The T-Rex of Prehistoric Earthworms or Pseudofossil?

The T-Rex of Prehistoric Earthworms or Pseudofossil?
I know that this is off-topic. However, it is not often that a person finds a rock that is weirder than a meteorite. Scientists cannot even agree whether it is a fossil or not.

The latest theory is that this rock is the fossil of the T-Rex of earthworms. Go see the open access paper at:
Broughton, P.L. 2017: Enigmatic origin of massive Late Cretaceous-to-Neogene coprolite-like deposits
in North America: a novel palaeobiological alternative to inorganic morphogenesis. Lethaia, Vol. 50, 194–216.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/let.12186/epdf

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/let.12186/full

A related paper is:

Yancey, T.E., Mustoe, G.E., Leopold, E.B. and Heizler, M.T., 2013. Mudflow disturbance in latest Miocene forests in Lewis County, Washington. Palaios, Vol. 28(6), 343-358.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.957.6112&rep=rep1&type=pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/George_Mustoe/publication/266138598_Mudflow_disturbance_in_latest_Miocene_forests_in_Lewis_County_Washington/links/542608920cf238c6ea7785e0.pdf

Meteorwrongs are common compared to the above pseudofossils / fossil earthworm. :-)

Yours,

Paul H.

Meteorite Impacts Sites of Tennessee

Meteorite Impacts Sites of Tennessee

Ford, J.R.H., Orchiston, W. and Clendening, R., 2012.
The Wells Creek meteorite impact site and changing views on impact cratering. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 15(3), pp. 159-178.
http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2012JAHHvol15/2012JAHH...15..159F.pdf

http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2012JAHHvol15/

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wayne_Orchiston


Ford, J.R.H., Orchiston, W. and Clendening, R., 2013.
The Flynn Creek meteorite impact site and changing views on impact cratering. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 16, pp. 127-183.
http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2013JAHHvol16/

http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2013JAHHvol16/2013JAHH...16..127F.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wayne_Orchiston


Ford, J.R.H., Orchiston, W. and Clendening, R., 2014.
An historical perspective on the suspected meteorite impacts sites of Tennessee. 1: The Dycus Structure. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 17(3), pp. 352-364.
http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2014JAHHvol17/

http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2014JAHHvol17/2014JAHH...17..352F.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wayne_Orchiston


Ford, J.R.H., Orchiston, W. and Clendening, R., 2015.
An historical perspective on the suspected meteorite impacts sites of Tennessee. 2: The Howell Structure Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 18(1), pp. 65-97.
http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2015JAHHvol18/

http://www.narit.or.th/en/files/2015JAHHvol18/2015JAHH...18...65F.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wayne_Orchiston


Yours,

Paul H.

Online Lecture About The Formation of Terrestrial Planets

Online Lecture About The Formation of Terrestrial Planets

While slumming on Youtube, I came across a really nice lecture on the formation of terrestrial planets. It is: The Formation of Terrestrial Planets - the 2nd Lobanov-Rostovsky Lecture in Planetary Geology Published on Oct 8, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMj9whiI31I

Fortunately, the audio is increased just before the main lecture begins. Only the introduction is hard to hear.

Yours,

Paul H.

Impact Crater Linked to Martian Tsunamis

Impact Crater Linked to Martian Tsunamis

Impact Crater Linked to Martian Tsunamis
By Paul Rincon, BBC News website, March 26, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39394583



Water On Mars: Researchers Link Lomonosov Crater To Ancient Martian Tsunamis by Avaneesh
IBT, March 26, 2017
http://www.ibtimes.com/water-mars-researchers-link-lomonosov-crater-ancient-martian-tsunamis-251524


The paper is:

Costard, F., A. Séjourné, K. Kelfoun, S. Clifford, F. Lavigne, I. Di Pietro, and S. Bouley (2017), Modeling tsunami propagation and the emplacement of thumbprint terrain in an early Mars ocean, Journal Geophysical Research Planets, 122, doi:10.1002/2016JE005230
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016JE005230/full


An article about studying Mars is:

Studying Martian Rocks Without Leaving Planet Earth
Matching Martian rock formations to those found on Earth can help researchers learn more about the Red Planet.
By Alexandra Branscombe, AGU, March 1, 2017
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/studying-martian-rocks-without-leaving-planet-earth

https://eos.org/research-spotlights

Yours,

Paul H.

Chinese Meteorite Lawsuit

Xinjiang Herdsman’s Fight for His Meteorite

Kazak rancher sues government for ownership of a grounded shooting star.
Wang Lianzhang, March 22, 2017

http://www.sixthtone.com/news/xinjiang-farmer-and-government-tussle-over-meteorite-ownership



Also from China, the magical alternative universe of Internet and tabloid news has this story:

Man pops the question with 33-ton “meteorite”
Master BlasterMaster Blaster 3 days ago
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/03/20/man-pops-the-question-with-33-ton-meteorite/



Well, she said she wanted a big rock! Chinese man proposes to his ...
Daily Mail-March 15, 2017
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-4315506/Man-proposes-girlfriend-33-tonne-meteorite.html



Yours,

Paul H.

Another Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis Paper

Another Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis Paper

The discussion continues.

Discovery of widespread platinum may help solve Clovis people mystery, University of South Carolina, March 9, 2017
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170309120656.htm
http://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2017/03/uofsc_archaeologists_discover_platinum_at_clovis_sites.php

Moore, C.R., West, A., LeCompte, M.A., Brooks, M.J., Daniel Jr, I.R., Goodyear, A.C., Ferguson, T.A., Ivester, A.H., Feathers, J.K., Kennett, J.P. and Tankersley, K.B., 2017.
Widespread platinum anomaly documented at the Younger Dryas onset in North American sedimentary
sequences. Scientific Reports, 7, p.44031.
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep44031
http://1f9hwg1wionh254zdu2abfkg.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/srep44031.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/31867816/Widespread_platinum_anomaly_documented_at_the_Younger_Dryas_onset_in_North_American_sedimentary_sequences_OPEN

The number of publications on this topic must be closing in on circa 180 to 200 by now.

Yours,

Paul H.

The e-Pistles of Paul ©2010 A.D.: Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust

The e-Pistles of Paul ©2010 A.D.: Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust: Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust Life on Europa may have been sparked by COMETS: Rocks carrying biological material could...

The Permo-Triassic Boundary in the Karoo Basin - Guidebook and Summary Chapter

The Permo-Triassic Boundary in the Karoo Basin - Guidebook and Summary Chapter

Neveling, J., R. A. Gastaldo, and J. W. Geissman, 2016,
The Permo-Triassic Boundary in the Karoo Basin. Field
Guidebook for the Pre-3 trip, 35th International
Geological Congress, Cape Town, 2016

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307907418_The_Permo-Triassic_Boundary_in_the_Karoo_Basin_Field_Guidebook_for_the_Pre-3_trip_35th_International_Geological_Congress_Cape_Town_2016

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Gastaldo

Neveling, J., R. A. Gastaldo, S. L. Kamo, J. W. Geissman,
C. V. Looy, and M. K. Bamford, 2016, A Review of Stratigraphic, Geochemical, and Paleontologic Data of the Terrestrial End-Permian Record in the Karoo Basin, South Africa. In Origin and Evolution of the Cape Mountains and Karoo Basin, Chapter: 15, Publisher: Springer
International Publishing, Editors: B. Linol, M.J. de Wit,
pp.151-157 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-40859-0_15

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307623963_A_Review_of_Stratigraphic_Geochemical_and_Paleontologic_Data_of_the_Terrestrial_End-Permian_Record_in_the_Karoo_Basin_South_Africa

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Gastaldo

Yours,

Paul H.

DNA Provides Clue to Why Woolly Mammoth Died Out

DNA Provides Clue to Why Woolly Mammoth Died Out

DNA clues to why woolly mammoth died out By Helen Briggs,
BBC News, March 2, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39142941

The last, lonely woolly mammoths faced a 'genomic meltdown'
By Michael Price, Science News, March 2, 2017
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/last-lonely-woolly-mammoths-were-genetically-screwed
DNA clues to why woolly mammoth died out By Helen Briggs,
BBC News, March 2, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39142941

The last, lonely woolly mammoths faced a 'genomic meltdown'
By Michael Price, Science News, March 2, 2017
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/last-lonely-woolly-mammoths-were-genetically-screwed

The Woolly Mammoth's Last Stand, New York Times
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39142941

The paper is:

Rogers, R. L., and M. Slatkin, 2017, Excess of genomic
defects in a woolly mammoth on Wrangel island.
PLOS Genetics. Published: March 2, 2017, open access.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.100660
http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006601

The Woolly Mammoth's Last Stand, New York Times
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39142941

Yours,

Paul H.

Mars: More Earth-Like Than Moon-Like

Mars: More Earth-Like Than Moon-Like

Mars: More Earth-Like Than Moon-Like, Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, February 24, 2017
http://www.lsu.edu/mediacenter/news/2017/02/24geology_susko_scientificreports.php
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2017/02/24/Mars-mantle-is-complex-and-Earth-like-new-research-suggests/1481487958074/

More Earth-Like than Moon-Like: How Mars Got Its Volcanoes
by Paige Jarreau, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana
State UniversityBaton rouge, Louisiana, February 24, 2017
http://lsuscienceblog.squarespace.com/blog/2017/2/21/more-earth-like-than-moon-like

Elysium Mons Volcano, Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) High and
Low Resolution Images SPO-2 Observations
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mgs/msss/camera/images/7_10_98_elysium_rel/index.html

The paper is:

Susko, D., and others (2017) A record of igneous evolution in
Elysium, a major Martian volcanic province. Scientific Reports 7
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep43177

Another paper is:

Grott, M., Baratoux, D., Hauber, E., Sautter, V., Mustard, J., Gasnault,
O., Ruff, S.W., Karato, S.I., Debaille, V., Knapmeyer, M. and Sohl, F.,
2013. Long-term evolution of the Martian crust-mantle system.
Space Science Reviews, 174(1-4), pp.49-111.
http://people.earth.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Karato/Grott%20et%20al_%20(2013).pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Carboniferous Cosmic Microspheres Usolka, Russia

Carboniferous Cosmic Microspheres Usolka, Russia

Sungatullin, R.K., Sungatullina, G.M., Zakirov, M.I., Tsel’movich,
V.A., Glukhov, M.S., Bakhtin, A.I., Osin, Y.N. and Vorob’ev,
V.V., 2017. Cosmic microspheres in the Carboniferous deposits
of the Usolka section (Urals foredeep). Russian Geology and
Geophysics, 58(1), pp.58-68.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312629897_Cosmic_microspheres_in_the_Carboniferous_deposits_of_the_Usolka_section_Urals_foredeep
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1068797116302607

Сунгатуллин Р. Х., Сунгатуллина Г. М., Закиров М. И., Цельмович
В. А., Глухов М. С., Бахтин А. И., Осин Ю. Н., Воробьев В. В.
Микросферы космического происхождения в каменноугольных
породах разреза Усолка, Предуральский прогиб // Геология и
геофизика. 2017. Т. 58. № 1. С. 74-85.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312628823_Mikrosfery_kosmiceskogo_proishozdenia_v_kamennougolnyh_otlozeniah_razreza_Usolka_Preduralskij_progib
http://www.nsu.ru/rs/mw/link/Media:/57928/6_01_2017.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Evidence of a 'Chaotic Solar System' from Cretaceous of Colorado

Evidence of a 'Chaotic Solar System' from Cretaceous of Colorado

From rocks in Colorado, evidence of a 'chaotic solar system'
University of Wisconsin-Madison, February 22, 2017
http://news.wisc.edu/from-rocks-in-colorado-evidence-of-a-chaotic-solar-system/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170222131512.htm
http://www.astrobio.net/also-in-news/rocks-colorado-evidence-chaotic-solar-system/

The paper is:

Ma, C., S. R. Meyers, and B. B. Sageman. Theory of chaotic
orbital variations confirmed by Cretaceous geological evidence.
Nature, 2017; 542 (7642): 468-470 DOI: 10.1038/nature21402
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v542/n7642/full/nature21402.html

Related paper:

Sageman, B. B., J. Rich, M. A. Arthur, G. E. Birchfield, and
W. E. Dean, 1997, Evidence for Milankovitch Periodicities in
Cenomanian-Turonian Lithologic and Geochemical Cycles,
Western Interior U.S.A. Journal of Sedimentary Research,
Section B: Stratigraphy and Global Studies Vol. 67 (1997)
No. 2. (March), Pages 286-302
http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/research/sageman/PDF/97.Sageman.etal.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

After Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly

Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly

After Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly, Fossils
Suggest, Trilobites, Nichlos ST. Fleur, New york times, Feb. 16, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/science/great-dying-permian-extinction-fossils.html

New fossil discovery suggests sea life bounced back after the 'Great
Dying' faster than thought, PhysOrg, February 16, 2017
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-fossil-discovery-sea-life-great.html

The paper is:

Brayard, A., Krumenacker, L.J., Botting, J.P., Jenks, J.F., Bylund, K.G.,
Fara, E., Vennin, E., Olivier, N., Goudemand, N., Saucède, T. and
Charbonnier, S., 2017. Unexpected Early Triassic marine ecosystem
and the rise of the Modern evolutionary fauna. Science Advances,
3(2), p.e1602159.
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602159

Yours,

Paul H.

Who Isn’t Profiting Off the Backs of Researchers?

Who Isn’t Profiting Off the Backs of Researchers?

Below are a couple of though provoking essays. Needless to say,
they do not necessarily represent my opinions, just that it is a
matter that the producers and consumers of scientific research
meteorites and other matters have to deal with in their lives.

Dear Scholars, Delete Your Account At Academia.Edu
Sarah Bond, Forbes, #WhoaScience, January 23, 2017
http://www.forbes.com/sites/drsarahbond/2017/01/23/dear-scholars-delete-your-account-at-academia-edu/

A response to the above article is:

Who Isn’t Profiting Off the Backs of Researchers?
Jon Tennant, The Crux, February 1, 2017
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/02/01/who-isnt-profiting-off-the-backs-of-researchers/

Green Tea and Velociraptors, Jon Tennant
(Papers on open access and scientific publishing)
https://tinyurl.com/jogxpel

Yours,

Paul H.

Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust

Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust

Life on Europa may have been sparked by COMETS: Rocks carrying biological material could have penetrated the moon's thick crust to reach the oceans beneath
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3273914/Life-Europa-sparked-COMETS-Rocks-carrying-biological-material-penetrated-moon-s-crust-reach-oceans-beneath.html

The paper is:

Cox, R. and Bauer, A.W., 2015. Impact breaching of Europa's ice:
Constraints from numerical modeling. Journal of Geophysical
Research: Planets, 120(10), pp.1708-1719.
https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~awb/data/Cox_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research-_Planets.pdf
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Impact-Breaching-of-Europa-s-Ice-Constraints-from-Cox-Bauer/724dfc775b2e1d4e8e651261f49083743e9f6bbd

https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~awb/data/Cox_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research-_Planets.pdf

Another paper is:

Cox, R., *Ong, L.C.F., Arakawa, M., and *Scheider, K.C., 2008
Impact penetration of Europa’s ice crust as a mechanism for
formation of chaos terrain, Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
v. 43 (12), p. 2027-2048.
http://sites.williams.edu/rcox/publications/
http://sites.williams.edu/rcox/files/2013/01/Cox_EtAl_2008_MAPS.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup

New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup

New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup
Earth & Space Science News, Eos, vol. 98, no. 2, p. 43.
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/new-insight-into-silica-explains-planetary-smashup
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309873404_New_Insight_into_Silica_Explains_Planetary_Smashup

There are other interesting science articles in the
February 2017 issue (vol. 98, no. 2) of "EOS" at:
https://eos.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Feb-17_magazine.pdf?x35494

The paper is:

Connolly, J.A., 2016. Liquid‐vapor phase relations in the Si‐O
system: A calorically constrained van der Waals‐type model.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 121(9), pp.1641-1666.
http://www.perplex.ethz.ch/papers.html
http://www.perplex.ethz.ch/papers/Connolly_JGR_Planets_2016.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

First Nuclear Explosion Helps Test Theory of Moon's Formation

First Nuclear Explosion Helps Test Theory of Moon's Formation

First nuclear explosion helps test theory of moon's formation
By Annie Reisewitz, Univ. of California, San Diego, February 9, 2017
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/first-nuclear-explosion-helps-test-theory-moons-formation
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-nuclear-explosion-theory-moon-formation.html

Glass from nuclear test site shows the moon was born dry
New Scientist, February 8, 2017
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2120748-glass-from-nuclear-test-site-shows-the-moon-was-born-dry/

Day, J. D. M., F. Moynier, A. P. Meshik, O. V. Pradivtseva,
and D. R. Petit, 2017, Evaporative fractionation of zinc during
the first nuclear detonation Science Advances. Vol. 3, no. 2, e1602668
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602668 CCBY-NC
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602668
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602668.full

Yours,

Paul H.

No link between gigantic Ordovician asteroid break-up, rise in biodiversity (open access paper)

No link between gigantic Ordovician asteroid break-up, rise in biodiversity (open access paper)

Myth busted: No link between gigantic asteroid break-up,
rise in biodiversity, University of Copenhagen, February 3, 2017
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170203110156.htm
https://phys.org/news/2017-01-meteorites-enrich-ocean-life.html

the paper is;

Lindskog, A., M. M. Costa, C.M.Ø. Rasmussen, J. N. Connelly,
and M. E. Eriksson, 2017, Refined Ordovician timescale reveals
no link between asteroid breakup and biodiversification.
Nature Communications, 2017; 8: 14066 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14066
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1038/ncomms14066

Yours,

Paul H.

Dwarf planet Ceres may have vanishing ice volcanoes

Dwarf planet Ceres may have vanishing ice volcanoes

American Geophysical Union, February 2, 2017
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-ceres-ice-volcanoes.html

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170202123044.htm



Ceres' vanishing ice volcanoes: Dwarf planet may havehad 'cryovolcanoes' millions of years ago that flattened out over time, leaving just one behind, Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4186036/Study-investigates-Ceres-vanishing-ice-volcanoes.html

The paper is:

Michael M. Sori, Shane Byrne, M. T. Bland, A. M. Bramson,

A. I. Ermakov, C. W. Hamilton, K. A. Otto, O. Ruesch, and

C. T. Russell, 2017, The vanishing cryovolcanoes of Ceres.

Geophysical Research Letters, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/2016GL072319

Yours,

Paul H.

Evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars

Evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars

Evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars
Meteorite found in Africa provides clues to evolution
of the red planet, University of Houston, February 2, 2017
http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2017/February/02012017mars-volcano-meteorite.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170202090848.htm
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-evidence-billion-years-volcanic-mars.html

The paper is:

Lapen, T. J., M. Righter, R. Andreasen, A. J. Irving,
A. M. Satkoski, B. L. Beard, K. Nishiizumi, A. J. T. Jull,
and M. W. Caffee. Two billion years of magmatism
recorded from a single Mars meteorite ejection site.
Science Advances, 2017; 3 (2): e1600922 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1600922
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1600922

Yours,

Paul H.