred to as a "bunny deer" by some.</div>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-67720924834574951862013-12-21T20:45:00.001-08:002014-12-16T18:21:39.243-08:00Discovery of New Tapir Species Confirms Native Testimony<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRr8oF1N_OSmIG5HkfOZ_WfpZuFBrI5bKTKuypvoJ4vHTA_XqaNq_6mrnXcDxMVa4PPESfq8dYhrw5bdyUIwcbqOwGaQWED379BebLD3P8L32WtpAkcvU9xyZuKYpFmui0QuOWBe9FWog/s1600/1216_newtapir_SUNP0052_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRr8oF1N_OSmIG5HkfOZ_WfpZuFBrI5bKTKuypvoJ4vHTA_XqaNq_6mrnXcDxMVa4PPESfq8dYhrw5bdyUIwcbqOwGaQWED379BebLD3P8L32WtpAkcvU9xyZuKYpFmui0QuOWBe9FWog/s640/1216_newtapir_SUNP0052_600.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photographs of the newly discovered <span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Kabomani tapir (Image Source is <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1216-hance-new-tapir-kabomani.html">here</a>)</span></td></tr>
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The discovery of the largest new terrestrial mammal species since the Vu Quang Ox (found in 1992) was just announced this past Monday. This breaking finding involved a new species of tapir being discovered in Brazil and Colombia by a team of scientists which had been investigating reports of the animal by local indigenous tribes since ten years ago. The description of the previously unknown perissodactyl named <em>Tapirus kabomani</em>, or the Kabomani tapir, has been published in the <a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.1644/12-MAMM-A-169.1">Journal of Mammology</a> with the lead author being paleontologist Mario Cozzuol. The Kabomani tapir is regularly hunted by the Karitiana tribe and lives in open grasslands and rainforests. In comparison to its closest relative, the Brazilian tapir, the Kabomani tapir weighs around 110 kilograms and has darker hair, shorter legs, a distinctly-shaped skull, and a less prominent crest. Genetic research conducted by the authors shows that the Kabomani tapir and Brazilian tapir separated around 300,000 years ago, and it has been hypothesized that the species may have evolved during dry periods of the Pleistocene which were associated with forest fragmentation. While the discovery of this new member of the modern megafauna is exciting in itself, details of how the discovery of this animal came to be make it even more compelling.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rgYxA141OUii0Sfc1H4jQ-V_ObKNst4oWqAbBHi-c9g9HHEESspUKnHEakiXZ7u-CQdLkfw8kUdoa8oEJ40ywrtyBH5oRi0Ho4a1fbJOi9Gt4n69ui0c0SrNG-fP1q5BKKV03a5WA9RW/s1600/Tapirus-kabomani-holotype-from-M-Cozzuol-350-px-tiny-Dec-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rgYxA141OUii0Sfc1H4jQ-V_ObKNst4oWqAbBHi-c9g9HHEESspUKnHEakiXZ7u-CQdLkfw8kUdoa8oEJ40ywrtyBH5oRi0Ho4a1fbJOi9Gt4n69ui0c0SrNG-fP1q5BKKV03a5WA9RW/s1600/Tapirus-kabomani-holotype-from-M-Cozzuol-350-px-tiny-Dec-2013.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skull of the holotype for the Kabomani tapir (Image Source is <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/12/17/new-living-species-of-tapir/">here</a>)</td></tr>
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According to Mario Cozzuol, the scientific community has long discounted the indigenous people's reports of 'a different kind of anta [Portuguese for tapir]' as misidentification of Brazilian tapirs. Teddy Roosevelt himself had shot a Kabomani tapir in 1912, the remains of which have sat in New York's Museum of Natural History until being recognized as significant, and wrote that the locals spoke of the animal as a distinct species. Sounding similar to the views expressed by several cryptozoological researchers, Cozzuol stated that "knowledge of the local community needs to be taken into account and that's what we did in our study, which culminated in the discovery of a new species to science." While this discovery does not necessarily support popular cryptozoological hypotheses such as the idea of nonhuman apes being present in North America or unknown tetrapods thriving in lakes worldwide, it does give credence to the concept that testimony of indigenous people may be reliable enough to warrant investigation into the possible existence of an unknown animal. This compelling finding also gives merit to the idea that new species of large animals remain undiscovered; a thought which fuels great fervor among self-proclaiming zoology nerds such as myself.</div>
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To read more about this breaking discovery of a new large species of mammal, see <a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1216-hance-new-tapir-kabomani.html">here</a>. </div>
Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-42720840373393429192013-08-13T16:09:00.002-07:002014-11-12T14:12:47.356-08:00Fossil Evidence Sheds Light on Pterosaur Inaccuracies<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BvyWVetyv5RtmnhueAJH6Y6niadEzp2SWOw6OtV5DQenGccV69jEs59PXknh0G3mwOUb5_S8ab4grIxV1JiE_5NlAKiW2Xn7Pcu4C2V039leych_NuJzCP7EL9OV62wA1RX0ClZ_0Sk/s1600/Capture.PNG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BvyWVetyv5RtmnhueAJH6Y6niadEzp2SWOw6OtV5DQenGccV69jEs59PXknh0G3mwOUb5_S8ab4grIxV1JiE_5NlAKiW2Xn7Pcu4C2V039leych_NuJzCP7EL9OV62wA1RX0ClZ_0Sk/s640/Capture.PNG" /></a> <br />Excellent painting of two Istiodactylus feeding on the remains of a stegosaur, by paleoartist Mark P. Witton.<br /><br />(<b>Notice</b>: I had originally written this article for use on the upcoming Fortean Slip podcast which is hosted by Christopher York and Steve Alcorn. I decided to share it here also for the benefit of viewers, as pterosaurs are an interesting group of animals which definitely fit into the realm of bizarre zoology. I have also been meaning to post more articles on paleontological topics, so here is one which I wrote referencing an excellent article by paleoartist Mark Witton.) <br /><br />Surely if you've seen dinosaur-themed movies such as Jurassic Park then you have heard of pterosaurs. Although these strange creatures are often the sinister "villains" of such media, recent discoveries have revealed that many of the portrayed characteristics are incorrect and have shined light on the true appearance of these bizarre prehistoric reptiles. Pterosaurs were archosaurian reptiles which lived throughout the Mesozoic era, a period of time starting 250 million years ago and ending 65 million years ago. These animals possessed wings with membranes which were supported by a single finger and ranged in size from wingspans of 10 inches to 10 meters, with some species growing as tall as giraffes! However, as mentioned before, there are many inaccuracies regarding these interesting prehistoric animals often spread in movies and other media sources. Rather than being unsuccessful prehistoric equivalents of modern day seabirds, fossil evidence suggests that pterosaurs were a diverse group of reptiles which inhabited a variety of niches. Interestingly, many paleontologists suggest that a group of pterosaurs known as the azhdarchids may have stalked small animals (possibly even juvenile dinosaurs) on the ground like giant, reptilian storks! Pterosaurs were not the scrawny or leathery-skinned monsters depicted in many popular films, but were actually covered in hair-like fuzz which suggests that they were likely warm blooded. These flying reptiles did not struggle to takeoff from the ground, which would put themselves at constant risk to predators such as theropod dinosaurs, but likely launched themselves efficiently using all four legs and their powerful muscles which allowed them to leap off flat ground without assistance of cliffs or wind. Although many inaccuracies regarding these amazing prehistoric animals have been corrected, scientists still have many questions as to what their lifestyles and intermediate ancestors were like. Hopefully, with further research by devoted paleontologists and other scientists, some of the many questions regarding these bizarre Mesozoic reptiles may be answered. To read more about discoveries on the likely appearance and lifestyle of pterosaurs, click this link: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/11/pterosaurs-fossils-research-mark-witton#">Why pterosaurs weren't so scary after all</a><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WrVNatdMrkf91NhzcgqSRWwaDTALwjzlEWPA9ABbZXdtVaMKZs5KuDKeeTFn0yvBqA7azkHHhgq10k8_xj8OLDNimTlUcfLgi704Qx-sxL-XSLQqlN_BsQ_GrK_K97L20xIrnUpjtDo/s1600/2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WrVNatdMrkf91NhzcgqSRWwaDTALwjzlEWPA9ABbZXdtVaMKZs5KuDKeeTFn0yvBqA7azkHHhgq10k8_xj8OLDNimTlUcfLgi704Qx-sxL-XSLQqlN_BsQ_GrK_K97L20xIrnUpjtDo/s640/2.jpg" /></a> <br /><br /><br />A likely inaccurate depiction of a leathery and rather demonic-looking Pteranodon from Jurassic Park III. <br /><br /><br /><br />
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A new Permian era (266-252 million years ago) reptile has recently been discovered in northern Niger, suggesting that an isolated desert on the supercontinent Pangea had a unique fauna of its own. The newly discovered animal was a pareiasaur, a form of herbivorous reptile common to Permian ecosystems. This animal had a body which was about the size of a cow's, with bony scutes called osteoderms on its back. The feature which especially made this reptile unique were the large, bony knobs which adorned its head; the largest of any known pareiasaur. These large cranial knobs were likely covered in skin, similar to those of giraffes. Due to this strange feature, the new pareiasaur genus was named <i>Bunostegos</i>, meaning "knobby [skull] roof." Even more intriguing is a discovery made through analysis of the specimen, which revealed that the pareiasaur was part of a primitive lineage isolated in the region for millions of years. It appears that several Permian reptiles, amphibians, and plants were isolated in this centrally located desert of the Pangea supercontinent due to its unique hyper-arid conditions which discouraged other species from entering. Due to this isolation in such a harsh climate, the animals living in the region possessed novel adaptations and anatomical features which are evident in their fossilized remains; thus helping us gain a better idea of what some of the truly bizarre fauna during the Permian period was like. To read more about this intriguing discovery, go to this link: <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130624152601.htm#.UcoNFJ0JE7I.blogger">Pareiasaur: Bumpy beast was a desert dweller</a>Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-51560210670089595662013-06-22T19:47:00.000-07:002013-06-24T03:53:43.600-07:00New Book on the Natural History, Evolution, and Anatomy of Pterosaurs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWlW_sGOKQhIFA4GPllJ6N5nbV8NO43hzXPVEiYxONBe_d9XzUWwhacGbSJauY8OGNeXOG7uFzln4gpU90qRKhZw82YFFfqS0bRQPsTjgDwiEGZ-fTFHMOvqKrbMXSmNy-rfw5OWP0rM/s640/blogger-image-1026846961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWlW_sGOKQhIFA4GPllJ6N5nbV8NO43hzXPVEiYxONBe_d9XzUWwhacGbSJauY8OGNeXOG7uFzln4gpU90qRKhZw82YFFfqS0bRQPsTjgDwiEGZ-fTFHMOvqKrbMXSmNy-rfw5OWP0rM/s640/blogger-image-1026846961.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thalassodromeus sethi </i>shown consuming a juvenile spinosaur, by paleoart genius Mark Witton.</td></tr></tbody></table>Paleontologist and remarkable paleoartist Mark Witton has recently announced that his new book <i>Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy</i> has been published. The book regards the evolution, anatomy, functional morphology, and taxonomy of pterosaurs, and contains 200 illustrations throughout 26 chapters according to <a href="http://www.markwitton.com/pup-pterosaurs/4552905946">Witton's website page on this exciting publication</a>. Thankfully for paleontology interested amateurs like me, Witton's new book is meant to be approachable for people who do not have intimate knowledge regarding these intriguingly bizarre flying reptiles. Mark's stunning looking book is apparently the most up to date publication on these animals yet, and it even features new proposals on the hypothetical ancestral species of pterosaurs! As a fan of Mark's beautiful paleoart, I was very excited by his statement that the amount of new illustrations which he had created for this book was partly the reason for the two and a half year wait for its publication. Many of these illustrations apparently depict pterosaurs in never-seen-before situations, and do take an <a href="http://bizarrezoology.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-review-of-all-yesterdays-new-look-for.html">All Yesterdays</a> approach according to Witton. This new publication is also stocked with diagrams and graphics, such as skeletal diagrams and muscle reconstructions.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFykvupF2jHM68_FgQFOit6E-ChhjIDnURWpPUZ2JNCd4WPLC1RkB4ZmYH14HNqnus8pKpTCxnR4J6hmo7O3N2bBygUL1C-qDGvY6lFoaX-lOOenvgzjZ49hyWKgh9P7j1m4qRHc9Nnxk/s640/blogger-image--814386121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFykvupF2jHM68_FgQFOit6E-ChhjIDnURWpPUZ2JNCd4WPLC1RkB4ZmYH14HNqnus8pKpTCxnR4J6hmo7O3N2bBygUL1C-qDGvY6lFoaX-lOOenvgzjZ49hyWKgh9P7j1m4qRHc9Nnxk/s640/blogger-image--814386121.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A diagram depicting the intriguing structure of pterosaur wings, as evidenced by fossils. <br />
(From Mark Witton's book)</td></tr></tbody></table>Mark has generously shared <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s9967.pdf">Chapter 1</a> and <a href="http://www.markwitton.com/sample-chapter/4552907932">Chapter 17</a> of the book as sample chapters, which preview how truly remarkable this book is. I have yet to purchase a copy, but I certainly will as soon as possible. I think this book will be definitely worth obtaining, and I have shared a link <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">to where you can purchase the book on Amazon </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Natural-History-Evolution-Anatomy/dp/0691150613" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">here.</a> To read more about this exciting, new book by great paleoartist and pterosaur specialist Mark Witton, check out this post on his blog: <a href="http://markwitton-com.blogspot.com/2013/06/pterosaurs-natural-history-evolution.html?spref=bl">Mark Witton.com Blog: Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy: o...</a> Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-29739822325330344162013-05-25T20:05:00.000-07:002015-01-16T20:05:38.284-08:00New Study Reveals When Juvenile Neanderthals Stopped Consuming Milk<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaFbUtUE2Daz2QqMHs1yeYZ0-gr8kRqf3VbBBUFhYizI0BcOg7JDG_yt3eQRM3LFVcsqbbjTAJFhhLmKGxsERZTvQiBPYNOKbXytfL5-F8maUiHe0FKnoakxZ6K3HnBpXoUB1NUHRV7Y/s640/blogger-image-367714861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaFbUtUE2Daz2QqMHs1yeYZ0-gr8kRqf3VbBBUFhYizI0BcOg7JDG_yt3eQRM3LFVcsqbbjTAJFhhLmKGxsERZTvQiBPYNOKbXytfL5-F8maUiHe0FKnoakxZ6K3HnBpXoUB1NUHRV7Y/s640/blogger-image-367714861.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A skeleton of a juvenile Neanderthal</td></tr>
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A study was recently released through the scientific paper <i>Nature</i>, which details an interesting discovery regarding the behavior and lifestyle our closest extinct relatives. A team of researchers from the United States and Australia announced in the paper that they have gained the ability to calculate when Neanderthal juveniles began weaning (to become accustomed to a diet other than a mother's milk) through examination of fossil teeth. Intriguingly, this new examination technique was partially based off of information from studies of modern <em>Homo sapiens</em> and monkey teeth. By examining the traces of barium in the tooth, which can help determine when a primate had an exclusive diet of milk and when it began and completed the weaning process, the researchers were able to determine that juvenile Neanderthals stopped having a milk exclusive diet after seven months. This pattern of seven months of an exclusive milk diet and seven months of a supplementation diet away from milk is intriguingly similar to that of modern day <em>Homo sapiens</em>, thus revealing more similarities between Neanderthals and our own species. To read more about this extremely interesting breakthrough in Neanderthal research and the techniques which were used to accomplish it, click the link below:<br />
<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130524104828.htm#.UaKLlt-Wyvw.blogger">Monkey teeth help reveal Neanderthal weaning</a>Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-8677512562763525792013-05-15T13:59:00.004-07:002016-01-17T20:48:56.276-08:00New Specimen Revolutionizes Icthyosaur Paleobiology<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBmKy03GN89jks2ka_DedUGeSp1fa8Kf4ZNgAmMLde9Ls62rDrGnPvyQypaeADp-tVuxEg6kv4IJ8i6QnhglBhB_vdMy3YR5E7iAQwABBnZ7gZQrGtaR-giT5pIWRHcXEegVdrM0X7wY/s640/blogger-image--749397349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBmKy03GN89jks2ka_DedUGeSp1fa8Kf4ZNgAmMLde9Ls62rDrGnPvyQypaeADp-tVuxEg6kv4IJ8i6QnhglBhB_vdMy3YR5E7iAQwABBnZ7gZQrGtaR-giT5pIWRHcXEegVdrM0X7wY/s640/blogger-image--749397349.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: small;">A life restoration of <i>Malawania</i> by Bob Nicholls and C. M. Kosemen.</span></span></td></tr>
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The fossils of a new species of icthyosaur, a fast swimming and likely warm blooded species of dolphin-shaped marine reptile, found in Iraq have changed the view of paleontologists on these peculiar animals. Prior to this discovery, it was generally thought that a series of extinction events during the Jurassic period had caused this group to eventually die out and lessen in diversity. However, the partial skeleton of this new species named <i>Malawania anachronus </i>supports the existence of a previously unknown lineage of Cretaceous ichthyosaurs. An extremely interesting detail of this discovery is that <i>Malawania</i> appears to be a member of an icthyosaur lineage which was thought to have gone extinct during the Jurassic period, making it an ancient example of a 'living fossil'. The typical textbook definition of a 'living fossil' is an organism that has remained essentially unchanged from earlier geologic times and whose close relatives are usually extinct. Thus, the discovery of <i>Malawania</i> as an archaic relict of a lineage of Jurassic icthyosaurs demonstrates that these marine reptiles were likely still diverse during the early Cretaceous, which further adds to the importance of this amazing discovery. To read more about this intriguing fossil discovery, click the link below:<br />
<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130514213154.htm#.UZPqGykls-E.blogger">Fossil saved from mule track revolutionizes understanding of ancient dolphin-like marine reptile</a> <br />
Also read this article by paleozoologist Dr. Darren Naish, who was a coauthor on the paper which detailed the discovery of this bizarre reptile. It delves even further into the events which lead up to this discovery and why it is so important:<br />
<span style="font-family: ".helveticaneueui"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/05/14/malawania-from-iraq/">http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2013/05/14/malawania-from-iraq/</a></span><br />
<br />Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-7325135440386391902013-05-03T18:58:00.001-07:002013-05-03T19:11:53.721-07:00Panthers with Bizarre "Cobweb" Pelts<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbu5zELHM9lKQl8jHSPcFS2bb-KfT-Zta4UcvGcgG0UPx4AK0wqRjlgTxeDy-rjH5n6ccXVb3NCC-HEEALUy9QHi6Y7dkQQj5tR3Y7MYvdsyV5dS-Y9Z3r7BMb6GeLS7xDysbJL4HTws/s640/blogger-image--1322379595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbu5zELHM9lKQl8jHSPcFS2bb-KfT-Zta4UcvGcgG0UPx4AK0wqRjlgTxeDy-rjH5n6ccXVb3NCC-HEEALUy9QHi6Y7dkQQj5tR3Y7MYvdsyV5dS-Y9Z3r7BMb6GeLS7xDysbJL4HTws/s640/blogger-image--1322379595.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This article by zoologist Dr. Karl Shuker is about a strange and extraordinary looking black panther which lived at the Glasgow Zoo. This black panther had a strange feature which was a "sprinkling" of white hairs among its black pelt. The origin of this bizarre feature remained a mystery for years, and it has only been documented in one other captive black panther. Please click on the link below to read more about this interesting feline event.<br />
<a href="http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2013/05/cobweb-panthers-silvered-surprise.html?spref=bl">ShukerNature: COBWEB PANTHERS - A SILVERED SURPRISE</a><br />
Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-79281702704532578932013-05-01T18:29:00.000-07:002013-11-10T15:20:33.637-08:00Possible Last Common Ancestor of Modern Great Apes Discovered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNF74LOaVaDLr2CN0MW9wMfcgMEBFTvYrsIPIf-K73jIn6RiXs6Ka2pF7cRZl8143FPFwJ7qJym9EDq6hgNF2u5U1r5xY0SyNBZyjyqmXN4lJ-xw6NNBze9R0uQPBIXEcmGtQarffY0k/s640/blogger-image-586025314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNF74LOaVaDLr2CN0MW9wMfcgMEBFTvYrsIPIf-K73jIn6RiXs6Ka2pF7cRZl8143FPFwJ7qJym9EDq6hgNF2u5U1r5xY0SyNBZyjyqmXN4lJ-xw6NNBze9R0uQPBIXEcmGtQarffY0k/s640/blogger-image-586025314.jpg" /></a></div>
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A species of ancient great ape which lived in Spain was recently unearthed and named <em>Pierolapithecus catalaunicus</em>. <em>Pierolapithecus catalaunicus</em> lived approximately 11.9 million years ago, and scientists have announced that it was possibly the last common ancestor of the modern great ape species (chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, and humans). A recent examination of this ape's pelvis bone by an anatomy expert now suggests that it had intriguing features which give clues as to the evolution of modern great apes. Please read this article for more information on this exciting discovery:<br />
<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130501132100.htm#.UYG8eaMtsUo.blogger">Fossil of great ape sheds light on evolution</a> Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-29706581778881328292013-04-27T22:35:00.000-07:002015-03-05T05:56:51.980-08:00Key Developments in Avian Evolution Revealed by Recent Study<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1646818938"><span id="goog_1646818924"></span><span id="goog_1646818925"></span></a></span></span><br />
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A recent study on archosaur (crocodilians, birds, and dinosaurs) anatomy has shown that theropod dinosaurs gradually evolved longer, heavier, and more muscular arms as their anatomy led towards the development of wings for flight. Interestingly, these theropods also developed a more crouched and bird-like posture along with the stockier arm morphology. These findings certainly lend key anatomical knowledge as to the evolution of birds from nonavian theropod dinosaurs such as the maniraptorans, so I suggest that you read this article for more information on this compelling analysis: </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://news.discovery.com/animals/dinosaurs/key-step-in-dinosaur-to-bird-evolution-found-130424.htm">Heavier Dino Arms Led Evolution To Birds</a></span></span></h1>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-69063659388347724702013-04-21T18:15:00.006-07:002021-01-24T21:10:01.450-08:00A Most Compelling 'Sea Serpent' Case: The Alvin Submersible Encounter<div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;">It has been 8 years since the publication of this article, yet it recently reemerged on my radar in the comments of a Twitter post about the most notable of the entertaining, classic stories about mysterious creatures of depths below. My initial response was panic. This article expresses outdated views I no longer hold (I was 16, in high school). I am now pursuing a career in Conservation Biology, and do not wish to be discredited by a childhood belief in literal marine reptile survivors. In this article, I regrettably gave credence to distortions of plesiosaur paleobiology here. I no longer support a literalist interpretation of ‘relict pleiosaur’ sightings. I have retained the enthusing story of the Alvin sighting but entrenched in a critical explanation of sea serpent claims, not rampant speculation that stretches a basis in legitimate paleobiology or geology.<div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;">---</div><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><br /></div><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;">While submerged near the Tongue of the Ocean in the Bahamas around July of 1965, <em>Alvin </em>submersible pilot Marvin McCamis allegedly observed an animal which could only be described as reminiscent of the classic 'long necked sea serpent'.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> Accompanied by Captain Bill Rainnie, the two had entered these depths in order to survey the Naval underwater listening array <em>Artemis</em>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1 </sup>After descending nearly one mile deep into a crevasse, the pilots allegedly noticed movement and spotted an object which they took to be a utility pole.<sup><span style="font-size: small;">1</span></sup> When their position allowed a better view of the object, they realized that it was an animal which possessed a thick body propelled by flippers, a long neck, and a rather snake-like head.<sup>1</sup> Before the submersible's cameras could reach the correct angle and activate, the animal quickly ascended and swam off.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> The observation was entered into their logbook, although the two remained hesitant to speak further about it for fear of ridicule.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>1</sup> While this may sound to be a rather spectacular course of events, those alleged to have been involved in the sighting were all very real. The <em>Alvin</em>, the Naval Deep Submergence Vehicle from which this 'sea serpent' was </span><span style="font-size: small;">allegedly viewed, was first commissioned in 1964 from which it made more than 4,600 dives.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>2</sup> Captain McCamis himself, who passed away in 2004, was assigned as the chief engineer and pilot for the <em>Alvin </em>project after joining the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1963.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>3</sup> In 1966, McCamis received a Meritorious Service Award from the Secretary of the Navy for his assistance in the recovery of a lost hydrogen bomb using the <em>Alvin</em>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>3</sup> Bill Rainnie, who passed away in 1985, received multiple commendation citations and Navy meritorious service awards for his leadership and undertakings with deep submergence.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>4</sup></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sketch of McCamis' 'sea serpent' from <em>Without a Trace</em>; the date of 1969 has been proven erroneous by Scott Mardis' 1997 correspondence with Captain McCamis</span></div>
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<div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;">The <em>Alvin</em> sighting is generally considered to be reliable among 'sea serpent' proponents, as two submersible captains so experienced as McCamis and Rainnie were likely to be competent observers. Still, even such proficient individuals are not infallible to zoological misidentification or eyewitness bias. Could this have been a case of the classic plesiosaurian 'sea monster' motif filling in the gaps of an ambiguous observation? Considering the multiplicity of global reports describing unidentified marine animals which exhibit long necks stretching from bulky flippered bodies, a non-zoological explanation may not be necessary.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>5</sup> While not all such sightings should necessarily be taken as literal encounters with a radically new animal species, the point as brilliantly stated in <em>Discovering Cadborosaurus </em>remains that:</span><br />
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To dismiss all eyewitness reports as merely anecdotal would be just foolish. In the absence of sufficient material evidence, one can either dogmatically deny even the possibility of undiscovered animals, or look for clues that might help resolve the mystery. ... There are some who would dismiss all such anecdotal evidence, an attitude which smack of dogmatic denial, especially when there is no physical or biological reason for a priori rejection of the possibility of the existence of marine creatures still unknown to science.<sup><span style="font-size: small;">6</span></sup></blockquote>
Scott Mardis has since told me that he sent McCamis a variety of papers which included the Robert Rines photographs, photographs of the Zuiyo-Maru carcass (plesiosaur-like but a decomposed basking shark by all biological accounts), and illustrations based off of plesiosaur reconstructions. The former submarine pilot told Scott that they resembled the animal which he observed. Although the diligent 'sea serpent' researcher Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans held strongly to the idea of unidentified marine animals being mammalian in identity, he admitted that many reported features do have precedence in reptiles.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>5 </sup></span><span style="font-size: small;">Others contend that the points are little more than special-pleading or improbable picking and choosing of morphological traits. Paleozoologist Dr. Darren Naish has argued that it would be implausible for plesiosaurs, which maintained a conservatively similar body plan throughout nearly 160-million years, to have suddenly evolved neomorphs such as the hairy manes, dorsal crests, fatty humps, and horn-like protruberances reported by alleged long-necked 'sea serpent' eyewitnesses.<sup>7</sup></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">There is also the critical problem faced by all such hypotheses within the Prehistoric Survivor Paradigm: an abnormally large gap in the fossil record remains.</span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span>Another issue with the relict plesiosaur hypothesis is that the articulation of the zygapophyses in the cervical vertebrae of most plesiosaurs would have prevented much vertical flexure.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>7</sup></span> Interestingly, a juvenile specimen of <i>Leptocleidus</i> from Australian Cretaceous deposits was preserved with steeply angled cervical zygapophyses which would likely have allowed it to exhibit vertical neck flexure unprecedented by other recorded plesiosaur specimens.<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>11</sup> As pointed out by biologist Cameron McCormick, this was probably a juvenile condition owing to the degree of cartilage present. </span><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Captain McCamis and Rainnie's observation stands as one of the most compelling cases in 'sea serpent' literature, a report not easily relegated to the status of a hoax or misidentification. </span>I recommend <a href="http://tetzoo.com/blog/2019/4/27/sea-monster-sightings-and-the-plesiosaur-effect">Dr. Darren Naish's article</a> on the 'Plesiosaur Effect,' which provides a much more reasonable explanation for reports of long-necked sea serpents, that being that eyewitnesses experienced a sociocultural phenomenon where cultural awareness of the ongoing discovery of fossil plesiosaurs filled in the gaps of poor sightings of known marine fauna, debris, etc. Dr. Darren Naish and others have good work discussing 1) why the idea of relict plesiosaurs is absolutely baseless speculation in light of knowledge and inferences of actual plesiosaur life appearances and behavior, not to mention fossil preservation (see video of pertinent lecture below), and 2) why ‘sea serpent sightings’ likely reflect a <a href="http://tetzoo.com/blog/2019/11/8/a-review-of-robert-l-frances-disentangled-ethnozoology-and-environmental-explanation-of-the-gloucester-sea-serpent" target="_blank">sociocultural rather than actually zoological phenomena</a> (also see video of pertinent lecture below). There is no substantial data building a body of evidence for prehistoric survivors or radically unprecedented marine vertebrates. I do think that a skeptical, sociocultural lens holds value for understanding concepts of nature and ‘wilderness.’ Cryptozoological belief may reflect Western optimism in the thick of the Anthropocene that large fauna must have escaped extractive exploration. I’m writing on this soon, and hope that it supersedes my outdated views.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jDO_m9KUUc0" width="320" youtube-src-id="jDO_m9KUUc0"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HGno9xA7gD4" width="320" youtube-src-id="HGno9xA7gD4"></iframe></div><br /><div style="border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch;"><br />
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<li>Drinnon, Dale A. "The Alvin Plesiosaur." <i>Frontiers of Zoology</i>. N.p., 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <a href="http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-alvin-plesiosaur.html">http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-alvin-plesiosaur.html</a>.</li>
<li>"Human Occupied Vehicle Alvin." <i>: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/main/hov-alvin/">http://www.whoi.edu/main/hov-alvin/</a>.</li>
<li>"In Memoriam: Marvin McCamis." <i>Marvin McCamis : Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/main/obituaries/archive?tid=3622&cid=2939">http://www.whoi.edu/main/obituaries/archive?tid=3622&cid=2939</a>.</li>
<li>"MC-60: William O. Rainnie Papers." <i>WHOI Data Library and Archives</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <a href="http://dla.whoi.edu/manuscripts/node/196764">http://dla.whoi.edu/manuscripts/node/196764</a>.</li>
<li><http: frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com="" the-alvin-plesiosaur.html="">Heuvelmans, Bernard, Richard Garnett, and Alika Watteau. <i>In the Wake of the Sea-serpents</i>. New York: Hill and Wang, 1968. Print.</http:></li>
<li>LeBlond, P. H., John Kirk, Christopher L. Murphy, and Jason Walton. <i>Discovering Cadborosaurus</i>. N.p.: Hancock House, 2014. Print.</li>
<li>Naish, Darren. "Sea Monsters and the 'Prehistoric Survivor Paradigm." Weird Weekend 2011. Lecture.</li>
<li>"Warm-blooded Marine Reptiles at the Time of the Dinosaurs." <i>ScienceDaily</i>. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614093341.htm">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614093341.htm</a>.</li>
<li>Liebe, Lene, and Jørn Harald Hurum. "<a href="http://geologi.imaker.no/data/f/0/21/00/5_2401_0/NJG_2_3_2012_18_Kihle_etal_Scr.pdf">Preliminary Results on Liquid Petroleum Occurring Asfluid Inclusions in Intracellular Mineral Precipitates In the Vertebrae of Pliosaurus Funkei.</a>" <em>NORWEGIAN</em> <em>JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY</em> (2012): n. pag. Web.</li>
<li>Liebe, Lene, and Jørn Harald Hurum. "<a href="http://geologi.imaker.no/data/f/0/21/01/4_2401_0/NJG_2_3_2012_16_Liebe_Hurum_Scr.pdf">Gross Internal Structure and Microstructure of Plesiosaur Limb Bones from the Late Jurassic, Central Spitsbergen.</a>" <i>NORWEGIAN JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY</i> (2012): n. pag. Web.</li>
<li>"The Lord Geekington: The Flexibility of Plesiosaur Necks." <i>The Lord Geekington: The Flexibility of Plesiosaur Necks</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <a href="http://cameronmccormick.blogspot.com/2008/09/flexibility-of-plesiosaur-necks.html">http://cameronmccormick.blogspot.com/2008/09/flexibility-of-plesiosaur-necks.html</a>.</li>
<li>Naish, Darren. "Plesiosaur Peril — the Lifestyles and Behaviours of Ancient Marine Reptiles | Tetrapod Zoology, Scientific American Blog Network." <i>Tetrapod Zoology</i>. Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2014/03/03/plesiosaur-peril-and-plesiosaur-lifestyle-and-behaviour/">http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2014/03/03/plesiosaur-peril-and-plesiosaur-lifestyle-and-behaviour/</a></li>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-73354179016838411712013-04-09T15:19:00.000-07:002014-06-02T19:29:07.293-07:00Bizarre Bat Requires Creation of New Genus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Scientists have recently made an exciting and unique discovery after returning from South Sudan. They returned with a specimen of a bat with a striking pelt, which was found to be identical to a specimen found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1939. The bat species was originally placed in the genus <i>Glauconycteris</i>. However, closer analysis of the new specimen revealed that this bat's unique physical and skeletal anatomy requires the creation of an entirely new genus to classify it. These findings point to the idea that the age of zoological discovery is far from over and that new and unique animals may not only remain hidden in deep wilderness, but in the cabinets of our specimen collections! Please read more about this amazing mammalian discovery here:<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130409111603.htm#.UWSL8jhsUBI.blogger" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Striped like a badger: New genus of bat identified in South Sudan</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-18927713407362087772013-03-26T04:07:00.001-07:002014-06-02T19:21:35.318-07:00Recent News in Zoology: Of Giant Squid and Vietnamese SalamandersI've been very busy lately, and I was hoping to do a non-cryptozoological article this week. I've decided to share this article by anthropologist and cryptozoological researcher Dale Drinnon, where he shared some recent zoological discoveries. The first news that Mr. Drinnon shared is about the diversity of the giant squid species known as <i>Architeuthis</i>. Through the growing advancements in genetic analyses, we have been finding that animals which were thought to be one species are actually genetically different. However, it has been discovered that <i>Architeuthis</i> (which is a globally ranging species) from diverse locations vary little in their mitochondrial DNA. <br />
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The other zoological discovery which has been shared on the Frontiers of Zoology website, is the exciting discovery of a new species of Vietnamese salamander. It was originally thought to have been a specimen of the known Vietnamese crocodile newt, but further morphological and genetic analysis showed otherwise. The new species has been named Ziegler's crocodile newt, with the scientific name of <i>Tylototriton ziegleri</i>.<br />
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Please read this article by Dale Drinnon to learn more about these exciting zoological discoveries.<br />
<a href="http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2013/03/recent-news-in-zoology.html?spref=bl">Frontiers of Zoology: Recent News in Zoology <br />
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</a>Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-5832524274213588052013-02-18T04:52:00.003-08:002014-05-19T14:30:30.523-07:00Science and Strange Animal Sightings at Cabela's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just spent a great weekend (February 15, 16, and 17) at the outdoors outfitter known as Cabela's in West Virginia. The event that I attended was the Cabela's Strange, Rare and Unusual Sightings Seminar. This event had presentations by Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum (professor of physical anthropology at Idaho State University), Billy Williard (director of Sasquatch Watch of Virginia), Eric Altman (senior director of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society), David Dragosin (Western director of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society), and Stan Gordon (Bigfoot and paranormal researcher). This event was sponsored by Cabela's, and I would like to give a big thank you to them (and Bud Forte, especially) for making this great weekend possible. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Left to Right) Billy Willard, Bud Forte, and Eric Altman</td></tr>
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The theme of the seminar was to examine reports of strange or unidentifiable animals that people have seen in the woods with scientific minds, instead of speculation or subjective opinions. I was very compelled by this, as I feel that we really need to start using more scientific methods in the search for animals that are unidentified yet reported. Below are some images that were shown prior to the presentations. The first images are from a sequence of trail camera photographs from West Virginia which seem to show a large felid. It has been suggested that these photographs show an Eastern Cougar (<em>Puma concolor couguar)</em>, a felid that is supposed to be extinct in West Virginia and other parts of the Eastern United States. Size comparisons were able to be made, and it does seem to be a decently large felid.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two photographs from a sequence of trail camera photographs which seem to show a decently large feline. In my opinion, it looks like it could be a large feral cat, although I may be wrong.<br />
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The next images are, in my opinion, much more intriguing. They are not of an unidentifiable species, but rather a known felid that appears to be abnormally large. They clearly show a Bobcat (<em>Lynx rufus</em>) that is of a rather incredible size. This animal was trapped in West Virginia and allegedly weighed 63 pounds. If this is an accurate weight, then this is a record bobcat. Please note that the trapper's arms are bent (and not extended fully), meaning that forced perspective accounting for the animal's apparent large size is unlikely. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bobcat trapped in West Virginia and weighed at 63 pounds.</td></tr>
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I was able to talk to many great and kind people at this seminar such as Eric Altman, Billy Willard, Sharon Lee, and Bruce Harrington (I was not able to speak directly to Mr. Gordon or Mr. Dragosin, although I am sure that they are great people). The highlight of my weekend, however, was speaking to Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum. Dr. Meldrum (a professor of physical anthropolgy at ISU) was an extremely knowledgeable person and was far more friendly and welcoming than I had expected. He is truly a great person, and was clearly willing to answer each of the many questions that he had received to the best of his ability. He is also a great inspiration to me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfvG_SfrjOWpWhz3gjG1zKAEkvTSxCebcHmtEx1nODm9lvz-ZeaTYx9EEtzj0C8E_FlyCSS_S9XpWSc2iDQegBC5CFR-5zRUCTDd33G8NRo-w3nUOtDyxHG1nN1XJ8h0iDuvzMifGBFU/s1600/2012+-+2013+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfvG_SfrjOWpWhz3gjG1zKAEkvTSxCebcHmtEx1nODm9lvz-ZeaTYx9EEtzj0C8E_FlyCSS_S9XpWSc2iDQegBC5CFR-5zRUCTDd33G8NRo-w3nUOtDyxHG1nN1XJ8h0iDuvzMifGBFU/s400/2012+-+2013+025.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billy Willard and me (please check out Mr. Willard's group's website: <a href="http://www.sasquatchwatch.org/">http://www.sasquatchwatch.org/</a>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC9ZG8CIOnrthbCtgoqoabxNhvf4x5hrcJeqzJ5xOZhCbu7Tzma55xOZda1lq3m0EZ6tH-78IiYAt_TNEu-E-D-X4DxZtwRbrkEKPvVxhfe3gTy_7GuPBaEk0V1vgx-706mELfTK6Frg/s400/2012+-+2013+041.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Altman and me (please check out Mr. Altman's society's website: <a href="http://www.pabigfootsociety.com/">http://www.pabigfootsociety.com/</a>)</td></tr>
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Dr. Meldrum had two interesting presentations on Saturday (where he spoke about the frequently asked questions regarding the subject of Sasquatch) and on Sunday (where he spoke about an upcoming field guide that he authored).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisroXe53jyhNkN-zY-kAA0Y8CgeVEECpSTSUjMR6jNBRoEHvoQFwYdDIhVY50Oc9b58wMi-w7DYq4xBdOp-CSO2l4ZyOnGIFwGfurgvWqOF1kNKek3sIBR0-DKw7ABUsA9qxufjWpGe68/s1600/2012+-+2013+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisroXe53jyhNkN-zY-kAA0Y8CgeVEECpSTSUjMR6jNBRoEHvoQFwYdDIhVY50Oc9b58wMi-w7DYq4xBdOp-CSO2l4ZyOnGIFwGfurgvWqOF1kNKek3sIBR0-DKw7ABUsA9qxufjWpGe68/s400/2012+-+2013+043.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum and me (please check out Dr. Meldrum's scientific journal: <a href="http://www.isu.edu/rhi/">http://www.isu.edu/rhi/</a>)</td></tr>
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In these speeches, Dr. Meldrum covered some extremely interesting topics. He looks at the evidence and reports of Sasquatch with a very professional, academic, and scientific approach. I must say that I (and my dad, who had been very skeptical of the existence of these animals) left convinced more than ever that a species of unidscovered ape is in North America. In this article, I would just like to briefly cover some of the information that was in Dr. Meldrum's speech as you may learn more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU0KiZIo151dVEl1craLM7e1NfC31jMYWtQQuoP-z7bCNrpOktPJcLFXZg_-fNk8jyWw1Uy7q7x8n4EC62Xw_W9FcGUytJR4xM0si9amM1Qyqw2PE3qtcWV6oEbJlxA_Csq1lXtButkU/s1600/untitled1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRU0KiZIo151dVEl1craLM7e1NfC31jMYWtQQuoP-z7bCNrpOktPJcLFXZg_-fNk8jyWw1Uy7q7x8n4EC62Xw_W9FcGUytJR4xM0si9amM1Qyqw2PE3qtcWV6oEbJlxA_Csq1lXtButkU/s640/untitled1.png" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Meldrum pointing out the soil pushed up in this Sasquatch half track. This is due to the walk of a Sasquatch, as the evidence suggests increased flexibility at the transverse tarsal joint of the foot results in early heel rise during stance and propulsion from the front of their foot pushes up a pressure ridge.</td></tr>
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In both of his presentations, Dr. Meldrum addressed the question of why there haven't been Sasquatch physical remains discovered yet. I was very glad that he so heavily explained this, as lack of physical remains has been bothersome to me. The main answer that he had was that nature is very well equipped to recycle materials in very little time. Since Sasquatch are likely a species of large ape which have a very long lifespan (50 years minimum), reproduce infrequently, and are the top predator with no natural enemies, then death (which would be of natural causes) would be very rare. When top predators are dying, they hide in secluded areas which allow scavengers and decomposers to break down the body. The remains which are not consumed by scavengers and decomposers are broken down by the acidic soil of the wet coniferous forests in which they inhabit. A parallel to other animals that can be made is that even though up to 30,000 black bear live in West Virginia, hunters never find dead bear remains. Dr. Meldrum said that this number is six to eight times the population that he would allow for Sasquatch. In one of his presentations, Dr. Meldrum also talked about a project where time lapse cameras filmed an elephant carcass as it decomposed. The carcass was completely consumed by scavengers within only 6 days, meaning that a giant ape carcass would likely be consumed even faster.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxypLyb_yjk5Ct1IUx_I8KKt6ZVg1O4ulNbiKYGCCti2Z0_Tzsgd999_8MYUd-jl-qkyJtgWY5aIKQ-__VdFM1zTOU3IiAJHntpotofQeCK1yFYkbWMjVOqezQcK6RlJtTPtjB60r6JkQ/s1600/2222.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxypLyb_yjk5Ct1IUx_I8KKt6ZVg1O4ulNbiKYGCCti2Z0_Tzsgd999_8MYUd-jl-qkyJtgWY5aIKQ-__VdFM1zTOU3IiAJHntpotofQeCK1yFYkbWMjVOqezQcK6RlJtTPtjB60r6JkQ/s640/2222.png" height="640" width="597" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Meldrum speaking about the midtarsal break present in the Sasquatch foot</td></tr>
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Dr. Meldrum also addressed the commonly asked question of why there are not definitive trail camera images of Sasquatch. He said that as trail cameras have grown more popular, certain predatory animals such as coyotes and cougars are exhibiting avoidance to trail cameras. This may be due to infrared leakage, EM emissions, human scent, or the novelty of a unnatural object on a commonly travelled game trail. Dr. Meldrum argues that if a coyote and cougar notices the presence of a trail camera, an intelligent primate like a Sasquatch would likely avoid these. Dr. Meldrum also said that there have been instances where he and others have hiked into remote wilderness areas for days to deploy trail cameras, and (upon retrieval) have found the case snapped open and the camera pulled loose. Although he said that he is not sure of what animal did this, he pointed out that they had not seen any other humans for a month and that a bear would have simply chewed the trail camera.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UPG8zqUTVPdlDiud8Lzn2-Q_sQ34_DLJnCGg55YPvKh2e3SFx99Tf2UIRd64a7rUvqffCpOIDWMoWWr-MgZAOnnlSMM9bEdnaCKbPtZ0086xnbJ_ji6mIOHCPO-FPkhD2gySHFdPfNo/s1600/PICT0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UPG8zqUTVPdlDiud8Lzn2-Q_sQ34_DLJnCGg55YPvKh2e3SFx99Tf2UIRd64a7rUvqffCpOIDWMoWWr-MgZAOnnlSMM9bEdnaCKbPtZ0086xnbJ_ji6mIOHCPO-FPkhD2gySHFdPfNo/s640/PICT0166.JPG" height="640" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some trail camera images shown at the event which could possibly be of a Sasquatch <br />
{Please note that I <u>am not</u> endorsing any of these photos as real Sasquatch}<br />
Sadly, I feel that it is more likely that the top two images are bear, while the two in the middle are what may be a costume (left) and an owl (right). The images at the bottom may be a bear with mange, although I find them intriguingly primate like. I could be totally wrong, so please make your own opinions regarding these intriguing photographs!</td></tr>
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Another very interesting part of Dr. Meldrum's presentation was when he spoke about the Patterson Film. Something that I found very intriguing was that the animal in the film has a skull adapted for heavy chewing (durophagy) with large zygomatic arches and a flat face, rather than a skull that has a more protruding face like a gorilla. In designing a suit that is supposed to look like a giant ape, Patterson would have likely turned to King Kong and the gorilla. Instead, the animal in the film has a skull that is totally unlike that of a gorilla and is actually more like the skull of a <i>Paranthropus</i> (which was not a known fossil species at that time).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrv49Nf7kLJ9UHxkFkQTXWqPYBTih-pSLEeghk8ta_avSvmCqjhkGpzHss2SpeQdIvPVuQmz8Fzj__ahx0z90zUdcMNIEk8c7nW8V1Hxu_zTf8TN9zMI7OsUPU4YyszFuJRb8EpIcTIQ/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrv49Nf7kLJ9UHxkFkQTXWqPYBTih-pSLEeghk8ta_avSvmCqjhkGpzHss2SpeQdIvPVuQmz8Fzj__ahx0z90zUdcMNIEk8c7nW8V1Hxu_zTf8TN9zMI7OsUPU4YyszFuJRb8EpIcTIQ/s640/1.png" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slide showing that the Patterson Film animal's skull is built for durphagy, and isn't like a gorilla skull.</td></tr>
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Dr. Meldrum also pointed out that the feet of the animal in the Patterson Film would be extremely hard to fake as they show more flexibility than a human foot (allowed by the midtarsal break) and </div>
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also show dorsiflexion in the toes. Four way stretch fabric didn't exist in 1960's costumes, and the costume feet of that time were floppy and obviously artificial. Dr. Meldrum also told my father and I that in one part of the Patterson Film, the animal missteps onto hard ground which sends shock waves up through her body and shook the adipose (fatty tissue) of her breasts. More details about this and other reportedly exciting details of the Patterson Film (which is being analyzed by Bill Munns) will be released in the near future.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsOhCliZacoBWTqyeauShWGYBAqKpxLMsrQQAG4xHoRba-aqTiJNyIMXOREXqZc06ntJjq1vC-_Le5jovjgDBoNC3haNc1bnrB1FQmBj6m8_bKysj6CvzFkxXtJzR1oQeF7eSkpHO6k0/s1600/2222222.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsOhCliZacoBWTqyeauShWGYBAqKpxLMsrQQAG4xHoRba-aqTiJNyIMXOREXqZc06ntJjq1vC-_Le5jovjgDBoNC3haNc1bnrB1FQmBj6m8_bKysj6CvzFkxXtJzR1oQeF7eSkpHO6k0/s640/2222222.png" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Meldrum's Ichnotaxonomical name for Sasquatch footprints: Anthropoidipes ameriborealis</td></tr>
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This was a very interesting and enjoyable seminar where I met many nice people. One person I met already knew about my blog, which is very exciting for me! Once again, I would like to thank Cabela's and Bud Forte for making this great weekend seminar possible. I have certainly learned more, and have come back convinced more than ever that a species of undiscovered bipedal ape exists in North America. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQZWT25m0pLXptlNtnaAr3qMIOuBDYUj96wJ2F4MUgDo5HrxvqqUfGBbxmiub14KldxUpoIhZn7kYoAb8aetI22edBhroLytOY5-eTFNMibVzbu7ftkVRqbgPawPTWv1zYHEwDQj9JRg/s1600/222222222.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQZWT25m0pLXptlNtnaAr3qMIOuBDYUj96wJ2F4MUgDo5HrxvqqUfGBbxmiub14KldxUpoIhZn7kYoAb8aetI22edBhroLytOY5-eTFNMibVzbu7ftkVRqbgPawPTWv1zYHEwDQj9JRg/s640/222222222.png" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A copy of the Paul Freeman "Wrinkle Foot" cast and Knuckle print cast with a signed copy of Dr. Meldrum's book</td></tr>
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Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-16757923934968327852012-12-26T17:23:00.001-08:002014-05-08T17:31:57.714-07:00A Review of 'All Yesterdays', A "New Look" For Dinosaurs That I Hope
Stays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2skRkbfcEdQy5bP-0fJ8M-nmtYZg9JpUzzojgIgEbZZ82vMhb9XI-3eTwNkdtUGyqg-REjAAPRL9m_zkVy9UvmB7UNV-8qI8fun8jX9UvVycKlV6tzm8hZJHK2XXRRlSni-uuMh5124/s1600/therizinosaurus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>I have had the pleasure to receive a fantastic book this Christmas, named <i>All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals</i>. This book features amazing artwork and excellent novel ideas by John Conway, C.M. Kosemen, and Dr. Darren Naish. With the danger of revealing too much of what is in this wonderful new book, here is a bit of a review.<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggheZ_HBskWBPtcKH9AgdgNfKjlUQOla52fQvIUs1YJTM7sHe9VlqXAwv_r1vCB7Rz80tGki0_Jkm29vTv6MUxis1OQ_qU33ymBKBgzTV62uofJU4SeyRFwNwAFxEki0SLP4HJkCyR6e4/s1600/All-Yesterdays-cover-Conway-Kosemen-Naish-Hartman-Nov-2012-Darren-Naish-Tetrapod-Zoology-350-px-tiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggheZ_HBskWBPtcKH9AgdgNfKjlUQOla52fQvIUs1YJTM7sHe9VlqXAwv_r1vCB7Rz80tGki0_Jkm29vTv6MUxis1OQ_qU33ymBKBgzTV62uofJU4SeyRFwNwAFxEki0SLP4HJkCyR6e4/s1600/All-Yesterdays-cover-Conway-Kosemen-Naish-Hartman-Nov-2012-Darren-Naish-Tetrapod-Zoology-350-px-tiny.jpg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cover of <i>All Yesterdays</i> with its beautifully illustrated, tree-climbing ceratopsians</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>What I love about this book is that it combines beautiful "paleoart" with bizarre, yet totally possible ideas about the appearance and lifestyle of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals (such as plesiosaurs and a giant, pterosaur-eating centipede). The authors reconstruct dinosaurs with seemingly odd behaviors, yet fully support these hypothetical portrayals with evidence from the modern natural world. They do the same with the appearance and integument of some of their dinosaurs, and point out that modern animals aren't always sleek and often have body parts hidden by layers of fatty skin or integument. Accompanying text helps us understand why the authors reconstructed the dinosaur (or other prehistoric animal) on that page in the way they did, and a skeletal drawing is also present.<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHNX_m7Xg2N5-agHz2Iqyy-2c04Xy3gDd2RrJ6GqUC4MH5cK_ZU88X1xUOQfSJtbgZxVrwA0fJbRKl46x5QQBWC2_0rhJBqLi9UTSjBE7TsE2imuPuUkKmrA6ECqd2qnTq5NEDizJJEg/s1600/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHNX_m7Xg2N5-agHz2Iqyy-2c04Xy3gDd2RrJ6GqUC4MH5cK_ZU88X1xUOQfSJtbgZxVrwA0fJbRKl46x5QQBWC2_0rhJBqLi9UTSjBE7TsE2imuPuUkKmrA6ECqd2qnTq5NEDizJJEg/s640/original.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a warm-blooded predator, a <i>Tyrannosaurus</i> would actually spend a large amount of time sleeping while digesting a meal.</td></tr></tbody></table><br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihT-SPhtyJoZIvDHc31XXNbrR-ya5Favsk0GljBROyVrZ-h_jJPMZeASU183cGoNp5yrJXSVYX_8BieYuXLhEvR0lO4qVkjX9B9avK98waAu-MBJjLppqV83iT5OiFc3Wu_jFRPBRXI5w/s1600/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihT-SPhtyJoZIvDHc31XXNbrR-ya5Favsk0GljBROyVrZ-h_jJPMZeASU183cGoNp5yrJXSVYX_8BieYuXLhEvR0lO4qVkjX9B9avK98waAu-MBJjLppqV83iT5OiFc3Wu_jFRPBRXI5w/s640/original.jpg" width="430"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i>Majungasaurus</i> with a stunning display, spreading its arms out "in a manner completely unlike that of other large predatory dinosaurs".<br>
</td></tr></tbody></table>One of my favorite aspects of the paleoart in this book is that the authors put plenty of interesting integument on their dinosaurs. These included <i>Therizinosaurus</i> that have massive bodies hidden by feathers, <i>Triceratops</i> with large spike-like bristles, and <i>Heterodontosaurus</i> which are covered in bristly "hairs" and porcupine-like quills! Interestingly, we are learning that such speculation is quite plausible. Not only does fossil evidence support the idea of theropods with body integument such as feathers, but we are now learning that many small ornithiscians had fuzzy bristles as well. <br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUkZz5yNTYa_zaiZ-jfBiPSIUAawxJ3HrhLxNKIjkusXoOekfuxekFSaJpj-iLluTFOfw0xScFH4MdqUHbL5SXH5IU6Nq95MzFQ4DhkQBQC4X6jTAYuqEhT8jGD3NcTOd4CkoQvaKG-g/s1600/leaellynasaura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUkZz5yNTYa_zaiZ-jfBiPSIUAawxJ3HrhLxNKIjkusXoOekfuxekFSaJpj-iLluTFOfw0xScFH4MdqUHbL5SXH5IU6Nq95MzFQ4DhkQBQC4X6jTAYuqEhT8jGD3NcTOd4CkoQvaKG-g/s1600/leaellynasaura.jpg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The authors of 'All Yesterdays' don't reconstruct their <i>Leaellynasaura</i> as naked, lizard-like animals.....</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9no6a71wlnZ0_MQEM-nvICMB1C_yY3GOSG4-9mk5y6lqTLyUhmJ9XD29XPPwrwLQUtzRzd9bIuXWplZyeQnhSiEkLZy6AaWQcIXuYrQDy5FgQmXTiY-x6EcMFNmLfszExXRfd9CpVwZM/s1600/all-yesterdays-leaellynasaura-tail-flaggers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9no6a71wlnZ0_MQEM-nvICMB1C_yY3GOSG4-9mk5y6lqTLyUhmJ9XD29XPPwrwLQUtzRzd9bIuXWplZyeQnhSiEkLZy6AaWQcIXuYrQDy5FgQmXTiY-x6EcMFNmLfszExXRfd9CpVwZM/s640/all-yesterdays-leaellynasaura-tail-flaggers.jpg" width="426"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But rather, they reconstruct <i>Leaellynasaura</i> as being perfectly adapted to life in a polar climate with a fluffy integument. Brilliant!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2skRkbfcEdQy5bP-0fJ8M-nmtYZg9JpUzzojgIgEbZZ82vMhb9XI-3eTwNkdtUGyqg-REjAAPRL9m_zkVy9UvmB7UNV-8qI8fun8jX9UvVycKlV6tzm8hZJHK2XXRRlSni-uuMh5124/s1600/therizinosaurus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2skRkbfcEdQy5bP-0fJ8M-nmtYZg9JpUzzojgIgEbZZ82vMhb9XI-3eTwNkdtUGyqg-REjAAPRL9m_zkVy9UvmB7UNV-8qI8fun8jX9UvVycKlV6tzm8hZJHK2XXRRlSni-uuMh5124/s640/therizinosaurus.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Therizinosaurus</i> are portrayed in this book as elephant-sized mounds of feathers with gigantic claws.</td></tr></tbody></table>To help enforce their claim that it is perfectly reasonable to reconstruct dinosaurs with bizarre behaviors or anatomy, the authors also dedicated a chapter to reconstructing modern animals as a future paleontologist might if they only had fossilized remains to go off of. Some of the results were a terrifying hairless spider monkey, a cow with skin so tight that its bones show, and birds with membranes instead of feathers on their wings. This chapter truly impacted my way of thinking, and surely justified the paleoart styles of these artists. It also supports the idea that many dinosaurs may have been much thicker-bodied with muscle, fat, and/or bountiful integument. This book has the ability to thrill the minds of readers, and to make them realize that dinosaurs were probably a lot more bizarre-looking and acting than we often see them depicted as! However, it also shows that dinosaurs weren't strange and alien monsters, but were regular animals which probably behaved and looked like many species of the modern day.<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CqlSmg48_uhQy57Fv-U_SY2ScyvfeYG30yvd2S4ho6L84EwO9t6d0CGrARrcHzTcL5mc4UpFt3KvO9beZvid-aCN-gBClBwqKF9l23INBfHJKJfBc5eGJfi5I7-MWlpK6JUTcrFzZg4/s1600/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CqlSmg48_uhQy57Fv-U_SY2ScyvfeYG30yvd2S4ho6L84EwO9t6d0CGrARrcHzTcL5mc4UpFt3KvO9beZvid-aCN-gBClBwqKF9l23INBfHJKJfBc5eGJfi5I7-MWlpK6JUTcrFzZg4/s640/original.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A reconstruction of a modern cat that is "shrink-wrapped" and represents how modern paleontologists often wrongly depict dinosaurs as very slim, with every bone feature visible through the skin. </td></tr></tbody></table><i>All Yesterdays</i> is a truly amazing book, which I would fervently recommend to anyone interested in the possible appearance and lifestyles of dinosaurs. The art contained in the book is not only beautiful, but rejuvenating for the animals depicted. Hopefully, <i>All Yesterdays</i> will help end the era of depicting unrealistically leathery-skinned and slim dinosaurs and will bring forth reconstructions of the reptiles with the fuzzy integument and fatty skin that real animals have. In my mind, <i>All Yesterdays</i> depicts dinosaurs more accurately than other resources which I have seen in that it recognizes the bizarre habits and appearances that many modern animals have and brings them to life in dinosaurs. If only <i>Jurassic Park</i> had depicted its <i>Triceratops</i> with huge protective spines, although the famed <i>Tyrannosaurus rex</i> would be boring as it would be sleeping throughout the movie after consuming the goat and lawyer. <br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfPqgBmncL3gnRjWfZXq8oClFGjspNhjAHtD22sQOS4S0sbnl5YIMXT7SNh8SiD5RVWKM8SeckJvQk1GOmdHJNfN8xP1p9H4zNzRi72eu_uHu2Gd3lvwUKR0WOEYxttelpjyIUYG2N1w/s1600/all-yesterdays-triceratops-unlike-you-know.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfPqgBmncL3gnRjWfZXq8oClFGjspNhjAHtD22sQOS4S0sbnl5YIMXT7SNh8SiD5RVWKM8SeckJvQk1GOmdHJNfN8xP1p9H4zNzRi72eu_uHu2Gd3lvwUKR0WOEYxttelpjyIUYG2N1w/s640/all-yesterdays-triceratops-unlike-you-know.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;">A spiny <i>Triceratops</i> from <i>All Yesterdays</i>. A specimen of this ceratopsian at the <span style="text-align: start; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Houston Museum of Natural Science has preserved skin impressions which suggest that these animals actually did possess such bristles. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br>
I seriously can't say enough about <i>All Yesterdays</i>, and I emphatically hope that you buy it and read this fabulous book. If you have an open mind and even a slim interest in dinosaurs, this book will change your mind about the way they looked and acted for the better.<br>
Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1908513790564143436.post-7395818039703195562012-11-06T14:14:00.001-08:002013-02-13T04:13:01.713-08:00Welcome to Bizarre Zoology!Hello, <br />
Jay here, welcome to my blog: <strong>Bizarre Zoology! </strong>This blog will just be my thoughts on old and recent news and information regarding zoology, paleontology, cryptozoology, paleoanthropology, and other topics. Although I have no scientific training (and am only in highschool), I have been researching animals all my life and hope to provide interesting and accurate information. The chart below is a chart depicting the theory that Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, and pikas) and the Dinoceratans are possibly relatives. While many scientists today do not fully support this theory, I find it extremely interesting. The chart is just here for you to have a taste of some of the things that I will be posting. I will also keep you updated on my YouTube videos (channel IndianaJ25). I can't promise frequent posting, but I simply hope to share my ideas. Thanks, I can't wait to get started!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS3UYr7q1AWFVAcErI2Yw2D_meKGJ8I0Hielc0j8LKzRnUA7Smp-fqgEcoqT_ts25gVygDz9GBg6bPFzkQEpJSomyOV3X2rYjyzpDhYL_VN07J9hFgx9RY1-ySh-Ifwc2twlQYyCb81o/s1600/1_MAURICIO_ANTON-uintatherium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCS3UYr7q1AWFVAcErI2Yw2D_meKGJ8I0Hielc0j8LKzRnUA7Smp-fqgEcoqT_ts25gVygDz9GBg6bPFzkQEpJSomyOV3X2rYjyzpDhYL_VN07J9hFgx9RY1-ySh-Ifwc2twlQYyCb81o/s640/1_MAURICIO_ANTON-uintatherium.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Jay Cooneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14300702399539846543noreply@blogger.com0