earthstory reblogged
Sometimes, Ratthew likes to live dangerously
earthstory reblogged
Go back this cutie because I want my love, the Dimetrodon. Go! GO! #geologist #geology #paleontology
Come let’s do this!!!
Here, I’ll settle your doubts. If you get the $16 pledge and add $10 or more, not only will you get Tiktaalik but you’ll get the Dimetrodon. It’s a two for one deal!
The Kickstarter only has $3700 left to go till the Dimetrodon! LET’s GO!
Rough prototype - Dimetrodon
In my opinion, this is the best Kickstarter ever. No matter what, you get Tiktaalik because we already met the main pledge goal. Tiktaalik was found by made by Dr. Edward B. Daeschler of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Dr. Neil H. Shubin from the University of Chicago, and Harvard University Professor, Dr. Farish A. Jenkins, Jr in 2004.
Tiktaalik is a type of lobe-finned fish - a group of fish with specialized articulated fins. These fins eventually evolved into the first legs. Tiktaalik is especially important because it shares a whole bunch of anatomical features with both fish and amphibians, and its skeletal structure marks it as the earliest known fish that was able to lift its body out of the water. This makes it an important transitional fossil - a find that teaches us about how and when a major evolutionary change happened.
From the Paleontological Research Institution’s Tiktaalik Kickstarter page
Here is Dr. Neil Shubin talking about the discovery in his latest PBS TV series Your Inner Fish:
When the $22,000 is reached (we are currently at $18,384), we will get Dimetrodon!
(with you pledge of $26+)
Now, Dimetrodon is my FAVORITE! I love the “mammal-like reptiles” of the Permian. To me, he is also an important transition fossil. Dimetrodon was a quadrupedal, sail-backed synapsid. All mammals are synapsid. Dimetrodon is often considered a “mammal-like reptile.” In fact, it’s more closely related to mammals than a reptile and one of the reasons is because of its ear and jaw bones. Dr. Neil Shubin also discussed our inner reptile in “Your Inner Reptile
The evolution of mammalian auditory ossicles was a big evolutionary gain for the tiny early mammals that survived the Permian Extinction.
Anyways… go fund the Kickstarter to get your own awesome Paleozoic Pals!
A teddy bear success story
In 1902, president Teddy Roosevelt was on a hunting trip in Mississippi. His search for bears to shoot had been fruitless for the first two days. On the third, his assistants found one and had the dogs chase it down. Once it had been sufficiently injured, it was tied to a tree for the president to shoot. However, Roosevelt decided not to shoot the bear, instead ordering that it should be put down to end its suffering. The story of this incident circulated far and wide, and even inspired the creation of stuffed animals. These were the first teddy bears.
For all the affection these stuffed specimens gained from children (and adults) worldwide, the species upon which they’re based has suffered. In 1992, the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus lutelous) - a subspecies of the American black bear and the official state mascot of Louisiana - was listed as endangered, and it was thought that there were only 150 wild individuals left. Humans were the main culprits in their decline, by means of habitat destruction and overhunting.
Since then, intensive conservation efforts have allowed the species to recover and the breeding populations to expand, resulting in their removal from the endangered list last Thursday. Officials estimate that between 500 to 750 individuals now roam the forests of Louisiana and Mississippi, and they show no sign of slowing down any time soon.
VP
References: http://bit.ly/1MaedQX Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (http://bit.ly/1RCE9Xd)
Source: facebook.com