mammalsrus.com

Extinction is forever!

Jeff Corvin talks about the wildlife that is vanishing right before our very eyes. It is quite disturbing to realize that whole ecosystems are being torn apart like just so much cobweb.

Right Whales at the wrong place!

We have been hunting these gentle giants for millenia to the point of extinction for some, and high endangerment for others. A team of scientists from Oregon State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has spotted right whales in the north atlantic where they were supposed to be extinct.

The discovery is particularly important because it is in an area that may be opened to shipping if the melting of polar ice continues, as expected. The scientists are unsure of exactly how many whales were in the region, which is off the southern tip of Greenland and site of an important 19th-century whaling area called Cape Farewell Ground. But they recorded more than 2,000 right whale vocalizations in the region from July through December of 2007.

Only two right whales have been sighted in the last 50 years at Cape Farewell Ground, where they had been hunted to near extinction prior to the adoption of protective measures, said an OSU release.

Our great great great great grand aunt!

So we found our great great great great grand aunt. Ida, she is named after Dr. Hurum's daughter. This is a huge find for all those primate lovers out there because this ancestor of the monkeys and apes seems to be one of the most complete fossil specimens( only parts of of one of her legs are missing) of early monkey-lemur branch that looks more like an monkey and less like a lemur. Amazingly this find was first seen by Dr. Hurum at a bar in hamburg! That too, was just a few pictures of lil' Ida that a fossil dealer handed to him. The good doctor then had to come up with a million bucks to buy her based on the hunch that she was a true blue ancient monkey.

Ida is one of the remarkable fossil finds from the Messel pit in Germany. Scientists know that Ida is a female and think that she lived 47 million years ago, in a rain forest which had over 300 specific of plants and animals. Many of the plants that grew in the Messel rain forest are only found in the tropics and subtropics today.

We also know that the old world monkey and new world monkey ancestors also split shortly,geologically speaking of course, after the time of Ida. Humans emerged only around 200,000 years ago. We belong to an illustrious line of apes that split with the Chimpanzee line around 3 million years ago.

Dr. Hurum and his group have been analysing and studying Ida for two years and have just come out with this great discovery. It is a testament to their thoroughness and research that this fossil has come to light in such a big way. Watch out for papers in journals and so forth.

Please don't blame the pig!

WE call swine flu. Does it necessarily have to do with swine?NO! The whole family suidae has had quite a contentious relationship with humans. This latest insult to the noble family is quite a low even by current standards.

If the virus has evolved to use the pig as a host, it is to the detriment of pigs everywhere. It's not a pigs fault that we desire their meat and so work closely with them. When birds became infected with bird flu, I don't recall such invective against all birds. When it is pigs, all bets are off.

Let's call the illness for what it really is: 2009 H1N1 flu. I know it is not catchy but it is at least not libelous. Let's all not sneeze in each others face and we will be alright!