Thursday, December 26, 2019

Toumai - Type site of Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Toumaà ¯ is the name of a late Miocene hominoid who lived in what is today the Djurab desert of Chad some seven million years ago (mya). The fossil currently classified as Sahelanthropus tchadensis is represented by a nearly complete, amazingly well-preserved cranium, collected from the Toros-Menalla locality of Chad by the Mission Palà ©oanthropologique Franco-Tchadienne (MPFT) team led by Michel Brunet. Its status as an ancient hominid ancestor is somewhat in debate; but Toumaà ¯s significance as the oldest and best preserved of any Miocene age ape is undeniable. Location and Features The Toros-Menalla fossil region is located in the Chad basin, a region that has fluctuated from semi-arid to wet conditions over and over again. The fossil-bearing outcrops are in the center of the northern sub-basin and consist of terrigenous sands and sandstones interbedded with argillaceous pebbles and diatomites. Toros-Menalla is some 150 kilometers (about 90 miles) east of the Koro-Toro locality where Australopithecus bahrelghazali was discovered by the MPFT team. Toumaà ¯s skull is small, with features suggesting it had an upright stance and used bipedal locomotion. Its age at death was approximately 11 years old, if comparisons to wear on the teeth of modern chimpanzees are valid: 11 years is an adult chimpanzee and it is assumed that so was Toumaà ¯. Toumaà ¯ has been dated to approximately 7 million years of age using the Beryllium isotope 10Be/9BE ratio, developed for the region and also used on the Koro-Toro fossil beds. Other examples of S. tchandensis were recovered from Toros-Menalla localities TM247 and TM292, but were limited to two lower jaws, the crown of a right premolar (p3), and one partial mandible fragment. All hominoid fossil materials were recovered from an anthracotheriid unit--so called because it also contained a large anthracotheriid, Libycosaurus petrochii, an ancient hippopotamus-like creature. Toumaà ¯s Cranium The complete cranium recovered from Toumaà ¯ had suffered fracturing, displacement and plastic deformation over the past millennia, and in 2005, researchers Zollikofer et al. published a detailed virtual reconstruction of the skull. This reconstruction illustrated in the photo above used high-resolution computed tomography to create a digital representation of the pieces, and the digital pieces were cleaned of adhering matrix and reconstructed. The cranial volume of the reconstructed skull is between 360-370 milliliters (12-12.5 fluid ounces), similar to modern chimpanzees, and the smallest known for an adult hominid. The skull has a nuchal crest that is within the range of Australopithecus and Homo, but not chimpanzees. The skulls shape and line suggests Toumaà ¯ stood upright, but without additional postcranial artifacts, thats a hypothesis waiting to be tested. Faunal Assemblage Vertebrate fauna from TM266 include 10 taxa of freshwater fish, turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles, all representatives of ancient Lake Chad. Carnivores include three species of extinct hyenas and a saber toothed cat (Machairodus cf. M giganteus). Primates other than S. tchadensis are represented only by a single maxilla belonging to a colobine monkey. Rodents include mouse and squirrel; extinct forms of aardvarks, horses, pigs, cows, hippos and elephants were found in the same locality. Based on the collection of animals, the TM266 locality is likely to be Upper Miocene in age, between 6 and 7 million years ago. Clearly aquatic environments were available; some of the fish are from deep and well-oxygenated habitats, and other fish are from swampy, well-vegetated and turbid waters. Together with the mammals and vertebrates, that collection implies that the Toros-Menalla region included a large lake bordered by a gallery forest. This type of environment is typical for the most ancient of hominoids, such as Ororrin and Ardipithecus; in contrast, Australopithecus lived in a wider range of environments including everything from savannah to forested woodlands. Sources Brunet M, Guy F, Pilbeam D, Lieberman DE, Likius A, Mackaye HT, Ponce de Leà ³n MS, Zollikofer CPE, and Vignaud P. 2005. New material of the earliest hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad. Nature 434:752-755.Brunet M. 2010. Short note: The track of a new cradle of mankind in Sahelo-Saharan Africa (Chad, Libya, Egypt, Cameroon). Journal of African Earth Sciences 58(4):680-683.Emonet E-G, Andossa L, Taà ¯sso Mackaye H, and Brunet M. 2014. Subocclusal dental morphology of sahelanthropus tchadensis and the evolution of teeth in hominins. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 153(1):116-123.Lebatard A-E, Bourlà ¨s DL, Duringer P, Jolivet M, Braucher R, Carcaillet J, Schuster M, Arnaud N, Monià © P, Lihoreau F et al. 2008. Cosmogenic nuclide dating of Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Australopithecus bahrelghazali: Mio-Pliocene hominids from Chad. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(9):3226-3231.Vignaud P, Duringer P, Mackaye HT, Likius A, Blondel C, Boisserie J-R, de Bonis L, Eisenmann V, Etienne M-E, Geraads D et al. 2002. Geology and palaeontology of the Upper Miocene Toros-Menalla hominid locality, Chad. Nature 418:152-155.Wolpoff MH, Hawks J, Senut B, Pickford M, and Ahern JCM. 2006. An ape or the ape: is the Toumaà ¯ cranium TM 266 a hominid? PaleoAnthropology 2006:36-50.Zollikofer CPE, Ponce de Leà ³n MS, Lieberman DE, Guy F, Pilbeam D, Likius A, Mackaye HT, Vignaud P, and Brunet M. 2005. Virtual cranial reconstruction of Sahelanthropos tchadensis. Nature 434:755-759.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Medical Marijuana As A Treatment For Different Diseases

The United States health care industry has been fighting the increased use of medical marijuana as a treatment for different diseases. Recent research suggests that diseases like AIDS/HIV, Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Cancer, Crohn’s disease, Glaucoma, Multiple sclerosis and Epilepsy can be helped with Medical Marijuana. Therefore, given this information, federal government and states should lessen the restrictions on the usage of medical marijuana to help treat different diseases. Alcohol and Opiates were two of the most widely used substances for pain before medical marijuana. People that used opiates as a form of self-medication usually get addicted to them. American Society of Addiction Medicine states â€Å"Opiate addiction is driving this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths†. People often share their unused pain relievers, unaware of the dangers of nonmedical opioid use which causes the high number of overdose deaths. Opiates are so addicting that â€Å"Opiat es make up 83 percent of admissions for intravenous drug addictions† (. American Society of Addiction Medicine). In 2014 study, for example, found that states with medical marijuana had fewer prescription painkiller overdose deaths than those without (Huffington post). Another form of self-medication that leads to addiction is alcohol. The use of alcohol to depress the effects of pain is as old as the fermentation process itself. Using Alcohol to stop pain can be very dangerous. Alcohol helps make people feel better whenShow MoreRelatedThe Obstacles And Challenges Of Medical Marijuana1111 Words   |  5 PagesThe Obstacles and Challenges in Legalizing Medical Marijuana As more effective treatments for diseases and cancers are being developed, a safe and promising drug is being under attack for its many misconceptions. 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Personally, I believe that marijuana should be used for medical purposes. My opinion, however, comes primarily from what I have observed through brief news reports andRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1330 Words   |  6 Pages The use of marijuana for medical purposes and personal use can be recorded as far as 12,000 years ago. Marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 drug. Schedule 1 drugs are drugs are drugs that have the potential for abuse (Drug Scheduling,2016). The government contains the high-level drugs, this is the reason we have pharmacies. Pharmacies are regulated so that people can not get medicine that can be easily abused. Pharmacies require a medical prescription from a certified doctor for an y drug

Monday, December 9, 2019

Chilean Mining Accident free essay sample

Donald Marrin 4/8/12 Brittney Preece On Aug. 5, 2010, a gold and copper mine near the northern city of Copiapo, Chile caved in, trapping 33 miners in a chamber about 2,300 feet below the surface. For 17 days, there was no word on their fate. As the days passed, Chileans grew increasingly skeptical that any of the miners had survived — let alone all of them. But when a small bore hole reached the miners’ refuge, they sent up a message telling rescuers they were still alive. (Chile Mining Accident (2010), New York Times) Anytime a communication is given you need to consider how much information needs to be told and the exact information so you can keep it consistent. In a time of crisis consistency is a must to make sure you appear to be doing everything you can. Any time it is a dangerous situation you always want to be open for communication and until you know definite that any of the miners involved are injured or worse you always want to be optimistic. We will write a custom essay sample on Chilean Mining Accident or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If you tell them the outcome is grim then you may cause panic and uproar when in reality the outcome could be completely different. The most important thing the company needs to keep in mind was the needs of the families of the miners involved and the needs of the employees. Each communication would need to be geared to make sure they know that the mine is doing everything it can to ensure safety of the trapped miners and take extra steps to ensure the safety of the other employees. The message geared to the families regarding the trapped miners would need to be reassuring and let them know that all possible resources are being used to get the miners out as soon as possible to ensure the safety and well being of their loved ones. Like i said earlier, communication would be key in this time. Anything you may think is small the families would want to know all information before they happen to hear it on the news or read it in an article. I also would want to know that until the miners were recovered and ready to return to work that the company would help by financially supporting the families which would reduce the amount of stress on the affected miners and possible offer a quicker recovery. The employees would want to know that safety would be the companys number one priority from then on out to help prevent a tragedy of this magnitude from happening again in the future. Also as an employee, seeing fellow coworkers trapped and in need i would want to pitch in and help. So i believe that other mining should cease until the miners are saved. This would show that the company cares about the workers and not just out for the profits and make the workers just a number. Draft 1: To Families I believe the best way to communicate with the loved ones of the miners would be face to face, possible in a conference room with all the families and the management of the mine. Families and loved ones we have called you hear today to inform you that one of our mines has suffered and cave in and 33 of our miners are currently trapped 300 meters below ground. However, rescuers are drilling holes in an attempt to locate the workers as quickly as possible. Every resource we have is being called in to help the trapped miners. Any information that we learn, the families and loved ones will be the first to know. At this time we are optimistic that the miners are still alive and will be rescued as soon as possible. Any questions or concerns can be directly communicated with one of the management members who will be available to help the families. Draft 2: To the employees In a situation of this magnitude fact to face communication is always best but to quickly get the message to all members of the workforce a memo or newsletter would be effective. Today a horrible incident has happened involving a collapsed mine trapping 33 of our fellow coworkers. All resources are being used to quickly and efficiently rescue the miners. Safety is our number one priority and all safety regulations and safety checks will be implemented to ensure the safety of our employees. We want to prevent anything of this caliber happening in the future. Our employees are our future so we want to keep you safe while at work. We will have counselors on site to help anyone who needs to cope with the situation. At this time we are optimistic the miners will be safely rescued.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Greatest Prime Minister Of Canada Was Mackenzie King Our 10thPrim

The greatest Prime Minister of Canada was? Mackenzie King our 10thPrime Minister of Canada and by far one of our greatest. William Lyon Mackenzie King accomplished a lot in his twenty-0ne years of ministering our Country Canada! "It is what we prevent, rather than what we do that counts most in Government." (Mackenzie King august 26, 1936) This statement sums up the best secrets of Mackenzie King's success as prime minister, and perhaps, the key to governing Canada effectively. King's record of prime minister is sometimes difficult to judge. He had no uninteresting images, he gave no repetitive speeches, and he champions no drastic stage. He is remembered for his easygoing, passive compromise and conciliation (Gregory, page 267). Yet Mackenzie King led Canada for a total of twenty-two years, through half the Depression and all of the Second World War. Like every other prime minister, he had to possess ambition, endurance and determination to become prime minister and, in spite if appearances, his accomplishments in that role required political acuity, decisiveness and faultless judgment. William Lyon Mackenzie King was born in Berlin (later renamed Kitchener), Ontario in 1874. His father was a lawyer and his maternal grandfather was William Lyon Mackenzie, leader of the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada. From an early age, King identified with his grandfather, an association that influenced him throughout his political life. King studied economics and law at the University of Toronto also, the University of Chicago. After graduating with an M.A. in 1897, he pursued his studies at Harvard. In 1900, he entered the civil service and became Deputy Minister of the new Department of Labor. King joined the Liberal party and won a seat in the 1908 election. The following year he was chosen Minister of Labor in Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier's Cabinet. After he lost his seat in the 1911 election, King worked as a labor advisor for the Rockefeller Foundation in the United States. He ran and lost again in the 1917 election. "Parliament will decide, he liked to say when pressed to act". Unlike most English-speaking Liberals, he stood by Laurier in opposition to conscription (Johnson, page 134). In 1919, King was elected leader of the Liberal party in the first leadership convention held in Canada. The party was still unpleasantly divided, with some Liberals in the Union government and some in Opposition. King stood on conscription two years before it won him the loyalty of Quebec. Furthermore his skills as a conciliator were well developed by his labor experience and he put them to good use rebuilding the party. The Liberals won the 1921 election. The arguable issue of King's first expression of office was tariffs and freight rates. King reduced them, but not enough to satisfy the prairie farmers, who gave their support to the Progressives, a new political party formed to represent their interests. After the 1925 election, King could continue his best part only with their support. The Liberals lost their vote of assurance the following year. The Governor General refused King's request to separate Parliament and called on Arthur Meighen, Leader of the Opposition to form the government. This lasted only four days, until King called for a vote on the constitutional right of Meighen to govern. The Conservatives lost the vote and an election was called. Although a recently - uncovered outrage involving the Liberal Minister of Customs, King and his party won the 1926 election. He took advantage of the success of the late 1920s to reduce the war debt and to introduce an old-age pension system. Although the Liberals lost the 1930 election, it was to their benefit in the long run. The worst years of the Depression were related with the Conservatives. The Liberals were reinstated in government in 1935. King led the nation through the Second World War, during which Canada contribute food supplies, financial aid, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, ships, aircraft, tanks and over a million Canadian troops to the Allied cause. The close friendship of King with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President F.D. Roosevelt was one of the cornerstones of the Allied effort. (Larry, page 27). One of the secrets of King's success as a leader was his ability to be