PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Raptor tracker

UAlberta researchers hot on the trail of Velociraptor relative

2015-06-11
(Press-News.org) EDMONTON, Canada, June 11 -- In this summer's much anticipated blockbuster Jurassic World, actor Chris Pratt joins forces with a pack of swift and lethal velociraptors. 'Velociraptor belongs to a group of predatory dinosaurs called the deinonychosaurs, or simply the 'raptors',' says University of Alberta paleontologist Scott Persons. 'Raptors are characterized by particularly nasty feet. Their big toes each bore an enlarged and wickedly hooked talon, which makes raptors well suited for Hollywood fight scenes.'

Persons and University of Alberta alumnus Lida Xing are part of the research team that has just documented a rich fossil footprint site in central China, which contains the tracks of several kinds of dinosaurs, including raptors. From these tracks, the team has gained new insights into raptor locomotion. The raptor track research was published this month in the scientific journal PaleoWorld.

'The enlarged raptorial claw was a killing tool. To keep it sharp, raptors normally held it in a raised position,' Persons explains. 'That way, the claw stayed sharp. Otherwise, it would have become dulled as it dug into the ground when the dinosaur walked. Modern cats retract their claws while walking or running for the same purpose.'

This unique foot posture makes the tracks of raptors easy to identify. 'Most other carnivorous dinosaur tracks show three forward-pointing toes, like a bird. But a raptor footprint usually only records two complete toes and sometimes just the base of a third -- although we have discovered that there are exceptions,' Persons notes, referring to one of the study's new findings.

In a small percentage of the raptor tracks, an impression of the usually raised big-toe claw was found. The claw's thin edge left a long and narrow gouge that does not have the splay of a typical toe print. 'It's unclear why the raptors occasionally lowered their killing claws into the ground,' Persons says. 'One hypothesis is that, because the tracks were left in the soft mud of a lake shore, the raptors might have needed a little extra traction. So, although the hooked claw was primarily a weapon, it could also be deployed like a big cleat.'

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

UCLA-led NASA mission provides closest ever look at dwarf planet Ceres

2015-06-11
A NASA mission led by UCLA professor Christopher Russell has released new images of the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest asteroid between Mars and Jupiter. The photos were produced by the spacecraft Dawn, which is now observing Ceres from 2,700 miles above its surface; NASA has also produced a one-minute video animation that sheds new light on this mysterious and heavily cratered world. 'Everything we learn from Ceres will be absolutely new,' said Christopher Russell, a UCLA professor of space physics and planetary science, and the Dawn mission's principal investigator. ...

Milk proteins may protect against cardiovascular disease

2015-06-11
Philadelphia, June 11 -- The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that results in browned foods like seared steaks and toasted bread. When proteins and sugars are mixed together and heated, new chemical compounds are formed. Some are responsible for new flavors and some, according to a new study published in the Journal of Dairy Science®, may protect us against cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the R&D Center, Seoul Dairy Cooperative, the College of Life Science & Biotechnology, Korea University, and the BK21 Plus Graduate ...

Infants' superior perception linked to later autism symptoms

Infants superior perception linked to later autism symptoms
2015-06-11
People with autism are often described as "seeing the world differently." They tend to show superior perception for details, like, for example, the autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire's highly accurate representations of cityscapes drawn from memory. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 11 show that those differences in perceptual skill are present very early in infancy, before the onset of clinical symptoms of autism. The researchers say that the findings may shift scientists' view of autism by suggesting that changes in perception ...

Call for help to killer cells improves cancer rejection

2015-06-11
Sometimes it takes a long time to solve a puzzle: In 1893, German surgeon G. Reinbach discovered that tumor tissue is often infiltrated by special cells of the immune system called eosinophils. Ever since then, scientists have been trying to figure out if and how these cells, which are part of the innate immune system, are involved in cancer rejection. "There are many studies that link the presence of eosinophils in a tumor with an improved prognosis of the disease. However, even 120 years after Reinbach's discovery, it still remained elusive whether or not eosinophils ...

Hormone that differentiates sugar, diet sweeteners could exist in humans

2015-06-11
ANN ARBOR--We've all been there: We eat an entire sleeve of fat-free, low-calorie cookies and we're stuffing ourselves with more food 15 minutes later. One theory to explain this phenomenon is that artificial sweeteners don't contain the calories or energy that evolution has trained the brain to expect from sweet-tasting foods, so they don't fool the brain into satisfying hunger. However, until now, nobody understood how organisms distinguish between real sugar and artificial sweetener. Now, a researcher at the University of Michigan has discovered how the brain of ...

NYU wireless researchers call for reformed safety standards for wireless devices

2015-06-11
Millimeter-wave (mmWave) wireless technology promises to support high-bandwidth content at speeds exceeding 10 gigabits per second--a thousand times today's current mobile phone download speeds--but with that promise comes public concern about the health risks associated with utilizing the high-frequency radio waves in that spectrum. A multidisciplinary team of NYU researchers notes that unlike X-rays and gamma rays, which are called "ionizing radiation" and are known to cause genetic mutations due to their excessive energy levels, millimeter waves are "non-ionizing," ...

CWRU study finds dental implants result in better quality of life for osteoporotic women

2015-06-11
With age, postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are at greater risk of losing their teeth. But what treatment for tooth loss provides women with the highest degree of satisfaction in their work and social lives? A new study by Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researchers suggests dental implants may be the best route to take, according to Leena Palomo, associate professor of periodontics and corresponding author of "Dental Implant Supported Restorations Improve the Quality of Life in Osteoporotic Women." Their findings were reported in the ...

Researchers look at lower-cost alternative protein source for pig diets

2015-06-11
URBANA, Ill. - Threonine is an indispensable amino acid, which is often provided in supplement form in swine diets. With U.S. production of crystalline amino acids increasing, more co-products from amino acid production are becoming available, and these co-products can also be fed to pigs. Researchers at the University of Illinois are investigating a co-product of synthetic threonine as a lower-cost alternative protein source to fish meal. "To create synthetic threonine, you ferment a carbohydrate substrate using selected strains of bacteria, then extract the crystalline ...

Community acquired pneumonia increases long-term morbidity and mortality

2015-06-11
Having had community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) greatly increases the risk of long-term morbidity and mortality compared to the general population who have never had CAP, according to a new study from researchers in Canada, the longest and largest outcomes study of patients with CAP reported to date. "Although the short-term adverse health consequences of CAP are well known, the long-term effects of the disease are less clear," said Dean T. Eurich, PhD, MSc, BSP, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. "In our large population-based study of more than ...

Study affirms link between disjointed care and unnecessary medical procedures

2015-06-11
A "look back" study of Medicare fee-for-service claims for more than 1.2 million patients over age 65 has directly affirmed and quantified a long-suspected link between lower rates of coordinated health care services and higher rates of unnecessary medical tests and procedures. In a report on the study published online May 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine, a trio of Johns Hopkins researchers say they analyzed 5 percent of Medicare claims using a previously validated set of 19 over-used procedures and a measure of so-called continuity of care. Their results showed that 14.7 ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Women’s brain regions may lose ability to synchronize after sexual assault

Quitting smoking, even late in life, linked to slower cognitive decline

Critical raw materials are a vital new currency; Europe’s e-waste is the vault

Anesthesiologist-led care helps hip-fracture patients get to surgery faster, with fewer complications

Two-dose recombinant shingles vaccine is effective even accounting for prior receipt of live shingles vaccine

Excessive daytime sleepiness may raise risk of cognitive problems after surgery

Flipping the switch on sperm motility offers new hope for male infertility

Twisting sound: Scientists discover a new way to control mechanical vibrations in metamaterial

Drip by drip: The hidden blueprint for stalagmite growth

mRNA therapy restores sperm production and fertility in mice

New way to weaken cancer cells could supercharge prostate cancer treatment

How sound—but not touch—shapes rhythm in the brain

Exploring the therapeutic potential of hypothermia

Research alert: Bioengineering breathes new life into failed cancer treatment

AI, health, and health care today and tomorrow – the JAMA Summit Report on artificial intelligence

Large genetic study links cannabis use to psychiatric, cognitive and physical health

Social media use trajectories and cognitive performance in adolescents

Music for the brain: Study tests the effect of slow-tempo relaxing music to address delirium in critically ill older adults 

AI models predict sepsis in children, allow preemptive care

Liraglutide vs semaglutide vs dulaglutide in veterans with type 2 diabetes

Antenatal corticosteroids and infectious diseases throughout childhood

New lab-grown human embryo model produces blood cells

Life after near death: Research reveals how to improve support for near-death experiencers

Illinois Chat is launched for campus community

FAU receives $3M federal grant to prevent substance use in at-risk youth

New report shows action to improve gender equity linked to career gains and better business performance

Kiwis could help manage chronic constipation

Breast, lung, and bladder cancer phase 3 trials led by Dana-Farber presented at ESMO Congress 2025

New open-source software allows for efficient 3D printing with multiple materials

Decoding the secrets of ‘chemo brain’

[Press-News.org] Raptor tracker
UAlberta researchers hot on the trail of Velociraptor relative