Category Archives: Science

The Paleobiogeography of Tiny Devonian Crustaceans – #365papers – 2017 – 29

#365papers for January 29, 2017

Song and Gong, 2017, Late Devonian global ostracod paleobiogeography: Lethaia, v. 50, p. 7-25.

What’s it about?

This paper summarizes what is known about the distribution of ostracods (small shelled crustaceans) during two stages of the Late Devonian, the Frasnian and the Famennian. The ostracods were used to define biogeographic units (regions) between which there was little communication.Continue reading “The Paleobiogeography of Tiny Devonian Crustaceans – #365papers – 2017 – 29”

Growing Up Andes – #365papers – 2017 – 28

#365papers for January 28, 2017

Quade, Dettinger, Carrapa, DeCelles, Murray, Huntington, Cartwright, Canavan, Gehrels, and Clementz, 2015, The growth of the central Andes, 22*S–26*S: GSA memoir 212, p

What’s it about?

This paper applies the method described in yesterday’s #365papers, along with other methods to explore the uplift history of the central Andes.Continue reading “Growing Up Andes – #365papers – 2017 – 28”

From Volcanic Glass We Can Estimate Ancient Elevation – #365papers – 2017 – 27

#365papers for January 27, 2017

Dettinger and Quade, 2015, Testing the analytical protocols and calibration of volcanic glass for the reconstruction of hydrogen isotopes in paleoprecipitation: GSA Memoir 212, p. 261-276.

What’s it about?

This paper discussed in detail the protocol necessary to get reliable hydrogen isotopic data from volcanic glass. The authors check many variations and possible ways to isolate and clean the glass to determine which is the best way to do it.Continue reading “From Volcanic Glass We Can Estimate Ancient Elevation – #365papers – 2017 – 27”

Code your Characters Carefully and Correctly – #365papers – 2017 – 26

#365papers for January 26, 2017

Fox, 2016, The status of Schowalteria clemensi, the Late Cretaceous taeniodont (Mammalia): Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 36, e1211666.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses the relationship of the Cretaceous taeniodont (a fossil mammal), Schowalteria clemensi, to other taeniodonts. In particular, this paper goes into detail about how one study got the relationship of this species to the others all wrong.Continue reading “Code your Characters Carefully and Correctly – #365papers – 2017 – 26”

Synaesthesia and Deafening Lights – #365papers – 2017 – 25

#365papers for January 25, 2017

Fassnidge, Marcotti and Freeman, 2017, A deafening flash! Visual interference of auditory signal detection: Consciousness and Cognition, v. 49, p. 15-24.

What’s it about?

This paper explores the nature of the form of synaesthesia where a person perceives sounds when presented with visual stimuli. Furthermore, it considers whether there is an adaptive advantage to this kind of synaesthesia.Continue reading “Synaesthesia and Deafening Lights – #365papers – 2017 – 25”

Correlating Cores to Jehol Dinosaur Localities – #365papers – 2017 – 24

#365papers for January 24, 2017

Wang, Olsen, Sha, Yao, Liao, Pan, Kinney, Zhang, and Rao, 2016, Stratigraphy, correlation, depositional environments, and cyclicity of the Early Cretaceous Yixian and ?Jurassic-Cretaceous Tuchengzi formations in the Sihetun area (NE China) based on three continuous cores: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, and Palaeoecology, v. 464, p. 110-133.

What’s it about?

This paper is about correlating rock units known from cores with surface outcrops full of important dinosaur fossils (the Jehol biota). Continue reading “Correlating Cores to Jehol Dinosaur Localities – #365papers – 2017 – 24”

What Causes Mass Extinctions? – #365papers – 2017 – 23

#365papers for January 23, 2017

Bond and Grasby, 2016, On the causes of mass extinctions: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses the linkage between Large Igneous Provences (LIPs) and mass extinction events. It also summarizes all of the known mass extinctions, including but not limited to the so-called “Big 5” extinctions.Continue reading “What Causes Mass Extinctions? – #365papers – 2017 – 23”

Fluoride and Preventing Cavities in the 21st Century – #365papers – 2017 – 22

#365papers for January 22, 2017

Petersen and Lennon, 2004, Effective use of fluorides for the prevention of dental caries in the 21st century: the WHO approach: Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, v 32, p. 319-21.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses the need of fluoride in the prevention of cavities, and in particular how best to deliver fluoride to the teeth of people living in developing countries. Fluoridated water works great, but isn’t always feasible, thus fluoridating salt or milk might be necessary. Continue reading “Fluoride and Preventing Cavities in the 21st Century – #365papers – 2017 – 22”

It’s a Dry Watering Hole not a Catastrophic Kill – #365papers – 2017 – 21

#365papers for January 21, 2017

Wiest, Esker, and Driese, 2016, The Waco Mammoth National Monument may represent a diminished watering-hole scenario base on preliminary evidence of post-mortem scavenging: Palaios, v. 31, p. 592-606.

What’s it about?

The Waco Mammoth National Monument (WMNM) is a site where multiple mammoths have been fossilized together. The demographics of the animals suggests that it was a single herd of mammoths that died catastrophically. This paper provides evidence that what really happened is that these animals died as a result of dehydration at a diminishing watering-hole.

The primary evidence for this new interpretation is the study of trace fossils – indirect evidence of the activity of animals. In this case, there is preserved evidence of scavenging, which would not be expected so much in a catastrophic kill.

Additionally, death due to a drying water hole explains the absence of juvenile mammoths, which would have been expected if this represented a complete herd. Continue reading “It’s a Dry Watering Hole not a Catastrophic Kill – #365papers – 2017 – 21”

You Are What You Eat, Plus a Few Permil – #365papers – 2017 – 20

#365papers for January 20, 2016

Passey, Robinson, Ayliffe, Cerling, Sponheimer, Dearing, Roeder, and Ehleringer, 2005, Carbon isotope fractionation between diet, breath CO2, and bioapatite in different mammals: Journal of Archaeological Science, v. 32, p. 1459-1470.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses how carbon from food becomes incorporated into the tooth enamel of mammals. More specifically, it examines the fractionation in isotopic ratios from food to enamel based upon groups of mammals having different sizes and physiologies.
Continue reading “You Are What You Eat, Plus a Few Permil – #365papers – 2017 – 20”