The #fossil of an #extinct #dolphin species is uncovered by an intern researcher. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/01/fossil-extinct-dolphin-species123/

The fossil of a previously unknown river dolphin species have been unearthed by Smithsonian scientists, The Washington Post reports.

ISTHMINIA PANAMENSIS

Scientists were also unfamiliar with the genus of the species, which they have named Isthminia panamensis. All of the research’s findings can be read in the PeerJ journal. It is thought that the dolphin species lived six million years ago. The remarkable fossil was discovered by an intern researcher with the Smithsonian Institute on the coast of Piña, Panama.

WHAT SCIENTISTS ARE HOPING TO LEARN FROM THE FOSSIL

According to scientists, the ancient species also had much in common with modern river dolphins. All of the four modern species of river dolphins are going extinct or are completely extinct. However, as UPI pointed out, the new fossil indicates that there used to be myriad river dolphin species in many places throughout the world.

But despite similar features to the river dolphins, Isthminia panamensis lived in the ocean. For this reason, researchers think that studying the newly discovered species could shed some light on why most dolphins abandoned fresh water for salt water.

“While whales and dolphins long ago evolved from terrestrial ancestors to fully marine mammals, river dolphins represent a reverse movement by returning inland to freshwater ecosystems,” Aaron O’Dea, one of the study’s researchers, said in a Smithsonian Institute news release. “As such, fossil specimens may tell stories not just of the evolution [of] these aquatic animals, but also of the changing geographies and ecosystems of the past.”

THE SMITHSONIAN’S STUNNING 3-D DISPLAY OF THE FOSSIL

Though the fossil’s fragility prevented it from being casted and molded, the Smithsonian scientists worked with the organization’s Digitization Program Office to create another way of displaying it. A high-resolution 3-D image of the shoulder blade, skull and jaw of Isthminia panamensis can be viewed and on the Smithsonian X 3D website.

MUSEUMS DISPLAYING THE DISCOVERY

A 3-D print of the fossil is on display at the BioMuseo in Panama and the fossil itself is currently viewable at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.

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The extinct dolphin species shows us how much we have yet to learn about the nature that surrounds us:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD63kwQuZ2I

Scientists Find Extinct Dolphin Species Fossil

%A new study that has raised concerns unveils that Sumatran #rhinos have become extinct in #Malaysian jungles.% - http://clapway.com/2015/08/22/rhinos-extinct-malaysia-099/

A new study that has raised concerns unveils that Sumatran rhinos have become extinct in Malaysian jungles. With less than one hundred rhinos present in the Indonesian wildlife and only nine in captivity, their future does not seem that bright, researchers say.

WHAT CAUSED THE SUMATRAN RHINOS’ EXTINCTION?

Scientists reported that the extinction is primarily caused by consistent poaching of rhinos, destruction of natural habitat, and inability of the animals to reproduce within a closely-knit herd. The only rhinos left in the wild are in Indonesia’s Kalimantan and Sumatra. Despite the decades of conservation efforts, the numbers are low and continue to decline.

Related Post: Why Woolly Mammoths Really Went Extinct

According to their study, the separate populations amidst which Indonesian rhinos spread currently number at three and the one of them has experienced a considerable fall in its extent.

“It is vital for the survival of the species that all remaining Sumatran rhinos are viewed as a metapopulation, meaning that all are managed in a single program across national and global borders in order to maximise overall birth rate,” lead author of the study and PhD student, Rasmus Gren Havmøller says. “This includes the individuals now held in captivity.”

PROTECTIVE MEASURES

Researchers have already suggested the creation of ‘management zones’, in which rhinos will be free to move under protection. In April 2013, at the Sumatran Rhino Crisis Summit in Singapore, these ‘management zones’ were proposed as one of the must-do strategies, but this conservation is awaiting political assent.

The researchers note that rhinos are thretened by poachers, who seek out their horns to meet the demand of the Asian black market. As Havmøller said this means that some kind of intervention is needed more than ever because “all known wild and captive populations are in an extinction vortex.”

NEED OF SERIOUS EFFORTS BY THE GOVERNMENT

Since 1984, 45 Sumatran rhinos were taken into the wild, but as of yet only four Sumatran rhinoceroses were born in captivity. Five of the captive rhinos live in Indonesia’s Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, while three more reside in a facility in Malaysia’s Sabah State.

Researchers claim that the government of Indonesia must bolster rhino protection by using measures like Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ), habitat management, captive breeding and an intensive survey of the currently known habitats.

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EVADE EXTINCTION WITH HIDRATEME

Sumatran Rhinos Extinct from Malaysia

Prehistoric Saber-Tooth Cats Grew Their Teeth Long and Fast - http://clapway.com/2015/07/02/prehistoric-saber-tooth-cats-grew-their-teeth-long-and-fast543/

According to recent findings, the fierce teeth of the saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis grew long and sharp but not so early, with the permanent upper canines reaching full development at around 3 years. Paleontologists believe the techniques applied may be useful in understanding the growth rate and development of other extinct species.

Saber-toothed Fossil Analysis Shows Fast Growth, Long Development

The saber-toothed cat is known for its long, sharp canines that grew to be about 7 inches long (18 centimeters). However, a recent study shows that those fierce teeth only fully developed after three years, which is notably later than modern cats. However, what’s truly remarkable is that the saber-tooth’s teeth grew an estimated 6 millimeters a month. In comparison to modern cats, including African lions, this was a growth rate that was twice as fast.

Researchers used a novel technique that was a combination of isotopic analysis and x-ray imaging. With the new approach, they became the first to reveal the specific developmental ages of Smilodon with particular regard to the cat’s notable teeth.

The paper was published in the journal PLOS ONE co-authored by Z. Jack Tseng from the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Paleontology and Robert Feranec of the New York State Museum.

The Science Behind Giving Saber-Tooth Development Ages

About 10,000 years ago, the saber-tooth cats of S. fatalis that lived in North and South America went extinct, though they live on in the general public’s memory for their massive teeth. However, little else was known about when exactly the animals grew such exaggerated chompers even though researchers had access to several well-preserved S. fatalis fossils.

Robert Feranec, co-author of the study pointed out the importance of understanding the growth of the saber-tooth’s trademark characteristic.

“Changes in the timing of life-history events can have major effects on an organism’s adult features and final appearance,” said Feranec, who is also New York State Museum’s curator of Pleistocene vertebrate paleontology.

In order to find out the timeline of the teeth, the researchers gathered specimens from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. They then applied the new combination technique of stable oxygen isotope analyses and micro-computed tomography. With help from Clemson University and the Neural Stem Cell Institute, the researchers were able to calculate the specific eruption rate of the saber teeth.

Previous research on these cats only gave relative dates, but this special technique was able to accurately date the distinct developmental ages. The research can now be applied to other extinct species as well.

The importance of their saber teeth and Other Saber-tooth Cat Facts

When a prehistoric animal such as the saber-toothed cat lives in a rough age of predator versus prey, the time it takes for the cat to develop its teeth is quite important. As their main weapon against predators and one of their only tools to tear open prey, the saber-tooth’s teeth were vital.

Like other mammals, the saber-tooth cat had two sets of teeth similar to humans where the first set of “baby” teeth grow in and subsequently fall out to make room for the second set or permanent teeth. For the saber-tooth, the first set stopped erupting at about one-and-a-half years, when the cub was still a small creature. Then about 11 months after the first set stopped growing, the second set would squeeze in with the first set.

The researchers noted that even though the first set were not the permanent, more lethal teeth, the saber-toothed cubs had jaw muscles that were already fully developed, enabling them to hunt prey with what we would consider their baby teeth. After nearly 2 years, those baby teeth would fall out while the permanent ones continued growing for the next year to year-and-a-half.

During this time, the cubs would have been extremely vulnerable to the many predators that awaited a tasty cub sandwich. Researchers theorized that during the time it took for the full emergence of permanent teeth, the adults likely took care of the cubs by hunting for their food.

New techniques can help research other extinct animals’ development

With this recent, cutting-edge technique used to research the saber-tooth cats, other extinct animals now have a greater chance of having the secrets of their development revealed too.

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Prehistoric Saber-Tooth Cats Grew Their Teeth Long and Fast