Monday, October 29, 2007
Fossils, Living and Otherwise
It turns out that Michael Crichton was right about Velociraptors. Sort of. Chinese geologists have found evidence in fossils that a similar dino species, Dromeosaurs, did seem to hunt in packs and walk upright. And were about the size of Jurassic Park's raptors, whereas the Velociraptors of old were turkey-sized.
A more modern fossil was dug up recently off the coast of Iceland. I say fossil, but the thing was really alive. 'Ming' is a 400-plus year-old quahog clam, who is being studied (no doubt at significant expense to its quality of life, whatever that means to a mollusk) in the hopes of discovering how it has avoided senescence so long.
Speaking of decreasing quality of life: I have another paper to write.
A more modern fossil was dug up recently off the coast of Iceland. I say fossil, but the thing was really alive. 'Ming' is a 400-plus year-old quahog clam, who is being studied (no doubt at significant expense to its quality of life, whatever that means to a mollusk) in the hopes of discovering how it has avoided senescence so long.
Speaking of decreasing quality of life: I have another paper to write.
Labels: age, clam, dinosaurs, fossils, funny, Jurassic Park, raptors, senescence
