lornamatic

So an epidemiologist and a dendrochronologist walked into a bar…

OK, no they didn’t. There’s no punchline here. But Discover Magazine’s Megadeath in Mexico is a fascinating article about the great stuff that happens when different fields of science collide.

To be successful in science, you must focus in your field, to the exclusion of almost everything else. That’s a tragedy, since most of the biggest discoveries have been and will be made by the rare people who are able to cut across multiple disciplines.

This article details a researcher whose discoveries challenge the popular historical assumption that smallpox introduced by exploring Europeans was to blame for the devastation of indigenous American colonies during the 14th century. Instead, it looks a lot more like a hemorrhagic fever, and the dates of incidence line up exactly with years during which flooding was prevalent. Just about every 30 years or so, it’d get bad again.

Every 30 years. That’s pretty much the same timeline for the major influenza pandemics. Is it because of generational exposure and immunity as some have hypothesized? Or could it be just another totally normal part of the planet’s cyclical ecology? Don’t worry, I’ll save the climate change rant for another day.

But do read the article.

One of my very favorite places in all of Los Angeles is the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Refuge. It’s just a beautiful example of how to create a community park and an oasis for wildlife, right in the middle of a city.

They’re talking about building a freeway connector, to help ease traffic at the 101/405 interchage.

They’re talking about building the freeway connector through Sepulveda Basin.

Of course, they might not. It’s just one of five options.

But what I can’t get my head around is this: they MIGHT.

If you’ve never been, now’s probably a good time.

Here’s the rest of the story.

Last weekend, I observed a bird banding session at Zuma Canyon, in Malibu. The banders had just begun doing Avian Influenza testing on songbirds, as the Pacific Flyway is believed to be the most likely potential entry point for H5N1 in the United States.

To band a bird, you must first capture a bird, and the way to do this is by stringing up fine nets, called mist nets. They resemble somewhat longer, finer volleyball nets in construction and size. Birds cannot see the nets and become trapped until the banders retrieve them.

Watching the bird banding was lots of things: educational, overwhelming, fasinating and frustrating. I have always adored birds, and it is difficult to witness wild animals caught up in nets, no matter how good the reasons are for doing it.

Here are some photographs from the event:

As promised.

This is maybe 1/4 the contents of a smallish pellet. There are so many tiny bones, it’s hard to believe.

Anyway. File this one under Icky Stuff My Mom Wishes I Wouldn’t Do, Let Alone Take Pictures Of And Write About On The Internet:

Here’s a scan of three un-dissected pellets, note that the one on the bottom left is basically fur wrapped around a little rodent skull – those are teeth sticking out.

Sorry, Mom…

From the great minds over at Fark, comes this holiday gift idea. It’s true, Owl pellets are really beyond awesome – owls yack up little furballs of all the indigestible stuff, fur, feathers, and lots of tiny bones. I bought several last year, and I still have four waiting to be pried open and examined for parts.

The fast way to dissect them is to drop one in a plastic cup with a hydrogen peroxide : water mix, about 1:4. Stronger than that and the more delicate bones can just dissolve. You can use toothpicks or dissecting tools to gently pry open the tiny bones inside. It’s nearly alarming how intact the bones remain: If you’re lucky, you can piece a whole skull together. So far I’ve seen a whole bunch of small rodent and vole parts, but if you’re really lucky you might find parts from a lizard or songbird.

Actually, I guess that depends on your definition of lucky. Anyway – it’s a highly educational type experience. I bought mine from American Science and Surplus. They came complete with a corny educational kit, including a plastic magnifying glass, an ancient mimeographed (yes, mimeographed) ID guide, and inexplicably, a florescent pink stencil toy.

I’ll scan some pictures soon.