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A team of paleontologists and geologists have discovered
near-complete skeletons of a lanky dinosaur that roamed South
America in search of prey at the age when dinosaurs began
approximately 230 million years ago. It had a long
neck and tail and weighed only 10 to 15 pounds, and has been
name
Eodromaeus, the
“Dawn runner” It’s the earliest of the meat eaters that would
ultimately culminate in Tyrannosaurus rex near the end of the
dinosaur era.
Two individual skeletons were
found side by side in an area which was once a rift valley, and
sediments covered the skeletons over a period of 5 million
years, eventually accumulating a thickness of more than 2000
feet. Local volcanoes in the Andes Mountains occasionally spewed
ash into the valley, allowing the research team to use
radioactive elements in the ash layers to accurately
determine the age of the sediments.
Aerospace engineering students at a Dutch
University have developed a micro-aircraft inspired by the
Swift, which they have named The Roboswift.
The small quiet aircraft is equipped with
observation cameras that can be used in the future to study
birds or to conduct surveillance of groups of people or
vehicles. It is characterised by the continuously variable shape
of the wings, known as ‘morphing wings’ which are modelled on
the wings of a swift.
 These
wings make the aircraft, like its living model, very
manoeuvrable and efficient. Wind tunnel tests have shown that it
can come remarkably close to the exceptional flying ability of
the swift.
The wingspan of the Roboswift is about 50
cm., and weight less than 100 gms., so is a good deal smaller
than standard model aircraft. To gain height it is powered by a
very quiet electric motor with a propeller, and in gliding
flight the motor is turned off and the propeller folds up so the
aircraft can fly even more quietly and save energy. The
silhouette is similar to that of the swift, which make it less
noticeable than other observation aircraft.
The Dutch National Police Services Agency is
continually looking for innovations that are applicable to
police work, and sees possibilities in the Roboswift, It is
therefore supporting the project financially.
Two Bream Trawlers were prosecuted early this
year for fishing inside the 3 mile limit off Sussex. During
inspections both vessels were found to have substantial
quantities of Bream aboard. The Black Bream the vessels were
targeting are particularly susceptible to over exploitation and
exhibit some very interesting reproductive behaviour.
In the spring many thousands of fish migrate
to the shallow waters off the Sussex shore to spawn. Adult male
Bream excavate
‘nests’, depressions in the gravel in an attempt to attract
awaiting shoals of females: a female will then lay her eggs in
the most ’attractive’ nest. Certain areas of the coast are
covered in bream nests, so much so that the seabed can be
likened to the craters seen on the moon. The male bream, with
the nest off eggs, will spend weeks attending to the clutch
until they finally hatch.
Interestingly for the first few years of
their life young black bream are neither male nor female, but at
around 20 cm, (2-3 years) they become male, then years later
they become female! Given the vulnerability of this species
during spawning it is important that harmful fishing practices
are restricted by fisheries regulations which are vigorously
upheld.
A pod of about 8 Bottlenose Dolphins was seen
off Pentire Head Newquay on the 6th of February and a pod of 6
was seen off Mutton Cove on the 8th, probably the same pod
moving west along the coast. There was a sighting of a Risso's
Dolphin riding a huge wave at The Runnelstone in big seas on the
15th and a pod of Rissos was seen off Porthgwarra the same day.
A pod of Risso's Dolphins was also seen off
St Michaels Mount on the 25th. There were 7 reported sightings
of Harbour Porpoises, off Cape Cornwall, Trevose Head,
Kenidjack Head, The Brisons, Porthcurno, The Runnelstone and
Gwennap Head NCI Lookout
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