Navigation Links
Fossil teeth of browsing horse found in Panama Canal earthworks
Date:6/8/2009

Rushing to salvage fossils from the Panama Canal earthworks, Aldo Rincon, paleontology intern at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, unearthed a set of fossil teeth. Bruce J. MacFadden, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida in Gainesville, describes the fossil as Anchitherium clarencei, a three-toed browsing horse, in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Paleontology.

By far the most complete fossil of a horse collected at the site in excavations spanning the last century, characteristics such as the shape of the teeth confirm the identity of two earlier finds and indicate that this horse was primarily a forest-dwelling browser living in the area between 15 and 18 million years ago. This evidence supports MacFadden's earlier proposal that the habitat was probably a mosaic of relatively dense forest and open woodlands. The presence of this browsing horse in Panama significantly extends the southern tip of its range from previous finds from roughly the same period in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Expanding the Panama Canal waterway to make way for supersized ships is a dream come true for geologists and paleontologists, according to Carlos Jaramillo, senior scientist at the institute, who, in collaboration with the University of Florida and the Panama Canal Authority, has organized a team of researchers and students who move in following dynamite blasts to map and collect exposed fossils.

"This is one of very few places in the tropics where we have access to fresh outcrops before they are washed away by torrential rains or overgrown by vegetation, and we expect the fossils that we have been salvaging to resolve some major scientific mysteries," said Jaramillo. "What geological forces combined to create the Panama land bridge? Was the flora and fauna in Panama before the land bridge closed similar to that in North America, or did it include other elements?"
'/>"/>

Contact: Beth King
kingb@si.edu
703-487-3770 x8216
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Source:Eurekalert  

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. First orchid fossil puts showy blooms at some 80 million years old
2. Fossil data plugs gaps in current knowledge, study shows
3. Microfossils disclose geologic history of eastern California
4. Living fossils have hot sex
5. Fossilized cashew nuts reveal Europe was important route between Africa and South America
6. Fossil record supports evidence of impending mass extinction
7. Fossil record reveals elusive jellyfish more than 500 million years old
8. Can plant-based ethanol save us from our fossil fuel addiction?
9. 390-million-year-old scorpion fossil -- biggest bug known
10. Rodent fossils allows to determine climate of the Iberian Peninsula 6 million years ago
11. Fossils excavated from Bahamian blue hole may give clues of early life
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
Related Image:
Fossil teeth of browsing horse found in Panama Canal earthworks
Fossil teeth of browsing horse found in Panama Canal earthworks
(Date:12/4/2009)CORVALLIS, Ore. According to an analysis of statewide data taken from 1998-2001, women in Oregon who made less than $50,000 a year were more than three times likely to report they were discriminated
(Date:12/4/2009)This release is available in German . , A new study of the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing could help to understand the positive effect of dietary restriction on healthy ageing. Previou
(Date:12/3/2009)In the 1980s, Harald zur Hausen and his co-workers discovered that specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) cause cervical cancer. Scientists soon found out how these pathogens cause cells to dege
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Lower income women report more insurance-based discrimination during pregnancy, delivery 2How nutrition affects healthy aging 2Papillomavirus silences innate immune response 2Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy 3A Only Vendor to Receive URAC Accreditation for Both Disease Management and Drug Therapy Management 50990 1Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy 3A Only Vendor to Receive URAC Accreditation for Both Disease Management and Drug Therapy Management 50990 2Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy 3A Only Vendor to Receive URAC Accreditation for Both Disease Management and Drug Therapy Management 50990 3Neuroscience Researcher Has Positive Message for International Alzheimers Awareness Week July 6 12 3A Even Though World Economy is Declining Alzhe 4695 1Neuroscience Researcher Has Positive Message for International Alzheimers Awareness Week July 6 12 3A Even Though World Economy is Declining Alzhe 4695 2Cancer Gap Between Whites Blacks May Be Biological in Part 50988 1Cancer Gap Between Whites Blacks May Be Biological in Part 50988 2
...tial effect of climate change on river basins indi...ve development will require significant management...ccording to an article published today in the onli...ment. , As a result of damming and development, m...anges in flow, reducing their natural ability to a...
...f Delaware have uncovered a hidden weapon that one... States uses to silently and efficiently bump off ...s australis, or common reed, believed to have orig...o toxic that the substance literally disintegrates...g plants, thus toppling the competition. , Phragm...
... a microscopic organism has benefited from nearly ... are asexual organisms, meaning that they reproduc...any of the ways in which sexual animals adapt over...nt. , Although other asexual organisms are known...ely short time periods because they are unable to ...
Other Biology News:International team of scientists warns of climate change's impact on global river flow 2UD plant biologists uncover top wetland plant's hidden weapon 2UD plant biologists uncover top wetland plant's hidden weapon 3The benefits of 80 million years without sex 2
(Date:12/2/2009)NEW YORK, Dec. 2 Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: ,, Neurostimulation - A Global Market Perspective ,, http://www.reportlinker.com/p01642
(Date:12/2/2009)COPENHAGEN, Dec. 2 The world,s first concept demonstration tires made with BioIsoprene technology, a breakthrough alternative to replace a petrochemically produced ingredient in the manufacture of
(Date:12/2/2009)LELYSTAD, The Netherlands, December 2 Pepscan Holding NV,the Netherlands based biotechnology company focusing on protein mimicking,technology for the generation of immune therapeutics today announced
(Date:12/2/2009)RESTON, Va., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Emerald Dairy, Inc.,("Emerald Dairy" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: EMDY), a leading,producer and distributor of infant and children,s formul
Breaking Biology Technology:Reportlinker Adds Neurostimulation - A Global Market Perspective 2Reportlinker Adds Neurostimulation - A Global Market Perspective 3Reportlinker Adds Neurostimulation - A Global Market Perspective 4Reportlinker Adds Neurostimulation - A Global Market Perspective 5Reportlinker Adds Neurostimulation - A Global Market Perspective 6The World's First Goodyear Concept Tires Made with BioIsoprene(TM) Technology Arrive in Copenhagen in time for United Nations Climate Change Conference 2The World's First Goodyear Concept Tires Made with BioIsoprene(TM) Technology Arrive in Copenhagen in time for United Nations Climate Change Conference 3Dutch Biotech Company Pepscan Appoints New CEO 2Emerald Dairy To Be Featured in Spring Issue of US Food and Drink Executive 2
...Inc. (Nasdaq: VIAP ), a biotechnology company fo...tment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, tod...March 31, 2009, from the staff of the NASDAQ Stock...rently comply with NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4310(c)...companies maintain either: (i) $2,500,000 in stock...
... for PACS data disaster recovery , , CHICAGO, Apr...siness unit of Siemens Healthcare ( www.sieme... www.harris.com ) are joining forces to offer h...for Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (P...ity. , , (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-b...
...all/ -- China Agri-Business, Inc.,(OTC Bulletin Bo...ral,application products through its operating com... the year ended December 31,2008. , Revenue fo...385, a,decrease of 3.8% as compared to $3,037,414 ... operations were adversely affected by natural and...
Other Biology Technology:VIA Pharmaceuticals Receives Anticipated Notice From NASDAQ 2VIA Pharmaceuticals Receives Anticipated Notice From NASDAQ 3VIA Pharmaceuticals Receives Anticipated Notice From NASDAQ 4Siemens Healthcare Announces Planned Collaboration with Harris Corporation 2Siemens Healthcare Announces Planned Collaboration with Harris Corporation 3Siemens Healthcare Announces Planned Collaboration with Harris Corporation 4China Agri-Business Announces 2008 Operating Results 2China Agri-Business Announces 2008 Operating Results 3China Agri-Business Announces 2008 Operating Results 4China Agri-Business Announces 2008 Operating Results 5
...T siRNA Tracker Intracellular Localization Kit pro...l and deliver siRNA, of your design, in an efficie...ng experiments. Subcellular localization and funct...monitored following introduction of the labeled si...
...T siRNA Tracker Intracellular Localization Kit pro...l and deliver siRNA, of your design, in an efficie...ng experiments. Subcellular localization and funct...monitored following introduction of the labeled si...
...T siRNA Tracker Intracellular Localization Kit wit...straight forward approach to directly label and de...on-destructive manner, for in vitro tracking exper...hibition of target gene expression can be monitore...
...e Laminin-Based 96-well Cell Invasion Assay is des...using laminin as a significant barrier to invasion...vitro in a convenient, high-throughput, 96-well fo...pes of adherent cells such as epithelial, endothel...
Biology Products: