Adventure Ausrama Blog

It seems that with climate change we will lose some species but gain new ones - or have new "changed" species. Some species living at high altitudes have been changing as mountain tops become warmer with climate change. It was believed that accelerated evolution only occurs in cold regions, but it has been discovered that it also happens in the tropics. While it has been accepted for a long time that plants and marine protists evolve faster, the process has only recently been recognized in mammals. What is unusual is that mammals are not directly affected by a warming climate because they naturally maintain a steady body heat. It is now believed that evolution in the tropics is even faster that in temperate regions. There is a greater diversity of species in the tropics. This faster evolution and more species means that adaptation to changing conditions is rapid. The faster evolution actually makes for many more types of animals. There must be something else, however, t...

"I'm going to find out all I can about these pesky cats." http://vistacomputersolutions.blogspot.com/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funny Animal Photos

The era of academic journals being closed off from the general public by financial barriers is coming to an end. Publishers are terrified by this. It means they will have to get funding from other sources rather than annual subscriptions. There will be a time limit placed on articles, so after a short period they will have to be released so everyone can read them. This move is being put forward by the UK government. It is pushing for open access from the very beginning of publication. Unfortunately, the government intends to make authors pay publishers. This is unrealistic. Admittedly, university lecturers are in a secure financial position. However, scientists find it difficult to get funding and allocating part of income on publication is another financial burden. Universities are saying that the government is looking after publishers, protecting their income while passing the cost onto educational institutions. Martin Hall says we must move forward to get full funding in ...

"You! You did it." "No I didn't, honest ." http://vistacomputersolutions.blogspot.com/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funny Animal Photos

Crocodile safaris in Australia could soon be established - take a trip to Australia and go hunting. Saltwater crocodiles are carefully managed to assure their survival, so hunting will not seriously affect their numbers. Indeed, present numbers are at an all-time high. If the Federal government agrees to safaris, money will flood into the Northern Territory providing jobs for Aboriginals. The Northern Territory government is in favor of it. Initially, it is intended for 50 crocodiles to be hunted over a two year period. This is very low and there will be strong demand from overseas visitors to hunt more. The Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) claims that killing crocodiles with guns is a skilled job. Ordinary people with guns will botch up the kill and crocodiles will suffer. The Northern Territory environment minister, Karl Hampton counters this by saying wild pigs and Buffalo are already efficiently killed by hunters. Any crocodile safaris will be r...

"You don't say? Well, in my opinion it's everything in moderation." http://vistacomputersolutions.blogspot.com/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funny Animal Photos

The presumption that humans and Neanderthals interbred is gaining ground among scientists, despite the two lines having a different number of chromosomes (this is not yet absolutely proven to be scientific fact). Horses and donkeys interbreed to produce mules. Occasionally a few of these mules are fertile and can have offspring, so a different number of chromosomes is not an absolute barrier. Neanderthal DNA is present in humans. However, there is no mitochondrial DNA: this is passed along the line of the mother. Visual evidence of interbreeding can be observed. Tatjana Schmidt-Derstroff noted decades ago that there are two types of Australian Aboriginals, desert living long-legged gracillis and coastal living muscular robustus . Both are dark skinned. Robustus carry a red/blond haired gene (not passed on by shipwrecked European sailors). The more muscular type is roughly similar in features to Neanderthals. For the most part these two different kinds of Aboriginal remained ...