Big brother … REAL BIG!!! December 17, 2009

Yeah, I know … try and close your mouth now. That picture above would have given you a pretty good idea of what’s coming. Science reporter Rebecca Morell of BBC News reports about the colossal sea monster, Pliosaur, whose fossilised skull has been unearthed along the UK‘s Jurassic Coast by a local collector. In the video on the webpage (which I could not embed here) Palaeontologist Richard Forrest explains why the T. rex was a kitten compared with this monster.

Richard Forrest, a plesiosaur expert, said: “Pliosaur skulls are very big, but not that robust, in general, and you tend to find them crushed flat – completely ‘pancaked’. “What is fantastic about this new skull, not only is it absolutely enormous, but it is pretty much in 3D and not much distorted.”

Pliosaur means ‘more like lizard’ and are characterised by having a short neck and an elongated head, in contrast to the long-necked plesiosaurs. Pliosaur fossils have been found before around Norway, Mexico etc. But this find in the UK is by far the largest specimen yet found. If the pictures above and the description has still not convinced you to click on the link in the first paragraph and go watch the video, may be this will.

“It could have taken a human in one gulp; in fact, something like a T. Rex would have been breakfast for a beast like this.”

 

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• Skull of pliosaur that ‘could have bitten a car in half’ found on Britain’s Jurassic Coast (telegraph.co.uk)
• Ancestor of T. rex lived in Gloucestershire (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Fossilised skull of ‘sea monster’ pliosaur found on Dorset coast (guardian.co.uk)

Meet the super cow October 29, 2009

I’m not sure what my reaction about this video is. It is one more of those instances where humans have used their scientific know how to manipulate the nature to their advantage. Selective breeding is used to produce these hugely muscular cows and bulls, weighing sometimes up to 1 tonne (ton). There is no cruelty to the animals involved here but even so, I couldn’t help but cringe a bit looking at these bovines.

‘Almost gone’ introduction October 24, 2009

There is a very high number of species on this planet that are about to go extinct in near future. As the scientists have indicated, we’re in the middle of the sixth mass extinction. However, this one is different from the earlier ones in that it is caused and accelerated by one of the numerous species themselves, homo sapiens. And therefore I believe it is our responsibility that we should acknowledge our role and try to salvage as many of them as possible. There is hope to be found.  Where?  It’s going to be the people that are inheriting this gorgeous blue planet, the children. It is important that our children learn about the importance of each of them in the ecosystem. Every species has a role to play on this planet. None, absolutely none, is here without a purpose. If our children understand their purpose they will understand their value. And only then there is a chance that the future homo sapiens will not make the same mistakes as their ancestors.

Few days back I came across Scott Bright (@Speciesguy) on Twitter who has a passion for teaching kids about various endangered species. About a year ago Scott saw some statistics online that said 16,928 species are endangered of extinction at this time. He was shocked to learn this and decided that he had to do something to make a difference! Since then Scott has been doing his best at writing for and about endangered species. His main focus is on sharing the information in a fun way for kids (and their parents) to discover why each species is unique, the value of each species and what roles they play in our biosphere. His website also provides a place where your child can write to a leader with your help. One of the ways Scott is making a difference is showing where people can adopt an animal on line.  Zoos and other places have become a safe haven for preserving endangered species, like Texas!

After I browsed through his two websites, links to which are at the end of this post, I got in touch with Scott and requested him if he would want to guest post on my blog. And Scott has graciously agreed to share, not one, but a number of posts with us. So we’re starting a new series called ‘Almost gone’ for every Saturday. Each post will focus on one species. He and I sincerely hope that you will share them with your kids. If Scott’s posts here pique your kids’ interest, head over to his website. There you’ll find a treasure trove of books, CDs, DVDs and more about endangered species to further stoke you child’s enthusiasm. And your purchase only helps promote awareness about endangered species.

Remember, it’s the kids that are a powerful resource for saving endangered species.  And education is the fastest way getting the endangered species, like sharks, polar bears, wolves and rhinos to name a few, out of their current status. Looking forward to you and your kids’ company on here.

http://kidsbooksforendangeredspecies.com/

http://www.racetosavetheraces.com/ 

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• Colorado Endangered Species List May Expand (huffingtonpost.com)
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TED Tuesday: Engineering and evolution October 6, 2009

Insects and animals have evolved some amazing skills — but, as Robert Full notes, many animals are actually over-engineered. The trick is to copy only what’s necessary. He shows how human engineers can learn from animals’ tricks.

End of animal research? September 10, 2009

Before long, we will each have an alter ego to assess the medication we need. That’s the vision of Natalia Alexandrov, winner of the New Scientist/NC3Rs “Beyond animal research” essay competition.