Navigation Links
'Banana-jawed' fossil mammal linked to rare sound-producing skill

Paleontologists at the Duke Lemur Center have assembled a new picture of a 35-million-year-old fossil mammal -- and they even have added a hint of sound.

By painstakingly measuring hundreds of specimens of a fossil mammal called Thyrohyrax, recovered from the famous fossil beds of Egypt's Fayum Province, the researchers determined that males of this now-extinct species -- and only males -- had oversized, swollen lower jaws shaped much like a banana. Further, the team speculated, the animals may have used the balloonlike structural chamber that shaped their bizarre jaws to produce sound.

If this speculation is correct, Thryohyrax and its fossil relatives would be the only mammals found so far to use such a skeletal structure for producing sound, the researchers said. They added that some dinosaurs are thought to have used similar sound-producing mechanisms.

The researchers published their findings in the March issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, which was released in mid-April. The study's lead author is Donald DeBlieux, a former research associate at the Duke Lemur Center (formerly the Primate Center) who is now at the Utah Geological Survey. Other team members from Duke include Elwyn Simons, head of the Division of Fossils at the Duke Lemur Center; Prithijit Chatrath, curator of the division; and Michael Baumrind, a former undergraduate anthropology student who initiated the research as a senior project. Yousry Attia of the Egyptian Geological Survey also participated in the study.

The team's research was supported by the National Science Foundation.

The banana-jawed hyraxes were much different in appearance from their modern counterparts, the scientists said.

"Hyraxes today are improbably cute-looking mammals that are about the size of rabbits, look much like guinea pigs and have a penchant for sunbathing," Simons said. "Seven species of hyraxes now inhabit a swathe from the Middle East to southern Africa
'"/>

Source:Duke University


Page: 1 2 3 4

Related biology news :

1. Scientists find fossil proof of Egypts ancient climate
2. Oldest fossil human protein ever sequenced
3. Oldest cranial, dental and postcranial fossils of early modern European humans confirmed
4. Researchers find new giant amphibian fossils in Africa
5. Molecular fossils uncover link between viruses and the immune system
6. Evidence of 600-million-year old fungi-algae symbiosis discovered in marine fossils
7. Spider blood found in 20 million year old fossil
8. Space matters: Estimating species diversity in the fossil record
9. Virginia Tech, Nanjing Institute researchers discover half-billion year-old fossils
10. Missing fossil link Dallasaurus found
11. Bugs expose underground carbon traffic system 10 times more important than fossil fuel burning
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Banana jawed fossil mammal linked rare sound producing skill

(Date:5/18/2013)... Research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) ... diet and lifestyle. , Individuals suffering from ... strength, fatigue and poor quality of life. These ... remission. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study found ... corresponded to significant relief of these symptoms. ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... The AGA Research Foundation announced a new grant that ... gut microbiota, one of today,s most exciting areas of ... AGA Research Awards Panel selected Andrew T. Chan, MD, ... Harvard Medical School, Boston, as the 2013 AGA-Elsevier Gut ... $25,000 of funding, commencing in July 2013, to test ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... Researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, ... proprietary new formulation called Visikol TM that effectively ... be used in place of chloral hydrate, which is ... but which is tightly regulated by the Drug Enforcement ... , Clearing solutions, or clearing agents, are vital for ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Research examines new methods for managing digestive health 2Research examines new methods for managing digestive health 3New gut microbiome research to explore red meat -- colorectal cancer pathway 2New formula invented for microscope viewing, substitutes for federally controlled drug 2New formula invented for microscope viewing, substitutes for federally controlled drug 3
... unpleasant. Nearly 30% of all patients suffer from nausea ... are longer patient stays in the recovery room, with ... prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting. In a systematic review ... treatment recommendations for nausea after general anesthesia can be ...
... Spanish . A common roadside plant could ... biofuel, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) studies. ... intramural scientific research agency, have found that field pennycress yields ... in biodiesel production. Field pennycress belongs to the ...
... the Arctic warms, a new cache of resourcessnow goose eggsmay ... In a new study published in an early online edition ... that even large numbers of hungry bears repeatedly raiding nests ... of the geese because of a mismatch in the timing ...
Cached Biology News:Pennycress could go from nuisance weed to new source of biofuel 2Polar bears can't eat geese into extinction 2
(Date:5/20/2013)... 2013 Grace Century , an ... life science and health related private equity projects, has ... International Project Team. Dergham's expertise in finance and international ... to Grace Century as it continues to look at ... Dergham holds both an under graduate degree from the ...
(Date:5/20/2013)... ANGELES , May 20, 2013 Today, ... San Francisco , James McGough ... Clinical Psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and ... of Medicine at the University of California Los ... both Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology and ADHD at UCLA, ...
(Date:5/20/2013)... 20, 2013 Pacific Biomarkers and Clinigene International are ... of biosimilars at the 2013 AAPS/ National Biotechnology ... Hotel and Marina , ... opportunity to speak with company representatives at their collaborative ... on May 21 from 1-2 p.m. in the conference,s ...
(Date:5/20/2013)... CHAPEL HILL, N.C. , May 20, 2013 ... pharmaceutical company focused on developing differentiated antibiotics to ... bacterial infections, today announced that it presented data ... 2013) in Philadelphia demonstrating ... versus levofloxacin in Cempra,s prior Phase 2 clinical ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Dalia Dergham Joins Grace Century FZ LLC International Project Team 2Positive Results Reported for Phase I Clinical Trial at UCLA for the Treatment of ADHD in Children Using External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) 2Positive Results Reported for Phase I Clinical Trial at UCLA for the Treatment of ADHD in Children Using External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) 3Positive Results Reported for Phase I Clinical Trial at UCLA for the Treatment of ADHD in Children Using External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) 4Positive Results Reported for Phase I Clinical Trial at UCLA for the Treatment of ADHD in Children Using External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) 5Pacific Biomarkers and Clinigene International To Announce Laboratory Solutions for Developers of Biosimilars at 2013 AAPS/ National Biotechnology Conference 2Cempra Presents Post-Phase 2 Analysis of Solithromycin's Efficacy and Safety Results from Patients with Community Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) 2
... made clear this week -- with a one-two punch of ... -- that it intends to grow its GE Medical ... actually induce the Fairfield, Conn.-based giant to make additional acquisitions ... the product categories it just bought into, according to a ...
... conditions provide a golden opportunity to tune your talent ... to have calmed, the long-term winners will be those ... strategies. Real competitive advantage comes from making a ... aligning your talent management practice to that choice, even ...
... are still going on in the Midwest at places like the ... news story on Monday. There are many experts giving opinions about ... many jobs are going overseas for cheaper wages and most stop ... to stop because many companies are so focused on the bottom ...
Cached Biology Technology:GE Medicals Acquisitions May Prompt More Purchases 2GE Medicals Acquisitions May Prompt More Purchases 3Talent Constellations or Talent Communities Choosing the Right Talent 2Talent Constellations or Talent Communities Choosing the Right Talent 3Spend Money to Make Money and Dump Obsolete Tech Strategies 2Spend Money to Make Money and Dump Obsolete Tech Strategies 3Spend Money to Make Money and Dump Obsolete Tech Strategies 4
MOUSE ANTI RAT RT1Bu / MOUSE Ia:BIOTIN Immunogen: Rat thymocyte membrane glycoproteins...
Prepared in 0.85% saline....
... cloning of BAC (100+kb), fosmid (40kb), and ... stability than any othe BAC vector. On ... yields and easy recombinant DNA purification. Available ... (pSMART VC) vectors for the highest insert ...
Anti-Goat HRP-DAB Cell & Tissue Staining Kit...
Biology Products: