Psittacosaurus to create a model which challenges everything you thought you knew about the typical dinosaur. Research led by Dr Jakob Vinther of the University of Bristol and published in a paper in the journal Current Biology showed that a Psittacosaurus — nicknamed a "parrot-lizard" — is about the size of a turkey, has bristles on its tail and a birdlike beak. In other words, a bit weird, but also pretty cute. It's also quite likely that the animal had feathers and a horn on each cheek, the experts say. Quite aptly, Psittacosaurus belongs to the group ceratopsians, which basically means "horned faces" in Greek. It's the same group that contains Triceratops. The scientists say Psittacosaurus would have lived in what is now China roughly 100-123 million years ago in what may have been a forested region, where several other feathered dinosaur fossils have also been found. The model that brought Psittacosaurus to life Some limited information could be gathered about the colouring of Psittacosaurus from preserved melanin patterns inside the fossil, but to get a more accurate glimpse, the team asked paleoartist Bob Nicholls to create a real size 3D model of the animal. Vinther said that the dark colouring and light belly of Psittacosaurus indicates that it probably lives in forests with dappled lighting, where it could blend into its surroundings and hide from predators. "The fossil preserves clear countershading, which has been shown to function by counter-illuminating shadows on a body, thus making an animal appear optically flat to the eye of the beholder," he said. "We were amazed to see how well these color patterns actually worked to camouflage this little dinosaur." Dinosaurs were probably feathery, not scaled like in Jurassic Park. Vinther’s research with pigmentation began while he was at Yale University, where his studies revealed that structures previously believed to be dead bacteria were actually things called melanosomes; small structures that carry melanin pigments, which are found in skin and feathers. There have been growing theories over the past few decades that dinosaurs were probably more bird-like than lizard. In 1964, Yale Professor John Ostrom discovered a fossil called Deinonychus and hypothesised that it might be warm-blooded and covered in feathers. Several years later, paleontologist Robert Bakker described the famous T-rex as "the 20,000 pound roadrunner from Hell." Since 1983 hundreds of feathered fossils have been found around the world, but mostly in China. Each new fossil finding provides clues about previously discovered ones, and brings up new questions about whether dinosaurs were scaled at all. For example, new ideas about where feathers could have been attached on arm bones of theropods such as velociraptors. The researchers now want to explore more types of fossils to further understand how other species might have been pigmented to be able to camouflage themselves.
Psittacosaurus lived about 100 million years ago.
The turkey-sized Psittacosaurus in the Bristol Botanic Garden.
The Chinese fossil was preserved with skin and pigments intact.
Tampa, Florida - It's a fat, furry caterpillar that is popping up in trees across Florida, and it's known as the "puss caterpillar," or Megalopyge opercularis. Its fur is actually covered in venom. Doctors from the University of Florida say the second you touch this caterpillar you feel instant, intense pain, which Holly Nokes can attest to. "Had one land on my camera strap last year," Nokes told FOX 13. "Burning-stinging-on-fire pain within a second of coming in contact with it. No itching just nonstop, excruciating pain. Six hours after, experienced chest pain, too," said Nokes, which led her to the emergency room. Nokes shared a photo with FOX 13 that was taken on September 14 of the caterpillar at Lettuce Lake Park. Doctors say the pain is worse than a bee, jellyfish, or scorpion, and it can also cause vomiting and convulsions. They say be aware of them while working outdoors because they are known to fall out of trees, which Nokes says is what happened to her.
Bengaluru, India – A woman turned into social media’s newest rage after she turned down a marriage proposal because the prospective groom had a disliking for dogs. Soon after Karishma Walia posted her final WhatsApp conversation with her suitor on Facebook, it went viral and created a buzz on social media. Originally from Bengaluru, Karishma currently works with Delloitte India in Gurgaon. “It was an arranged marriage set-up. This guy was good to talk to, well-to-do and pretty good looking, but when I told him that I wanted to bring my dog with me after marriage, he wasn't keen on it,” Karishma Walia was quoted by Times of India as saying. When Karishma told her suitor about her desire and love for her dog, he texted, “I dont’t want a dog to come in my love life and not share the same bed... That’s for sure... And my mom doesn’t like dogs in general.” Karishma, a passionate animal lover, did not think twice before clearly indicating how much Lucy, her dog meant for her. Incidentally, Lucy even shares her surname – Walia. The prospective groom tried to convince Karishma suggesting that her love for the pet could be a temporary phase. Karishma did not take too kindly to it texted back, saying, “Having a dog is definitely not a temporary phase. I can't abandon my dog for anyone.” Annoyed with her reply, her suitor texted: “I am sorry to say this. But please marry the dog in that case.” “He couldn't digest the fact that a dog can be someone's priority. I am OK with not marrying, but I am not OK with abandoning my dog,” said Karishma. While people are lauding her for taking a stand for her loving pet, Karishma’s parents told her that they still think that her decision was wrong and that the guy was an excellent match for her. Karishma’s Facebook profile and her posts clearly show her love for dogs. Her profile bio reads, “For my dog, I am the only one. And that’s all that matters.”
The backyard chicken trend that has taken hold of America has a lot going for it, occasional neighborly disputes notwithstanding. The eggs are fresh, it’s clear where they came from, and raising fowl is educational for children. But it’s also causing an “emerging public health trend” in the form of increasing salmonella outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. It doesn’t help that, according to the available data, a not-insignificant share of poultry-keepers kiss their chickens and allow them into the living room. These head-scratching findings are among the “high-risk practices” occurring as what once were production animals “are increasingly being considered household pets,” a new CDC study said. Salmonella infections can make people very ill and, in rare cases, cause death. They originate with bacteria that hang out in animal intestines, enter the world via their feces and are usually transmitted to people through contaminated water or food. But recent outbreaks in the United States have implicated contact with live poultry as a growing source, and healthy chickens are known to shed salmonella bacteria, so the CDC scoured various databases and studies to determine the role of all those crafty coops in the problem. Here are some of the basic findings:
From 1990 to 2014, there were 53 “live poultry associated salmonella” outbreaks that sickened 2,630 people, hospitalized 387 and killed five.
About one outbreak occurred each year from 1990 to 2005.
That rose to about four outbreaks a year from 2005 to 2014.
About 6 in 10 patients said they’d been exposed to baby poultry, and 74 percent said that exposure happened at home.
And here are some of the more surprising figures. Of those exposed to baby poultry, these are the percentages of patients who reported:
Snuggling baby birds: 49
Kissing baby birds: 13
Nearly half — 46 percent — of patients said they allowed live poultry in the house. Of those, these are the percentages who kept fowl:
In the living room: 22
In the kitchen: 12
In the bedroom: 10
In the bathroom: 10
No word, unfortunately, on whether cuddling and kissing took place in the bedroom. About half of those who took the “mi casa es su casa” approach to their chickens reported having owned their birds for a year or less, the study said, which suggests inexperience might have something to do with their unfamiliarity with “appropriate husbandry practices” (though a slightly greater percentage said they knew about the link between poultry and salmonella). The authors of the study also surmised that some people might bring chicks inside in the winter out of fear their fluff will not stand up to the cold. But the authors were also categorical in their opposition to this practice: “Poultry should never be allowed inside the house,” they wrote. They stopped far short of warning people off keeping backyard flocks. All in all, the study concluded, poultry owners, especially children, who most often get salmonella, need to regularly wash their hands and be aware that even robust-looking birds can shed salmonella. And health-care workers, veterinarians, pediatricians, hatcheries, feed stores and other key players in this field need to spread the words about the risk.
2 Chainz, meet kittens. Kittens, meet 2 Chainz. The "I'm Different" rapper has been busy exploring the finer things in life for GQ's Most Expensive Sh*t series, giving everything from $48,000 sunglasses to diamond-infused vodka a spin. Next up on his lavish list? Meeting some of the world's most expensive cats, of course. There are several important takeaways in this video, chief among them that 1.) 2 Chainz can't whistle and 2.) an exotic serval kitten goes for a cool $15,000. If you're in the market to drop as much money on a cat as, say, a semester of college tuition, this one's for you.
As ISAR’s many supporters know, addressing the scourge of dog and cat overpopulation is one of our major programs. We have been fighting that problem for decades, and although ISAR and other organizations have been making some progress—mandatory spay/neuter, prohibitions on retail sales, crackdowns on puppy mills—still the cycle of birth-suffering-death goes on unabated: too many shelters do an incompetent job of obtaining adoptions; spay/neuter programs, if they exist at all, are ridden with exemptions; dogs and cats continue to breed (and be bred!). And as they multiply endlessly, the dead bodies of their predecessors go up in smoke, literally. It has been estimated that at least 70,000 puppies and kitties are born in the United States every day. Many are born into households whose members cannot provide for them, or mistakenly believe they can but later learn otherwise and relinquish the animals. For decades most shelters have been at capacity, with routine ever-ending euthanasia the rule rather than the exception. Indeed, the Humane Society of the United States has reported that between six and eight million dogs and cats enter shelters each year, and over half of them are euthanized. To read more on this story, click here: Dog and Cat Overpopulation
It’s really sad that animals, particularly domesticated animals trust and rely on people, and are often the victims of abuse and exploitation with heartbreaking frequency. Horses, for example, are some of the most beautiful and majestic animals around, but because they are large, useful, and expensive to keep, they are often pushed to work harder than they should, or neglected, as we saw with sweet Flora until she was finally rescued. Among the most controversial horse-keeping practices is the long-standing tradition of using horses for carriage rides in big cities, particularly New York City. Recently, shocking images have emerged showcasing why it’s time to comfortably retire NYC carriage horses once and for all. Carriage horses are a long-standing New York City tradition dating back over a century. Many big cities maintain horse-and-buggy scenic rides as a novelty for tourists visiting the city — in this case, New York’s Central Park. Of course, not all traditions are worth maintaining, especially when the health of innocent animals may be at stake. The matter of horse-drawn carriages has long been fraught for New Yorkers and visitors to the city. There have been countless allegations of abuse by the carriage drivers, and new regulations have been put in place by the ASPCA to protect the horses. Unfortunately, many of these rules are hard to enforce beyond occasional spot checks. In the meantime, two photos have emerged that showcase exactly why it’s so urgent that we end this practice as quickly as possible. Over Labor Day weekend, a Long Island man named Bogdan Paul Angheluta was leaving a nightclub at 2:00 a.m. As he walked out, he asserts that he witnessed a driver encourage his horse to move quickly to make it through a green traffic light before it changed. The horse, unable to keep up with the pace, collapsed on his side. A veterinary investigation and a statement from the New York carriage industry say that the horse, a 14-year-old named Norman, simply tripped. The spokesperson, Christina Hansen, characterized the horse as “kind of a klutz.” Meanwhile, the witness who snapped the photos, Angheluta, remains concerned about the animal’s welfare. Angheluta says that Norman lay on his side for 20 minutes before he was able to get up, and required the assistance of a group of men from his stables, the Clinton Park Stables. Angheluta stayed with the horse throughout the experience, and sent his pictures to NYCLASS, an animal welfare organization, which in turn contacted the NYPD. Norman is now just fine, despite his scare, but activists are concerned about what could have happened. Investigations concluded that Norman tripped, but Angheluta and the folks at NYCLASS don’t buy it. NYCLASS has released an official statement condemning the incident and calling upon Mayor Bill de Blasio to enact legislation ending the practice. If you’re interested in learning more about ending carriage rides or donating to the cause, check out the NYCLASS website, where you can also sign their petition to end the practice. For those in the greater New York area, there will also be a protest in front of Gracie Mansion this Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
Horses like Norman deserve an open pasture and plenty of oats from here on out.
Garmin, the company known for GPS devices that help drivers navigate and runners record their mileage, released a new product for dog owners last week. The Delta Smart, a small, smartphone-compatible contraption that slips onto a collar, can help keep pooches fit by tracking the time they spend active or sedentary. But the product’s primary selling point, according to Garmin, is its ability to “reduce or eliminate unwanted behaviors” and make your dog a “more enjoyable member of the family.” How? By either beeping, vibrating or issuing “static” at one of 10 levels when a dog does something its owners don’t want it to do, including barking. In other words, it can function as what’s more commonly known as a shock collar, and it can work remotely.
“Dogs aren’t born with manners,” Garmin declared in a video posted Thursday to its Facebook page. In it, the company calls out some familiar canine offenders that the product purports to help: the blinds shredder, the trash can tipper and the moccasin dismantler, among others. The video was clever, and it featured very cute canines. But many dog lovers were not amused. As of Tuesday afternoon, the video had nearly 2,800 comments, the most popular of which collectively amounted to a flood of condemnation. “As a veterinarian, I would NEVER recommend a product like this,” a Facebook user named Ella Richardson wrote in a comment that won more than 2,400 likes. “It is aversive, and these sorts of training techniques have long ago been scientifically proven to be far less effective than reward-based training, and far more damaging to your dog’s general well-being. Shame on you Garmin for trying to make outdated training seem modern and innovative.” “Great idea, Garmin! Let’s electrocute the kids while we’re at it, too!” wrote Jill Botti. “Save some money on a babysitter and raising them ourselves, ain’t nobody got time for that, amirite??” That got nearly 300 likes. An online petition launched Friday by a Virginia woman, Tracy Krulik (who has written for The Washington Post), had nearly 5,000 signatures by Tuesday. It called on Garmin to remove the product’s “electric shock feature.” It’s not the first time passions have flared over these kinds of gadgets, which are also known as e-collars. The devices are banned in some European nations, and countries including Canada and Scotland have considered prohibitions. They’re opposed by some researchers, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and other national organizations, and by many trainers, who dismiss them as unhelpfully punitive and stressful for dogs. “An issue with punishment as a training method, which includes shock collars, pinch collars, choke collars and even verbal reprimands, is that you aren’t really telling the dogs what to do,” said John Ciribassi, AVSAB president, told the Post earlier this year. But they also have vociferous backers, who say that they’re humane and effective when used correctly. James Hamm, who bills himself as the “Lone Star Dog Trainer,”he helped tested the Delta Smart. “Depending upon the sensitivity of the dog, you can use tone, you can use vibration or stimulation,” Hamm, who is shown using Garmin training collars in videos on the company’s website, said Tuesday. “Once the dog understands it, the system comes off the dog. It’s just a training tool. It’s not a forever tool. It’s not a punishment tool.” Yes, that’s right: Garmin makes training collars, plural. As some who stood up for the company on Facebook pointed out, the Delta Smart isn’t the first dog behavior device released by the company, which also makes products called Bark Limiters. It’s just the first to stir up such a storm. “It did come as a bit of a surprise, because we’ve been selling these products for quite some time,” said Ted Gartner, a Garmin spokesman. “These sorts of tools have really, really been able to save the relationship between a dog and a family. That’s what we’re all about.”
