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Many different species in the history of life on this planet have simply ceased to be. Gone but not forgotten these strange animals leave evidence of their existence entombed in the sedimentary layers of the earth’s crust. As fascinating as these fossilized discoveries are, what’s even more fascinating is the mystery of what happened to them.

The dinosaur’s story is certainly the most compelling of all the extinction records. Giants that reigned over the earth their disappearance is both perplexing and intriguing.

New theories are formulated as new scientific discoveries are made but even the experts in the field cannot agree on the facts behind the end of the dinosaur era.

Buried deep in the past, the only clues remaining, point to a number of different theories.

Asteroids Or Volcanoes?

Approximately 65.5 million years ago an event occurred that caused the mass extinction of about 70% of the earth’s animal and plant species in a relatively short geological time period. It is called the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event or the K-T extinction event. A thin band, a geological signature called the K-T boundary, identifies this.

Around the world dinosaur remains (of the non-avian variety) have only been discovered below this K-T boundary. This points to the conclusion that dinosaurs became extinct either right before the event or because of it.

Luis and Walter Alvarez, along with scientists from the University of California during the late seventies were studying closely the K-T boundary in Gubbio, Italy when they made an interesting discovery. In a clay layer at the boundary point they found 30 times the normal level of a rare element called Iridium. Such high levels of Iridium, it has been theorized, could have only come from two sources: either asteroids or violent volcanic activity.

The Asteroid

Many in the scientific community have postulated this impact event theory. The theory suggests that a large asteroid fell to earth and created a cloud of dust and other aerosols that blocked the sun’s rays for up to a year. This reduction in sunlight radically affected plant and animal life causing a change to the atmosphere. At the time of impact a pulse of intense radiation killed many species and the resulting climate change and global firestorms decimated the rest.Dinosaurs, because of their size, were the first to succumb.

Volcanic Activity

The Deccan Traps, located in western India, formed at the end of the Cretaceous period, the same time the dinosaurs disappeared from earth. The Traps are a bi-product of violent volcanic eruptions. This theory postulates that the volcanic activity at the time would have released massive amounts of sulfuric aerosols and ash into the atmosphere again causing a major shift in the earth’s climate. A shift that the dinosaurs were not equipped to survive.

Ice Age

Another theory relies on the idea of a major drop in temperature that caused the dinosaurs to die out while allowing the warm-blooded, more insulated mammals to survive. In this case all the plant, animal and marine life that could not adapt to the plummeting temperatures became extinct. A number of scientists pair this theory with the asteroid theory, claiming it was the asteroid that triggered the deep freeze.

There are many plausible explanations and scientific theories regarding the extinction of the dinosaurs. New scientific evidence is discovered all the time, which supports one hypothesis or another, however, the truth is that we really don’t know what ended the reign of these giants of the prehistoric world.

It is a mystery that may remain until the moment of our extinction.

Discovery Channel’s Dinosaurs blog is one of the best dinosaurs resource available. Covering a wide range of dinosaur topics as they explore their prehistoric existence all the way up to the time of their extinction.

Dinosaurs have long been a source of fascination and the inspiration for many stories and scientific explorations. Fossilized dinosaur bones have been discovered in different parts of the world for centuries, with the first scientifically recorded specimen called Megalosaurus unearthed near Oxford in 1824 by William Buckland.

Since then paleontologists and dinosaur experts have been coordinating digs worldwide with many stunning skeletons now on display in national museum collections.

Where Are Most Dinosaur Fossils Found?

North America is the number one place to look when it comes to these prehistoric creatures. China and Mongolia come in second with ‘dragon’ bones (as the locals called them), having been uncovered for thousands of years.

In the US more kinds of dinosaurs have been found than anywhere else in the world and Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada has yielded the highest numbers of species found, with 37 different kinds unearthed.

Everything from the Tyrannosaurus to the Brachiosaurus has been carefully removed piece by piece from the North American landscape and then painstakingly put back together.

Recent discoveries include the bizarre Therizinosaurid dinosaur in Utah (which has a combination of bird-like features and large claws) and a four-ton mummified Hardrosaur nicknamed Dakota. Dakota was unearthed in North Dakota and is an extremely well preserved, rare find that has paleontologists around the world excited.

Why Is North America So Conducive To Finding Dinosaur Bones?

For animals to become fossilized certain conditions must be present at the time of death. The body has to be in a place where it can be buried right away so that decomposition and disintegration of the bones can’t take place. Along with this entombment certain minerals need to infiltrate the bones to make them resistant to crushing, a process called permineralization (this is an extremely slow process that is integral to the formation of fossils and petrified remains). Usually floodplains, river systems or the complete opposite, dry, arid deserts allow for this to happen.

In the fluvial settings (places where flowing water is present) dinosaurs were immediately buried in the river channels or covered up by sediment from floodwaters. During this process the scavengers and bacteria had no time to destroy the carcass and the mineral rich water could permeate the bones making them almost like stone. Entombed and preserved in this sediment they become fossilized.

Dinosaurs dying in the desert were also preserved due to a lack of organisms present in the arid environment that could break down the body. Scavengers were less attracted to the desiccated carcasses and so the sand buried the intact remains. During wet seasons rainfall infused the bones with minerals and fossilization took place.

These fluvial and desert environments were present across North America during the time of the dinosaurs and allowed the bones to be preserved, waiting for discovery.

Discovery

For dinosaur bones to be discovered certain conditions must also be present in the current environment. Long buried fossils become exposed when geologic uplifting (the process that forces land upwards) brings the old sedimentary layers close to the earth’s surface. Erosion then exposes these sedimentary layers and consequently any fossilized creations. Through careful excavation and specialized tools we can then finish the job nature started.

Prime regions for finding dinosaur bones are deserts with bluffs, buttes and cliffs, canyons, riverbanks and flood plains, mountainous zones and eroded hillsides. These places also need to be open and unpopulated areas where the bare earth is available for paleontologists to dig for remains.

This is why, geographically, North America has the perfect environment for digging up the past.

When searching for information on dinosaurs be sure to check out the great articles and resources at Discovery Channel’s re-vamped dinosaur blog.

The term resistivity refers to the electrical resistance of a material. Put simply this is the amount of resistance a material can put up against an electric current, most measurements are made with a resistance meter. A material that is regarded as being highly resistant impedes the flow of electron greatly; plastic and rubber are both examples of materials with high resistance. On the other hand a low resistant material will allow the flow of electrons freely; examples would be some metals and liquids such as water.

All materials have a specific resistance related to them, however a number of general rules mean that it is not always essential to utilise a resistivity meter. Metals and salt water are particularly conducive to allowing the free flowing of electrons; glass, plastic and rubber are the opposite. Due to the low resistance of metals, these are used for electrical wiring while wires are coated in plastic or rubber to avoid electric shocks and short circuits. In the electrical product industry the resistivity meter is used frequently to test the resistance of wires and electrical components.

Resistivity is not however the same as resistance; it is an equation that takes into account three separate factors. These three factors are resistance, area and length. The resistance is measured in Ohms and in most cases can be found using a table of resistance that contains information on a number of different materials. Area is the area of the wire or piece of material and shows how much space the electrons have to flow. Finally the length gives information on how far the electrons must travel. In terms of mathematics by multiplying the resistance and area and then dividing this number by the length will give the resistivity. Thankfully the resistivity meter does this without the need for a pen and paper.

It is not only the electrical manufacturing industry however that extensively measures resistivity. Surprisingly the mining industry also uses the meter regularly on rock formations. This is because rock formations that have large amounts of metal present in them will conduct the electricity. Hence by measuring resistivity, miners can find deposits more effectively. Subsequently the process of finding metals in the earth is made that less laborious and safer. The processes involve testing on the ground using handheld meter varieties as well a deep drilling that requires a far larger and more powerful resistivity meter.

The two methods of prospecting using electrical resistance are also subdivided into two categories, passive and active. Active prospecting is the process of adding a large electrical charge to the ground and then measuring the strength of the electrical field at a variety of points using electrodes. Passive is different in the way that it measures naturally occurring electrical fields as a result of chemical reactions taking place underground.

It is thanks to the resistivity meter that both of these techniques are deemed a valid way of prospecting for metal deposits in the ground. Apart from the mining industry this technology has helped in electrical manufacturing to build hardier, more effectively designed components and devices. Without the resistivity meter the mining process would be far more dangerous and difficult, and our electrical devices would not be as reliable. It may not be the most exciting of meters, but the impact it has had on a number of disparate industries should not be underestimated.

Science and technology expert Thomas Pretty looks at resistivity meter applications in mining and electrical manufacturing.

Whenever I hear the words missing link I cannot help but think of the time a family member misplaced a cufflink and could not find it. Or the time at a barbecue when someone lost a link of prime sausage and could not find that either.

Those were truly missing links!

Now here is an irony for you. As far back as the 1950’s anthropologists using real science as their guide proved that Neanderthals were 100% human. Yet, even today, many Darwinists still claim them as a missing links.

Neanderthal Man was the name given to human bones found in 1856 in Germany’s Neander Valley. Many Darwinists still depict Neanderthal Man as a half-witted link between ape and man who lacked language skills and creative abilities.

Others say he was a dead-end in human evolution from our supposed ape-like ancestors.

However, the evidence has been around since the early 1900’s which proves that Neanderthal was a variation of modern humans, and he has been reclassified as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, a particular kind of modern man.

The renowned pathologist Rudolf Virchow presented evidence that the Neanderthal specimens which showed a hunched-over stance and other features were influenced by rickets and arthritis.

However, due to the overwhelming Darwinian bias, which has been undermining scientific education and scientific research for the past 100 years, his conclusions were held back from the public for half a century!

Another example of Darwinian bias was that it took longer than twenty years for the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago to correct its display of Neanderthals even after their Neanderthal display was proven to be misleading Darwinian propaganda!

So much for honest science.

Darwinists still attempt to mislead anyone not on his or her toes.

For instance, although Neanderthal’s brain size was slightly larger than modern man’s, his brain is said to be of lower quality. However, this is just bias masquerading as science.

Evidence reveals that Neanderthal Man lived at the same time as modern man and that they likely interbred with each other. The discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid bone, related to the voice box, which was no different than that of a modern human, has led many scientists to the conclusion that Neanderthal Man had speech abilities just like that of humans today.

Other evidence reveals that Neanderthals conducted religious rituals and were very creative. A Neanderthal toddler was unearthed in Syria with a flint tool resting at about the spot where the infant’s heart had once beaten.

Tools and jewelry such as pierced animal teeth and ivory rings were discovered with a Neanderthal fossil in a French cave in 1996. Wooden spears and well-designed and crafted stone tools and stone spearheads have also been found.

These finds and many others contradict the Darwinian claim that Neanderthals were a less-developed missing link.

It has been concluded that Neanderthals lived with other variations of modern humans in the Middle East, and hybrids of Neanderthals and other humans are known from a number of areas around the world.

The only honest conclusion is that Neanderthal Man was 100% human.

Russ Miller is author of The GENESIS Report Series. Register at http://www.new-earth-thought.com to receive FREE his 50 Facts vs. Darwinism e-mail series.

Never has an intermediate fossil of a reptile evolving into a bird been found. Thousands of fossilized reptiles and birds are documented, yet not a single transitional fossil has been discovered that proves one species morphed into the other creature.

The overall fossil record is an enemy to Darwinism.

All higher kinds of plants and animals appear abruptly in the fossil record with no transitional types linking one group to another. The amount of transitional forms involved in the evolutionary transformation from reptiles to birds, over millions of years, should add up to an incredible number.

Although the only fossil evidence presented has not held up to even scant scientific scrutiny, it still has misled billions of people into believing in Darwinian-style evolution.

After one embarrassing candidate that was passed off as a reptile-to-bird missing link was proven to be a fraud put together by a cash-poor farmer in China, “The ‘Missing Link’ That Wasn’t” by Tim Friend appeared in USA TODAY, 2-3-2000.

In the article, Friend wrote:

“…this ‘true missing link between dinosaurs and birds’sprouted its…tail not 120 million years ago but only shortly before being smuggled out of China; has children believing in feathered dinosaurs that never existed, prominent scientists calling each other names and two respected science publications under assault.”

Unfortunately, the fraudulent claims hit the newsstands about once a year. After being used to mislead millions of people they then quietly disappear.

The primary candidate presented by Darwinists as the missing link between reptile and bird is Archaeopteryx.

There is no doubt that Archaeopteryx was an odd bird but there is also no honest doubt that it was 100% bird. It had well-developed feathers for flight, and feathers are very complex structures.

Researchers now know for a fact that reptile DNA does not contain the information to form feathers. The dagger through the heart of Darwinism here is that real science knows of no way for nature to add appreciable amounts of new and beneficial genetic information to an existing gene pool, much less the millions of pieces of data required to change a reptile into a flying bird.

Another crushing blow to the claim that Archaeopteryx was a missing link between reptiles and birds is that scientists have found several fossils of completely modern birds below the strata layers which contained Archaeopteryx.

“…scientists found bird bones farther down the geologic column than Archaeopteryx.” (Nature 322; 8-21-1986; Science 253; 7-5-1991.)

Since Darwinists believe those layers of rock formed slowly and that the fossils found in those strata represent our evolutionary paths, finding modern birds in layers below those that contain Archaeopteryx should have removed him from consideration as any sort of transitional kind.

The late paleontologist, Dr. Colin Patterson of the British Museum of Natural History, wrote a book titled Evolution. In reply to why he had not included any pictures of transitional forms in his publication, Dr. Patterson wrote:

“I fully agree with your comments about the lack of direct illustration of evolutionary transitions in my book. If I knew of any, fossil or living, I would certainly have included them. I will lay it on the line, there is not one such fossil for which one could make a watertight argument.” (C. Patterson, from a letter to Luther Sunderland, April 10, 1979, as published in Darwin’s Enigma (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 4th ed. 1988, page 89.)

Russ Miller is author of The GENESIS Report Series. Register at http://www.new-earth-thought.com to receive FREE his 50 Facts vs. Darwinism e-mail series.

Are you interested in astronomy? Wouldn’t it be great, to really see, what all those shinning points of light are, in the night sky? Well, you can with a telescope, but how to buy a telescope? What do you need to get started in astronomy, and wouldn’t it be great to have it all in an easy telescope buying guide, such as this article?

Well, you have it. Here is the article, that can help you get into astronomy. First it is important to consider a few points, when wondering how to buy a telescope. The first and obvious step, is buying a telescope. However, there are some other parts, which go to make your hobby in astronomy, so much more fun.

You need 3 things to get the most out of astronomy, and 1 other item, which I recommend:
1. A telescope (this telescope buying guide, should help with that!)
2. A star atlas
3. A good practical book on astronomy and telescopes

* Optional
4. A notebook

Let us look into these necessary items to get the most out of astronomy. Remember, you can easily get into astronomy, by studying and learning the constellations. Some people in our human history, devoted there lives to constellations, some even to just 1 or 2!

* 1. How To Buy A Telescope?
Your first step before buying a telescope, is to consider what you want it for. Remember, telescopes are scientific instruments. This is an investment, and generally more you pay, more better telescope you get, which can literally last a life time.

If you have been wondering how to buy telescopes, you have come to the right place! Buying a telescope requires buying from either 1 of 3 places. From a specialized telescope shop, though these are not always easily found. The next is through mail order and the third, which is the easiest, is online.

There are 2 main types of telescope, one is reflector telescopes (catoptric), and refracting telescopes (dioptric). One has a big mirror, and the other is longer, and slimmer. They both pretty much do the same objectives. However, many people prefer the reflector for deep space viewing.

* 2 & 3 - A Good Star Atlas And Practical Astronomy And Telescopes Book
Getting the most out of the science of astronomy, is not about buying the biggest telescope or the high price you paid. Instead it is about knowing what is where, and where to look.

Galileo’s telescope was so inferior to today’s telescopes readily available, that he said that Saturn has ears! However, he still invested a lifetime into the study of these objects.

The key to knowing where to look, is with a good star atlas, and a practical astronomy book, designed for small telescope use. A book called - Turn Left At Orion, seems to be the most popular, and easy to follow.

* 4. A Notebook
Viewing Saturn, Jupiter, and the Moon, can be fun home scientific tasks, but what happens next? We get bored! The truth is, to get the most out of astronomy, is to treat it as a science. Even if you are the worst painter, you still can record a detailed picture of the Moon’s craters over days, and see the differences. This will go a long way in the future, and will allow you to look back, and see what many people will never see, and all because you invested into the science of astronomy.

A great site to visit, especially if you want a telescope, is the telescope buying guide with information on how to buy a telescope.
If you like Meade, and are looking to buy, then visit, this link for the best Meade telescopes, you can buy.