Ancient American's genome mapped

Present-day Native Americans are descended from some of the continent's earliest settlers, a genetic study suggests.

Scientists sequenced the genome of a one-year-old boy who died in what is now Montana about 12,500 years ago.

Some researchers have raised questions about the origins of early Americans, with one theory even proposing a link to Ice Age Europeans.

But the Nature study places the origins of these ancient people in Asia.

The infant was a member of the Clovis people, a widespread, sophisticated Ice Age culture in North America. They appeared in America about 13,000 years ago and hunted mammoth, mastodon and bison.

The boy's remains, uncovered at the Anzick Site in Montana in 1968, were associated with distinctive Clovis stone tools. In fact, it is the only known skeleton directly linked to artefacts from this culture.

But the origins of the Clovis people, and who they are related to today, has been the subject of intense discussion.

Eske Willerslev, from the University of Copenhagen, and his colleagues were able to extract DNA from the bones of the Anzick boy and map his genome (the genetic information contained in the nucleus of his cells).

The researchers found that around 80% of today's Native Americans are related to the "clan" from which the boy came.READ MORE

Nazis 'researched use of mosquitoes for war' at Dachau

German scientists at Dachau concentration camp researched the possible use of malaria-infected mosquitoes as weapons during World War Two, a researcher has claimed.

Dr Klaus Reinhardt of Tuebingen University examined the archives of the Entomological Institute at Dachau.

He found that biologists had looked at which mosquitoes might best be able to survive outside their natural habitat.

He speculates that such insects could have been dropped over enemy territory.

Continue reading the main story

Nazi experiments

• According to medical historian Paul Weindling, almost 25,000 victims of Nazi scientific experiments have now been identified.
• Dr Weindling says there were different "phases" to the Nazis' experiments. The first was linked to eugenics and forced sterilisation.
• The second phase coincided with the start of the war. "Doctors began experimenting on patients in psychiatric hospitals," Prof Weindling writes. "Sporadic experiments were made in concentration camps like Sachsenhausen near Berlin, and anthropological observations at Dachau."
• The third phase began in 1942, when the SS and German military took greater control of the experiments. There was a surge in the numbers of experiments, with lethal diseases including malaria and louse-borne typhus administered to thousands of victims.
• During a fourth phase in 1944-45, explains Dr Weindling, "scientists knew the war was lost but they continued their experiments".

• Read one researcher's account of uncovering the Nazis' lost victims

Heinrich Himmler, the leader of the SS, set up the institute at Dachau in 1942.

Disease

The organisation's work was believed to have focused on insect-borne diseases such as typhus, which afflicted the camp inmates.

Dr Reinhardt, writing in the journal Endeavour, has found evidence that the unit's researchers investigated a particular type of mosquito which could live without food and water for four daysREAD MORE

Tuna hearts 'affected by oil spill'

Scientists say that tuna swimming in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have experienced heart damage.

Lab research has demonstrated how crude oil chemicals can disrupt heart function in the fish.

The study, published in Science magazine, is part of the ongoing work to try to understand the impacts of the disaster.

The gulf is an important spawning ground for bluefin and yellowfin tuna.

Tracking studies have indicated that many of these fish would have been in the area during the 2010 disaster.

Scientists have long known that certain chemicals in crude oil – such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – can be harmful to the hearts of embryonic and developing fish.

These molecules, which have distinct ring-like structures, cause a slowing of the heart, irregularities in rhythm and even cardiac arrest at high exposures.READ MORE

Cat parasite found in Arctic Beluga

The cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause blindness in people, has been identified in Beluga in the western Arctic.

The discovery by University of British Columbia scientists has prompted a health advisory to Inuit people in the region who eat the whale's meat.

Researchers say it is an example of how the warming of the Arctic is allowing the freer movement of pathogens.

Icier conditions in the past acted as an obstruction to infectious agents.

“Ice is a significant ecological barrier and it influences the way in which pathogens can be transmitted in nature and your risk of exposure,” said molecular parasitologist Michael Grigg.

“What we’re finding with the changes ongoing in the Arctic is that we’re getting new pathogens emerging to cause diseases in the region that haven’t been there before,” he told BBC News.

The UBC Marine Mammal Research Unit scientist was speaking here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)READ MORE

BADGERS TO GET BIRTH CONTROL?

The newest idea from the government  is to give  badgers birth control injections and hopefully  an vaccine against tuberculosis,laughed at by the backbenches.As you known the government tried to murder -badger cull -but did not work as lower number than required dead-1,800-still too many.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE A MYTH?

America, s national oceanic and atmospheric administration scientists have ruled that the BERMUDA TRIANGLE is a myth,nothing to indicate casualties were nothing other than physical causes.despite 135 people have disappeared-aliens,bad weather,poor navigation given as reasons,BERMUDA TRIANGLE is region BEMUDA,MIAMI TO PUERTO RICO.

No target' in UK animal tests plan

The UK government has launched its delivery plan to replace, refine and reduce the use of animals in research - known as "the 3Rs".

It pledges to encourage scientists to use alternatives wherever possible.

But there is no commitment in the strategy released on Friday to reduce the total number of animal experiments, which has been on the rise.

This is despite a post-election pledge by the Coalition to cut the use of animals in scientific research.

Instead, the government will promote new, more ethical research techniques which can help boost UK science.

"This isn't about a numerical target," said David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science.

"The commitment is to 'work to reduce use of animals'. Ultimately the final figure will depend on patterns of scientific advance.

"Britain is a world leader in science but also in concern for the welfare of animals. What we are doing is bringing these two great British traditions together.

"We are absolutely committed to the 3Rs."READ MORE

WHAT A LOAD OF CROC

AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE  were  informed by  a local bus driver claiming to have seen a crocodile 6ft long,BRISTOL ZOO  had no missing replies ZOOLOGIST DR.ADA BRITON believes it could be an illegal pet released after growing too big or an misindentified ie monitior lizard ,iguana which to the untrained eye look a bit crocodile like or just a log floating down the RIVER AVON,but you never know

SAVE THE WOMANS REFUGE IN BARNSTAPLE ,DEVON-PERSONNAL VIEW

Yes i know i its strange for a man to ask you to support this charity ,years ago my now wife had to go to stay thier to keep away from her then husband for her own protrection with  one of her children her son.Whilst there she heard and saw things which i can not write about as unfair to the woman whom where  there at the time,it is wrong for any man to abuse a woman and is cowardly

STOP MONKEY ,S BEING TESTED ;ANTI ANIMAL TESTING REPORT

Baby monkeys are being exported from MAURITIUS  to laboratories in U.K  -1,000-Three quarters used for toxicology tests in new drugs the rest to study  parkinson  disease,alzhiemers,aids.Some say this is vital but thier are alternatives,the home office recently dropped is rule of inspecting  and  approving overseas breeding facilities,more self governed leading to possilbe gross inadequate protecting of animal.If you wish more info contract www.navs.org.uk

Animal lover Paul O’Grady travels to South Africa and Zambia to meet animals that have been orphaned in the wild in this new factual series.

 

He encounters lions, cheetahs, hippos, elephants, baboons and rhinos, amongst others, who are being hand-reared by humans. Most of the animals he meets have ended up as orphans because of humans, either their parents have been killed by poachers or their natural habitat has been destroyed or encroached upon. Paul gets hands-on helping to care for and rehabilitate the animals and of course makes some new friends along the way. 

 

In episode two, Paul meets cheetah cubs, a rhino calf, baby baboons and spends more time at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery. First, Paul visits Cheetah Outreach, a sanctuary near Cape Town where he learns more about their work to protect Africa’s most endangered wildcats. He is able to get very close to an adult cheetah called Joseph who is being used to breed in captivity to prevent the species becoming extinct. He also meets a litter of six cubs who have been bred in captivity. They are just three months old and are being hand-reared. Paul spends time with the cubs feeding them and playing with them and strikes up such a bond they all fall asleep on him. Paul says: “This is heaven, happiness is sitting on a scrap of blanket in the drizzle with six cheetah cubs on your lap it doesn’t get any better, it really doesn’t.”

 

Next Paul is back at Moholoholo, an animal rehab centre near Kruger National Park. Here he meets a black rhino calf called Ollie who was orphaned at five months old when his mother was shot and killed. He is now sixteen months old and is looked after by keeper Jamie who has become his surrogate mum. Paul joins Jamie taking Ollie for a mud bath but unfortunately he is not in the mood for a bath. Black rhinos are in critical danger in Africa because of poaching and will be extinct in 10 years if poaching continues.  Paul says: “They will join the dodo and countless other animals and birds that are now extinct that we have wiped out. It’s disgusting.”

 

Next Paul travels to C.A.R.E, a rehabilitation centre for baboons run by Samantha Dewhirst. Adult baboons are often killed in South Africa as they are treated as vermin and the babies are orphaned. The volunteers at C.A.R.E have to become surrogate mothers to the babies, spending 24 hours a day with them, eating and sleeping together. Paul meets baby baboon Tiny Tim who has been hand-reared but is being prepared to be released into the wild. He is invited to watch as Tim is introduced to a group of baboons that will hopefully become his new troop and family. Paul waits anxiously to see if the troop accept or reject Tim.

 

Then it’s back to the Lilayi Elephant Nursery where Paul gets to spend more time with his favorite elephant Nkala. Paul also meets a very sick baby elephant who has been found alone in Kafue National Park. The calf is believed to have been alone for months after its mother was killed for her ivory and has been slowly starving to death. Paul is distraught to discover there is nothing more the keepers can do to help. Paul says: “You just feel so stupid, so helpless. This is because of poachers. This is so someone can wear ivory bangles and have an ivory chess set, ivory earrings, it’s just wrong.”

BLAINVILLE WHALE FOUND ON CORNISH BEACH

A rare BEAKED WHALE-BLAINVILLE WHALE was discovered on KENNEGGY BEACH NEAR PRAA SANDS-normally found in tropical waters-experts believe the BLAINVILLE WHALE will strand more fequently in BRITAIN  due to climate change.The BLAINVILLE WHALE was found on NOVEMBER 30 2013,IT A SHAME THIS AMAZING WHALE WAS FOUND DECOMPOSING.

PAY TO PLAY DEBATE -THE WRIGHT STUFF DEBATE

KIDS SEE FOX KILL-ANTI HUNTING POST

In DECEMBER 28 2013-at a hunt -MODBURY HARRIERS-SOUTH DEVON  some idiots decided it was ok to let children watch -one was 5-as thier 2 foxes from a bager sett and killed them.To make the matter worse the so called COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE said it was a reality of rural life ,legitimete ,done properly,the farmer who took the pictures below was upset but dear reader i am anti hunting and wish to educate you.WESSTERNMORNINGNEWS-PAGE 8-

Alan Rabinowitz-at the PopTech 2010. Born December 31, 1953 Brooklyn, New York Fields Biologist, conservationist Institutions CEO of Panthera Known for Wild cat conservation

Early life[edit]

Rabinowitz grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In grade school, he was placed in a special education class due to a severe stutter; which often caused his body to twist and spasm when attempting to speak.^[4] Unable to communicate with his peers and teachers, Rabinowitz became interested in wildlife, to which he could speak. At this point, Rabinowitz made a promise to animals that if he ever found his voice, he would use it to speak in their defense.^[5]

Today, Rabinowitz frequently shares this childhood story in interviews, lectures, books and other publications to explain how he became interested in wildlife conservation.^[6] [7] In 2008, the video of Dr. Rabinowitz telling this story on The Colbert Report went viral, largely because it nearly brought the show's host, Stephen Colbert, to tears.^[8] Today, Rabinowitz serves as a spokesperson for The Stuttering Foundation (SFA).^[9]

Conservation career[edit]

In 1974, Rabinowitz received his Bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Rabinowitz later attended the University of Tennessee, receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. in ecology in 1978 and 1981, respectively.

Prior to co-founding Panthera with the organization's Chairman, Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, in 2006, Rabinowitz served as the Executive Director of the Science and Exploration Division for the Wildlife Conservation Society, where he worked for nearly 30 years.

While working in Myanmar's Hukaung Valley in 1997, Rabinowitz discovered four new species of mammals, including the most primitive deer species in the world, Muntiacus putaoensis, or theleaf deer.^[10] Rabinowitz's work in Myanmar led to the creation of five new protected wildlife areas, including the country's first marine park, Lampi Island National Park; Myanmar's first and largest Himalayan national park, Hkakabo Razi National Park; the country's largest wildlife sanctuary, Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary; the world's largest tiger reserve and one of the largest protected areas in the world, Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve, and Hponkhan Razi National Park, an area which connects Hukaung Valley and Hkakabo Razi for a contiguous protected area of more than 5,000 square miles, called the Northern Forest Complex.^[11]

Rabinowitz also established the world's first jaguar sanctuary ^[5] — the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve— in Belize and the Tawu Mountain Nature Reserve, Taiwan's largest protected area and last piece of intact lowland forest.^[12] In Thailand, he conducted the first field research on Indochinese tigers, Indochinese leopards, and Asian leopard cats, leading to the designation of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary as a UNESCO world biosphere reserve.^[13]

One of Dr. Rabinowitz's greatest achievements was the conceptualization and implementation of the Jaguar Corridor,^[14] a series of biological and genetic corridors for jaguars across their entire range from Mexico to Argentina. Dr. Rabinowitz also initiated Panthera's Tiger Corridor Initiative, an effort to identify and protect the world's last remaining large interconnected tiger landscapes, with a primary focus on the remote and rugged Indo-Himalayan region of Asia.^[15]

Rabinowitz's project to establish a chain of protected tiger habitat across the southern Himalaya was the focus of the BBC Natural History Unit's 2010 documentary series Lost Land of the Tiger. An expedition team spent a month investigating the status of big cats in Bhutan, leading to the discovery of tigers living at much higher altitudes than previously realized.^[16]

Today, Rabinowitz serves as the CEO of Panthera, where he oversees the organization's range-wide conservation programs focused on tigers, lions, jaguars, and snow leopards and additional projects devoted to the protection of cougars, cheetahs, and leopards.^[17]

ODDITIES

YERSINA PESTIS BUG OR PLAGUE OF JUSTINIAN,BLACK DEATH  may return in a new strain  say experts-DR.DAVE WAGNER,NORTERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY(RODENT RESERVOIRS OF PLAGUE STILL EXIST TODAY).A vial of POPE  JOHN PAUL II may have been taken by devil worshippers,the jar contains fragment of cloth stained with blood after failed assassination in 1981 also concided with sick rites linked to nazi holocast.

RARE FROG BEING COUNTED

beaver seen in uk frist for 800 years in ottery st mary,devon

STUDENTS HELP TO SAVE RHINO

Students from CORNWALL COLLEGE,NEWQUAY  are going to SOUTH  AFRICA,S  GREATER  NATIONAL PARK  next month to observe white and black rhino.The idea is to immerse themselfs into the culture of south africa  and to learn safari giude techiques,conservation skills,wildlife photography techiques.KRUGER NATIONAL PARK  is the size of wales,in 1945-black rhino became extinct due to poachersbut between 1971to 1981 -81 reintroduced through conservation efforts-white rhino -only 50 remained but now figureis over20,000.WESTERNMORNINGNEWS-PAGE 25 -25.01.2014

DONT GIVE DOGS AWAY

DOGS are being  used as part of illegal underground fighting syndicate,tied up,tortured,abandoned and set on fire.LAST CHANCE HOTAL.Often dogs are offered free to a good home were taken ,abused to be bait dogs.WESTERNMORNINGNEWS-PAGE5-25.1.2014