Paleontological Audio Technology
In very recent years the advances in science and technology we have made have been incredible; from cloning sheep and human tissue to almost completing the human genome, the scientific community has taken great steps with the help of technology. One such area in this community is the study of geology. Computers aid geologists in determining the best places to drill for oil and natural gas, along with trying to determine mineral deposits and the compositions of rocks. Now, computers have the capacity to infer information from limited data collected in the field. Now, in the paleontological sense, we have the technology to simulate the sounds that prehistoric creatures might have produced so long ago.
In August 1995 Thomas E. Williamson and his crew discovered a fossil that makes computer simulation of ancient dinosaur sounds possible. Since then, there has been increased excitement throughout the geologic community and with those infatuated with dinosaurs. Two years later on December 5th the ancient sounds of a long extinct dinosaur could be heard throughout the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Later this excitement spilled over into the entertainment industry when Steven Spielberg came out with “Jurassic Park III” which showed this experimentation.
The fossil found was the most complete skull of a duck billed dinosaur called “Parasaurolophus” meaning the “trombone dinosaur”. The hollow crest atop the skull is what scientist believed produced a sort of mating call or warning sound. Before computer technology there were many different views offered as to what was the purpose, if any, of this large hollow crest. Some believed it could have been a way to shed heat like an internal radiator or aid in the recognizing of those in its own pack or even just to warn others away. Others were just not sure what to think.
Paleontologists had noticed the passageways inside the crest but had no way of knowing how intricate these tubes and chambers were until computers were used to scan the insides of the crest and differentiate between what was actual fossil and what was clay and sandstone. Computer Scientist Carl Diegert used a CT Scan (Computer Tomography, i.e.; CAT Scan) and scanned the skull at intervals of 3mm to produce 350 cross sections.
Dinosaur fossils are one of the few ways in which scientists can study the history of life on earth millions of years ago. Each new discovery is unique in its own way and provides valuable information about the past. No two finds are exactly identical; therefore, when dinosaur remains are uncovered, the possibility and excitement of new information or even a new species exists. Until the year 2000, no dinosaur has ever been found with a fossilized heart. Scientists at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences discovered a sixty-six million year old Thescelosaurus with a heart.
The idea of cloning dinosaurs and other prehistoric life became popularized by the 1992 film Jurassic Park (based on Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel). Though it may have sparked new interest into the field of paleontology, it did so with deceiving inaccuracies. However, the technical fallacies of the actual dinosaurs are somewhat forgivable as it added to the film’s dramatic appeal. Velociraptor, as depicted in the film, was about the size of a grown man. In reality, velociraptor came to about the kneecap. Furthermore, velociraptor would more likely have been covered in feathers rather than the lizard-like skin portrayed in the movie. One scene shows velociraptor fogging the window of a door. This is an endothermic or warm blooded trait as it implies the dromaeosaurid’s body temperature is above the temperature of his environment. There is also no evidence of dilophosaurus bearing a neck frill, and brachiosaurus did not have the ability to chew his food in a circular motion (iguanodon was the first dinosaur to develop this technique by acquiring back molars to allow for equine or bovine-like chewing). Fortunately, tyrannosaurus remained very close to his biological authenticity, with the only paleobiological errors stemming from a lack in computer animation such as rudimentary ball and joint programs. However, the erroneous nature of the deoxyribonucle...
Dinosaurs are often compared to and resemble modern day reptiles. Scientists will study how these modern day reptiles behave, look, act, and move to draw conclusions on how the dinosaurs would behave, look, act, and move. They also look at the intern make-up of the modern reptiles to predict how the dinosaurs internal make up would be. However, a recent discovery in South Dakota is stirring up some controversy (Hesman). While Mike Hammer was walking around a ranch in South Dakota he stumbled across a “big-eyed” dinosaur that he now refers to as Willo. The thing that caught his eye was the chest cavity of the dinosaur, upon further investigation he found a rock that was preserved in the curve of the dinosaur’s ribs, he was convinced that this rock was once a heart. Hammer then went on to take the dinosaur fossil in for a medical X-ray scan, this X-ray showed evidence that could change how we think about dinosaurs.
“66 Million–Year–Old Dino With A Heart.” Media Kit 17 April 2000. North Carolina University. 2000 <http://www.dinoheart.org/mediakit/index.html>.
Andrea Fildani and Michael Shultz, graduate students in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, uncovered the bones of an Ichthyosaur near the southernmost tip of Chilean Patagonia. These rock layers were initially deposited at the floor of an ocean more than 100 million years ago. In their findings of the Chilean boulder, they were fortunate enough to find 17 vertebrae along with neural arches that encircle the spinal cord as well as some ribs. Paleontologists firmly agreed with Fildani’s notion that the bones had been 8 to 9 feet long and had existed around 140 million years ago (Mason 1).
This idea was reinforced when a Diplodocus (a type of sauropod that lived in the late Jurassic) skull was found in 1884 that contained a large hole in the top of the head. Scientists believed that this hole contained the entire nostril (Witmer 2001; ). This positioning of the nostrils was used for many other models of dinosaurs as well, but when it was discovered that...
Once believed to be no more than random utterances made involuntarily, scientists now know that these sounds are a part of a complex linguistic system that primates make deliberately. In order to make sense of these sounds, primatologists first cataloged a group’s vocal repertoire before determining the circumstances under which those sounds were made. While primate voices are distinct, individuals produce comparable calls within types. However, simply ascertaining the context does not necessarily prove its purpose. To achieve a greater understanding, researchers recorded different calls and then, using speakers, played where a group could hear and studied the various responses (Larsen,
Jurassic Park is a fantastic movie for its life-like re-creation of dinosaurs and its outstanding use of computer generated images and sounds. From the first scene where dinosaurs enter the frame to the last, they bring a level of excitement to the screen like only the mighty T-Rex does. Industrial Light and Magic and Stan Winston’s
Rarely do attacks occur that aren’t provoked by intruding upon territory or threatening the animal itself, but even if is unprovoked, it’s due to confusion of humans with another animal that they commonly hunt. Sharks do not deliberately seek to consume humans, as they are not a part of their diet.
Sharks and humans have interacted with each other for many centuries. Great stories have come from these interactions; in these stories, sharks are usually portrayed as the antagonist. However, in all of actuality, humans are the antagonists. We are lead to believe that sharks are highly dangerous, but humans pose more of a threat to sharks than sharks do to humans. In the asian culture, sharks are finned to make shark fin soup and then they are thrown back into the ocean, alive, finless, and helpless. Shark finning should be banned globally, it is a cruel practice that is causing a decline in the shark population as well as a negative impact to their ecosystem. Recently, there have been organizations and laws that are trying to prevent this
Shark slaughter is a cruel and violent act, to say the least. Granted that there is economical profit to be had from shark finning, the massive loss incomparably outweighs the profit. Most, if not, all humans would not enjoy having their limbs cut off and being left to die. It is simply inhumane and brutal. However sharks are experiencing this very thing, and the fact that they cannot express or protect themselves, is leading to the death of hundreds of millions of innocent sharks annually. Odds are that as you are reading this, a shark was killed. While sharks may not be the most adorable animals on the planet, they certainly are living creatures, and they feel pain just like us.
In 2015 only 59 shark attacks have occurred around the world compared to the millions of sharks killed by humans every year. Due to these accidental shark attacks people tend to think that sharks, especially Great Whites are evil creatures with malice intentions when attacks do occur; but, on the contrary that is wrong. Sharks are not the only beautiful and unique creatures in the ocean, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem; however, due to human interference they might not be around much longer, through awareness sharks can be protected from endangerment.
Many species are endangered or at risk of becoming so due to this. Smaller sharks, such as the dogfish, have less issue of this due to the lack of fishing and industry they pose. Larger sharks are also often able to avoid population drops and fishing, simply due to the cost of catching one outweighing the benefits. The sharks that are hunted are common species such as great whites, tiger sharks, and other oceanic breeds that are easily found. When a shark is caught, it is either killed for its teeth and scales or for the purpose of finning. If the shark is finned, the pectoral, dorsal, and often caudal fins are removed and the shark, usually still alive, is thrown back into the water. Unable to swim and hunt, it soon dies.
“The Tell-Tale Heart is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest fictional short stories. It is known for its repulsive and insane homicide; a very wild and thrilling tale. Likewise, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s well-known novel, The Scarlet Letter, is famous for its directness on sexual conflict. Both writings possess similarities with regards to modified characters, connected symbolism, and significant midpoints. Due to these comparisons, it is quite certain that Hawthorne found inspiration in writing The Scarlet Letter after reading “The Tell Tale-Heart”.
Thesis: Sharks should be conserved because they are an important part of the ocean, attacks are often incidental, and human behavior influences the behavior of sharks.