laelaps |
It has sometimes been said that the leaders of creationist ministries and advocates of intelligent design are charismatic, charming people who know how to play to the crowd. I don't believe it. Creationists are often just as loud, judgmental, and terse as the stereotype of evolutionary scientists that is so often hauled out to admonish students of nature for not being skilled enough at communicating their ideas effectively. Recently the Calvinist pastor R.C. Sproul interviewed Ben Stein about Expelled, and the result is the antithesis of stimulating discourse;
(Note: The video did not load…
laelaps |
The skeleton of Daeodon (Dinohyus), an entelodont.
There are few fossil mammals that are as scary-looking as entelodonts. Justifiably called "Hell Pigs" in the book Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway, the long, toothy skulls of entelodonts are certainly imposing. This extinct group of pig relatives didn't just look fierce, though; the construction of their jaws and taphonomic evidence suggests that they had a taste for flesh as well as for plant foods.
Although entelodonts were most likely omnivores, their skulls show a variety of features that seem to be convergent with carnivores, especially…
laelaps |
Over the last few months I've tried to keep up to date on "Aetogate," and those of you who have been following the subject know that there has yet to be any satisfactory resolution to the problem (see here, here, here, and here to catch up, as well as the Aetogate information hub here). The Albuquerque Journal considers the story important enough to keep following, and in the wake of an inadequate inquiry by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, most people are now waiting on the response of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology ethics committee (the international aspect of the…
laelaps |
Dr. Jack Horner is one of the most recognized paleontologists working in the field today, and is presently the Ameya Preserve Curator of Paleontology and Montana State University Regents' Professor of Paleontology. He has authored numerous books, papers, and popular articles, and during his career has named the dinosaurs Maiasaura peeblesorum, Orodromeus makelai, Hypacrosaurus stebingeri, Prosaurolophus blackfeetensis, Gryposaurus latidens, and Brachylophosaurus goodwini, although he is probably most well-known for his studies of the eggs & young of Maiasaura. This week I had the chance…
laelaps |
Presently only two genera of sloths exist, the two-toed sloths (Choloepus) and the three-toed sloth (Bradypus). They are the remaining vestiges of a much great past diversity, including many of the giant forms like Megatherium that occupied niches both in the trees and on the ground. As with most fossil mammals, though, the delicate inner ear bones of extinct ground sloths have rarely been preserved, but a new paper published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology attempts to analyze what the fossil sloths Glossotherium robustum and Lestodon armatus could hear based upon some well-…
laelaps |
Over the past week I've been trying to bring some resolution into my plans for the next year by straightening out the remainder of my coursework and my writing goals for the year, but there are still a few things that are up in the air. As it stands now, though, I'm probably not going to make enough money to go to SVP this year, even though I was certainly looking forward to it. Perhaps things will change over the next few months, but going to the conference is something of a luxury compared to keeping the lights on and paying for my education.
laelaps |
This has been a big week for Laelaps. On Monday I posted an interview with Bob Bakker, and I'll close out the work week with an interview I just conducted with Jack Horner. I'll have it up early tomorrow, so be sure to check back here to see it for yourself!
laelaps |
Charles R. Knight's Robert Bruce Horsfall's restoration of Thoatherium as it appeared in the book A History of Land Mammals In The Western Hemisphere (many thanks to Dan Varner for providing the image).
Convergent evolution is an absolutely amazing phenomenon. Why do creatures, both closely and distantly related, sometimes develop the same body types or adaptations? Saber-teeth are my most favorite convergent character, but I recently found out about another case of convergence that is just as interesting. In South America there used to be a group of animals called Litopterns, the most…
laelaps |
If you like weird herps, this is a good week for you.
Scientists working in Borneo have discovered that the frog Barbourula kalimantanensis has no lungs. Although the amphibian was discovered three decades ago, it is so rare that the only specimen that was collected was not dissected in order to preserve it. When researchers found another and opened it up, though, they found that Barbourula was missing lungs and that other organs filled the space they normally would have occupied. This allowed the frog to become flatter and increase the surface area of its body so that it could breathe…
laelaps |
One of Charles R. Knight's paintings of Smilodon fatalis, this one menacing a giant sloth stuck in tar (off panel).
There are few fossil mammals that are as impressive as the saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis, but despite it's fearsome dentition some recent reports have suggested it was more of a pussycat when it came to bite strength. This seems to be counter-intuitive; how could such a fearsome-looking animal be associated with the term "weak"? Incredulity aside, it has become apparent that the bite of Smilodon wasn't as strong as that of some other carnivores (extinct and extant), yet…
laelaps |
The reviews for Expelled are starting to come in, and even FOX News' Roger Friedman has panned the film. You'll have to scroll down a little bit to see the review (Mariah Carey's new album beat Stein in terms of importance), but here's a snippet to give you an idea of what Friedman thinks of the creationist film;
The gist of Stein's involvement is: He's outraged! He believes in God! God created the universe! How can we not avail our students of this theory? What do you mean we're just molecules?
What the producers of this film would love, love, love is a controversy. That's because it's being…
laelaps |
Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller, left), Cheeta (center), and Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan, right)
Today Cheeta, the world's oldest chimpanzee, celebrates his 76th birthday. He is most famous for his role in a number of Tarzan films, and his last big screen appearance was as "Chee Chee" in 1967's Dr. Doolittle. Presently Cheeta resides at the CHEETA Primate Sanctuary in California, and a ghostwritten memoir of his life called Me Cheeta is due to be published this fall.
[Hat-tip to John Lynch]
laelaps |
He lectured on the Cavern of Torquay, the now famous Kent's Cavern. He paced like a Franciscan Preacher up and down behind a long show-case, up two steps, in a room in the old Clarendon. He had in his hand a huge hyena's skull. He suddenly dashed down the steps-- rushed, skull in hand, at the first undergraduate on the front bench--and shouted, 'What rules the world ?' The youth, terrified, threw himself against the next back seat, and answered not a word. He rushed then on me, pointing the hyena full in my face--' What rules the world ?' 'Haven't an idea,' I said. ' The stomach, sir,' he…
laelaps |
If you enjoyed this week's interview with paleontologist Robert Bakker, then you'll definitely want to stop by the new blog of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Beyond Bones. In addition to posts from people covering all aspects of the museum, Bakker will contribute to the blog as well, so I definitely would encourage you to keep your eye on it.
Speaking of blogging paleontologists, the Museum of the Rockies has its own Bone Blog where you can learn about what Jack Horner and his students have been studying lately. I definitely want to try and feature an interview with Horner here in the…
laelaps |
Surprise, surprise; a recent poll found that the most popular book in America is the Bible. Gone With the Wind, the Lord of the Rings series, The Stand, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atlas Shrugged, and Catcher in the Rye all wound up in the top 10, as well, but what was truly disconcerting was that Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons landed near the top of the list.
As stated on The Colbert Report, I'm of the opinion that ten monkeys typing for three days would produce a work of Dan Brown, and why his books are as popular as they are I'll never comprehend. I guess I should just be…