Tag: paleontology

Baptistina family fingered in mass killing

Sounds like a lurid headline from a New York tabloid, doesn’t it? Except in this case the “Baptistina family”refers to asteroids, and the victims were the dinosaurs.

Lazarus, Elvis, zombies and Jimmy Hoffa

Elvis lives! Well, kind of. Way back in 1991 I wrote a column on taxonomy–which is not, as you might suppose, the scientific study of taxes. (And yes, I used that same joke 16 years ago.) It’s just barely possible you don’t remember that original column, so first, a quick taxonomy refresher. Taxonomy is the …

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If I were Michael Crichton…

…this story of germs from the era of the dinosaurs found trapped in amber would be the beginning of a medical/biological/technological horror-thriller.

The dinosaur demise debate

“Everybody knows” that the dinosaurs were killed off 65 million years ago by a giant meteor that slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula. But as is often the case in science, what “everybody knows” may be wrong. The asteroid impact theory has been dominant for 20 years, but there have always been doubters. They admit a …

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Geese–and Goosezilla

Canada Geese are among the most identifiable birds on the prairies, but we tend to have a love-hate relationship with them. We love to see and hear them honking overhead on a quiet autumn evening–but we hate what they do to our parks, lawns and golf courses. But if you think today’s geese are a …

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What’s up with dinosaurs?

What would the summer be without a dinosaur film? This year it’s Jurassic Park III–testimony to the continuing fascination these ancient creatures hold for modern humans. But there’s more news in the world of dinosaurs than the latest special effects. In fact, in the past little while there have been several dynamite dino-developments. The most …

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Fossils

Most people think of fossils as neatly mounted skeletons displayed in cool, clean museums with nicely printed labels at their feet. Unfortunately, says Tim Tokaryk, assistant curator of paleontology at the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History, they don’t occur that way in nature–though he wishes they did! Tokaryk became interested in paleontology as a volunteer …

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