Reconstructing the biology of extinct species: A new approach

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A computer reconstruction of an adult female baboon skull from high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) slices. The skull is rendered transparent to show the position of the three semicircular canals and cochlea of left inner ear filled in red. ...
A computer reconstruction of an adult female baboon skull from high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) slices. The skull is rendered transparent to show the position of the three semicircular canals and cochlea of left inner ear filled in red. The enlargement of the canals and cochlea is five times the size of the canals shown in the skull. Each canal is approximately 5 mm in diameter. Credit: Alan Walker lab, Penn State

An international research team has documented the link between the way an animal moves and the dimensions of an important part of its organ of balance, the three semicircular canals of the inner ear on each side of the skull. The team's article on its research will be published on 26 June in the print edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and in the journal's online early edition during the week of 18 to 22 June.


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All News summaries for June 18, 2007

Study explores plausibility of bulbs and tubers in the diet of early human ancestors

5 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Anthropologist Nathaniel J. Dominy of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has advanced the investigation of the diet of early human ancestors ...

Wealth Does Not Dictate Concern for the Environment

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
It has been a long-held assumption that poor nations will not support efforts to protect the environment since their citizens are too preoccupied with meeting basic needs, such as food and housing. However, a new study in ...

Construction workers unearth mammoth bones in Minsk

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Workers building a business centre in Minsk came across the bones of two mammoths thought to be between 25,000 and 45,000 years old, an official from Belarus' Academy of Sciences told AFP on Friday.

Women's access to credit affects efficiency in rural households

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Rural strategies designed to induce economic growth often emphasize the need to improve access to capital for poor households. However, this approach implicitly assumes that family members pool all their resources and allocate ...

Colonial heritage metaphors used in US military conflicts

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The historical reference to "Indian Country" presents a complex metaphor. For many Native Americans it signifies home, family, and territory; however, for others the term can refer to colonialism and Native American land ...
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