Current Events: Move over, Ticeratops!

Move over, Triceratops! Maria L. , 7A, 9/29/10, Science

The Triceratops has always stood out among other dinosaurs because of its great horned face and head. But due to a new discovery it looks like the Triceratops wasn’t the only dinosaur to have pretty impressive head gear. In southern Utah two new giant horned dinosaurs where found recently, and have been named Utahceratops gettyi and Kosmoceratops richardsoni. Both of these dinosaurs are part of the same family as the Ticeratops. Something that is similar in all these names is the the word Ceratops which means Horned Face in Greek. The reason all these dinosaurs have this in their names is because they all have horns on their face. The Kosnoceratops richardsoni was an impressive find because of its interesting skull which has 15 bony horns and is the most decorated of all dinosaurs. “ Kosmoceratops is one of the most amazing animals known, with a huge skull decorated with an assortment of bony bells and whistles,” says Scott Sampson , research curator at the Utah Museum of Natural History and host of the OBS television series Dinosaur Train. How did the Utahceratops gettyi get its name? From the state in which it was found, combined with ceratops .And gettyi is includedbecause of the person who discovered the dinosaur Mike Getty. Kosmoceratops richardsoni is kosmos which means “ornate” combinded with ceratops. This then follows with the part that honors the founder, Scott Richardson in this case. The site of excavation for both dinosaurs is located in the Grand- Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This site covers 1.9 million acres and rests on what previously was Laramidia. It is the largest national monument in the U.S and one of the last undisturbed dig sites for dinosaurs.

I thought this article was interesting because not only did I learn more about dinosaurs I also learnt about how the dinosaurs are named and a lot of Latin terms. I think this has quite a positive effect on the world because this can also help us later on discover more dinosaurs. I wonder if the species and the Ticeratops had any other things, except for name and the same kind of face with horns, in common. Did they eat the same things, live in same environments, etc.Since scientists have shown that the more complex a creature is the better chance it has of survival. So in conclusion since these dinosaurs are so complex they probably have quite a could chance of survival. This is an adaptation and this is what this article has to do with our unit. If you want to learn more visit: The dinosaur

Reflection on Mr.Watts' presentation

Last Friday Mr. Jamie Watts, who is a researcher in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey in 2004, while in Antarctica Mr.Watts studied fisheries and marine ecology. He came to talk to our science class about his work in Antarctica. During this presentation we learned a lot, and it helps us answer these question:

• What interaction between these animals did you notice?

Interactions between these animals that I noticed that there were not many kinds of interaction. It was a very competitive ecosystem, there is mostly predators who kill, and prey that that gets killed. So it's a very organism-eat-organism world.

• Why do animals migrate?

Many animals migrate due to the fact that it gets colder, and the animal cannot stand the cold so they move to a warmer climate. Or they move due to food when there food moves they move as well so they have to move to eat. Animals also move sometimes due to mating reasons, like salmon.

• How do animals know when it is right to reproduce? What conditions are they looking for?

Animals mostly reproduce when the food source is at its richest. And this is usually during the summer. The reason they do not reproduce in the spring, when the food source starts to become plentiful, is because they first feed themselves most of the spring and in summer they then reproduce.

• Adaptation of animals in the Antarctic usually include having blubber so that they can keep from in winter if they do not migrate. Migration is also when where when the climate is too cold animals simply move to a warmer climate that is more pleasant. Teeth, like in some seals, help they break through they ice so that they can get air from the surface. Also one bird which has a huge wing span

  , instead of flapping its wings, uses them to glide in the air. And the colossal squid has hooks on its tentacles so that when it grabs onto prey the only way the prey can go is into the squid’s mouth.

  · What various breeding rituals did the animals have?

  One ritual was with elephant seals in which the bull (male) would challenge another male a fight by bellowing. The males are fighting for all the females, so the winner will be able to breed with all the females in the group. It is usually the biggest who win in fights like this. Also when the male wins he is somewhat “in charge” and he decides what goes on in the group.

  · When do most large animals reproduce? What does it depend on?

  Most of the big animals need food for their young so they mate at times where the food source in there region is plentiful. So it depends on the time of year and season because this is what dictates when the food source is supplied.

  · How did this presentation provide examples of what we have been studying now?

  It showed us examples of animals reacting in ecosystems. How they adapt, when they reproduce, when they feed, what happens when it gets cold, literally how they survive in such a harsh ecosystem like the Antarctic. It also helped because the examples weren’t general they were quite specific each about a species of animal.

  · What are you wondering about now?

  I am wondering whether it is possible that different species, examples Gentoo and Macaroni penguins, ever end up accidently or possibly purposefully breeding together. Would this only be possible if there were very small numbers in a group and two groups came across each other? Or is it simply impossible? But species of bogs sometimes mix but do they have different mating restrictions than humans.

  · How did Mr. Watts help tie in everything that we have been discussing during this unit?

  He helped us understand how intricate ecosystems actually are. By explaining in great detail of each little part of the ecosystem the whole idea of what the ecosystem is actually about comes together much easier, somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle. I understood that the Antarctic is harsh but also has much more life then I would have thought.

  The Antarctic is a cold place and not much life there, but it is much more of an interesting and complex ecosystem and the organisms that do live there are very interesting.

Current Events: Microscopic Frogs

Current Events: Pea-sized Frogs
A frog the size of a pea was discovered by Drs. Indraneil das and Alexander Haas of the institute of biodiversity and environmental conservation at the university of Malaysia. The species was found on the side of the road that lead to the summit of Gunug Serapi Mountain which is located in Kubah National park. The frog that was found is called scientifically Microhyla nepenthicola. And it is a frog that is about the size of a pea (Males are usually 10.6-12.8 mm) This frog is found in Southeast Asia, Borneo and lives in the local pitcher plants. The frog depends on the pitcher plant to raise it's young. The frog lays it's eggs on the side of the pitcher plant and the tadpoles grow in the liquid inside the pitcher plant. Hence the fact that the name of the frog, Microhyla nepenthicola, was based on the name of the plant that it uses to grow it's young, Nepenthes ampullaria. But since these are such small creatures how did the scientists ever find the rest of these species? These frogs where tracked by their call and then made to jump on to a piece of white cloth. The frog has a particular call which is a series of harsh rasping sounds that go on and are interrupted with short intervals. This "song" continues from when the sun sets till the early hours of evening. Amphibians are the most threatened group of animals with 1/3 of the population gone. This is because amphibians are quite sensitive to changes to their surroundings, so discovering these new miniature frogs helps scientists understand what changes that occur in the global environment are having an impact on amphibians.
I found this article the most interesting out of all 3 because it was something I had never heard of before and was such a recent discovery. It also intrigued me that something so small could play such a big part in a ecosystem or on the survival of a species. It helped me understand that the discovery of even something so small can help us understand the other parts of this frogs ecosystem. If you want to learn more visit: Frog Site

Survival

Yesterday, In science we watched an Eyewitness movie called Survival. It is about the way living things adapt and survive in their surroundings using their environment, instinct and tactic. I found interesting that a wildebeest is born and a few minutes later it can run faster then an human, professional runner. I also found it interesting that there are so many different way that animals survive and they can learn these ways so quickly. But then animals need to learn survival skills very quickly when they are in the while so that they are not vulnerable to predators.Two questions I have are :

1. Is there a certain chemical in the brain that trigger the instincts that animals have?
2. With magnetism and migration how does it work?

A interesting survival video:

Living Things and the Environment.

What needs are met by and organism's environment? Needs that must be met in a organisms environment include:

• Food or Supply of Nutrients
• Shelter
  
• Ecosystem
• Water
• Sunlight
• Oxygen
• And a stable temperature for the organisms

What are the two parts of an organism's habitat with which it interacts?

• Abiotic and Biotic which create the habitat.
  

What are the levels of organization within an ecosystem?

• Species
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Biomes
• Biosphere
  

Why do you find different kinds of organisms in different habitats?

• Because different species have different needs so they go to habitats where those needs are fulfilled.
  

Think about what will soon start happening within Belgrade. How do animals prepare for such a change?

• One thing around this time that happens is that since the weather gets colder animals that have no form of protection against the cold go into a deep sleep for several months, this is called hibernation. During the period before hibernation the animals will gather food for the time after they finish their hibernation.
  

1. 
   

What is a living thing?

A living thing is...

1. Needs Nutrients- Makes energy by taking substances from the environment.
2. Excretion- remove waste
   
3. Growth- become larger and more complex
   
4. Adaptation- adapt to environment
   
5. Reproduction- produce young
   
6. Movement- internally or externally
   
7. Needs to be made up of one or more cells.

Some questions I have are:

1. About how many species die out each day?
2. Is it possible for a human to internally combust?
3. What is the largest group of animals?
   

My Goals

My Goals this year:

1. To be neater with my ISN (Interactive science notebook)
2. To be on time for every class with all my materials.
3. Make sure all assignments are my best work and are turned in on time.

These are my goals for the 1st semester, hopefully by the beginning of the 2nd semester I will have completed these and added new ones.