Hey guys.
Yesterday I got the confirmation. I have been acepted into my local university to study a few biology subjects at first year university level while I complete high school.
Although I am in my final year of high school in 2009, I completed half of my senior high school subjects as of the end of the 2008 school term. Ummm if your in America or somewhere like this and reading this, i'm not sure how you school year works so I will just add that our school years are from january to late november/early decmeber.
Anyway I am only studying a few biology subjects next year as my local university does not allow me to study palaeontology. I will be moving south at the end of my final year of high school for that. Studying a few courses next year is however, as far as I am concerned, bringing me one step furhter to finally reaching my dream of becoming a palaeontologist so I am pretty excited about that.
Anyway seemingly as this is my last blog for the year, I will take the chance to wish anyone who reads this a Happy New Year!
Cya,
From Dino Gal
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Jurassic Park in real life
.bmp)
Okay so obviously i am talking about cloning. Clearly jurassic park style dinosaurs are still far out of reach, and futher research is still required in these areas. However the various extinct genomes have been resurrected.Australian Scientis at the Universtiy of Melbourne have sucessfully ressurected the extinct gene of the Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus). The Tasmanian Tiger was a large carnivorous Australian marsupial which was hunted to extinction in the early 1900's. Scientists have sucessfully isolated the Col21A gene and injected into a mouse embryo. This process was sucessfull in 'resurecting' the extinct gene. Similar experiments have been conducted using mammoth DNA.
This technology will enable scientists to examine the biological functions of DNA from numerous extinct species. This not onlynallows palaeontolgist to gain futher insight into the lives of extinct animals, it also may prove potentially benificial in curing various, currently incurable diseases.
With almost 99% of species which have existed on earth being extinct, this opens up numerous possiblilities. The ability to access these extinct genes (provided of course that there is a sufficent quantites of DNA) facinates me. With further research one must consider the possibility of one day being able to effetively 'resurect' species entirely, something that with cureent extinction rates could enurse the survival of the diverse range of species on earth.
So who knows maybe one day we really will be able to go to some sort of 'park' and see dinosaurs alive and moving (although this would as Alan Grant puts it in the movie "Put me out of the job", well future job at least). With alot more time, effort, and money maybe someday someone really will be able to say 'Welcome to Jurassic Park'.
Australasian Science Award 2008
Hey guys, this I find interesting so i thought that I would post it. Good to see a Palaeontolgist winning this prize.
"Science prize for fossil discovery
10 November, 2008
Dr John Long at the Gogo site where the fossilised placoderm fish was first discovered.Image: Peter LongSource: Museum Victoria
Dr John Long has won the 2008 Australasian Science Prize for his discovery of a 375-million-year-old fossil and embryo.
The find was significant not only because it uncovered the oldest known example of any creature giving birth to live young, but also because the fossilised placoderm fish had an intact umbilical cord. It was found on an expedition to Gogo led by Dr Long in mid-2005.
Dr Long is the Head of Sciences at Museum Victoria. His discovery of the fossil embryo in the Gogo area of north-west Western Australia, published in Nature in May 2008, was also the cover story in the July issue of Australasian Science.
Long describes the fossil as “the Rosetta stone that opened our minds to interpreting other fossils” with less clearly recognisable embryos. The “mother fish” is a major breakthrough in palaeontology, which will help to provide insight into the breeding behaviour of an entire class of extinct species; it constitutes the oldest example of vertebrate sex unearthed to date.
The fossil, a 25-cm long placoderm fish, belongs to the dominant group of vertebrates throughout the Middle Palaeozoic era – sometimes dubbed “dinosaurs of the sea”. It has been named “Materpiscis attenboroughi” after renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Dr Long published the work with collaborators Dr Kate Trinajstic, Dr Gavin Young, and Dr Tim Senden, and was funded by the Australian Research Council. Dr Long commented that the award constitutes “a shot in the arm for palaeontology” and "a fantastic recognition of the way museums are doing high quality science”
The Australasian Science Prize was established in 2000 and is overseen by leading scientific referees. Dr Long is scheduled to receive the 2008 prize on 10 November and then deliver a public lecture, “Live Birth in the Devonian”."
Here is the link if you want to find otu more: http://museumvictoria.com.au/About/MV-News/2008/Science-prize-for-fossil-discovery/
"Science prize for fossil discovery
10 November, 2008
Dr John Long at the Gogo site where the fossilised placoderm fish was first discovered.Image: Peter LongSource: Museum Victoria
Dr John Long has won the 2008 Australasian Science Prize for his discovery of a 375-million-year-old fossil and embryo.
The find was significant not only because it uncovered the oldest known example of any creature giving birth to live young, but also because the fossilised placoderm fish had an intact umbilical cord. It was found on an expedition to Gogo led by Dr Long in mid-2005.
Dr Long is the Head of Sciences at Museum Victoria. His discovery of the fossil embryo in the Gogo area of north-west Western Australia, published in Nature in May 2008, was also the cover story in the July issue of Australasian Science.
Long describes the fossil as “the Rosetta stone that opened our minds to interpreting other fossils” with less clearly recognisable embryos. The “mother fish” is a major breakthrough in palaeontology, which will help to provide insight into the breeding behaviour of an entire class of extinct species; it constitutes the oldest example of vertebrate sex unearthed to date.
The fossil, a 25-cm long placoderm fish, belongs to the dominant group of vertebrates throughout the Middle Palaeozoic era – sometimes dubbed “dinosaurs of the sea”. It has been named “Materpiscis attenboroughi” after renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Dr Long published the work with collaborators Dr Kate Trinajstic, Dr Gavin Young, and Dr Tim Senden, and was funded by the Australian Research Council. Dr Long commented that the award constitutes “a shot in the arm for palaeontology” and "a fantastic recognition of the way museums are doing high quality science”
The Australasian Science Prize was established in 2000 and is overseen by leading scientific referees. Dr Long is scheduled to receive the 2008 prize on 10 November and then deliver a public lecture, “Live Birth in the Devonian”."
Here is the link if you want to find otu more: http://museumvictoria.com.au/About/MV-News/2008/Science-prize-for-fossil-discovery/
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sauropods (a brief explaination)
Okay, I am now going to talk to you about my favorite type of dinosaurs......SAUROPODS!!!!!!!!!
Sauropods are a infraorder of Saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. Sauropodmorphs ('lizard foot forms') are genreally quadruped herbivors with long necks and often large thumb claws, small heads, and teeth shaped for cropping and chewing plants. Their long necks allowed them to browse tall trees, and thier body's were often rather large.
Although the close reletive of saurpods (prosauropod) died out during the jurassic period, Sauropods endured to the end of the Mesozoic Era. The Sauropods live between 200 million and 65 million years ago and are still considered the largest animals to have live on land. In order to support their large bodies sauropods had hollows carved out of thier vertebrae and massive hip girdles fused to their backbones by four sacral vertebrae to form solid suport for their bodies and large tails.
Sauropods are further divded into various families including Brachiosauridae, Titanosauridae and Diplodocidae. The largest of the Sauropods is often considered to be Argentinosaurus, and the longest being Diplodocus. For all those Aussies out there, you should all know at least one Sauropod well ..... Elliot! (One of the many dinosaurs from winton, and Australia's largest)
Okay so that is my not so interesting report on Sauropods, cya all later.
Sauropods are a infraorder of Saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. Sauropodmorphs ('lizard foot forms') are genreally quadruped herbivors with long necks and often large thumb claws, small heads, and teeth shaped for cropping and chewing plants. Their long necks allowed them to browse tall trees, and thier body's were often rather large.
Although the close reletive of saurpods (prosauropod) died out during the jurassic period, Sauropods endured to the end of the Mesozoic Era. The Sauropods live between 200 million and 65 million years ago and are still considered the largest animals to have live on land. In order to support their large bodies sauropods had hollows carved out of thier vertebrae and massive hip girdles fused to their backbones by four sacral vertebrae to form solid suport for their bodies and large tails.
Sauropods are further divded into various families including Brachiosauridae, Titanosauridae and Diplodocidae. The largest of the Sauropods is often considered to be Argentinosaurus, and the longest being Diplodocus. For all those Aussies out there, you should all know at least one Sauropod well ..... Elliot! (One of the many dinosaurs from winton, and Australia's largest)
Okay so that is my not so interesting report on Sauropods, cya all later.
Introduction
Okay guys, this is my first blog here so i suppose i shall introduce myself
My name is Kaylene (although I prefer Kay), you shall know me as Dino Gal 097 (and yes i know it is a bad name). I live in Australia and am still at high school. As for my goals and aspirations, well those havnt really changed since I learnt to talk. I have wanted to be a Palaeontologist since I knew what one was (and trust me that was an extremely young age). I have had a keen interest in dinosaur since I was one (yes thats right one).
My favorite movies are Jurassic Park, all of the Stargate movies, and Twilight. I love books (especially Twilight) and when I am not reading or on my computer I am watching stargate. I know, I know. I am a nerd.
Okay so thats all you really need to know about me. This blog will mainly be about it's topic (Dinosaurs, Fossils and Palaeontology), although I may occasionally make something more personal.
My name is Kaylene (although I prefer Kay), you shall know me as Dino Gal 097 (and yes i know it is a bad name). I live in Australia and am still at high school. As for my goals and aspirations, well those havnt really changed since I learnt to talk. I have wanted to be a Palaeontologist since I knew what one was (and trust me that was an extremely young age). I have had a keen interest in dinosaur since I was one (yes thats right one).
My favorite movies are Jurassic Park, all of the Stargate movies, and Twilight. I love books (especially Twilight) and when I am not reading or on my computer I am watching stargate. I know, I know. I am a nerd.
Okay so thats all you really need to know about me. This blog will mainly be about it's topic (Dinosaurs, Fossils and Palaeontology), although I may occasionally make something more personal.
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