Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs Also Wiped out the ‘Obamadon’

Dec. 10, 2012 — The asteroid collision widely thought to have killed the dinosaurs also led to extreme devastation among snake and lizard species, according to new research — including the extinction of a newly identified lizard Yale and Harvard scientists have named Obamadon gracilis.

“The asteroid event is typically thought of as affecting the dinosaurs primarily,” said Nicholas R. Longrich, a postdoctoral associate with Yale’s Department of Geology and Geophysics and lead author of the study. “But it basically cut this broad swath across the entire ecosystem, taking out everything. Snakes and lizards were hit extremely hard.”

The study was scheduled for online publication the week of Dec. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Earlier studies have suggested that some snake and lizard species (as well as many mammals, birds, insects and plants) became extinct after the asteroid struck Earth 65.5 million years ago, on the edge of the Yucatan Peninsula. But the new research argues that the collision’s consequences were far more serious for snakes and lizards than previously understood. As many as 83 percent of all snake and lizard species died off, the researchers said — and the bigger the creature, the more likely it was to become extinct, with no species larger than one pound surviving.

The results are based on a detailed examination of previously collected snake and lizard fossils covering a territory in western North America stretching from New Mexico in the southwestern United States to Alberta, Canada. The authors examined 21 previously known species and also identified nine new lizards and snakes.

Read More:      http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121210160842.htm

 

 

 

 

Could Porcupine Quills Help Us Design the Next Hypodermic Needle

 

Read more: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/12/could-porcupine-quills-help-us-design-the-next-hypodermic-needle/#ixzz2EhN840NI
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Mars rover ‘shake and bake’ cooks up a carbon mystery

NASA’s Curiosity rover has tasted carbon in Martian soil, sparking speculation as to its origin, and has also found that Mars prefers its hydrogen heavy.
A TANTALISING whiff of carbon-based compounds has been picked up by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover. But it’s still not clear whether the eagerly awaited results are revealing the true chemical nature of Mars or are instead the products of Earthly contaminants.

One of the goals of the NASA rover, which landed on the Red Planet on 6 August, is to search for signs that Mars might once have had the means to support life. One clue would be organics – carbon-containing compounds that are the building blocks of life as we know it. During Curiosity’s first “meals” of Martian soil, baked inside the robot’s ovens, carbon and hydrogen were found to have reacted with chlorine, creating organic molecules.

This taste of carbon is intriguing, but it is a far cry from recent feverish speculation that the rover had found definitive evidence for organic compounds on Mars.
“The rover has made this detection of simple organic compounds,” says project scientist John Grotzinger of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. But crucially, the rover only detected them after cooking them up. The mystery now is: where did it find that key ingredient – carbon?

Read more:    http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628944.000-mars-rover-shake-and-bake-cooks-up-a-carbon-mystery.html

 

By: Lee Dobbins

Everyone can use more storage and one of the best places to add storage to is the bedroom.
What with all your clothes and personal items cluttering up the closet and bureau, the bedroom can sometimes seem like a messy catch all for all your household clutter.
Here’s some ways you can clean up the bedroom and get some extra storage space too boot!

One way to gain a ton of space is to install a closet organizer.

It doesn’t have to be a fancy expensive one (although feel free if you want one).
You won’t believe how much extra space you can get from when you use one of these systems.

The metal rails systems for closets are great.
You can get acrylic shelves, chrome baskets and special slotted pieces for shoes and hats.
The slotted systems are good as they provide ventilation which helps your clothes to breathe and are easy to maintin.
These adjustable components come with a non-chip and non stick coating.

When choosing a closet organizer, make sure you pick a system that allows you to double up your rack space.
This way you can hang shorter clothes like shirts and skirts on top of each other and literally double your closet space!

You might already have some storage space in your bedroom that you don’t even realize you have!

Do you have space under the bed?
Are you using it to it’s fullest?
Clean out all the dust bunnies and throw away the socks and junk that has accumulated under there and use this for long term storage.
You can put off season clothing, camping gear, toys or whatever under there when it is not in use.
Store the items in Tupperware containers (you can buy the low ones on wheels for easy retrieval) or space bags to protect the items and create a neat storage space.

Another overlooked storage area is a room divider.
If you have one sitting in the corner as a decorative item, you might want to look at the space behind it.
This can be used to store items that you don’t need to get at every day like craft supplies or maybe even cleaning supplies.

Storage baskets are a great place to store various objects and can also add decorative touches to your bedroom.

You can use them for small stuff like keys, holding bills or correspondence, toiletries, towels, jewelry and just about anything else that will fit in the basket.
You can buy large baskets for your laundry and smaller ones to use as catch alls.

When buying baskets to use as storage in the bedroom, make sure you pick ones that match your bedroom décor.
There are many types of storage baskets available in the market in many different sizes and shapes and colors, and in different materials.
Some are utility oriented, while some are meant as decorative items.
You can choose from willow, woven ash, rope, wrought iron, woven sea grass, bamboo, woodchip and a variety of other types with all different kinds of embellishments so you should be able to find a basket that matches any bedroom décor.

Adding more storage to your bedroom can help you get better organized and even help you remove some of the clutter from other rooms in the house.
Now you just need to remember to put that stuff away in the right place!

Author Bio
Lee Dobbins writes for Bedroom Designs And DecorationsBedroom Designs And Decorations where you can find more tips on decorating your bedroom.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

By: Lee Dobbins

When it comes to the bedroom we all know that bedding and accents are important, but a key area of bedroom design that is often overlooked is the flooring.
Many people have wall to wall carpet in their bedroom and, therefore think that they are “stuck” with that color or design.
The truth is that you can jazz up your flooring by simply laying a carpet on top of your wall to wall carpet.

Beautiful and durable, oriental rugs can add warmth and charm to almost any bedroom.
This type of rug goes with many bedroom design styles, romantic, Victorian, shabby chic, Tuscan, Morrocan, oriental and many more.

Oriental rugs come in many different designs and colors so you should be able to find one that suits your bedroom décor.
You can buy them in different sizes so you can add a splash of color and elegance to any part of the bedroom.
You can buy them in a variety of price ranges as well, but as with anything else, the more you spend the better quality your rug will be.

A real oriental rug is hand tied – that’s right each piece of wool is tied onto the backing by hand.
These rugs are really works of art, and you might think they are fragile but they are actually quite durable.
I have been to many antique auctions where rugs that were over 100 years old have survived to look almost as good as they day they were made.

When selecting an oriental carpet for your bedroom, you should only look at carpets that are 100% wool as these will be the best quality.
To determine if the carpet you are looking at is hand or machine made there are a few things to take into consideration.
First off it’s good to be able to compare two rugs – one you know is machine made and one you know is hand made.
Look at the backs – the hand made rug will be much more colorful than the machine made.
The machine made rug will have an overall stitch pattern across the back and you won’t see any knots since only hand made rugs are knotted.
Another thing to look at is the fringe.
On a handmade rug, the fringe is made up of the wrap strings from the end of the rug, on a machine made it is simply sewn on.

When selecting your oriental rug, make sure to choose colors that go with the colors in your bedroom.
If you are placing the rug over wall to wall carpeting, it is best to choose smaller throw rugs that you can use as splashes of color around the room and avoid putting furniture on them unless you buy a large rug that covers almost the entire room.

Love the look of oriental rugs but don’t want to put them on the floor?
Why not try using one as a wall hanging?
You can use it to jazz up a large boring wall or hang it behind the bed in lieu of a headboard.

No matter how you use them, oriental rugs add warmth and character to your bedroom or any room in the house!

Author Bio
Lee Dobbins writes for Bedroom Designs And Decorations where you can find more tips on decorating your bedroom.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

While women are often the first to undergo a battery of tests when conception is slow to happen, almost half of all infertility problems are directly attributed to the male. Low sperm count is the most common culprit, so analyzing sperm count is considered a key first step by infertility specialists. However, a new survey conducted for SpermCheck Fertility, the only FDA-approved at-home sperm count screening test, finds that only 17 percent of men ever get tested.

While a majority of men are not getting tested, according to Pamela Madsen, fertility advocate and founder of The American Fertility Association, they are also doing little to prepare for conception. She says there are several things men can do to help boost fertility naturally:

1. Feed fertility. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts and low-fat proteins will help boost zinc and selenium levels. Selenium has been found to contribute to healthy sperm, while a zinc deficiency may contribute to reduced fertility.

2. Trade happy hour for power hour. Heavy drinking, even caffeine, can be a fertility wrecker for men. Madsen advises capping caffeine to one cup of coffee per day, avoiding energy drinks and limiting alcohol intake before and while trying to conceive. Get into a moderate workout routine. Exercise can help keep hormones happy, manage weight and lower stress, all of which boost fertility.

3. Limit exposure. The work environment may contribute to fertility problems, ranging from chemical exposure to excessive heat. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reports that continued exposure to things like pesticides, chemical fertilizers and radiation can lower sperm count. Using a laptop computer on the lap, versus a desk, can reduce fertility due to heat exposure.

4. Check the boys. The SpermCheck survey found that 83 percent of men who are planning or trying to conceive assume they are fertile. “Most men make this assumption, but around half actually may have issues,” says Madsen. “Now they can find out in the privacy of their homes in just 10 minutes.” New SpermCheck Fertility (www.spermcheck.com), available in stores and online, indicates if sperm count is within “normal” range, costs less than a visit to the doctor and is convenient. “SpermCheck is 98 percent accurate, so it is a great first step in male fertility testing, helping to determine if a more comprehensive evaluation is needed,” adds Madsen.

For more information and tips, visit www.spermcheck.com.

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