CaaC (John)

Link? is Ashley finally doing a runner...and about fucking time!

Zebra Gives Birth to Rare Baby 'Zonkey' After Mating With a Donkey It’s a… zonkey! Earlier this year, a zebra at the Chyulu Hills National Park in Kenya was spotted with a strange-looking foal by her side that had a brown body and stripes up and down its legs. Caregivers initially thought the youngster was dirty from “wallowing in a mud bath.” However, after closer examination, they quickly realized that the baby was actually an “unusual hybrid between a zebra and donkey.” They explained that prior to living at the Chyulu Hills National Park, the mother zebra had been found settling into a community bordering the Tsavo East National Park and had made herself an “honorary member of a local woman’s cattle herd.” There, she must have mated with a donkey. “The gestation period of a zebra is twelve months, so it’s not difficult to connect the dots. During her time living within the community last year, she had obviously become acquainted with an amorous donkey,” the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, one of Africa’s oldest conservation organizations, wrote in a statement on their website last week. “The zonkey combines the sturdy body of its donkey sire and the striped legs of its zebra mother, which makes for a striking creature.” Caregivers said they were “happy to report that mum and baby are thriving.” “Their home is in an area that isn’t plagued by heavy predation and thanks to the lush conditions, water and, plentiful grass, it is a good place to call home,” they added. Officials explained that they plan to take care of the pair until the animals are discovered by a zeal, or a herd of wild zebras, as the species are highly social and typically live in groups. “Until that day comes, they seem quite content to spend their days grazing side-by-side, a sight that makes us all stop and marvel at the wonders of nature,” officials wrote. According to the trust, the foal is expected to live a normal life. However, since it is a mule, it will be unable to successfully breed once it reaches maturity. “Working with wildlife, one learns to expect the unexpected,” officials with the trust wrote. “Even the most seemingly straightforward story can eventually reveal its true stripes and end up surprising us all.” https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/zebra-gives-birth-to-rare-baby-zonkey-after-mating-with-a-donkey/ar-BB12zSoI?li=AAnZ9Ug

Thanks, but I am afraid Scotland is not on the list Inger, only the UK which is the Union Jack, but I changed it to Australia anyway as I still have family out there since '59 and I have lived in Scotland and Australia together longer than in England.

Thanks, @Rab or whoever changed my avatar picture to the above but I didn't mean replacing the picture of Ruud but the flag...

50,000-year-old string found at France Neanderthal site A piece of 50,000-year-old string - the oldest yet discovered - found in a cave in France has cast further doubt on the idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans. A study published in Scientific Reports said a tiny, three-ply chord fragment made from bark was spotted on a stone tool recovered from the Abri du Maras. It implies that Neanderthals understood concepts like pairs, sets and numbers. Twisted fibres provide the basis for clothes, bags, nets and even boats. Neanderthals - whose species died out about 40,000 years ago - are already known to have made birch bark tar, art and shell beads. They also controlled fire, lived in shelters, were skilled hunters of large animals and deliberately buried their dead in graves. Neanderthals ate sharks and dolphins Neanderthal 'skeleton' is first found in a decade Neanderthal 'glue' points to complex thinking Typically, archaeologists and paleoanthropologists only find faunal remains or stone tools at sites like the Abri du Maras. Perishable materials are usually missing. But a team of researchers from France, the US and Spain discovered a fragment of chord adhering to the underside of a 60mm- (2.4-inch-) long stone tool. The chord, believed to have been made with the inner bark of a conifer tree, was approximately 6.2mm long and 0.5mm wide. Three groups of fibres were separated and twisted clockwise in an "S-twist". Once twisted, the strands were twined anti-clockwise in "Z-twist" to form a chord. The study - whose lead author was Bruce Hardy of Kenyon College in Ohio - concluded that the production of the chord demonstrated that Neanderthals had a detailed ecological understanding of trees and how to transform them into entirely different functional substances. The production of the chord also implied a cognitive understanding of numeracy and context-sensitive operational memory, according to the study. That is because it required keeping track of multiple, sequential operations simultaneously. "Given the ongoing revelations of Neanderthal art and technology, it is difficult to see how we can regard Neanderthals as anything other than the cognitive equals of modern humans," the study said. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52267383

Apollo 13: Enhanced images reveal life on stricken spacecraft Image enhancement techniques have been used to reveal life aboard Nasa's stricken Apollo 13 spacecraft in unprecedented detail. Fifty years ago, the craft suffered an explosion that jeopardised the lives of the three astronauts aboard. Unsurprisingly, given they were locked in a fight for survival, relatively few onboard images were taken. But imaging specialist Andy Saunders created sharp stills from low-quality 16mm film shot by the crew. One of the techniques used by Mr Saunders is known as "stacking", in which many frames are assembled on top of each other to improve the image's detail. Crewed by Nasa astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, Apollo 13 was supposed to be the third American mission to land on the lunar surface. During the journey to the Moon, an explosion in the service module allowed some of the spacecraft's oxygen to leak out into space. FULL REPORT & MORE PHOTOS

FFS, I logged off for the night and the wife just told me, R.I.P. Peter, our thoughts go out to you and the ones you left behind.

@Mel81x

I got the nick-name Aussie when I joined the army in 1972 after coming back from Australia, I had a right Aussie accent and when one of the NCO's asked where was I from and I told him he said "Ok, we will call you Aussie as we have too many with names like Skippy, Blue, Wally (Wallabee) etc..." and that name has stuck since 1972, even at my last job before I retired they called me Aussie.

First time outside for 3 days, went for a 10-minute walk around the block when it was quiet, didn't have a mask but just used my scarf as a precaution, imagine sending this off for a passport application.

I still have family out there in Victoria & Queensland since 1959, I am a great, great, great granddad a few times over with some of the family still out there, but I have lost track now as I don't communicate much like I did before living in Scotland for years. I class myself more Scottish than anything else now but I do miss my Aussie Rules Football a lot though and my team Carlton, when I was out there I would go to there games every Saturday, come hell or high water.

I have a funny accent, as I grew up in Australia if I talk to an Aussie the Aussie twang comes back so really people cannot work my accent out, I was born in Tilbury, Essex, then emigrated to Australia but I have now lived in Scotland for years. My accent is a mixture of the latter above, are you in Australia? I can never tell with guys or girls in here as the avatar flags can throw me off, I would like to change my avatar beside my name CaaC (John) to a Scottish one so I will have to ask @Rab about that I think, below is what I would like.

@Spike Any more Aussies in here since you started this thread cobber?

Why does President Trump want to mine on the Moon? President Trump wants the United States to start mining on the Moon for minerals. The US president recently signed an executive order stating America has the right to explore and use resources from outer space. The order also said the US did not see space as a common area for resources and didn't need the permission of international agreements to get started. But why does he want to mine in space? And what are the benefits? Radio 1 Newsbeat has been speaking to a couple of experts who can fill us in. 'Extending life beyond Earth' FULL REPORT

Coronavirus: Great apes on lockdown over the threat of disease Great apes have been put on lockdown against the threat of coronavirus. Gorilla tourism in Africa has been suspended, while sanctuaries for other apes, such as orangutans, have closed to the public. It's not known if great apes can contract the virus, but there are growing fears that our closest living relatives might be equally at risk. This week a tiger at Bronx Zoo tested positive for coronavirus. New measures have been put in place to protect big cats and their caregivers. Dr Kirsten Gilardi is the chief veterinary officer for Gorilla Doctors, which provides veterinary care to gorillas in the forests of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. "We don't know if it's infected mountain gorillas; we have not seen any evidence of that," she said. "But because mountain gorillas are susceptible to human pathogens, we know that they can develop a respiratory illness." Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) are an endangered species of great ape found only in the forests of Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo. All three countries have seen human cases of coronavirus, with gorilla tourism currently suspended. Social distancing The work of vets and rangers who care for wild gorillas continues, but with added precautions. "Much of what we're practising right now, in terms of social distancing, and self-quarantine, is at the heart of the recommendations for protecting great apes as well," said Dr Gilardi, who is also a veterinary professor at the University of California, Davis. Even before the outbreak, people were asked to stay seven metres away from gorillas at all times. New guidance from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) calls for a minimum distance of 10 metres from great apes, with visits by humans reduced to the minimum needed to ensure their safety and health. No person who is ill, or who has been in contact with a sick person in the preceding 14 days, should be allowed near them. Habitat loss and poaching are big threats to the survival of great apes, but viruses are also a concern. Infectious disease is now listed among the top three threats to some great ape groups. Past research has shown that chimps can contract the common cold virus, while the Ebola virus is thought to have killed thousands of chimpanzees and gorillas in Africa. Serge Wich, professor of primate biology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, said many governments had closed down tourism with great apes, while researchers and sanctuaries were taking extra measures. He said: "We don't know if they were to get infected, what the health effects would be, but obviously given the health implications for people it's a risk we do not want to take with great apes so these precautions everyone's taking are an important step to try to reduce that risk." Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre on the island of Borneo is one of many sanctuaries for great apes that has closed its doors to the public. Susan Sheward, founder and chairwoman of Orangutan Appeal UK, said in a statement: "This disease could be fatal for the already critically endangered orangutan, it is a risk that we cannot afford take. OAUK will do everything it can to make sure that the orangutans at Sepilok stay healthy and safe." There are four types of great apes alive today: gorillas (Africa), bonobos (Africa), orangutans (SE Asia), and chimpanzees (Africa). Humans are closely related to great apes, sharing a common ancestor several million years ago. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52236493

Oh for the life of a lockdown and only partly shaving, the beard greyer than anything.

Surprise Discovery Reveals Neanderthals Loved Seafood And Were Excellent Fisherpeople SLIDES - 1/3 Neanderthals were apparently much more partial to seafood than previously thought: new research shows that Neanderthal communities living in Portugal during the last ice age were just as keen on fishing as our modern human ancestors. Molluscs, crustaceans, fish, birds, and marine mammals like dolphins and seals made up as much as half the diet of these Iberian ancients, the new study shows. That makes them resourceful fisher-hunter-gatherers, with behaviours closer to modern-day Homo sapiens than anyone realised. The excavation at the cave of Figueira Brava near Setubal in Portugal revealed middens (domestic waste dumps) dated to around 106,000 and 86,000 years ago, packed with bones and shells from marine animals. These would have been eaten alongside more traditional fare like deer and goats. The finding is a significant one – the fatty acids provided by this sort of seafood diet, such as Omega-3, can boost brain development. These sorts of eating habits perhaps contributed to the "emergence of cognitive and behavioural modernity" in ancient people, the researchers say. "Figueira Brava provides the first record of significant marine resource consumption among Europe's Neanderthals," write the researchers in their published paper. "Consistent with rapidly accumulating evidence that Neanderthals possessed a fully symbolic material culture, the subsistence evidence reported here further questions the behavioural gap once thought to separate them from modern humans." The sheer amount of seafood remains discovered, and the distance of the settlement from the coast (about two kilometres or a little over a mile), suggests that Neanderthals used baskets and bags to go fishing with, the researchers say. This ability to plunder food from seas and rivers has long been regarded as an exclusively human trait, not something we shared with Neanderthals – and that makes the findings at this coastal site significant. Previous evidence for a seafood diet amongst Neanderthals has been patchy: while it has been observed in other parts of the world, it hasn't been clear just how widespread these evolving eating habits actually were. Experts know much more about the diets of early modern humans in southern Africa around the same time, and the new study suggests that the make-up of this diet isn't all that different from the one adopted by Neanderthals who lived by the coast of Portugal. Considering that snacking on seafood and exploiting marine resources could well have played a big part in triggering the expansion of the early human beings and pushing forward the increasing sophistication of our societies, pinning down exactly when and where it happened is an intriguing challenge for anthropologists. As comprehensive as this discovery is, it's only one part of the world – we don't have a pattern yet. The researchers think that traces of other similar communities may have been washed away from rising sea levels during the end of the last ice age, so there might not be any more to find. Even so, it sheds substantially more light on the lifestyles and behaviours of the Neanderthals – and suggests that in their taste for seafood at least, they perhaps weren't all that different from our early ancestors. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/surprise-discovery-reveals-neanderthals-loved-seafood-and-were-excellent-fisherpeople/ar-BB11UIPw

Social distancing works – just ask lobsters, ants and vampire bats Mandrills in captivity may have different social behaviours, but in the wild, the baboons practice strict distancing. Social distancing to combat COVID-19 is profoundly impacting society, leaving many people wondering whether it will actually work. As disease ecologists, we know that nature has an answer. Animals as diverse as monkeys, lobsters, insects and birds can detect and avoid sick members of their species. Why have so many types of animals evolved such sophisticated behaviours in response to disease? Because social distancing helps them survive. In evolutionary terms, animals that effectively socially distance during an outbreak improve their chances of staying healthy and going on to produce more offspring, which also will socially distance when confronted with disease. We study the diverse ways in which animals use behaviours to avoid infection, and why behaviours matter for disease spread. While animals have evolved a variety of behaviours that limit infection, the ubiquity of social distancing in group-living animals tells us that this strategy has been favoured again and again in animals faced with a high risk of contagious disease. What can we learn about social distancing from other animals, and how are their actions like and unlike what humans are doing now? FULL REPORT