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Janjucetus, T-Rex of the Sea

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We all know that there were predators on land, some of which were a major threat to their own kind. We knew there were some in the sea as well, after all we have sharks and crocodiles today. Did you ever imagine though that our whales may have evolved from predator so strong, it has now been considered the T-Rex of the Sea?

The find was made in Australia. 25 million year old fossils of an ancient relative of the blue whale, the largest creature to inhabit the earth. Unlike the blue whales however, this ancestor had teeth, very sharp ones. The teeth measure about 3 cms (1.2 inches) in length.

Research has shown these scientists that the fossil is an early type of baleen whale. This type includes the humpback whales, minke whales and the blue whales. The term baleen refers to the comb like plates in their mouth that allows them to filter their food. The only difference is, this ancestor doesn’t even have a baleen.

Erich Fitzgerald of Monash University in Australia says that this whale was actually rather small, measuring only 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in) in length. He speculates that their food of choice were probably sharks, large fish, or other whales.The fossil was found south-eastern Australia near a town called Jan Juc, earning the fossil the name of Janjucetus (formally known as Janjucetus Hunden). Discovered in 1990 by a teenage surfer, it sat unstudied until Fitzgerald, a graduate researcher saw it on the desk of PhD student.

A Shower of Stars

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There is a saying that when you see a falling star you should make a wish and it will come true. If there is truth to this saying then you’ll want to find a good spot to watch the skies in the early morning of August 12-13 to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower. There’ll be hundreds of stars for you tochoose from then, if you can just find a good spot to see them.

The meteor shower is caused by earth intersecting the debris left by comets as it revolves around the sun. As they burn up in our atmosphere, we below see shooting stars, as they are sometimes fondly called.

Unfortunately for us the full moon was on August 9th which means it will still be very bright at the peak of the meteor shower which will be on the 12th. This means that the light of the moon will outshine most of the shower except for a few but it is still worth watching.

You don’t need to bring much to enjoy the show. You just need to find a nice dark area of the sky where you can clearly see the constellation Perseus which marks the area where the shower will be coming from. Bring with you some comfortable material to recline on, some bug spray and food and drinks. A blanket may come in handy if the night gets chilly. You should be able to see the shower with your naked eye but if you want to bring a telescope or binoculars feel free.

So take your family, go camping and enjoy the view. For some this may even be the moment you’ve been waiting for to propose. Hope you catch the show.

By Twos, Threes and Fours

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Can you imagine yourself part of a pair of twins? Can you imagine if almost all your friends were twins? Just imagine a gathering where all of you were part of triplets or quadruplets.If you can see it clearly then you must have been in Ohio this weekend, in this little town called Twinsburg where they were having their annual Twins Day Festival. This was definitely the place to be if you have a twin.

There were more than 3,500 twins, triplets and quadruplets taking part in the parade reports Chuck Bowen. They took part in the parade and had a great time meeting other miracles of nature. Not all the participants came from the United States either. There were twins present from as far as Japan and Australia.

Twins weren’t the only ones out in numbers that day. The scientists were present too. Harvard, Northwestern, San DIego and the University of california all had tents set up. This was after all a once in a year opportunity to find out more about multiple births from various aspects.

For the twins present though, it was just fun to be around others who understood what it is like to be peas in a pod. If romance should come along between two sets of twins who meet here, that would be great!

It is always great to meet others like you. So help spread the word. If you have friends who are twins, they need to mark their calendars now for next years Tiwns Day Festival. It is sure to be a lot of fun. Don’t forget to bring your twin!

Hurricane Katrina Unearths Ancient Village From The Time of Christ

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Hurricane Katrina admittedly was one of the worst natural disasters ever to have struck the Gulf Coast of the United States, but while builders worked to rebuild a major bridge damaged by the hurricane, they made quite a remarkable discovery.

This discovery was evidence of an ancient village, which possibly once thrived during the time of Christ. Archeologists believe that the reason the site was left uncovered for 2,000 years was owing to its somewhat bland appearance, which probably deceived early settlers into believing it was nothing but a rock formation. In more recent times, the area was hidden by large oak trees and smart beach houses, which were torn away during the hurricane.

Archeologists were thrilled to have discovered artifacts like spearheads and pottery, suggesting that as many as 400 ancient Indians (whose tribe is still unknown) could have lived in the village between 200 B.C. and 400 A.D. There is also reason to believe that there are several small pockets or vaults serving as burial areas within a mound, where senior members of the village, as well as their treasures are buried.

Right now, the dig is on private property, meaning that it is ?off limits? to outsiders. However, if any human remains are found, Federal law states that the ?sacred? discovery be returned to whatever Indian tribe may have occupied the village at that time.

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