Profiting from the past: Are fossils a sound investment?

Profiting from the past: Are fossils a sound investment?

Hippensteel, S., and S. Condliffe. 2013, Profiting from the past:
Are fossils a sound investment? GSA Today, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 27-29.
Full text - http://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/23/8/article/i1052-5173-23-8-27.htm
PDF file - http://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/23/8/pdf/i1052-5173-23-8-27.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Some free, downloadable PDF files about the fossils of the Florissant, Colorado, lake bed.

Some free, downloadable PDF files about the fossils of the Florissant, Colorado, lake bed.


Some free, downloadable PDF files about the fossils of
the Florissant, Colorado, lake bed.

Thoene, J. L., 2011, Taphonomy of Insects from the Florissant
Formation, Colorado. Unpublished MSc thesis, Department
of Museum and Field Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder.
http://www.cfc.umt.edu/CESU/Reports/NPS/CU/2008/08Smith_FLFO_%20fossil%20excavation_MSc_thesis.pdf

Smith, D. M., and M. E. Benson, 2010, Taxonomy and
Paleoenvironmental Indications of Fossil Diatoms from the
Florissant Formation. Final Report May 10, 2010, Dept. of
Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
http://www.cfc.umt.edu/CESU/Reports/NPS/CU/2005/05Smith_Dena_diatoms_FLFO_final%20rpt.pdf

KellerLynn, K, 2006, Florissant Fossil Beds National
Monument Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Natural
Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2006/009.
National Park Service, Denver, Colorado.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/publications/reports/flfo_gre_rpt_print_body.pdf

Foos, A., and J. Hannibal, 1999, Geology of the Florissant
Fossil Beds National Monument.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/education/foos/flfo.pdf

Evanoff, E., and others, 2001, Fossil Flora and Stratigraphy
of the Florissant Formation, Colorado. Proceedings of the
Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Series 4, no. 1,
(October 1, 2001), 69 pp.
http://www.dmns.org/media/376970/pseries4-1red-1.pdf

Smith, D. M., and A. P. Moe-Hoffman, 2007, Taphonomy
of Diptera in Lacustrine Environments: A case study from
Florissant Fossil Beds, Colorado. Palaios. vol. 22, pp. 623-629.
http://fossilinsects.net/pdfs/smith_moeHoffman_2007_Palaios_TaphonomyDipteraFlorissant_LR.pdf
http://spot.colorado.edu/~dena/DMSmithPublications.htm

Moe, A., and D. M. Smith, 2005, Using Fossil Flies to
Interpret Paleoenvironment, Florissant Fossil Beds NM,
Colorado. Palaeogeography, Palaeoecology,
Palaeoclimatology. vol. 221, pp. 203-214.
http://spot.colorado.edu/~dena/MoeSmith2005.pdf
http://spot.colorado.edu/~dena/DMSmithPublications.htm

Prothero, D.R., and Sanchez, F., 2004, Magnetic stratigraphy
of the upper Eocene Florissant Formation, Teller County,
Colorado, in Lucas, S. G., Zeigler, K. E., and Kondrashov,
P. E., eds., pp. 129-135, Paleogene Mammals. New
Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin no. 26.
http://www.donaldprothero.com/files/47440764.pdf
https://nmstatehood.unm.edu/node/25439

Yours,

Paul H.

Awesome sinkhole photos

Awesome sinkhole photos

For some awesome sinkhole photos, go look at:

Sinkholes: When the Earth Opens Up, In Focus
with Ann Taylor, The Atlantic, July 12, 2013
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/07/sinkholes-when-the-earth-opens-up/100552/

Yours,

Paul H.

Could new rules on fossils bury citizen paleontology?

Could new rules on fossils bury citizen paleontology?

Although this applies to fossil collecting, it also
has implications for meteorite collectors.

Could new rules on fossils bury citizen paleontology?
(Forest Service wants to limit ‘casual collecting’ to
25 pounds a year) by Brett Prettyman and Brian Maffly
The Salt Lake Tribune, July 24. 2013
http://www.bendbulletin.com/article/20130724/NEWS0107/307240320

Yours,

Paul H.

Valley Networks Suggest Ancient Snowfall On Mars

Valley Networks Suggest Ancient Snowfall On Mars

Valley Networks Suggest Ancient Snowfall On Mars
Science Daily, July 23, 2013
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130723155046.htm

Ancient Snowfall On Mars? Science 2.0, July 23rd 2013
http://www.science20.com/news_articles/ancient_snowfall_mars-116965

Scanlon, K. E., J. W. Head, J.-B. Madeleine, R. D.
Wordsworth, and F. Forget, 2013, Orographic
precipitation in valley network headwaters: Constraints
on the ancient Martian atmosphere. Geophysical
Research Letters, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/grl.50687
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50687/abstract

Yours,

Paul H.

Freshwater Creatures Less Affected by K-Pg Asteroid Impact

Freshwater Creatures Less Affected by K-Pg Asteroid Impact

Freshwater Creatures Less Affected by Dino-Killing
Asteroid, National Geographic, July 23, 2013
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130723-chicxulub-asteroid-dinosaurs-freshwater-survival-extinction/

A field guide to surviving a mass extinction
by John Timmer, Ars Technica, July 21, 2013
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/07/a-field-guide-to-surviving-a-mass-extinction/

Robertson, D. S., W. M. Lewis, P. M. Sheehan,
and O. B. Toon, 2013, K-Pg extinction patterns
in marine and freshwater environments: The
impact winter model. Journal of Geophysical
Research: Biogeosciences Article first published
online: 11 JUL 2013 DOI: 10.1002/jgrg.20086
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jgrg.20086/abstract

Yours,
Paul H.

Old Mine Tailings Piles - Modern Treasure ??

Old Mine Tailings Piles - Modern Treasure ??


Gold rush trash is Information Age treasure
USA Today, July 21, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/07/21/gold-rush-era-discards-could-fuel-cellphones-tvs/2572761/

There's gold in them thar mine tailings
Globe and Mail, July 21, 2013
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/theres-gold-in-them-thar-mine-tailings/article13335140/

Federal geologists mining old Western US
tailings piles for minerals to build smartphone
Washington Post, July 21, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/federal-geologists-mine-old-western-us-tailings-piles-for-minerals-to-build-smartphones/2013/07/21/ea683b0e-f20a-11e2-8464-57e57af86290_story.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Rare Fossils Found On Brisbane, Australia, Building Site

Rare Fossils Found On Brisbane, Australia, Building Site

Ancient fossils found by Brisbane workers
The Daily Telegraph, AAP, July 16, 2013
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/ancient-fossils-found-by-brisbane-workers/story-fni0xqi3-1226680063801

'Phenomenal' fossil find in Brisbane's north
(Pictures) Bisbane Times, July 16, 2013
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/sci-tech/phenomenal-fossil-find-in-brisbanes-north-20130716-2q1bk.html

Rare Fossils Found On Brisbane Building Site
(Pictures) Sky News, UK, July 13, 2013
http://news.sky.com/story/1116332/rare-fossils-found-on-brisbane-building-site

Brisbane fossil find may provide missing link in
animal evolution, The Guardian, July 13, 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/jul/16/fossils-brisbane-missing-link

Yours,

Paul H.

Earth's Gold Came from Colliding Dead Stars

Earth's Gold Came from Colliding Dead Stars

Earth's Gold Came from Colliding Dead Stars
Science Daily, July 17, 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130717134921.htm

Berger, E., W. Fong, and R. Chornock. Smoking
Gun or Smoldering Embers? A Possible r-process
Kilonova Associated with the Short-Hard GRB
130603B. The Astrophysical Journal Letters,
http://arxiv.org/abs/1306.3960

Also, there is:

In Quest of the Cosmic Origins of Silver: Silver
and Gold Materialized in Different Stellar
Explosions, Science Daily, Sep. 6, 2012)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120906074025.htm

Hansen, C. J., F. Primas, H. Hartman, K.-L. Kratz,
S. Wanajo, B. Leibundgut, K. Farouqi, O.
Hallmann, N. Christlieb, H. Nilsson. Silver and
palladium help unveil the nature of a second
r-process. Astronomy & Astrophysics, vol. 545,
A31 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201118643

Yours,

Paul H.

NASA Will Search For Martian Fossils in 2020

NASA Will Search For Martian Fossils in 2020

Next Mars Rover to Pack Microscope, Look for Fossils
by Irene Klotz, Discovery News, July 10, 2013
http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/nasa-mars-rover-search-life-sample-return-130709.htm
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/160905-nasas-next-mars-rover-will-hunt-for-fossils-and-other-signs-of-life-with-a-microscope

Extraterrestrial Life: NASA Will Search For Martian
Fossils in 2020, Design & Trend, July 10, 2013
http://www.designntrend.com/articles/5934/20130710/extraterrestrial-life-nasa-will-search-martian-fossils-2020-video.htm

Mars 2020 Science Definition Team Report
http://mars.nasa.gov/files/m2020/SDT_July2013.zip

Yours,

Paul H.

Paleontological Resources Preservation Act Rules - Comment Period Ends July 22, 2013

U.S. Paleontological Resources Preservation Act Rules - Comment Period Ends July 22, 2013

The comment period for the rules that will implement
the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act will
end on July 22, 2013. For more information go see:

Paleontological Resources Preservation: A Proposed
Rule by the Forest Service on 05/23/2013 (Proposed
rules for carrying out the Paleontological Resources
Preservation Act.) This article has a comment period
that ends in 12 days on July 22, 2013
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/05/23/2013-12173/paleontological-resources-preservation

Paleontological Resources Preservation Act:
http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/prpa_text.cfm
and https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/05/23/2013-12173/paleontological-resources-preservation#h-67

Paleonet: Open letter to the USDA Forest Service
regarding proposed rules for Paleontological Resources
Preservation Act by Philip M Novack-Gottshall
http://mailman.nhm.ac.uk/pipermail/paleonet/2013-July/002951.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Re: ED fix

Re: ED fix

In "Re: [meteorite-list] ED fix" at
http://www.mail-archive.com/meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com/msg113727.html

Jim Wooddell wrote-

"What has been a very cool experience is to be hunting
in Superior Valley and have them do an on deck fly over
while they try to catch the little target jets (t38s ???).
Very cool time out! Jim."

I did both archaeological surveys and later a couple
of years of geological mapping within Fort Polk in
Vernon Parish, Louisiana, and the Peason Ridge area
just north of it. I loved seeing the A-10 Thunderbolt II
"Warthog" flying, often on the deck, around. When
they did target practice in the Peason Ridge area, the
firing sounded like "War of the Wells" Martians were
coming. It was cool experience. Also, there were
eerily silent helicopters that flew by on maneuvers.
The really scary incident was a strange aerial vehicle
with two huge vertical lifting fans within it and
completely silent that literally floated over us one
day just above the tree tops . That vehicle was enough
to give me nightmares about "black helicopters."
There was never a dull day working in Fort Polk
and often weird stuff to observe. Of course, every
day started with the morning visit to Range Control
to find out where we could be and should not be.

Yours,

Paul H.

Google Earth Photos on the Day of the Meteor at Chelyabinsk

Google Earth Photos on the Day of the Meteor at Chelyabinsk

Google Earth Photos on the Day of the Meteor at Chelyabinsk
The Cosmic Corner, Britt Maxwell, April 16, 2013
http://thecosmiccorner.blogspot.com/2013/04/google-earth-posts-photos-taken-on-same.html

Yours,

Paul H.

ED fix - In Russia

ED fix - In Russia

In " Re: [meteorite-list] ED fix " at
http://www.mail-archive.com/meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com/msg113704.html
Adam wrote

"Dr. Bunch thought it was some jet jockey trying
to show off but this doesn't answer the question
to how he knew we were at that remote location
in the first place."

Reminds me of a couple of car cam videos from
Russia. Go see:

Russian fighter jet almost lands on road - Sonic boom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMtjpDykp9k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSuA4Cnf04I

RUSSIAN DASH CAM FOOTAGE - Tank!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo4Wv2p62vM

Best wishes,

Paul H.

A Disease Without a Cure Spreads Quietly in the West

A Disease Without a Cure Spreads Quietly in the West

A Disease Without a Cure Spreads Quietly in the West
by P. L. Brown, New York Times, July 4, 2013
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/health/a-disease-without-a-cure-spreads-quietly-in-the-west.html?pagewanted=all

Map at http://ozreport.com/pub/images/valley-fever-locations2.gif
( http://ozreport.com/1368718579 )

and
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguItNcUnKD0rQ5TY_CV-vo317ePVE2VEwr7DZGJwrVf_6jNHJr_745Zf5oUat3byw_tESLWlt0gEVFg3r9aq1lwuZ9ZRIn6o3S7PRxpcz5e9y3cU_u9F3tFzPHCtgfhGXVfgESputguz_/s1600/Valley+Fever+Map.gif

Yours,

Paul H.

Meteorite (Art) Shot Back Into To Space

Meteorite (Art) Shot Back Into To Space

Innovative solution to modern art found: Shoot it into space
(Meteorite-riddled Earthlings to finally return fire at the universe)
by Lewis Page, The Register, July 3, 2013
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/03/innovative_solution_to_modern_art_found_shoot_it_into_space/

Yours,

Paul H

Mars Had Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere Four Billion Years Ago

Mars Had Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere Four Billion Years Ago

Mars Had Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere Four Billion Years Ago
(The oxygen was either produced by life forms or by a
chemical reaction in the atmosphere of Mars) The Guardian
(Associated Press) June 19, 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/jun/19/mars-oxygen-rich-atmosphere

Mars Had Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere 4,000 Million Years Ago,
Science Daily, June 19, 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130619132446.htm

The paper is:

Tuff, J., J. Wade, and B. J. Wood, 2013, Volcanism on Mars
controlled by early oxidation of the upper mantle. Nature,
vol. 498, no. 7454, pp. 342-345. DOI: 10.1038/nature12225
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v498/n7454/full/nature12225.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Prehistoric Colors (Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition)

Prehistoric Colors (Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition)

Irish palaeontologist to depict how colours change in fossils at London expo, SiliconRepublic, July 2, 2013
http://www.siliconre...eontologist-to/

Prehistoric Colours, The Royal Society
http://sse.royalsoci...storic-colours/

Yours,

Paul H

New Species Of Miocene Hornless Rhino In Thailand

New Species Of Miocene Hornless Rhino In Thailand

Fossils Reveal New Species of Hornless Rhino in Thailand, Nature World News, July 2, 2013
http://www.naturewor...no-thailand.htm

A new species of the hornless rhino found from the Late Miocene of Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Phys.org, http://phys.org/news...te-miocene.html

the paper is:
Deng, T., R. Hanta, and P. Jintasakul, 2013, A new species of Aceratherium (Rhinocerotidae,
Perissodactyla) from the late Miocene of Nakhon Ratchasima, northeastern Thailand. Journal of
Vertebrate Paleontology. vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 977-985.
http://www.tandfonli...634.2013.748058

Yours,

Paul H.

What Your Digital Pictures Can Tell About You

What Your Digital Pictures Can Tell About You

People, who take pictures, might not realize that
smartphones, digital cameras often record all
sorts data about how, when, and even where in
some cases a picture was taken. Many cameras
record this information as meta-data that is
embedded in image files in a digital format called
"Exif Metadata" as discussed in:

Tools for Managing EXIF Data of your Images
http://www.labnol.org/software/exif-data-editors/14210/

Exchangeable image file format
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchangeable_image_file_format

Also, the EXIF Data might record when and how it
was modified depending on the software used.

If you want to see what image data is embedded
in yours or another person's picture, there are various
Exif Viewers, both online and available as software
that can be used to extract this data.

Even if you are not interested in this data, there are
people and companies that are examining the
pictures that you and other people posted to the
Internet using this data for their own purposes. If
you have a smart phone or camera with a built-in
GPS, it is scary what people can find out you and
where you have been.

Some online Exif Viewers are:

1. ExifViewer.org - http://www.exifviewer.org/

2. Jeffrey's Exif viewer - http://regex.info/exif.cgi

Yours,

Paul H.