Including Original "Paul H. Letters" Copyright © 1996-2024 Paul V. Heinrich / website © 1996-2024 Dirk Ross - All rights reserved.



Monday 29 October 2012

Dinosaur Meat for Sale in Australia :-) :-)

Dinosaur Meat for Sale in Australia :-) :-)

Weird things are happening in either Sidney (Australia)
or Brazil. Go see:

Polícia investiga como um supermercado conseguiu
carne de dinossauro para vender, Noticia Geral,
September 14, 2012, http://www.noticiageral.com/?p=20220

"Em Sidney, Australia, a polícia está investigando um
supermercado que colocou carne de dinossauro na
prateleira, para ser vendida."

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Sunday 28 October 2012

“What’s So Mysterious About Meteorites?” - Book Review

“What’s So Mysterious About Meteorites?” - Book Review

“What’s So Mysterious About Meteorites?” by Dorothy Sigler Norton
reviewed by Logical Lizard, Tucson Citizen, October 24, 2012
http://tucsoncitizen.com/lizard/2012/10/24/whats-so-mysterious-about-meteorites-by-dorothy-sigler-norton/

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Friday 26 October 2012

Open Access Geology Textbook Online

Open Access Geology Textbook Online

For the lay rock and mineral collector, there is
a rather nice open access geology textbook. It
is "Earth's Dynamic Systems Web Edition 1.0" T

http://www.earthds.info/
http://www.earthds.info/TOC.html
http://www.earthds.info/Preface.html

Eric H Christiansen and W. Kenneth Hamblin
obviously put a lot of time and effort into it and
is a good introductory text for the interested
layperson.

Best wishes,

Paul H.
--

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Weird Meteorwrong from Austria

Weird Meteorwrong from Austria

While surfing the web recently, I came across this weird
meteorite claim in an article, "Mystery Ball Is A Meteorite
Claim" by Marija Andric from the December 19, 2009
CroatianTimes at:

http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Around_the_World/2012-09-19/29743/Mystery_Ball_Is_A_Meteorite_Claim

It briefly mentions a "4-tonne" "mystery ball," which
was found during road work" between Waizenkirchen
and Grieskirchen," Austria. Although it is reported to
be made of metal, I seriously doubt this as the picture,
which accompanies the article, shows an object that
appears to be virtually identical to large cannonball
concretions. According the article, local people have
postulated that it is either a meteorite, religious artifact,
or somehow related to UFOs. These interpretations fall
well into the wide range of ways, including dinosaur
eggs, in which I have found people to have
misidentified large cannonball concretions. Given that
it was found within the North Alpine Molasse Basin,
I suspect that this large, round object is a cannonball
concretion. If so, a number of people have let their
imaginations get carried away with them and it is
certainly a bizarre example of a meteorwrong.

I would be interested if anyone on this list has heard
anything about this object.

For the cannonball concretions that were
misidentified as dinosaur eggs, a person can go to:

Dinosaur eggs said found in Russia's Chechnya
Rueters April 17, 2012
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/04/17/russia-chechnya-dinosaurs-idINDEE83G0EH20120417

[Rockhounds] Dinosaur eggs said found in Russia's Chechnya
http://lists.drizzle.com/pipermail/rockhounds/2012-April/037533.html

For other pictures of cannonball concretions, a person can go to:

(1.) "Tout ce que la nature ne peut pas faire, IV : sphères de pierre" at:
http://irna.lautre.net/Tout-ce-que-la-nature-ne-peut-pas,45.html

(2.) " Boules de pierre en Slovaquie, République Tchèque et Pologne"
http://irna.lautre.net/Boules-de-pierre-en-Slovaquie.html

(3.) "The Moeraki Boulders" at:
http://homepages.ezysurf.co.nz/~middleimage/MoerakiBoulders.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moeraki_Boulders

(4.) Koutu Boulders (Northland) at:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=186163b5-4303-4d0f-9e12-44a28d20c08f
http://hokiangatourism.org.nz/activities/attractions/koutu-boulders
http://www.hokianga.net.nz/hokianga/koutu/koutu_boulders.htm

Some papers about the North Alpine Molasse Basin.

Krenmayr, H. G., 1999, 2.3. The Austrian sector of the
North Alpine Molasse: A classic foreland basin.
Berichte der Geologischen Bundesanstalt. Band 49,
pp. 22-27.
http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_remote/BerichteGeolBundesanstalt_49_0022-0026.pdf
http://www.geologie.ac.at/filestore/download/BR0049_001_A.pdf

Hamilton, W., L. Wagner, and G. Wessely, 2000, Oil and
gas in Austria. Mittcilungen der Oslerrcichischen
Geologischen Gesellschaft. Band 92, pp. 235-262
http://www2.uibk.ac.at/downloads/oegg/Band_92_235_262.pdf

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Sunday 21 October 2012

Oldest-tree fossils on display in Grahamsville, New York

Oldest-tree fossils on display in Grahamsville, New York


Oldest-tree fossils on display in Grahamsville

The Daily Star, October 20, 2012

http://thedailystar.com/local/x1133188514/Oldest-tree-fossils-on-display-in-Grahamsville


Some online papers are:

1. Stein, W. E., C. M. Berry, L. V.-A. Hernick, and F. Mannolini,

2012, Surprisingly complex community discovered in the

mid-Devonian fossil forest at Gilboa. Nature. vol. 483, pp. 78-81

PDF file at http://211.144.68.84:9998/91keshi/Public/File/34/483-7387/pdf/nature10819.pdf


2. Selden, P. A., 2005, Terrestrialization (Precambrian–Devonian)

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, John Wileyand Sons, New York.

PDF file at http://www.paulselden.net/uploads/7/5/3/2/7532217/elsterrestrialization.pdf

and http://www.paulselden.net/publications.html


3. Shear, W. A., P. A. Snelden, W. A. I. Rolfe, P. M. Bonamo,

and J. D. Gierson, 1987, New Terrestrial Arachnids from

the Devonian of Gilboa, New York (Arachnida, Trigonotarbida).

American Museum Novitates. no. 2901, pp. 1 -74.

PDF file at http://www.paulselden.net/uploads/7/5/3/2/7532217/gilboatrigssmall.pdf

and http://www.paulselden.net/publications.html


4. Retallack G. J. and C. Huang, 2011, Ecology and evolution

of Devonian trees in New York, USA. Palaeogeography

Paleoclimatology Paleoecology. vol.299, pp.110-128.

and http://pages.uoregon.edu/dogsci/_media/directory/faculty/greg/palaeogoegraphypalaeoclimatologypalaeoecology2011devoniantrees.pdf?id=directory%3Afaculty%3Agreg%3Apublications&cache=cache http://pages.uoregon.edu/dogsci/doku.php?id=directory/faculty/greg/publications


Other pages about the Gilboa Fossil Forest, New York are:

Dr. Lockwood’S Fossil Forest (Gilboa Fossil Forest,

New York) May 12, 2012 http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/29457-dr-lockwoods-fossil-forest-gilboa-fossil-forest-new-york/page__hl__gilboa

The Gilboa Museum - Devonian Forest Fossils!

July 13. 2012, http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/14317-the-gilboa-museum-devonian-forest-fossils/page__hl__gilboa

Gilboa Fossil Forest - Wkipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilboa_Fossil_Forest


Devonian Times - The First Forests

http://www.devoniantimes.org/opportunity/forests.html

Best wishes,
Paul H.

New Paper About Permian - Triassic Extinction

New Paper About Permian - Triassic Extinction


Geochemical analysis of Chinese rocks used to better
understand the Permian-Triassic mass extinction
by Greg Hand, Physorg, October 16, 2012
http://phys.org/news/2012-10-geochemical-analysis-chinese-permian-triassic-mass.html

Tropical Collapse in Early Triassic Caused by Lethal
Heat: Extreme Temperatures Blamed for 'Dead Zone'
ScienceDaily, October, 18, 2012)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121018141844.htm

Early Triassic's Stifling Heat Made Earth Hostile to
Life, Scientists Say by Jenny Marder, October 18, 2012
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/-some-250-million-years.html

Permian-Triassic Extinction Event May Have Been
Driven By Extreme Warming, Huffington Post,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/permiantriassic-extinction-event_n_1981835.html

The papers are:

Sun, Y., M. M. Joachimski, P. B. Wignall, C. Yan, Y. Chen,
H. Jiang, L. Wang, and X. Lai, 2012, Lethally Hot
Temperatures During the Early Triassic Greenhouse.
Science. vol. 338, no. 6105, pp. 366-370
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6105/366

and

Bottjer, D. J., 2012, Life in the Early Triassic Ocean.
Science. vol. 338, no. 6105, pp. 336-337
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6105/336.summary

Best wishes,

Paul H.

More Evidence Permian - Triassic Extinction Not Caused by Extraterrestrial Impact

More Evidence Permian - Triassic Extinction Not Caused by Extraterrestrial Impact

As time goes on, more and more evidence that the
Triassic - Permian extinction was not caused by an
extraterrestrial impact seems to be accumulating.

Go see:

Geochemical analysis of Chinese rocks used to better
understand the Permian-Triassic mass extinction
by Greg Hand, Physorg, October 16, 2012
http://phys.org/news/2012-10-geochemical-analysis-chinese-permian-triassic-mass.html

Tropical Collapse in Early Triassic Caused by Lethal
Heat: Extreme Temperatures Blamed for 'Dead Zone'
ScienceDaily, October, 18, 2012)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121018141844.htm

Early Triassic's Stifling Heat Made Earth Hostile to
Life, Scientists Say by Jenny Marder, October 18, 2012
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/-some-250-million-years.html

Permian-Triassic Extinction Event May Have Been
Driven By Extreme Warming, Huffington Post,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/permiantriassic-extinction-event_n_1981835.html

The papers are:

Sun, Y., M. M. Joachimski, P. B. Wignall, C. Yan, Y. Chen,
H. Jiang, L. Wang, and X. Lai, 2012, Lethally Hot
Temperatures During the Early Triassic Greenhouse.
Science. vol. 338, no. 6105, pp. 366-370
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6105/366

Also, there is the below commentary:

Bottjer, D. J., 2012, Life in the Early Triassic Ocean.
Science. vol. 338, no. 6105, pp. 336-337
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6105/336.summary

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Thursday 18 October 2012

Revised Model for the Origin of the Moon


Revised Model for the Origin of the Moon

A New Model for the Origin of the Moon by Sarah
T. Stewart-Mukhopadhyay, Department of Earth
and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~planets/sstewart/Moon.html

How the Moon Was Made: A Massive Collision
Smithsonian, October 17. 2012,
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/10/how-the-moon-was-made-a-massive-collision/

Harvard scientists suggest Moon made from Earth.
NewsDaily, October 17, 2012
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre89h034-us-moon-theory/

The paper is:

Cuk, M., and S. T. Stewart, 2012, Making the Moon
from a fast-spinning Earth: A giant impact followed
by resonant despinning. Science. Published online
17 October 2012 [DOI:10.1126/science.1225542]
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2012/10/16/science.1225542.abstract

Canup, R. M., 2012, Forming a Moon with an Earth-
Like Composition via a Giant Impact. Published
online 17 October 2012 [DOI:10.1126/science.1226073]
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2012/10/16/science.1226073.abstract

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Hunting Dinosaurs in Alaska (Colville River)

Hunting Dinosaurs in Alaska (Colville River)

Field geologists break rocks, bones while searching
for dinosaur fossils in Alaska by Doug Hissom,
Baltimore Post-Examiner, Oct. 16, 2102
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/field-geologists-break-rocks-bones-while-searching-for-dinosaur-fossils-in-alaska/2012/10/16

Other web pages

Alaska Dinosaurs (BLM)
http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/culture/paleontology/dinosaurs.html

Rich, T. H., 2008, Tunnelling for dinosaurs in the high
Arctic. Deposits Magazine. vol. 16, pp. 18-22.
PDF file at http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ak/aktest/culture_res/culture_pdfs.Par.56968.File.dat/deposits_mag_08-2008_issue16.pdf

Arctic Dinosaurs (NOVA – PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/arctic-dinosaurs.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/filming-dinosaurs-in-alaska.html

Re: Colville River, North Slope Alaska, Dinosaur Fossils Questions
http://dml.cmnh.org/1995Apr/msg00035.html
http://dml.cmnh.org/2001Aug/msg00337.html

The Strange Lives of Polar Dinosaurs by Mitch Leslie
Smithsonian Magazine, December 2007
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/polar-dinosaurs-200712.html

The dinosaur killing field of northern Alaska
by Ned Rozell / Alaska Science Forum
http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/7368363/article-The-dinosaur-killing-field-of-northern-Alaska-

Recent Book

Gangloff, R. A., 2012, Dinosaurs Under the Aurora.
University of Indiana Press, University of Indiana,
Indianapolis, IN.

There are a seemingly endless number of peer-reviewed
papers about the paleontology, stratigraphy, and
sedimentology of the Liscomb Bone Bed that I cannot
even begin to list.

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Dinosaur Hunting on the Colville River, Alaska

Dinosaur Hunting on the Colville River, Alaska

Field geologists break rocks, bones while searching
for dinosaur fossils in Alaska by Doug Hissom,
Baltimore Post-Examiner, Oct. 16, 2102
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/field-geologists-break-rocks-bones-while-searching-for-dinosaur-fossils-in-alaska/2012/10/16

Other web pages

Alaska Dinosaurs (BLM)
http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/culture/paleontology/dinosaurs.html

Rich, T. H., 2008, Tunnelling for dinosaurs in the high
Arctic. Deposits Magazine. vol. 16, pp. 18-22.
PDF file at http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ak/aktest/culture_res/culture_pdfs.Par.56968.File.dat/deposits_mag_08-2008_issue16.pdf

Arctic Dinosaurs (NOVA – PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/arctic-dinosaurs.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/filming-dinosaurs-in-alaska.html

Re: Colville River, North Slope Alaska, Dinosaur Fossils Questions
http://dml.cmnh.org/1995Apr/msg00035.html
http://dml.cmnh.org/2001Aug/msg00337.html

The Strange Lives of Polar Dinosaurs by Mitch Leslie
Smithsonian Magazine, December 2007
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/polar-dinosaurs-200712.html

The dinosaur killing field of northern Alaska
by Ned Rozell / Alaska Science Forum
http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/7368363/article-The-dinosaur-killing-field-of-northern-Alaska-

Recent Book

Gangloff, R. A., 2012, Dinosaurs Under the Aurora.
University of Indiana Press, University of Indiana,
Indianapolis, IN.

There are a seemingly endless number of peer-reviewed
papers about the paleontology, stratigraphy, and
sedimentology of the Liscomb Bone Bed that I cannot
even begin to list.

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Saturday 13 October 2012

Meteorite Delivers Martian Secrets

Meteorite Delivers Martian Secrets

Meteorite Delivers Martian Secrets
ScienceDaily, October 11, 2012)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121011141439.htm

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345727/description/Scientists_probe_fresh_Martian_meteorite%C2%A0_

Mars meteorite may contain bubbles of 700000-year-old
Martian air, The Guardian, October 11, 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/oct/11/meteorite-mars-bubbles-martian-air

The paper is:

Aoudjehane, H. C., G. Avice, J.-A. Barrat, O. Boudouma, G. Chen,
M. J .M. Duke, I. A. Franchi, J. Gattacecca, M. M. Grady, R. C.
Greenwood, C. D. K. Herd, R. Hewins, A. Jambon, B. Marty, P.
Rochette, C. L Smith, V. Sautter, A. Verchovsky, P. Weber, and
B. Zanda. Tissint Martian Meteorite: A Fresh Look at the
Interior, Surface, and Atmosphere of Mars. Science,
Published Online October 11 2012
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2012/10/12/science.1224514.abstract

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Thursday 11 October 2012

Voyager 1 may have left the solar system

Voyager 1 may have left the solar system

Voyager 1 may have left the solar system
by Nancy Atkinson, Universe Today, October 9, 2012
http://phys.org/news/2012-10-voyager-left-solar.html and
http://www.universetoday.com/97763/voyage-1-may-have-left-the-solar-system/

Voyager 1 Has Left Solar System By Crossing
Heliopause, Huffington Post, October 9, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/09/voyager-1-solar-system-heliopause_n_1951224.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Friday 5 October 2012

Fossils in storage: How do you sort through the backlog?

Fossils in storage: How do you sort through the backlog?

A Modest Proposal: 3-D Printing of Fossils Still
Trapped in Matrix by Charles Q. Choi, October 3, 2012
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/assignment-impossible/2012/10/03/a-modest-proposal-3-d-printing-of-fossils-still-trapped-in-matrix/

Fossils in storage: How do you sort through the
backlog? by Maggie Koerth-Baker, October 4, 2012
http://boingboing.net/2012/10/04/fossils-in-storage-how-do-you.html

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

$2 million in gems, gold stolen from Calif. museum

$2 million in gems, gold stolen from Calif. museum

The gem and mineral collectors among us should
keep an eye out for these stolen specimens. Also,
people dealing in this any sort of valuable material
should take care.

$2 Million In Gems, Gold Stolen From Mariposa
Museum, October 1, 2012, CBS News, Sacremento.
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/10/01/2-million-in-gems-gold-stolen-from-california-museum/

Mariposa stunned by brazen heist at mineral
museum by Joshua Emerson Smith, Merced Sun-star
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/09/29/3011622/mariposa-stunned-by-brazen-heist.html
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/10/01/3013262/2-million-in-gems-gold-stolen.html

Investigators looking for Mariposa museum thieves
ABC News, October 01, 2012
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8831882

$2 million in gems, gold stolen from Calif. museum
Lompoc Record. October 1, 2012.
http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/state-and-regional/million-in-gems-gold-stolen-from-calif-museum/article_c09df010-a1e2-5264-ae63-c3336773f5ff.html

$2 million in gems, gold stolen from Calif. museum
By Jason Dearen, Associated Press, Oct. 1, 2012
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/10/01/3013262/2-million-in-gems-gold-stolen.html

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Fine Art of Extracting Bones From Rocks

Fine Art of Extracting Bones From Rocks

Preparing fossils: the fine art of extracting bones
from the rocks (Rarely appreciated is the fundamental
part of palaeontology that is preparation, removing
the fossils from the rocks that entomb them.)
by Dave Hone, The Guardian, October 1, 2012,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/lost-worlds/2012/oct/01/dinosaurs-fossils?newsfeed=true

Best wishes,

Paul H.