Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Lack Of Drift Indicated In Forearm Fossil Find

Megaraptors found in South America now have a "cousin" that was revealed living in Australia. Image Credit: fahad.com

Lack Of Drift Indicated In Forearm Fossil Find

A Dinosaur forearm bone fossil find in Australia has startled scientists in that it may shatter theories on how the Oblate Spheroid’s continent’s were formed.

As the theory goes, the Earth had only one very large land mass. This mass broke up and large chunks drifted apart over a one-hundred million year plus timeframe.

This bone puts this theory into question because of the type of bone that it is and the age at which the continent of Australia was to be formed and drift away from its suspected origin.

Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia - Image Credit: motelmarengo.com

This excerpted and edited from The Australian via AFP -

Australian dinosaur matches South American raptor
The Australian (AFP) June 11, 2008
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The 19cm bone was found in southeastern Australia but it comes from a very close cousin to Megaraptor, a flesh-ripping monster that lorded over swathes of South American some 90 million years ago.

The extraordinary similarity between the two giant theropods adds weight to a dissident view about the breakup of a super-continent, known as Gondwana, that formed the continents of the southern hemisphere, the authors say.
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The standard theory is that the first continents to go were South America and Africa, which pulled away from Gondwana around 120 million years ago.

Australia remained attached to Antarctica before the two entities drifted apart around 80 million years ago, according to this theory. Australia began an insular existence that incubated flora and fauna which remain unique to this day.

The forearm bone, found near Cape Otway in Victoria, is the first link ever found between a non-flying therapod - or two-footed dinosaur - in Australia and another component of Gondwana.

The investigators, led by Nathan Smith of the University of Chicago, say the two dinosaurs are so similar the two land masses of South America and Australia could not have been separated for so many millions of years beforehand.
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They speculate that land bridges must have persisted between southern South America and the Western Antarctic Archipelago "until at least the Late Eocene," a period that began some 40 million years ago.

Reference Here>>

Saturday, June 7, 2008

"Ride the Mountain" Brings Choppers Into Big Bear Lake

Ride The Mountain event comes to Snow Summit resort parking lot for two days. Image Credit: Big Bear Choppers

"Ride the Mountain" Brings Choppers Into Big Bear Lake

This weekend will see an abundance (thousands) of rolling two-wheeled pieces of art traveling throughout Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino mountains.

Big Bear Choppers brings their 6th annual Ride the Mountain event to Snow Summit Resort and have two days of custom bikes and antique choppers on display, as well as vendors and live music.

Bikes on display at Big Bear Choppers showroom. Image Credit: BBC

Bands featured include 82 Fifty with Rob Piazza and the Mighty Flyers on Saturday afternoon and Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe following the awards show on Sunday.

Image Credit: KBHR 93.3FM

This from the Big Bear Grizzly –

BBC rides into two days of fun
By JUDI BOWERS - Wednesday, June 4, 2008 5:51 PM PDT

Six years ago, Kevin and Mona Alsop decided to branch out. Their business was growing, so why not share it. The first Ride the Mountain was born.

Ride the Mountain brought hundreds of motorcycle and chopper enthusiasts to the mountains. The first and second shows were at the Big Bear Convention Center. Big Bear Choppers grew and so did Ride the Mountain. The show moved to the Big Bear City Airport on the tarmac. Thousands of bikes rolled in, braved the summer thunderstorms and enjoyed a day riding the mountain.

Bikes on display at Big Bear Choppers showroom. Image Credit: BBC

Growth continued, and it was time to move the show again to Snow Summit Mountain Resort. Ride the Mountain took over the main parking lot and the Brownie Lane lot as well.
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It’s time to grow again, but Ride the Mountain is staying put. Instead of a new location, the show expands to two days this year. Ride the Mountain is Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8.
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Also on Saturday, is the Ride the Mountain Poker Run
[2007 video below].
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The run takes participants around the lake and throughout Big Bear Valley. The Baker Drivetrain Bike Show is also Saturday, with awards on Sunday.
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Kevin Alsop and his crew judge the show. There are three categories, Big Bear Choppers Builder, Big Bear Choppers Factory Built and Open classes. The Big Bear Choppers Builder and Factory Built classes are free to enter. The fee for the open class is $25.
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Proceeds from Ride the Mountain benefit Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District’s Teen Center.

Reference Here>>