(Press-News.org) Secrets from the age of the dinosaurs are usually revealed by fossilized bones, but a University of Alberta research team has turned up a treasure trove of Cretaceous feathers trapped in tree resin. The resin turned to resilient amber, preserving some 80 million-year-old protofeathers, possibly from non-avian dinosaurs, as well as plumage that is very similar to modern birds, including those that can swim under water.
U of A paleontology graduate student Ryan McKellar discovered a wide range of feathers among the vast amber collections at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in southern Alberta. This material stems from Canada's most famous amber deposit, near Grassy Lake in southwestern Alberta.
The discovery of the 11 feather specimens is described as the richest amber feather find from the late Cretaceous period. The amber preserves microscopic detail of the feathers and even their pigment or colour. McKellar describes the colours as typically ranging from brown to black.
No dinosaur or avian fossils were found in direct association with the amber feather specimens, but McKellar says comparison between the amber and fossilized feathers found in rock strongly suggest that some of the Grassy Lake specimens are from dinosaurs. The non-avian dinosaur evidence points to small theropods as the source of the feathers.
Some of the feather specimens with modern features are very similar to those of modern birds like the Grebe, which are able to swim underwater. The feathers can take on water giving the bird the ballast required to dive more effectively.
McKellar says the Grassy Lake find demonstrates that numerous evolutionary stages of feathers were present in the late Cretaceous period and that plumage served a range of functions in both dinosaurs and birds.
###The U of A team's research was published September 15, in the journal Science.
Tree resin captures evolution of feathers on dinosaurs and birds
2011-09-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
UF-led study: Invasive amphibians, reptiles in Florida outnumber world
2011-09-16
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida has the world's worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, and a new 20-year study led by a University of Florida researcher verifies the pet trade as the No. 1 cause of the species' introductions.
From 1863 through 2010, 137 non-native amphibian and reptile species were introduced to Florida, with about 25 percent of those traced to one animal importer. The findings appear online today in Zootaxa.
"Most people in Florida don't realize when they see an animal if it's native or non-native and unfortunately, quite a few of them don't belong ...
Many Government Agencies Provide Whistleblower Protections
2011-09-16
While whistleblowers are often respected for their willingness to stand up for what is right and report corporate or workplace corruption, they sometimes face tough consequences for their actions. However, federal legislation like the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) include provisions to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Some whistleblower activities are also safeguarded through Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) federal agency practices.
Under the 2002 Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX), covered ...
Common invasive test not necessary for kidney disease patients
2011-09-16
Washington, DC (September 15, 2011) — Equations that estimate a patient's kidney function work as well as direct, invasive measurements, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). This means that many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) do not need to undergo the painful and cumbersome procedures that are performed to monitor kidneys' health.
Measuring CKD patients' kidney function can help physicians anticipate complications and provide optimal treatments. Most measures focus on patients' glomerular ...
Put down that Xbox remote: FSU researcher suggests video games may not boost cognition
2011-09-16
Wouldn't it be nice if all those hours kids spent glued to their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo DS video games actually resulted in something tangible? Better grades, perhaps? Improved concentration? Superior driving skills?
Over the past decade, many studies and news media reports have suggested that action video games such as Medal of Honor or Unreal Tournament improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities. But in a paper published this week in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, Walter Boot, an assistant professor in Florida State University's Department ...
Are Kids on Medicaid Adequately Served by Medical Specialists?
2011-09-16
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that children covered by Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) were less likely to be seen by specialists than their wealthier peers.
Researchers prepared two scripts for participants to use when they called 546 specialist clinics in Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. In one script, the callers, posing as mothers of sick children, reported symptoms of depression. In the other script, the callers described symptoms of type one diabetes.
Although neither ...
Wisconsin Offers Debtors a Unique Form of Debt Relief: Chapter 128
2011-09-16
People facing mounting debt have a few options for managing their debt, including debt consolidation and filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Under Wisconsin law, debtors that reside in Wisconsin have an additional option: Chapter 128 debt amortization.
Chapter 128 is not bankruptcy; but it is similar to Chapter 13 bankruptcy in many ways. Chapter 128 allows debtors to consolidate their debts and pay them off over a three-year repayment period. Through Chapter 128, debtors are able to consolidate debts like medical bills, credit card bills, and missed rent ...
Arctic ground squirrels muscle up to hunker down
2011-09-16
When Arctic ground squirrels are getting ready to hibernate they don't just get fat – they pack on muscle at a rate that would make a bodybuilder jealous. And they do it without suffering the harmful effects that high levels of testosterone and other anabolic steroids usually cause. University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) researchers have started to untangle how the squirrels manage it, and their results could someday have implications for human health.
Arctic ground squirrels, it turns out, ramp up their anabolic steroid levels and keep them high not just during the ...
Smartphone battery life could dramatically improve with new invention
2011-09-16
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---A new "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other WiFi-enabled mobile devices could extend battery life by as much as 54 percent for users on the busiest networks.
University of Michigan computer science and engineering professor Kang Shin and doctoral student Xinyu Zhang will present their new power management approach Sept. 21 at the ACM International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking in Las Vegas. The approach is still in the proof-of-concept stage and is not yet commercially available.
Even when smartphones are in power-saving ...
No Fault Divorces in Georgia
2011-09-16
No fault divorces are becoming increasingly common in Georgia. Traditionally, a party seeking a divorce would have to establish some type of fault recognized by statute in order for a court to grant a divorce. Fault may also be considered in the distribution of property as well as in child custody awards. Under Georgia law, there are 12 fault-based grounds upon which spouses may seek a divorce, including:
- Marriage based on relationships prohibited by law
- Mental incapacity at the time of the marriage
- Impotency at the time of the marriage
- Force, duress or fraud ...
Science and science education critical for Haiti's future, says international team convened by AAAS
2011-09-16
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti-- Haiti and the global community should work together to build a robust science sector that can help the nation recover from last year's deadly earthquake, support future development, and improve the lives of Haiti's people, says a new AAAS report by Haitian and international scientists and educators.
The report, Science for Haiti, offers a set of strategic goals for increasing science capacity and urges collaboration between Haitian scientists, the international science community, donor and aid organizations, and other partners to achieve them. ...