Author: David.DeMar
Science. In this new paper D’Emic says the idea that dinosaurs were “mesotherms,” a term the older study authors coined to describe a dinosaur’s metabolism as somewhere between cold blooded and warm blooded, couldn’t be further from the truth. While D’Emic praised the original paper for gathering an “unprecedented” amount of information on metabolism and growth through the lens of living modern animals, he remarked that “upon re-analysis, it was apparent that dinosaurs weren’t just somewhat like living mammals in their physiology.” Instead, D’Emic says that the massive, extinct reptilian creatures “fit right within our understanding of what it means to be a ‘warm-blooded’ mammal.” D’Emic’s research methods included a close study of growth rings present in the bones of several fossilized skeletons. Similar to the rings present in trees that provide a way to determine their approximate age, these rings indicate changes in growth that could represent seasonal changes or periods of stress in a given specimen, D’Emic contends. The paleontologist criticized the original study authors for not taking these growth rings into account, especially in light of how modern species can undergo slowdowns or pauses in their growth as a result of stressful seasons that might be colder, more arid, or with less plentiful food sources than usual. The paleontologist also re-analyzed the initial study through the lens of comparison with living avian creatures. Living birds are considered to be the closest descendants of dinosaurs living today – one key similarity, D’Emic claims, is that they are both warm blooded creatures. “Separating what we commonly think of as ‘dinosaurs’ from birds in a statistical analysis is generally inappropriate,” according to the scientist, because birds are “just the dinosaurs that haven’t gone extinct.” A re-analysis of the data with dinosaurs as avian stand-ins provides additional support that dinosaurs weren’t mesotherms but truly warm blooded creatures, added D’Emic. The scientific community is understandably split on D’Emic’s new claims. Biologist John Grady, one of the authors of the original study D’Emic takes issue with, responded on behalf of his fellow researchers by stating that “We disagree with his central criticisms, and we emphasize that all of our original conclusions stand.” Grady disputed D’Emic’s hypothesis, remarking that “Comparing dinosaur growth with the observed growth rate of living vertebrates clearly shows that non-avian dinosaurs were mesotherms.” Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user: Peng ]]>
New Historian last week, archaeologists have speculated that some of the artefacts in the site may be of Greek origin. Now, another use has been found for some of the golden objects excavated from this dig. The two bucket-shaped cups were found upside-down and covered with intricate carvings on the outside that depicted creatures from mythology; on one, winged griffons are seen attacking both a stag and a horse while another carving showcases an older man engaged in combat with a larger group of younger warriors. The interior of both cups were coated with a black residue that proved to be a mix of opium and cannabis after it was analyzed by forensics experts. The chamber where the golden bongs were discovered had been cleverly concealed beneath a layer of clay and stored within a chamber lined with broad, flat stones. In the end, nearly seven pounds of golden artifacts were excavated including two neck rings, a finger ring, a bracelet, and a collection of three cups in addition to the two cannabis cups. While the site was initially uncovered in 2013, the decision was made to keep the discovery a secret in order to discourage looters. Archaeologists say that there was already evidence that the burial mound had been scoured by looters sometime in the indeterminate past, prompting the secrecy and initially leading them to believe that any valuable artifacts had long since vanished. The site itself is known as a kurgan, one of the few pieces of permanent construction left behind by the Scythians; the largely itinerant civilisation constructed these burial mounds across their territory, which stretched from the Black Sea in the west to as far as Mongolia to the east over the close to a thousand years that the nomadic people ruled the region. Andrei Belinski, the archaeologist that led the excavation team that took over following the discovery of the site, says that the historical value of the find is noteworthy, especially since the bongs are in such excellent condition and the carvings on the cannabis cups harbor such minute details. “I’ve never seen such a detailed representation of the clothing and weaponry of the Scythians,” the archaeologist remarked, adding that “it’s so detailed you can see how the clothing was sewn.” Hopes are high that the cups, and the remainder of the gold uncovered from the kurgan, will help shed additional light on Scythian culture. It has long been thought that the Scythians used cannabis and opium in ceremonial or religious rites. Herodotus, the Greek historian living in the fifth century BCE, described Scythians as smoking a type of plant that affected the cognition of Scythian warriors prior to entering battle. Archaeologists believe the two golden cups uncovered in the Caucasus were likely the possessions of a tribal chief. ]]>
