New technologies challenge old ideas about early hominid diets

ScienceDaily (Oct. 13, 2011) ? New assessments by researchers using the latest high-tech tools to study the diets of early hominids are challenging long-held assumptions about what our ancestors ate, says a study by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Arkansas.

By analyzing microscopic pits and scratches on hominid teeth, as well as stable isotopes of carbon found in teeth, researchers are getting a very different picture of the diet habitats of early hominids than that painted by the physical structure of the skull, jawbones and teeth. While some early hominids sported powerful jaws and large molars -- including Paranthropus boisei, dubbed "Nutcracker Man" -- they may have cracked nuts rarely if at all, said CU-Boulder anthropology Professor Matt Sponheimer, study co-author.

Such findings are forcing anthropologists to rethink long-held assumptions about early hominids, aided by technological tools that were unknown just a few years ago. A paper on the subject by Sponheimer and co-author Peter Ungar, a distinguished professor at the University of Arkansas, was published in the Oct. 14 issue of Science.

Earlier this year, Sponheimer and his colleagues showed Paranthropus boisei was essentially feeding on grasses and sedges rather than soft fruits preferred by chimpanzees. "We can now be sure that Paranthropus boisei ate foods that no self-respecting chimpanzee would stomach in quantity," said Sponheimer. "It is also clear that our previous notions of this group's diet were grossly oversimplified at best, and absolutely backward at worst."

"The morphology tells you what a hominid may have eaten," said Ungar. But it does not necessarily reveal what the animal was actually dining on, he said.

While Ungar studies dental micro-wear -- the microscopic pits and scratches that telltale food leaves behind on teeth -- Sponheimer studies stable isotopes of carbon in teeth. By analyzing stable carbon isotopes obtained from tiny portions of animal teeth, researchers can determine whether the animals were eating foods that use different photosynthetic pathways that convert sunlight to energy.

The results for teeth from Paranthropus boisei, published earlier this year, indicated they were eating foods from the so-called C4 photosynthetic pathway, which points to consumption of grasses and sedges. The analysis stands in contrast to our closest human relatives like chimpanzees and gorillas that eat foods from the so-called C3 synthetic pathway pointing to a diet that included trees, shrubs and bushes.

Dental micro-wear and stable isotope studies also point to potentially large differences in diet between southern and eastern African hominids, said Sponheimer, a finding that was not anticipated given their strong anatomical similarities. "Frankly, I don't believe anyone would have predicted such strong regional differences," said Sponheimer. "But this is one of the things that is fun about science -- nature frequently reminds us that there is much that we don't yet understand.

"The bottom line is that our old answers about hominid diets are no longer sufficient, and we really need to start looking in directions that would have been considered crazy even a decade ago," Sponheimer said. "We also see much more evidence of dietary variability among our hominid kin than was previously appreciated. Consequently, the whole notion of hominid diet is really problematic, as different species may have consumed fundamentally different things."

While the new techniques have prompted new findings in the field of biological anthropology, they are not limited to use in human ancestors, according to the researchers. Current animals under study using the new tooth-testing techniques range from rodents and ancient marsupials to dinosaurs, said Sponheimer.

Much of Sponheimer's research on ancient hominids has been funded by the National Science Foundation.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Peter S. Ungar, Matt Sponheimer. The Diets of Early Hominins. Science, 2011; 334 (6053): 190-193 DOI: 10.1126/science.1207701

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013141849.htm

las vegas weather whole foods whole foods blood pressure uhs uhs google street view

Family lost in Mass. corn maze calls 911 for help

DANVERS, Mass. (AP) ? Authorities in Massachusetts say a family that got lost in a seven-acre corn maze called 911 for help, apparently taking advantage of the police department's motto that says "We Want To Be Bothered."

The maze at Connors Farm in Danvers can take up to an hour to navigate.

A police officer entered the maze with a farm manager to search for the disoriented father, mother and two children. The family didn't realize they had almost made their way out and were just 25 feet from the street.

Farm owner Bob Connors tells the Boston Globe (http://bo.st/p7Xmzr) that they designed the maze so that people get lost in the long corn stalks.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2011-10-12-Lost%20in%20Maze-911/id-87c147bbf78b46daacc931fdab112eb1

articles of confederation articles of confederation current events current events nick lowe nazca lines ncaa football

Tips to prevent fraud

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Presenting Credit Card Information and Finance Tips ... Do not respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial information whether they arrive by e-mail, via a phone call, text message or an advertisement. Do not click on links from ...

Source: http://www.silverxcard.com/128-tips-to-prevent-fraud.html

terra nova miles austin ellen degeneres patti stanger washington redskins doritos confederate flag

Do you feel like you can't complain...: The Leukemia & Lymphoma ...

I complained anyway!!! I did get a lot of that. But actually the people I complained to knew Aidan BEFORE dx, and therefore knew what a royal pain he was and still is, even OT.?? I also had a good collegue at work whose daughter was also challenged with another non-cancer related issue, but who was the same age and grade as Aidan, and we had a lot of the SAME issues!? Plus I had friends with kids with very similar issues.? It actually normalized Aidan's behavior for me a lot so I knew it was not due to treatment, although that was a component of it, but rather it was mostly just him.? And that helped me set and enforce boundaries and rules.

?

My real problem was even though he rarely got a free pass from me, every one else just spoiled him rotten!? So I was always the bad guy.? Ok - so be it!

Just stay the course and think long term.? I keep my eye on goal of him being a 25 year-old responsible young man. He's 10 now!? So all the fussing and fighting is just the path to get there. I tell myself everyday - "Stay the course, Angela, stay the course!"? But God, it's hard!!!

?

All the best!

Angela

Source: http://community.lls.org/thread/11990

hoboken halo 4 fracture albert pujols texas rangers st louis cardinals

Feds announce Calif. pot dispensary crackdown (AP)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? Federal prosecutors announced an aggressive crackdown against California pot dispensaries Friday, vowing to shut down dozens of growing and sales operations and saying that the worst offenders are using the cover of medical marijuana to act as storefront drug dealers.

Officials described it as the first coordinated statewide offensive against marijuana dealers and suppliers who use California's 15-year-old medical marijuana law as legal cover for running sophisticated drug trafficking ventures in plain sight.

"California's marijuana industry supplies the nation," said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner, citing a 2009 federal study that 72 percent of marijuana plants eradicated nationwide were grown in California. "Huge amounts of marijuana grown here in this state is flowing east to other states, and huge amounts of money are flowing back in the opposite direction."

The actions were geared toward stopping a trend that has seen hundreds of pot shops open their doors across the state.

One example cited by the prosecutors Friday: In one Orange County strip mall, eight of the 11 second-floor suites are occupied by dispensaries and doctors' offices for doctors where healthy individuals obtain "sham" recommendations to use medical marijuana.

It is "a Costco, Walmart-type model that we see across California," said Andre Birotte Jr., U.S. attorney in the Los Angeles-area. Some people making money from medical marijuana openly revel in what some have called "the new California gold rush," he said.

Landlords leasing property to dozens of warehouses and agricultural parcels where marijuana is being grown and retail spaces where pot is sold over the counter are receiving written warnings to evict their tenants or face criminal charges or seizure of their assets, the state's four U.S. attorneys said.

"The intention regarding medical marijuana under California state law was to allow marijuana to be supplied to seriously ill people on a nonprofit basis," said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, the top federal law enforcement officer for the San Francisco Bay area. "What we are finding, however, is that California's laws have been hijacked by people who are in this to get rich and don't care at all about sick people."

The crackdown comes a little more than two months after the Obama administration toughened its stand on medical marijuana. For two years before that, federal officials had indicated they would not move aggressively against dispensaries in compliance with laws in the 16 states where pot is legal for people with doctors' recommendations.

The Department of Justice issued a policy memo to federal prosecutors in late June stating that marijuana dispensaries and licensed growers in states with medical marijuana laws could face prosecution for violating federal drug and money-laundering laws. The effort to shutter California dispensaries appeared to be the most far-reaching effort so far to put that guidance into action.

The crackdown will likely unify marijuana growers and sellers in a drive to change federal policy, National Cannabis Industry Association spokeswoman Melissa Milam said.

"We're not going anywhere. We're mothers, we're patients, we're family members of patients," she said. "We want to pay taxes, we want to be able to make deposits at our bank, we want to be a business."

Not all of the thousands of storefront pot dispensaries thought to be operating in the state are being targeted in the crackdown, which also involves new indictments and arrests of marijuana growers throughout the state over the past two weeks, said Wagner, who represents the state's Central Valley.

The strategies they are using vary somewhat, with warning letters issued by the U.S. attorney in San Diego giving recipients 45 days to comply and property owners in Los Angeles and the Central Coast given just two weeks to evict pot dispensaries or growers.

Haag said she is initially going after pot shops located close to schools, parks, sports fields and other places where there are a lot of children.

Wagner, who represents the state's Central Valley, also is targeting what he termed "significant commercial operations," including farmland where marijuana is being grown. Birotte is prioritizing dispensaries in communities where local officials have been trying unsuccessfully to shut down marijuana businesses.

Moreover, the four said their warnings were aimed at cities and counties that have started licensing and taxing marijuana shops.

"The ordinances are illegal under federal law," Haag said, citing an appellate court ruling this week against Long Beach's ordinance that charged shops fees to operate.

The California Board of Equalization has estimated medical marijuana generates between $53 million and $104 million in annual sales taxes on sales of between $700 million and $1.3 billion.

Three of the four prosecutors declined to reveal how many dispensaries are subject to closure orders, saying only there were dozens in each of their four districts. Birotte said 38 property owners in his district were sent warnings.

Birotte said his office already had initiated property forfeiture proceedings involving three properties whose owners had received prior warnings.

The effort was criticized by two Democrat state legislators who represent San Francisco.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano said the crackdown "means that Obama's medical marijuana policies are worse than Bush and Clinton. It's a tragic return to failed policies that will cost the state millions in tax revenue and harm countless lives."

"I don't understand the politics of it, and certainly if we haven't learned anything over the past century, it's that Prohibition does not work," added State Sen. Mark Leno, who has worked to safeguard and regulate medical marijuana in California.

Haag said the move is not designed to clamp down on patients who grow their own marijuana for medical use. But dispensaries that were not part of the initial wave of warning letters "shouldn't take any comfort," she said. "They are illegal under federal law."

"I understand there are people in California who believe marijuana stores should be allowed to exist, but I think we can all agree we don't need marijuana stores across the street from schools and Little League fields," she said.

Wagner said individual U.S. attorneys general in other states including Nevada, Oregon and Washington state have also coordinated actions with the U.S. Department of Justice.

But Justin Williams, the manager and marijuana grower at Mayflower Wellness in downtown Denver, said he believes Colorado's regulations on growing marijuana makes the state less of a target than California.

"I think their main concern is the lack of regulation in California with the explosion that's happened," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Leff in San Francisco and Catherine Tsai in Denver contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111008/ap_on_re_us/us_medical_marijuana

charlie sheen roast dancing with the stars 2011 cast paz de la huerta julianna margulies dr oz kym johnson hakeem nicks

Liberia Nobel-winning president faces competition (AP)

MONROVIA, Liberia ? Africa's first democratically elected female president, who was honored this week with a Nobel Peace Prize, will face stiff competition at Liberia's presidential polls Tuesday against a fiery opposition candidate and his soccer-star running mate.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 72, won the country's first postwar election in 2005 by a landslide vote. On Friday, she received a Nobel prize for her efforts to restore peace to Liberia after a brutal 14-year civil war that ended in 2003. She shared the award with two other women, a fellow Liberian human rights activist and a Yemen activist, for their commitment to women's rights in regions where oppression is common.

International supporters called Sirleaf's award "much deserved" for her work stabilizing Liberia.

Sirleaf said she was "pleasantly surprised," by the timing of the award. "It sends a message to the Liberian people that peace must prevail as Liberians go to this critical event."

Her political opponents, however, have questioned the merit of the award and criticized its timing. Following the announcement of the award Friday, opposition candidate Winston Tubman and his running mate, soccer-sensation George Weah, attracted one of the largest crowds in recent memory at their final campaign rally in Monrovia.

Sirleaf faces a total of 15 candidates at the polls Tuesday. If no candidate wins an outright majority, the vote will go to a second round run-off.

She has crisscrossed the nation in the run-up to the poll, and the ruling Unity Party has papered the capital, Monrovia, with campaign materials, including giant billboards that read "When the plane hasn't landed yet, don't change the pilots."

"We have so much that has been achieved; and for us, the Unity Party, we will be running on our records; we will not be running on promises," said the party's secretary-general Wilmot Paye.

The Liberia that Sirleaf inherited lacked roads, water, electricity and a proper army. Sirleaf, a former finance minister, promised sweeping change ? lighting up the capital, bringing back pipe-born water and putting children in school.

During her six-year tenure, Sirleaf has increased civil servants' salaries, secured waivers for more than $4 billion in external debt, and built schools and hospitals.

A darling of the international community, the Harvard-trained grandmother of six nevertheless faces resistance at home.

Critics say that with all the international aid and investment, Liberia's government should have done better in restoring services and rebuilding the infrastructure ravaged by years of war in the West African nation. Liberians also say that progress has not been fast enough.

Evidence of the savage war still remains. The country's main energy plant which was destroyed in the fighting has yet to be rebuilt. The country's main highway is in deplorable condition. Few people in the capital have electricity, running water or proper sewage. Unemployment hovers at an alarming 80 percent.

"We need jobs in this country," said 37-year-old night watchman and phone card seller Wilson Willie, sporting a laminated badge bearing Tubman and Weah's photos. "We need change, a change that will give us reason to think we are living in our country."

Tubman, a Harvard-trained lawyer and former United Nations envoy to Somalia, placed fourth in the 2005 elections, while vice-presidential-candidate Weah placed second. Weah has boosted the popularity of their ticket, especially among the country's burgeoning youth population.

"Mrs. Sirleaf has had almost six years now to demonstrate what she can do inside Liberia for the Liberian people," Tubman told The Associated Press. "I often wonder whether it is the popularity of our ticket or the unpopularity of the incumbent that draws the crowd to us."

Pervasive corruption, criminality and the slow progress of national reconciliation have undercut her support on the home front, critics say.

"She has failed to reconcile the nation; reconciliation is a word Ellen does not use anymore," said Charles Brumskine, a former senator and presidential candidate for the opposition Liberty Party.

Sirleaf also sidestepped last year's recommendations from a South-African-styled Truth and Reconciliation Commission that said she should be banned from public office for 30 years for her early financial support of former rebel leader Charles Taylor. Taylor is currently awaiting judgment from the International Criminal Court in the Hague on charges of war crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone.

"The Supreme Court came out and said that ban was unconstitutional, but there are still a lot of people that feel that she, and other people who were involved in the war need to face some kind of consequence," said Titi Ajayi, West Africa fellow for the International Crisis Group.

Hundreds of international observers will be on hand Tuesday for the vote, including the Economic Community of West African States, headed by Nigerian elections chief, Attahiru Jega.

Liberia continues to depend heavily on the U.N. Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to maintain a tenuous peace. The International Crisis Group says the illegal circulation of arms and mercenaries continues to undermine security, a problem aggravated by the recent conflict in neighboring Ivory Coast.

At the request of UNMIL, the U.N. Mission in Ivory Coast has sent 150 police and 100 soldiers to Monrovia to bolster Liberia's 8,000-strong peacekeeping force ahead of elections. The U.N. missions have also boosted security along the border, said the U.N.

___

Associated Press writer Anne Look in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111009/ap_on_re_af/af_liberia_election

seth macfarlane costumes bobby flay clemson football the new girl miami hurricanes football miami hurricanes football

Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong | Oval Egg ...

This write-up is in relation to "Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong". It's only at the present that folks are beginning to recognize regarding Cycling, talking about it on much bigger degree. Beforehand this matter was not that talked about. Largely for the reason that individuals connected with the matter did not do enough. It is greatly suggested that you take your time reading through this composition instead of speed reading it, which might lead to some missed points.

The author Abraham David is responsible for composing this write-up If you want to take this piece of writing please make sure you put a link back to this page. Article on "Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong" starts after this.

Article Starts from Here:

Even those who are relatively unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the sport of cycling can tell you who Lance Armstrong is. There are many people worldwide who don?t know the difference between the yellow jersey and the polka dot jersey, but are familiar with Armstrong?s legendary triumphs at the Tour de France, and his courageous battles with cancer. Let?s take a look at the many great performances of Lance Armstrong on cycling?s biggest stage, the Tour de France.

Armstrong was born in Plano, Texas in 1971. He began competing in his teens as a triathlete rather than as a pure cyclist. As he got toward adulthood, he began competing in cycling events, before turning pro in 1992 at age twenty one. He quickly found success, winning individual stages in several races, as well as being the overall winner of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic.

In 1993, Lance Armstrong had his first slice of success in the Tour de France, winning Stage 8. Unfortunately, he was unable to build on that success right away, as his only other stage victory at the Tour de France in the next few years was in 1995, when he won Stage 18 of that year?s race. Of course, Armstrong had an uphill battle, as he was diagnosed with cancer in 1996. Only in 1998, after extensive chemotherapy, was Armstrong able to return to competitive cycling.

Then, in 1999, he began a run the likes of which has never been seen in the cycling world, and which will likely never be seen again.

During the 1999 Tour de France, Lance Armstrong was excellent. He won four stages as well as the overall race for his first-ever Tour de France victory. The race itself was notable not only for Armstrong?s win, but also for a twenty five rider pile-up at Passage du Gois. The next year, Armstrong only won one stage, but was consistent overall as he took the yellow jersey in Stage 10 and never surrendered it.

Armstrong won his third-straight Tour de France in 2001, again besting the perennial runner-up Jan Ullrich by several minutes. Armstrong?s characteristic endurance allowed him to again take the yellow jersey in the middle portion of the race and never relinquish it. Among the highlights of his 2001 win was his famous ?look back? at Ullrich as they rode on Alpe d?Huez.

In 2002, Armstrong again finished strongly, winning three of the last ten stages to hold onto the yellow jersey, after surrendering it early in the race. His arch rival, Jan Ullrich was unable to compete due to injury. Armstrong made it an unbelievable five straight with his win in 2003, which was almost made impossible by a near crash that Armstrong barely avoided, that took Joseba Beloki out of the running.

By 2004, many fans and experts were wondering when Armstrong would run out of steam. However, Armstrong was as amazing as ever, winning an amazing five stages en route to his sixth straight Tour de France win. He did not take the yellow jacket until Stage 15, but still finished six minutes ahead of the competition. In his final Tour de France in 2005, Armstrong made history once again with his seventh straight win. The accomplishment was enhanced by the fact that Armstrong wore the yellow jersey for all but four stages during the race. It was also Armstrong?s first Tour de France while racing with the Discovery Channel team.

Armstrong finished his career as one of the only cyclists to transcend the sport and become a major celebrity outside of the cycling world, especially in the United States. His exploits in cycling and particularly in the Tour de France not only captivated the world, but brought new light to the great sport of cycling. Whether or not anyone is ever able to equal or best his amazing accomplishments, Armstrong will remain a legend in Tour de France history.

Notice: Please beware that anything said in this article on "Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong" must not be taken as guidance from specialist, you should find out facts from more authentic places as well. You must check with a specialist of this field. OvalEgg.com is not responsible for any damages of any kind that may arise from applying information contained in this article.

PPPPP

Word Count 661

Thanks for reading this write-up. You have to link to this page if you want to take this article any function. I hope you appreciated what I wrote on "Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong". I would be delighted to know what you think concerning it, negative or positive. Please put down a comment below and show me you're alive.

Article Source with Title: Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong
Article Source URL: http://ovalegg.com/recreation-and-sports/cycling/great-cyclists-of-the-tour-de-france-lance-armstrong

Source: http://ovalegg.com/recreation-and-sports/cycling/great-cyclists-of-the-tour-de-france-lance-armstrong

castle the hangover 2 sumo sumo fossil snoop dogg extreme couponing