Category Archives: Science

Back and Forth on the Oxygen Train – #365papers – 2017 – 19

#365papers for January 19, 2017

Kipp, Stueken, Bekker, and Buick, 2017, Selenium isotopes record extensive marine suboxia during the Great Oxidation Event: Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences.

What’s it about?

Sometime longabouts 2.3 and 2.1 billion years ago, Earth’s atmosphere became oxygenated and organisms came about that utilized oxygen extensively in their metabolic processes. However, these organisms did not come to dominate on the Earth until a billion years later. During this Great Oxidation Event, despite increases in oxygen overall in the atmosphere and the oceans, there were periods of more or less oxygen, which made it hard to oxygen-dependent organisms to proliferate.

Continue reading “Back and Forth on the Oxygen Train – #365papers – 2017 – 19”

Humans in North America Earlier than Thought! – #365papers – 2017 – 17

#365papers for January 17, 2016

Bourgeon, Burke, and Higham, 2017, Earliest Human Presence in North America Dated to the Last Glacial Maximum: New Radiocarbon Dates from Bluefish Caves, Canada: PLOS one.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses evidence of human working of fossils found in caves in north western Canada. These fossils were also dated at about 24,000 years old.Continue reading “Humans in North America Earlier than Thought! – #365papers – 2017 – 17”

When Skeletons Dissolve – #365papers – 2017 – 16

#365papers for January 16, 2017

Walker, Miller, Bowser, Furbish, Gualda, 2013, Dissolution of ophiuroid ossicles on the shallow Antarctic shelf: Implications for the fossil record and ocean acidification: Palaios, v. 28, p. 317-332.

What’s it about?

Ophiuroids are casually known as ‘brittle stars,’ sea stars with long, flexible arms. This paper discusses the skeletal structure of these arms (the ‘ossicles’ which are actually not bone but calcite) and how these structures dissolve on the ocean floor after the animal has died.Continue reading “When Skeletons Dissolve – #365papers – 2017 – 16”

Malts for Gluten-Free Beer – #365papers – 2017 – 15

#365papers for January 15, 2017

De Meo, Freeman, Marconi, Booer, Perretti, and Fantozzi, 2011, Behaviour of Malted Cereals and Pseudo-Cereals for Gluten-Free Beer Production: Journal of the Institute of Brewing, v. 117, p.541-546.

What’s it about?

One of the reasons why other grains aren’t used so much as barley for making beers is that they tend not to yield as much fermentable sugar as does barley. This paper investigated various techniques for malting gluten-free grains to be able to get enough sugar for good fermentation.Continue reading “Malts for Gluten-Free Beer – #365papers – 2017 – 15”

What Controlled the Shape of Fenestrate Bryozoans? – #365papers – 2017 – 14

#365papers for January 14, 2017

Suarez Andres and Wyse Jackson, 2015, Feeding currents: a limiting factor for disparity of Paleozoic fenestrate bryozoans: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 433, p. 219-232

What’s it about?

This paper discusses the various colony shapes available for a group of organisms called ‘fenestrate bryozoans.’ These colonies get their name because the structures are often shaped like window screen with tiny openings called ‘fenestra’ (which comes from the Latin word for window).

All bryozoans are filter feeders, so their colonies must optimize their ability to feed. The shapes of colonies possible are limited by the presence of fenestra in this group of bryozoans. This paper discusses these limitations and the range of shapes available (called ‘disparity’ in biology).Continue reading “What Controlled the Shape of Fenestrate Bryozoans? – #365papers – 2017 – 14”

Hot Times in the Eocene – #365papers – 2017 – 12

#365papers for January 12, 2017

Methner, Mulch, Fiebig, Wacker, Gerdes, Graham, and Chamberlain, 2016, Rapid Middle Eocene temperature change in western North America: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 450, p. 132-139.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses the use of multiple geochemical methods to study an episode of extreme warmth in Earth’s history. The authors were able to determine the magnitude of the warming and used multiple methods to assign ages to the rocks involved. Using other chemical and geological methods, the authors were also able to show how this warming and subsequent cooling changed the overall climate in the interior of North America.Continue reading “Hot Times in the Eocene – #365papers – 2017 – 12”

Soft Parts of Trilobites – #365papers – 2017 – 11

#365papers for January 11, 2017

Gutierrez-Marco, Garcia-Bellido, Rabano, and Sa, 2017, Digestive and appendicular soft-parts, with behavioural implications, in a large Ordovician trilobite from the Fezouata Lagerstatte, Morocco: Nature Scientific Reports.

What’s it about?

This paper discusses a the discovery of fossil trilobites that appear to preserve evidence of soft parts, in particular, part of the gut and of the legs.Continue reading “Soft Parts of Trilobites – #365papers – 2017 – 11”

Brewing with Unmalted Sorghum – #365papers – 2017 – 10

#365papers for January 10, 2017

Holmes, Casey, and Cook, 2016, Mashing with unmalted sorghum using a novel low temperature enzymes system: Impacts of sorghum grain composition and microstructure: Food Chemistry, v. 221, p. 324-334.

What’s it about?

Sorghum is a grain that can be used to make gluten-free beer. By using un-malted sorghum, you can save the step of malting, but you need to use high temperatures and add enzymes to get the sugars (which are later fermented) from the starch in the grain. This paper discusses a low temperature alternative to get sugar from the starches in sorghum grain.Continue reading “Brewing with Unmalted Sorghum – #365papers – 2017 – 10”

Vegemite Beer? – #365papers – 2017 – 8

#365papers for January 8, 2017

Kerr and Schulz, 2016, Vegemite Beer: yeast extract spreads as nutrient supplements to promote fermentation: PeerJ, 4:e2271 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2271

What’s it about?

Vegemite is a food spread that is made from brewer’s yeast extract. Apparently, it has been used as a source of yeast for illegal brewing. This paper looks at the use of vegemite for this and any other benefits vegemite may offer to brewing. It turns out that there’s no living yeast in vegemite, but it is a decent nutrient for yeast if it comes from somewhere else.Continue reading “Vegemite Beer? – #365papers – 2017 – 8”