Leedsichthys - Facts and Figures

Leedsichthys - Facts and Figures Name: Leedsichthys (Greek for Leeds fish); pronounced leeds-ICK-thissHabitat: Oceans worldwideHistorical Period: Middle-Late Jurassic (189-144 million years ago)Size and Weight: 30 to 70 feet long and five to 50 tonsDiet: PlanktonDistinguishing Characteristics: Large size; semi-cartilaginous skeleton; thousands of teeth About Leedsichthys The last (i.e., species) name of Leedsichthys is problematicus, which should give you some clue about the controversy occasioned by this gigantic prehistoric fish. The problem is that, although Leedsichthys is known from dozens of fossil remains from around the world, these specimens dont consistently add up to a convincing snapshot, leading to grossly divergent size estimates: more conservative paleontologists venture guesses of about 30 feet long and 5 to 10 tons, while others maintain that superannuated Leedsichthys adults could attain lengths of over 70 feet and weights of over 50 tons. Were on much firmer ground when it comes to Leedsichthys feeding habits. This Jurassic fish was equipped with a whopping 40,000 teeth, which it used not to prey on the larger fish and marine reptiles of its day, but to filter-feed plankton (much like a modern Blue Whale). By opening its mouth extra-wide, Leedsichthys could gulp in hundreds of gallons of water every second, more than enough to cover its outsized dietary needs. As with many prehistoric animals discovered in the 19th century, the fossils of Leedsichthys were an ongoing source of confusion (and competition). When the farmer Alfred Nicholson Leeds discovered the bones in a loam pit near Peterborough, England, in 1886, he forwarded them to a fellow fossil hunter, who misidentified them as the back plates of a stegosaur dinosaur. The next year, during a trip overseas, the eminent American paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh correctly diagnosed the remains as belonging to a giant prehistoric fish, at which point Leeds made a brief career of excavating additional fossils and selling them to natural history museums. One little-appreciated fact about Leedsichthys is that its the earliest identified filter-feeding marine animal, a category that also includes prehistoric whales, to attain giant sizes. Clearly, there was an explosion in plankton populations during the early Jurassic period, which fueled the evolution of fish like Leedsichthys, and just as clearly this giant filter-feeder went extinct when krill populations mysteriously plunged at the cusp of the ensuing Cretaceous period.

The History and Archaeology of Chauvet Cave

The History and Archaeology of Chauvet Cave Chauvet Cave (also known as  Chauvet-Pont dArc) is currently the oldest known rock art site in the world, apparently dating to the Aurignacian period in France, about 30,000-32,000 years ago. The cave is located in the Pont-dArc Valley of Ardà ¨che, France, at the entrance of the Ardà ¨che gorges between the Cevennes and Rhone valleys. It extends horizontally for nearly 500 meters (~1,650 feet) into the earth and consists of two main rooms separated by a narrow hallway. Paintings at Chauvet Cave Over 420 paintings have been documented in the cave, including numerous realistic animals (reindeer, horses, aurochs, rhinoceros, bison, lions, cave bears among others), human handprints, and abstract dot paintings. The paintings in the front hall are primarily red, created with the liberal applications of red ochre, while the ones in the back hall are mainly black designs, drawn with charcoal. The paintings at Chauvet are highly realistic, which is unusual for this period in Paleolithic rock art. In one famous panel (a little bit is shown above) an entire pride of lions is illustrated, and the feeling of movement and power of the animals is tangible even in photographs of the cave taken in poor light and at low resolution. Archaeological Investigation The preservation in the cave is remarkable. Archaeological material in Chauvet caves deposits include thousands of animal bones, including the bones of at least 190 cave bears (Ursus spelaeus). The remains of hearths, an ivory spearhead, and a human footprint have all been identified within the caves deposits. Chauvet Cave was discovered in 1994 by Jean-Marie Chauvet; the relatively recent discovery of this remarkably intact cave painting site has allowed researchers to closely control the excavations using modern methods. In addition, the researchers have worked to protect the site and its contents. Since 1996, the site has been under investigation by an international team led by Jean Clottes, combining geology, hydrology, paleontology, and conservation studies; and, since that time, it has been closed to the public, to preserve its fragile beauty. Dating Chauvet The dating of Chauvet cave is based on 46 AMS radiocarbon dates taken on tiny pieces of paint from the walls, conventional radiocarbon dates on human and animal bone, and Uranium/Thorium dates on speleotherms (stalagmites). The deep age of the paintings and their realism has led in some circles to a scholarly revision of the notion of paleolithic cave art styles: since radiocarbon dates are a more recent technology than the bulk of cave art studies, codified cave art styles are based on stylistic changes. Using this measure, Chauvets art is closer to Solutrean or Magdalenian in age, at least 10,000 years later than the dates suggest. Paul Pettitt has questioned the dates, arguing that the radiocarbon dates within the cave are earlier than the paintings themselves, which he believes are Gravettian in style and date to no earlier than about 27,000 years ago. Additional radiocarbon dating of the cave bear population continues to support the original date of the cave: the bone dates all fall between 37,000 and 29,000 years old. Further, samples from a nearby cave support the idea that cave bears may have been extinct in the region by 29,000 years ago. That would mean that the paintings, which include cave bears, must be at least 29,000 years old. One possible explanation for the stylistic sophistication of Chauvets paintings is that perhaps there was another entrance to the cave, that allowed later artists access to the cave walls. A study of the geomorphology of the cave vicinity published in 2012 (Sadier and colleagues 2012), argues that the cliff overhanging the cave collapsed repeatedly beginning 29,000 years ago, and sealed the only entrance at least 21,000 years ago. No other cave access point has ever been identified, and given the morphology of the cave, none is likely to be found. These findings do not resolve the Aurignacian/Gravettian debate, although even at 21,000 years of age, Chauvet cave remains the oldest known cave painting site. Werner Herzog and Chauvet Cave In late 2010, film director Werner Herzog presented a documentary film of Chauvet Cave, shot in three-dimensions, at the Toronto film festival. The film, Cave of the Forgotten Dreams, premiered in limited movie houses in the United States on April 29, 2011. Sources Abadà ­a OM, and Morales MRG. 2007.  Thinking about style in the post-stylistic era: reconstructing the stylistic context of Chauvet.  Oxford Journal of Archaeology  26(2):109-125. Bahn PG. 1995. New developments in Pleistocene art.  Evolutionary Anthropology  4(6):204-215. Bocherens H, Drucker DG, Billiou D,  Geneste  J-M, and van der Plicht J. 2006.  Bears and humans in Chauvet Cave (Vallon-Pont-dArc, Ardà ¨che, France): Insights from stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating of bone collagen.  Journal of Human Evolution  50(3):370-376. Bon C, Berthonaud V, Fosse P, Gà ©ly B, Maksud F, Vitalis R, Philippe M, van der Plicht J, and Elalouf J-M.  Low Regional Diversity Of Late Cave Bears Mitochondrial  Ã‚  Journal of Archaeological Science  In Press, Accepted Manuscript.Dna  At The Time Of Chauvet Aurignacian Paintings. Chauvet J-M, Deschamps EB, and Hillaire C. 1996. Chauvet Cave: The worlds oldest paintings, dating from around 31,000 BC.  Minerva  7(4):17-22. Clottes J, and Lewis-Williams D. 1996. Upper Palaeolithic cave art: French and South African collaboration.  Cambridge Archaeological Journal  6(1):137-163. Feruglio V. 2006  De la faune au bestiaire - La grotte Chauvet-Pont-dArc, aux origines de lart parià ©tal palà ©olithique.  Comptes Rendus Palevol  5(1-2):213-222. Genty D, Ghaleb B, Plagnes V, Causse C, Valladas H, Blamart D, Massault M, Geneste J-M, and Clottes J. 2004.  Datations U/Th (TIMS) et 14C (AMS) des stalagmites de la grotte Chauvet (Ardà ¨che, France) : intà ©rà ªt pour la chronologie des à ©và ©nements naturels et anthropiques de la grotte.  Comptes Rendus Palevol  3(8):629-642. Marshall M. 2011.  Bear DNA hints at age of Chauvet cave art.  The New Scientist  210(2809):10-10. Sadier  B, Delannoy JJ, Benedetti L, Bourlà ©s DL, Stà ©phane J,  Geneste  J-M, Lebatard A-E, and Arnold M. 2012. Further constraints on the Chauvet cave artwork elaboration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early edition. Pettitt P. 2008.  Art and the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Europe: Comments on the archaeological arguments for an early Upper Paleolithic antiquity of the Grotte Chauvet art.  Journal of Human Evolution  55(5):908-917. Sadier  B, Delannoy JJ, Benedetti L, Bourlà ©s DL, Stà ©phane J,  Geneste  J-M, Lebatard A-E, and Arnold M. 2012.  Further constraints on the Chauvet cave artwork elaboration.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  Early edition.

A Synthesis of the Themes in Selected Poems about War Essay

A Synthesis of the Themes in Selected Poems about War - Essay Example These poems argue that wars are honorable because of the courage they involve, but they are still immoral because soldiers and their enemies are treated as mere pawns, dehumanized because of their mission to strike and kill without compunction, and stripped of their rights to autonomy, survival, and a good life with their families. To be a soldier is a noble calling because to live by its principles is an honorable thing. The basic principles of war, based on these poems, are courage, commitment, and selflessness. Lovelace may be referring to Lucasta as a woman whom the soldier loves, or all his loved ones in general. He explains to her the reasons of going to war, despite having the option of staying in the blissful arms of his beloved. The â€Å"Nunnery† means that the place of his beloved is pure and good, but it is not a man’s place (Lovelace 1.2). The â€Å"Arms† of war are more suited to a real man, where war is seen as a testing ground for manhood: â€Å" To War and Arms I flee† (Lovelace 1.4). The speaker agrees that war is another mistress; it takes so much time, attention, and resources: â€Å"True, a new Mistress now I chase† (Lovelace 2.1). ... The â€Å"stronger Faith† signifies that war is a holy quest. The decision to go to the war is an honorable responsibility. It means that honor in war is about protecting one’s country, something that can be done only out of the purest of intentions, the purest of love: â€Å"Yet this inconstancy is such/As you too shall adore† (Lovelace 3.1-2). Soon, Lucasta will realize what he means. He depicts that Lucasta is then fortunate, for in honoring the war, he honors her even more: â€Å"I could not love thee, Dear, so much,/Loved I not Honour more† (Lovelace 3.3-4). The greatest love comes from loving the society as a whole, not just one’s mistress or family, for in protecting their societies, they are protecting their families too. Another poem agrees that being a soldier is an honorable calling because of the courage, dedication, and selflessness it requires. Lord Alfred Tennyson, in â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade,† refers to an actual battle, where the English Light Brigade charged to a suicidal mission in the Crimean War. The tone of the poem honors the soldiers, but the feelings of exhaustion and resentment are present. In the first stanza, Tennyson says: â€Å"Half a league, half a league,/Half a league onward† (1.1-2). He repeats the phrase â€Å"half a league† three times in a row, suggesting tiredness. Soldiers get weary from their missions, but they must never falter, as if they are not supposed to feel tired at all. Tennyson does not mince words, when he introduces the fate of these soldiers: â€Å"All in the valley of Death/Rode the six hundred/ â€Å"Forward, the Light Brigade!/Charge for the guns!† he said (Tennyson 1.3-6). He knows that these soldiers are doomed because they will be charging for the guns. The soldiers

Reflective Cycle by Gibbs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Reflective Cycle by Gibbs - Essay Example Scott and Ely (2008) suggest that the purpose of reflection in nursing practice is to develop awareness of how and what can be learned from new experiences. One of the models of reflection will provide the framework for this essay. There are several models of reflection but the reflective model I have chosen is Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs 1988), with which I am familiar and I find it to be the most clear and concise than the other choices. The Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Gibbs 1988) will be applied throughout the essay to facilitate analytic thought and to assist in evaluating and relating theory to practice where possible. I have chosen to reflect on violence and aggression towards nurses in relation to patients with mental health and alcohol dependence issues. I will attempt to explore the elements that trigger violence and aggression. Besides, I will also dwell on the strategies that nurses may adopt in response to violence and aggression. This reflection will also include literature search and its detailed discussion. According to Jasper (2003), the Gibbs Reflective Cycle consists of the following stages: description, feelings, evaluat ion, analysis, conclusion and an action plan (Gibbs 1988). Therefore, I will begin with the first stage of Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle which necessitates a description of events. A pseudonym will be used to maintain anonymity and confidentiality as laid out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) in their standards of conduct for nursing students. The event occurred whilst I was undertaking a practice placement in the Accident and Emergency Department, where there was a high turnover of emergency patients. Miss March was a 42 years old patient, and suffering from depression and alcohol dependence and was prescribed medication for her depression. She was admitted to the department following an incident at home in which she had taken too many of her prescription drugs whilst under the influence of alcohol. I had not met or had any interaction with Miss March as I had been assigned to another area of the department for the morning. Miss March had already been stabilised in the resuscitation room and was just arriving in the area I was wo rking in. I noted that she was confused and she appeared to be drowsy. My mentor told me that Miss March, while being moved, had an episode of urinary incontinence and asked if I would wash and change the patient. My mentor also asked to me to deal with this without delay as during assessment there were small areas of red, chafed skin found around Miss March’s vaginal area. Therefore, her skin integrity was already compromised. Before going ahead, I took a few minutes to read Miss March’s nursing notes and found a history of verbal challenging behaviour but no indication of any physical violence. Having collected the necessary equipment I made my way to Miss March’s cubicle to assist her in washing and changing. Miss March was sitting on the edge of the bed and I explained the reason for my visit. I continued to talk to her as I positioned everything to assist her but she did not respond in any way. Just as I lifted the wet sheet from the top of the bed to put i t in the clear bag I had brought with me, Miss March yelled abuses at me then raised her arm to hit me. I attempted to reassure her

Claudius :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Claudius The emperor, Claudius, was a man with great integrity, individuality, common sense, patriotism and determination. From his struggles as a child to his death, was a remarkable journey. Many historians today and ancient Rome have placed him amongst the greats of all time. Despite his physical disabilities and background, Tiberius Claudius Nero contributed much to the greatness of the Roman Empire. Tiberius Claudius Nero is the youngest son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia (Daughter of Antony and Octavia), giving him royal blood. He was born on August 1st, 10BC, in the city of Comata, which is in the Region of Lugdunum (Modern Day Lyon, France). He was an unwanted child since birth. It is said that he had a sick and ugly appearance, with cerebral palsy. Yet, against the odds, he became an emperor, made many contributions to the benefit of the Roman society. According to many sources, Claudius was rejected from his own family due to his appearance; even his mother frequently mocked him. He would have been the normal choice to succeed Tiberius, had the monarchical family not thought him, unfit for the office. However, only Augustus thought Claudius as not stupid and granted Claudius a non-governmental priesthood position. Claudius was trained as a scholar, by the historian Livy and wrote several histories and literary works in Latin and Greek. (None of his work has survived, although there are inscriptions and fragments that provide some insight into his thinking). Claudius was considered a fool and kept out of public life until his insane nephew, Calligula, became emperor and appointed him as consul (alongside Calligula's horse) as a joke. After the assassination of Calligula, Claudius was found hiding in the palace, scared for his own life. The Praetorian Guards, interested in keeping their job as the Emperor's bodyguard, declared Claud ius as emperor and forced the Senate to do the same. The soldiers, courtiers, freedman and foreigners were his main followers. Nevertheless, they did not dream that Claudius would be known as one of the greats. Claudius' reign is marked with the expansion of the Roman Empire. He had great sympathy for the traditions of the old Roman Republic than previous rulers of the house of Caesar. But a futile revolt in the Senate, within a year after he became emperor, made him favour the army. In 43AD, he conquered Britain, where his troops accepted him as a god (Smith, Mahlon.

Humans

Humans like to be treated equally and fairly. Whats different about animals? Just like humans animals should be able to live their life not having to worry about being slaughtered every second of the day. The first argument for why people should not eat animals is for the reason that animals can feel pain, sorrow, happiness, and grief just like humans can. Yet we treat them differently because they don't have the capability of communicating. Humans are the most dominant and sophisticated creatures on earth and target animals because they are incapable of demanding their freedom and happiness. Dirk verbeuren once said â€Å"Every living creature has the right to live ethically† This statement is indisputable however only 31 percent of the worlds population truly believes that. Many people assume that animals have no feelings and emotions due to the fact that they cant speak in a language humans can understand. In 1995 masson j. Mccarthy wrote â€Å"When elephants weep: The emotional lives of animals†. This book talks about the emotions elephants feel and the way humans treat them. This book makes our population truly think about how we treat animals as a whole. The average american meat-eater is responsible for the abuse and death of 90 animals per year. Becoming a vegetarian will save the lives of many innocent animals. The second reason on why people should not eat animals is because of the effect it has on the environment. Livestock alone counts for more tham 14% of greenhouse gas emissions. A vegan of vegetarian diet could cut those emissions by 70%. Of all the agriculture land in the united states, 87% is used to raise animals for food. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide together cause the vast majority of global warming. Producing a little more than 2 pounds of beef causes more greenhouse gas emissions than driving a small car for three hours. The environmental protection agency reports that approximately 80 percent of ammonia emissions in the U.S. Comes from animal waste. Consuming and producing meat predominately affects the quality and quantity of the earths water. Eating animals will eventually destroy the environment and hurt the population in a tremendous way. The last reason for not eating meat is for the benefit of peoples health. A vegetarian diet decreases the chance of cancer and diabetes in both men and women. According to an article in the journal of the national cancer institute, women who eat meat daily are more likely to develop breast cancer. Vegetarians have also shown to have lower blood pressure, better digestion, and more energy than humans with a meat based diet. Not eating meat will also reduce your risk of a food-born illness. The cdc reports that food-born illnesses account for over 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the united states. Finally, eating less or even no meat will reduce the risks of heart attacks and other heart related conditions. Not eating meat will improve the quality of life and further prevent sickness. There is no way to ethically eat animals. Every day there are millions of animals being tortured and killed just so the humans population can enjoy them. The environment, our health, and our morals are all reasons to become a vegetarian. Peta once said â€Å"The only time factory animals get to feel the warmth of the sun on their backs or breath in fresh air is when they are loaded onto trucks bound for slaughter.† These animals will never get to raise families or roll around in the grass and feel the sun beaming on their face. They are crammed in tiny cages until the day they are killed to be feed to someone to enjoy. The lives of animals are just as important as humans lives and becoming a vegetarian will help many innocent animals. If you don't like to feel pain and sorrow, why would they?

Democracy And Its Underlying Aspect - 1509 Words

Most people associate the word â€Å"democracy† with its underlying aspect – freedom. However, the freedom in each society is exercised to the different extent. That is why every democratic society is different. First, let’s define democracy. â€Å"Modern political democracy is a system of governance in which rulers are held accountable for their actions in the public realm by citizens, acting indirectly through the competition and cooperation of their elected representative† (P. C. Schmitter, T. L. Karl 76). The system of governance implies the existence of predictable and routinized pattern of institutions. That is why there is a need for the constitution – the document that outlines the division and distribution of power and constitutes a†¦show more content†¦There are different competing factions that represent interests of various groups and the citizens have to cooperate in order to select candidates, influence policies and make collective decisions concerning the power. According to P. C. Schmitter and T. L. Karl, democracies are not necessarily more effective economically, administratively and have more open economies than other forms of the governance. The purpose of this paper is to show the comparison of two big democratic systems – Canada and the U.S.A., how and on what basis they differ, which form of democracy is more effective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each. The first and probably the most important difference between Canada and the U.S.A. is the form of governance. Canada’ system of governance is represented by the democracy that combines federal structure and constitutional monarchy. The British Crown is the formal executive that is represented by the Governor General in the capital city of Ottawa and Lieutenant Governor in each province. The role of the monarchy in Canada is symbolic and executed only for ceremonial purposes. For example, the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors are formally appointed by the Queen, whereas in reality it is Canadian Prime Minister’s decision. Prime Minister is the head of the government who truly rules Canada. The Prime Minister rules the country as long as he or she is elected and is appointed by the