2 hours, 55 minutes ago
 |
Add Top Stories - AP to My Yahoo! |
Posted on 08/13/2003 9:02:05 PM PDT by nwrep
|
2 hours, 55 minutes ago
|
|
By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM, Associated Press Writer
BOMBAY, India - U.S. and Indian scientists said Wednesday they have discovered a new carnivorous dinosaur species in India after finding bones in the western part of the country.
|
|
The new dinosaur species was named Rajasaurus narmadensis, or "Regal reptile from the Narmada," after the Narmada River region where the bones were found.
The dinosaurs were between 25-30 feet long, had a horn above their skulls, were relatively heavy and walked on two legs, scientists said. They preyed on long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs on the Indian subcontinent during the Cretaceous Period at the end of the dinosaur age, 65 million years ago.
"It's fabulous to be able to see this dinosaur which lived as the age of dinosaurs came to a close," said Paul Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago. "It was a significant predator that was related to species on continental Africa, Madagascar and South America."
Working with Indian scientists, Sereno and paleontologist Jeff Wilson of the University of Michigan reconstructed the dinosaur skull in a project funded partly by the National Geographic (news - web sites) Society.
A model of the assembled skull was presented Wednesday by the American scientists to their counterparts from Punjab University in northern India and the Geological Survey of India during a Bombay news conference.
Scientists said they hope the discovery will help explain the extinction of the dinosaurs and the shifting of the continents — how India separated from Africa, Madagascar, Australia and Antarctica and collided with Asia.
The dinosaur bones were discovered during the past 18 years by Indian scientists Suresh Srivastava of the Geological Survey of India and Ashok Sahni, a paleontologist at Punjab University.
When the bones were examined, "we realized we had a partial skeleton of an undiscovered species," Sereno said.
The scientists said they believe the Rajasaurus roamed the Southern Hemisphere land masses of present-day Madagascar, Africa and South America.
"People don't realize dinosaurs are the only large-bodied animal that lived, evolved and died at a time when all continents were united," Sereno said.
The cause of the dinosaurs' extinction is still debated by scientists. The Rajasaurus discovery may provide crucial clues, Sereno said.
India has seen quite a few paleontological discoveries recently.
In 1997, villagers discovered about 300 fossilized dinosaur eggs in Pisdura, 440 miles northeast of Bombay, that Indian scientists said were laid by four-legged, long-necked vegetarian creatures.
Indian scientists said the dinosaur embryos in the eggs may have suffocated during volcanic eruptions.
The argument is about the agreement. If using the words drunk, insane, or comparing someone with a 7 year old is not belittling, then say so. If they are belittling, and I believe they are, then the agreement is being broken by those accusing others of breaking it.
Promoters of intelligent design have been have been testifying that ID is not a religion, all over the country, for the last ten years. By this argument, whatever I say about ID, it cannot be construed as an attack on religion.
You can't have it both ways. You can't demand that ID be given the respect afforded to a religion and then claim it's a scientific theory. If the desigenr is God, then it's a religion. If the designer is some unknown entity, then we can criticize the designer's handiwork without criticizing religion.
Why are you using uppercase 'D'? I didn't.
Identify the person I called insane or drunk.
That being said, why do you think I told A2k to cool it? It wasn't because he was being too nice.
What gives anybody any enforcing power? Is it not belittling to act as has been pointed out? I have pointed out his hypocrisy. That is allowed here, or do you wish to silence others?
5 Language Restraint We will not use obscene or belittling words to describe another complying poster or whatever that poster believes;
I can freely assert that much of the outdoor sculpture on my campus looks like it was designed by either a madman or a drunkard. No one would raise an eyebrow at that; it's harsh but legitimate criticism. So why can't I argue the human genome, if it were designed, looks like it was designed by a madman or drunkard, because large parts of it make no sense at all?
You and Gore3000 are stuck in a trap of you're own making. You can't claim the protection of religion for ID, because according to you it isn't a religion.
Which is no excuse for hurling insults. As to the above - promoters of evolution have been claiming it is not a religion yet it is clearly atheism under the guise of science.
Identify the person I insulted.
And you are?
If we accuse a complying poster of violating this agreement we will ping that poster when making the accusation and we will specify the violation."
Yes. I signed the agreement, and where it was pointed out to me I could be in contravention, I've retracted the remark. In this case, i'm afraid there's nothing to back off from. 'Don't offend AndrewC' wasn't part of the agreement.
Let's say I think Kobe Bryant raped a woman in Colorado. I might then post that Kobe Bryant is a rapist. 'Rapist' is about as bad an insult as I can come up with. Another poster mght believe that KB is innocent. Am I, by saying that he is a rapist, insulting or belittling what the other poster believes? Of course not.
We're not getting a whole lot from this exercise in self-restraint.
You accused me of not complying with the agreement and had no justification as required in the agreement.
I know. But doing so doesn't involve the agreement. Pointing out design flaws seems a legitimate scientific topic. Dragging the agreement into it is a red herring. ID theory is outside of theology, or so its proponents claim. There is no hint of blasphemy in claiming that the "designer" in ID theory isn't doing quality work.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
