New Sweeter, Faster Ripening Tangerine Discovered...By Baboons

Farm workers in South Africa had been noticing year after year that some of the tangerine trees on the farms were stripped of fruit before others.  This confusing situation wasn't explained until one farm worker saw baboons picking the fruit from the tree that ripened three to four weeks before all the other trees at the farm.  Tests were conducted on the tree and the fruit and those tests revealed the fruit is sweeter and ripened faster.  The owner of the farm, Alwyn van der Merwe, grafted more of the quicker ripening and sweeter trees which will help Van Der Merwe get into a profitable niche in the U.S. market because his trees can produce faster.

According to the head of South Africa's Citrus Growers Association, Justin Chadwick, experts are always looking for ways to ripen fruits earlier or later than they naturally would.  Alwyn van der Merwe feels his tree naturally mutated which Chadwick confirms does happen and should be something farmers should watch for.

Van Der Merwe still hasn't named his new tangerine and might just give the baboons who discovered them a nod when the name is chosen.  Even if he doesn't, he will be leaving a crate of tangerines for the baboons when the next harvest comes around.

Source:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41058945/ns/technology_and_science-science/

New Batfish Species Discovered

Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?  No?  I didn't either.  Until now.

Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill. 

The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom.  Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling.  The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen. 

Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward.  Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.

John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area.  If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."

Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus.  A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill.  Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.

To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.

New Batfish Species Discovered

Did you ever think there could be good news related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?  No?  I didn't either.  Until now.

Two previously unknown species of bottom-dwelling fish have been discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico, in the exact same area affected by the BP oil spill. 

The fish are called "pancake batfish" and are so named because of the way they clumsily "walk" along the sea bottom.  Their manner of walking looks similar to a bat crawling.  The fish prefer to stay in the deepest parts of the sea and, thus, are rarely seen. 

Pancake batfish have round, flat bodies with giant heads and mouths that can be thrust forward.  Arm-like fins are used to "walk" along the sea floor and they can excrete a fluid from a modified dorsal fin to lure prey.

John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in New York issued a statement Thursday, July 8, 2010, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area.  If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about."

Sparks and his colleagues named the species Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus.  A third already known species, H. aculeatus, lives only in waters affected by the spill.  Until now, the three species had been considered a single species but enough differences were found to alert researchers they were dealing with more than a single species.

To see a photo of the new batfish species, check out this article.

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.

The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes.  The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty.  Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh.  He controlled Egypt for 90 years.

The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity.  The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity. 

Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom".  Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.

Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.

The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes.  The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty.  Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh.  He controlled Egypt for 90 years.

The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity.  The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity. 

Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom".  Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.

Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.

Scientists Find Surprises in Deep Atlantic Ocean

I love articles like this and I love them even more when there are loads of great pictures.  This one certainly doesn't disappoint.

Scientists from 17 nations recently embarked on a six-week expedition aboard the British research vessel the James Cook to explore a never-before-seen area of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.  Some expected to see nothing.  All were amazed that they were able to bring back photographs of an area that is teeming with life.

The scientists focused on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  It is a massive undersea mountain range that splits the ocean in half, dividing the east Atlantic from the west Atlantic.  The seascape is apparently similar to the American West featuring rocky outcroppings, sheer cliffs and flat open plains.  The critters that live there, however, are nothing like the rattlesnakes, jackrabbits and prairie dogs that inhabit the American West.

There were at least 10 creatures discovered during the expedition that possibly could represent new species.



In dives that lasted as long as 30 hours and went to depths of up to 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) the Isis, a remotely operated vehicle outfitted with 10 high-definition studio-quality cameras and powerful lamps was sent to the ocean floor and took hours of footage of the amazing creatures that live at the bottom of the Atlantic.

They found three new species of enteropneust (a deep sea worm).  The tiny eyeless worms are about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long and were previously found only in the Pacific Ocean.  A pink enteropneust was spotted first.  The scientists were thrilled to be able to actually see one of the creatures actually swimming.

Daniel Jones of Britain's National Oceanography Centre said the rocky regions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge were the most surprising.  There, they found new varieties of sea cucumbers, corals several meters tall that could possibly be a thousand years old and sea lilies.

For more information and to see some of the amazing creatures living in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, check out this article.  There are 10 photographs to be seen.  Click the word "next" and you will be taken to another photo.

Scientists Find Surprises in Deep Atlantic Ocean

I love articles like this and I love them even more when there are loads of great pictures.  This one certainly doesn't disappoint.

Scientists from 17 nations recently embarked on a six-week expedition aboard the British research vessel the James Cook to explore a never-before-seen area of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.  Some expected to see nothing.  All were amazed that they were able to bring back photographs of an area that is teeming with life.

The scientists focused on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  It is a massive undersea mountain range that splits the ocean in half, dividing the east Atlantic from the west Atlantic.  The seascape is apparently similar to the American West featuring rocky outcroppings, sheer cliffs and flat open plains.  The critters that live there, however, are nothing like the rattlesnakes, jackrabbits and prairie dogs that inhabit the American West.

There were at least 10 creatures discovered during the expedition that possibly could represent new species.



In dives that lasted as long as 30 hours and went to depths of up to 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) the Isis, a remotely operated vehicle outfitted with 10 high-definition studio-quality cameras and powerful lamps was sent to the ocean floor and took hours of footage of the amazing creatures that live at the bottom of the Atlantic.

They found three new species of enteropneust (a deep sea worm).  The tiny eyeless worms are about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long and were previously found only in the Pacific Ocean.  A pink enteropneust was spotted first.  The scientists were thrilled to be able to actually see one of the creatures actually swimming.

Daniel Jones of Britain's National Oceanography Centre said the rocky regions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge were the most surprising.  There, they found new varieties of sea cucumbers, corals several meters tall that could possibly be a thousand years old and sea lilies.

For more information and to see some of the amazing creatures living in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, check out this article.  There are 10 photographs to be seen.  Click the word "next" and you will be taken to another photo.

Giant Propeller Structures Seen in Saturn's Rings

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Thursday, July 8, 2010 that giant propeller-shaped structures have been discovered in Saturn's rings.  NASA believes the structures were created by a new class of hidden moons.

The propeller-shaped structures were located by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.  The structures are located inside one the debris disk rings on the planet and are several thousands of miles long.  This discovery marks the first time scientists have been able to track the orbits of individual objects within a debris disk.  Researchers are hoping to learn how the structures form to give them more insight into the debris disks around other stars as well.

This isn't the first time propeller-like structures have been found in Saturn's rings.  In 2006 an area known as the "propeller belt" was found to be located in Saturn's A ring, its outermost ring.

The structures are gaps in the ring material created by "moonlets" a new class of objects smaller than known moons but larger than the debris particles that make up Saturn's rings.  Cassini scientists estimate the moonlets could number into the millions.

For more information and to see a photo of the propeller-shaped structures, click here.

Giant Propeller Structures Seen in Saturn's Rings

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Thursday, July 8, 2010 that giant propeller-shaped structures have been discovered in Saturn's rings.  NASA believes the structures were created by a new class of hidden moons.

The propeller-shaped structures were located by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.  The structures are located inside one the debris disk rings on the planet and are several thousands of miles long.  This discovery marks the first time scientists have been able to track the orbits of individual objects within a debris disk.  Researchers are hoping to learn how the structures form to give them more insight into the debris disks around other stars as well.

This isn't the first time propeller-like structures have been found in Saturn's rings.  In 2006 an area known as the "propeller belt" was found to be located in Saturn's A ring, its outermost ring.

The structures are gaps in the ring material created by "moonlets" a new class of objects smaller than known moons but larger than the debris particles that make up Saturn's rings.  Cassini scientists estimate the moonlets could number into the millions.

For more information and to see a photo of the propeller-shaped structures, click here.

Newly Discovered Dinosaur: Mojoceratops

Paleontologist Nicholas Longrich, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University discovered and named the dinosaur after the heart-shaped frill around its head.  After a round of beers with some colleagues, Longrich decided upon the name "Mojoceratops".  The name was thought of to be a joke, at first, but the name stuck even though Longrich tried to come up with a more serious name.  The dinosaur's full and official name is Mojoceratops perifania.

Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus.  Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls.  It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin.  It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.  It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.

Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.

Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.

Newly Discovered Dinosaur: Mojoceratops

Paleontologist Nicholas Longrich, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University discovered and named the dinosaur after the heart-shaped frill around its head.  After a round of beers with some colleagues, Longrich decided upon the name "Mojoceratops".  The name was thought of to be a joke, at first, but the name stuck even though Longrich tried to come up with a more serious name.  The dinosaur's full and official name is Mojoceratops perifania.

Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus.  Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls.  It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin.  It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.  It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.

Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.

Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.

Ten-Thousand Year-Old Spear Found in Melting Ice

The melting ice near Yellowstone National Park in Colorado has yielded a piece of the past.  In 2007, researchers found a 10,000-year-old hunting weapon, a spear-like wooden dart preserved in the ice.  The discovery was kept under wraps until June 29, 2010 when it was announced by the University of Colorado.

University of Colorado research associate Craig Lee said the birch dart was frozen in a sheet of ice for 10,000 years and became bowed as the ice melted.  It resembles a bent tree branch.  He attributed the melting to increased global temperatures.  The melting has caused the release of artifacts, plant material and even animal carcasses. 

Read this article to see a photo of the spear.

Ten-Thousand Year-Old Spear Found in Melting Ice

The melting ice near Yellowstone National Park in Colorado has yielded a piece of the past.  In 2007, researchers found a 10,000-year-old hunting weapon, a spear-like wooden dart preserved in the ice.  The discovery was kept under wraps until June 29, 2010 when it was announced by the University of Colorado.

University of Colorado research associate Craig Lee said the birch dart was frozen in a sheet of ice for 10,000 years and became bowed as the ice melted.  It resembles a bent tree branch.  He attributed the melting to increased global temperatures.  The melting has caused the release of artifacts, plant material and even animal carcasses. 

Read this article to see a photo of the spear.

Giant Whale-Eating Whale Discovered

In a coastal desert of Peru the massive skull and jaw of a 13-million-year-old sperm whale has been discovered.  The whale is the extinct distant cousin of the modern sperm whale although, this this whale is a very different beast according to Olivier Lambert of the Museum National d'Historie Naturelle in Paris, France.  Lambert led a team that located the massive fossil. 

The whale, Leviathan melvillei has a 3-meter (10 foot) skull with teeth in the top and bottom jaws that are each up to 36 centimeters (14 inches) in length.  Modern sperm whales only have teeth in the lower jaw and feed on giant squid.  It is believed the fossil sperm whales are to have eaten by actually taking huge bites out of their prey instead of swallowing it whole as modern sperm whales do.

A large hole in the skull that accommodated a large jaw muscle further strengthens this belief.  The fossil most likely fed on baleen whales and lived in the same waters as Charcharocles megalodon, the now-famous monster-sized ancestor of the Great White shark.

Researchers are focusing in on the teeth of the animal to learn more about its eating habits.  Horizontal wear lines suggest it swallowed prey like modern sperm whales.  Vertical wear lines suggest it bit into prey.

For more information and to see an artists rendition of what Leviathan melvillei might have looked like, you can read this article.

Giant Whale-Eating Whale Discovered

In a coastal desert of Peru the massive skull and jaw of a 13-million-year-old sperm whale has been discovered.  The whale is the extinct distant cousin of the modern sperm whale although, this this whale is a very different beast according to Olivier Lambert of the Museum National d'Historie Naturelle in Paris, France.  Lambert led a team that located the massive fossil. 

The whale, Leviathan melvillei has a 3-meter (10 foot) skull with teeth in the top and bottom jaws that are each up to 36 centimeters (14 inches) in length.  Modern sperm whales only have teeth in the lower jaw and feed on giant squid.  It is believed the fossil sperm whales are to have eaten by actually taking huge bites out of their prey instead of swallowing it whole as modern sperm whales do.

A large hole in the skull that accommodated a large jaw muscle further strengthens this belief.  The fossil most likely fed on baleen whales and lived in the same waters as Charcharocles megalodon, the now-famous monster-sized ancestor of the Great White shark.

Researchers are focusing in on the teeth of the animal to learn more about its eating habits.  Horizontal wear lines suggest it swallowed prey like modern sperm whales.  Vertical wear lines suggest it bit into prey.

For more information and to see an artists rendition of what Leviathan melvillei might have looked like, you can read this article.

Lake Michigan Shipwreck Found After 112 Years

Over a century ago, in October 1898, the L.R. Doty, a 300-foot-long wooden steamship was carrying a cargo of corn from South Chicago, Illinois to Ontario, Canada.  A fierce storm on Lake Michigan that produced heavy winds, snow, sleet and waves as high as 30 feet caused the steamship to sink.

By all accounts, the Doty should have been able to withstand the storm.  The ship was a mere five years old and its massive hull was reinforced with steel arches.  But, it had a weakness.  It was towing a small schooner, the Olive Jeanette.  The schooner began to founder in the storm and the tow line snapped.  Experts believe the Doty sank when it came to the aid of the Olive Jeanette.  All 17 of the ships crew members, and two ship's cats, Dewey and Watson, perished when the ship sank.

Until now, the Doty was the largest wooden ship still unaccounted for.  The ship was discovered in the Milwaukee-area shoreline and appears to be completely intact having been preserved by the cold fresh waters.

In 1991, a Milwaukee fisherman reported snagging his nets on an underwater obstruction about 300 feet down.  His report was forgotten until diving technology improved to allow exploration at such a depth.  In recent months, researchers conducted preliminary surface scouting, then used deep-sea technology to finally find the massive wreckage.  Last week, divers were able to go into the waters.  Immediately, they knew they had the Doty.

The Doty is sitting upright and completely intact--including the cargo of corn in the hold--in the clay at the bottom of Lake Michigan.  The ship has been protected for the last 112 years because of the cold waters of Lake Michigan and its depth shielded it from storms.  Brandon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association who worked on this find believes the bodies of the 17 crew members are likely intact as well, mostly likely in the boiler room where they believes they probably went as the ship sank.

Baillod believes the rudder chain must have snapped when the Doty was turning to assist the Olive Jeanette leaving the massive steamship at the mercy of the storm.  He imagines the crew must have had at least an hour of knowing they were going to die in the icy Lake Michigan waters before the cargo holds collapsed.

There are no plans to raise the Doty.  Doing so would probably be more harm than good.  As it sits, the ship is protected by the cold Lake Michigan waters and its depth in them.  Raised, the ship would be exposed to air that could cause it to rot away within a few years.  Diver interference isn't something the Doty must worry over either.  The depth of the ship guarantees that few divers will visit it because of the amount of experience one must have to make such a deep and dangerous dive.

For more information, to see an underwater photo of The Doty and to read about Brandon Baillod's next project, please visit the MSNBC.com Technology and Science Article.

Update:  More spectacular underwater photographs of The Doty, courtesy of John Scoles, can be seen at this link.  The photographs are amazing quality; very clear and you really get a great look at this amazing find.

Lake Michigan Shipwreck Found After 112 Years

Over a century ago, in October 1898, the L.R. Doty, a 300-foot-long wooden steamship was carrying a cargo of corn from South Chicago, Illinois to Ontario, Canada.  A fierce storm on Lake Michigan that produced heavy winds, snow, sleet and waves as high as 30 feet caused the steamship to sink.

By all accounts, the Doty should have been able to withstand the storm.  The ship was a mere five years old and its massive hull was reinforced with steel arches.  But, it had a weakness.  It was towing a small schooner, the Olive Jeanette.  The schooner began to founder in the storm and the tow line snapped.  Experts believe the Doty sank when it came to the aid of the Olive Jeanette.  All 17 of the ships crew members, and two ship's cats, Dewey and Watson, perished when the ship sank.

Until now, the Doty was the largest wooden ship still unaccounted for.  The ship was discovered in the Milwaukee-area shoreline and appears to be completely intact having been preserved by the cold fresh waters.

In 1991, a Milwaukee fisherman reported snagging his nets on an underwater obstruction about 300 feet down.  His report was forgotten until diving technology improved to allow exploration at such a depth.  In recent months, researchers conducted preliminary surface scouting, then used deep-sea technology to finally find the massive wreckage.  Last week, divers were able to go into the waters.  Immediately, they knew they had the Doty.

The Doty is sitting upright and completely intact--including the cargo of corn in the hold--in the clay at the bottom of Lake Michigan.  The ship has been protected for the last 112 years because of the cold waters of Lake Michigan and its depth shielded it from storms.  Brandon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association who worked on this find believes the bodies of the 17 crew members are likely intact as well, mostly likely in the boiler room where they believes they probably went as the ship sank.

Baillod believes the rudder chain must have snapped when the Doty was turning to assist the Olive Jeanette leaving the massive steamship at the mercy of the storm.  He imagines the crew must have had at least an hour of knowing they were going to die in the icy Lake Michigan waters before the cargo holds collapsed.

There are no plans to raise the Doty.  Doing so would probably be more harm than good.  As it sits, the ship is protected by the cold Lake Michigan waters and its depth in them.  Raised, the ship would be exposed to air that could cause it to rot away within a few years.  Diver interference isn't something the Doty must worry over either.  The depth of the ship guarantees that few divers will visit it because of the amount of experience one must have to make such a deep and dangerous dive.

For more information, to see an underwater photo of The Doty and to read about Brandon Baillod's next project, please visit the MSNBC.com Technology and Science Article.

Update:  More spectacular underwater photographs of The Doty, courtesy of John Scoles, can be seen at this link.  The photographs are amazing quality; very clear and you really get a great look at this amazing find.

"Great Grandfather" of Lucy Found in East Africa

A 3.6 million year old partial skeleton from the same species as "Lucy" was recently discovered .  The skeleton, Kadanuumuu, meaning "big man", was found in Ethiopia's Afar region, the same place Lucy was found in 1974.  Both skeletons share the species name Australopithecus afarensis.  Australopiths share traits with chimpanzees and humans.  They share protruding faces and small brains with chimpanzees and skeletons built for upright walking with humans.

There isn't much information on Kadanuumu at this point.  I'm sure there will be more released as further research is conducted.

The complete press release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History regarding Kadanummu can be found here.

"Great Grandfather" of Lucy Found in East Africa

A 3.6 million year old partial skeleton from the same species as "Lucy" was recently discovered .  The skeleton, Kadanuumuu, meaning "big man", was found in Ethiopia's Afar region, the same place Lucy was found in 1974.  Both skeletons share the species name Australopithecus afarensis.  Australopiths share traits with chimpanzees and humans.  They share protruding faces and small brains with chimpanzees and skeletons built for upright walking with humans.

There isn't much information on Kadanuumu at this point.  I'm sure there will be more released as further research is conducted.

The complete press release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History regarding Kadanummu can be found here.

Horned Dinosuar Possibly Moved From Island to Island Into Europe

There have been several great dinosaur stories in science news lately.  This latest discovery is just as exciting as the others recently reported.

Horned dinosaurs, known as ceratopsians, were plentiful during the late Cretaceous, roughly 100 million to 65 million years ago  (Ceratopsians include such well-known dinosaurs as Triceratops.)  It wasn't until scientists found a new small horned dinosaur, possibly a dwarf dinosaur, in Europe that they believed ceratopsians lived only in Asia and North America.

Three skull bones belonging to the horned dinosaur, Ajkaceratops kozmai, were unearthed in the summer of 2009 in a Hungarian quarry near the town of Ajka.  Fully grown, the newly discovered dinosaur grew to a tiny 3 feet long.  Dwarf dinosaurs did live in what we now know as Transylvania.

In 2007, scientists reported fossil teeth that could have been ceratopsian having been found in Sweden.  But the Hungarian find is the first clear discovery of a horned dinosaur in Europe.

The newly revealed small horned dinosaur lived roughly 85 million years ago and, at that time, much of what is now Europe was part of a complex series of island chains known as the Tethyan archipelago.  These islands were situated between the African and Eurasian land masses in the Tethys Ocean.  It is theorized that the small horned dinosaur moved from island to island thus eventually ending up in what we know as Europe.

For more information and to see a photo of a research team excavating the remains of the small horned dinosaur, please refer to this MSNBC.com Technology and Science article.