Friday, January 13, 2006
I Have to Admit It's Getting Better...
The old saying that life before civilization was nasty, brutish and short turns out to have been optimistic. At least nowadays we don't have giant eagles snatching us up and tearing our eyes out as one did to a famous skull, the Taung child skull, which was unearthed in South Africa in 1924. Money quote:
Ten years ago, Dr Berger and a colleague suggested that the child, about three or four, was killed by a bird. This remained an educated guess until Dr Berger read a paper which listed bone damage distinguishing kills by birds from those of big cats.
"These critical clues were puncture marks in the base of the eye sockets of primates, made when the eagles ripped the eyes out of the dead monkeys with their talons and beaks," Dr Berger said.
He re-examined the Taung child skull. "I looked into the eyes of the skull. I saw the marks - they were perfect examples of eagle damage."
Just a little better all the time.
Ten years ago, Dr Berger and a colleague suggested that the child, about three or four, was killed by a bird. This remained an educated guess until Dr Berger read a paper which listed bone damage distinguishing kills by birds from those of big cats.
"These critical clues were puncture marks in the base of the eye sockets of primates, made when the eagles ripped the eyes out of the dead monkeys with their talons and beaks," Dr Berger said.
He re-examined the Taung child skull. "I looked into the eyes of the skull. I saw the marks - they were perfect examples of eagle damage."
Just a little better all the time.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:41 AM 
Comments:
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Of course, there is the rather fabulous and powerful European Eagle Owl, a rather beautiful creature.
With a six foot wing span, the European Eagle owl is capable of taking prey the size of a fox or small deer, and has apparently been responsible for carrying off a few pet dogs!
But then, those pesky grey squirrels in the Glasgow parks are often seen stealing stealing sweeties from small toddlers in baby buggies!!! :-)
With a six foot wing span, the European Eagle owl is capable of taking prey the size of a fox or small deer, and has apparently been responsible for carrying off a few pet dogs!
But then, those pesky grey squirrels in the Glasgow parks are often seen stealing stealing sweeties from small toddlers in baby buggies!!! :-)
The wingspan of the juvenile Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles that hang out where I walk around uselessly with a rifle over my shoulder look to have a 6 foot wingspan or so. All birds that size are pretty awe inspiring and tough to take your eyes off of.
Like most artists, I have always had a fascination for birds and flight.
The design of a `humble` feather, never mind the entire wing, has a sublime grace and elegance, combined with functionality.
It is, for me, one of the best examples of "Form and Function" in design, a basic rule which a lot of contemporary designers often forget.
i.e., It can be the most elegant and stylish vacumn cleaner on the market, but if it doesn`t vacumn your carpet, then it is bad design.
My favourite birds are birds of prey, and Corvids, the Corvids being the most intelligent of the bird community.
There was a newspaper article about the re-introduction of the European Eagle Owl to the UK, and when I saw the photograph of the bird in flight, wings outstretched, I fell in love with it instantly!!!
Such an amazingly beautiful creature, and an extremely well designed killing machine.
We have far too many deer in Scotland now. In some areas they have become pests, and damage land.
Last year a badly organised cull was
halted by local farmers and authorities when herds of deer were chased by riflemen in helicopters.
The helicopters caused the deer to stampede and the riflemen firing from the helicopters could not shoot moving targets humanely, wounding and maiming, rather than a kill.
As a result, the deer were careering into and over local farmers land, and it was the local farmers and people of the area who had the cull stopped.
I would much rather see natural predators re-introduced again, like Eagle Owls and Wolves. Let them have the deer...!!!!!
Venison is such a beautiful meat, but even here, where we have so many of them, it is still so expensive in the shops...Why?!!!
The damned things are everywhere..!!!
Oh well, didn`t mean this to turn into a rant about deer....!!!!!
Sorry about that Roger!!!
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The design of a `humble` feather, never mind the entire wing, has a sublime grace and elegance, combined with functionality.
It is, for me, one of the best examples of "Form and Function" in design, a basic rule which a lot of contemporary designers often forget.
i.e., It can be the most elegant and stylish vacumn cleaner on the market, but if it doesn`t vacumn your carpet, then it is bad design.
My favourite birds are birds of prey, and Corvids, the Corvids being the most intelligent of the bird community.
There was a newspaper article about the re-introduction of the European Eagle Owl to the UK, and when I saw the photograph of the bird in flight, wings outstretched, I fell in love with it instantly!!!
Such an amazingly beautiful creature, and an extremely well designed killing machine.
We have far too many deer in Scotland now. In some areas they have become pests, and damage land.
Last year a badly organised cull was
halted by local farmers and authorities when herds of deer were chased by riflemen in helicopters.
The helicopters caused the deer to stampede and the riflemen firing from the helicopters could not shoot moving targets humanely, wounding and maiming, rather than a kill.
As a result, the deer were careering into and over local farmers land, and it was the local farmers and people of the area who had the cull stopped.
I would much rather see natural predators re-introduced again, like Eagle Owls and Wolves. Let them have the deer...!!!!!
Venison is such a beautiful meat, but even here, where we have so many of them, it is still so expensive in the shops...Why?!!!
The damned things are everywhere..!!!
Oh well, didn`t mean this to turn into a rant about deer....!!!!!
Sorry about that Roger!!!
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