Huge New Dinosaur Had A Serious Bite:
The newest dinosaur species to emerge from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument had some serious bite, according to researchers from the Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah.
New Species Of Frog Discovered: Smallest Indian Land Vertebrate:
The India's smallest land vertebrate, a 10-millimeter frog, has been discovered from the Western Ghats of Kerala by Delhi University Systematics Biologist, S D Biju and his colleagues.
No Faking It, Crocodile Tears Are Real:
When someone feigns sadness they "cry crocodile tears," a phrase that comes from an old myth that the animals cry while eating. Now, a University of Florida researcher has concluded that crocodiles really do bawl while banqueting - but for physiological reasons rather than rascally reptilian remorse.
Sea Otter, Peregrine Falcon Back From The Brink Of Extinction But Other Species At Risk In Canada:
There's good news and bad news in the report the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) just dropped on the Minister of the Environment's desk.
New Suspect Identified In West Nile Deaths Of Pelicans:
Stable flies are the latest suspect that may be involved in the West Nile virus deaths of hundreds of pelican chicks at the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Montana. West Nile virus killed 800 to 1,000 pelican chicks in 2003, averaged 400 in each of the next three summers and more than 600 this year.
Individual Differences Caused By Shuffled Chunks Of DNA In The Human Genome:
A study by Yale researchers offers a new view of what causes the greatest genetic variability among individuals -- suggesting that it is due less to single point mutations than to the presence of structural changes that cause extended segments of the human genome to be missing, rearranged, or present in extra copies.
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Comments
I recall back in 1987 when late prof Vojkan Jovanovic taught us that crocodile tears are the result of the food making pressure on the palatal roof (nepca, Boro what is the exact term?), pressing lacrimal glands and causing tears to run (all this due to crocodile anatomy). At that time I accepted that for granted, but now, as you mentioned this, I might also think of some evolution mechanism of preventing potential infection: tears do have protective role not only physical, yet enzyme (lysozyme) activity as well.
Interesting anyway... When I was very young, I was convinced my Mother had little bags under her skin, that she occasionally fills with water so she can shed tears when needed. I thought all actors have them, too. That came after I was desperate seeing Burdush losing his eyes in some medieval scene in the movie. Later I happen to be in the house of his friend, and Burdush took me in his lap, showing his eyes were just fine and that was nothing but the mask in the movie. I never doubted my Dad's tears though.
Posted by: Tanja Sova | October 4, 2007 7:08 PM