The practice of tying a noose around a criminal's neck and suspending them until dead has been around since the medieval era.
In 1903 Thomas Edison demonstrated the power of electricity by attaching wires to Topsy the Elephant then throwing the switch
Edison had electrocuted previously numerous cats and dogs at his laboratories. The practice of electrocuting prisoners soon caught on it was seen as a more humane way of dispensing with criminals.
and ankle tied to a rope that was attached then to a horse or ox#s the animals were driven away the victim's body was ripped slowly into four quarters.
The punishment was reserved for men (out of a misguided sense of public decency) and the last man drawn
but instead did preliminary work in mice. When the researchers placed a piece of the pig bladder scaffold on wounded mice the animals'muscle grew back
and the mice were able to walk again. To make sure that the muscle actually grew back the researchers confirmed that the muscles responded to nerve impulses
and had blood circulation. We wanted to test that because it's sort of hard to assess a limp in a mouse said Badylak told Live Science.
The doctors intentionally studied patients with injuries that were years old. We wanted to make sure that all of the healing that was going to happen naturally had happened Badylak said.
Where Cows and Capybara Roam (Op-Ed) Julie Kunen is executive director for WCS's Latin america and Caribbean Program.
But what if I told you that there is a place in Brazil where cattle graze on native grasses seasonally replenished by an annual flooding cycle where ranches are dotted with lakes full of fish where rivers support giant river otters
and where forests line riverbanks and form highways for jaguars and other rare species? This place the Pantanal is the vast low-lying alluvial plain of the Alto Paraguay River one of South america's mightiest waterways
Yet with the exception of serious birders attracted to its rare and abundant bird life most people have heard never of it.
Due to the openness of the Pantanal's terrain it is easy to see animals that are nearly impossible to spot in the Amazon as
In the course of a single day and night I saw hyacinth and blue-and-yellow macaws brocket deer white-lipped peccary rhea jabiru stork roseate spoonbill wood stork the greater potoo capybara tapir
and giant anteater. The traditional way of life in the Pantanal for nearly two centuries has been ranching. Typical ranches are quite large
and increases the chance of conflict between people their cows and predators with fewer and fewer prey options.
Needless to say that is a practice like this story that bears repeating. Follow all of the Expert Voices issues
and alternatives to research on animals. Perhaps not surprising for an organization that encourages plant-based diets the advice highlighted the benefits of fruits and vegetables and recommended limited consumption of meat.
Sprouting like a tail from the bottom of an oddly-shaped fruit the cashew in its natural state is both very weird-looking and very poisonous.
For example while many corals have been decimated as ocean temperatures rise some have become quite resilient to acidifying waters.
#Bears: Facts & Pictures Bears a small group of mostly large omnivorous mammals can be found all over the world;
they live in forests mountains tundra deserts and grassy areas. Though there are different types of bear all bear species have similarities.
They all have covered stocky fur bodies; short legs; and a round head with a long snout.
There are eight species of bear: American black bear Asiatic black bear brown bear giant panda bear polar bear spectacled bear sloth bear and sun bear according to the International Association for Bear Research & Management.
Asiatic black bears have a distinctive white V-shaped patch on their chests. Sloth bears have similar patches as well as light-colored muzzles.
Sun bears have a crescent-shaped marking on their chests that looks like a rising sun. Spectacled bears also called Andean bears get their name because of the white circular markings around the eyes.
Brown bears despite their name come in many colors from light cream to almost black according to the San diego Zoo.
Similarly American black bears can be black as well as chocolate and cinnamon brown causing some people to confuse them with brown bears.
Giant pandas are noted for their striking black-and-white coloration. Polar bears with distinctive white fur are the largest bears.
An adult male polar bear can grow to be 3. 5 to 5 feet long (1 to 1. 5 meters)
and usually weighs between 775 and 1200 lbs. 351 to 544 kilograms. The smallest bear is the sun bear.
It grows to be 4 to 5 feet long (1. 2 to 1. 5 m)
and weighs 60 to 150 lbs. 27 to 68 kg. Brown bears are found in more places than any other bear species. They live in northwestern North america the Atlas Mountains of northwestern Africa northern Asia Europe and the Middle east.
There are several subspecies of brown bears. Brown bears found in coastal Alaska are called Kodiak or Alaskan brown bears. The Alaskan Peninsular brown bear lives only on the western tip of the Alaskan peninsula as its name implies.
In the interior of North america brown bears are called sometimes grizzly bears because their fur has white or tan tips.
Grizzly means sprinkled or streaked with gray.)Related: Image Gallery: Best of Bears American black bears live only in North america
and spectacled bears are found only in South america. Asiatic black bears are found all over Asia. The sloth bear is also found in Asia particularly in India Nepal Bhutan
and Sri lanka but may have disappeared from Bangladesh. Polar bears and giant pandas are some of the rarest types of bears.
Polar bears are found only in icy lands of the Arctic and pandas are found only in wet
and cool bamboo forests of Central asia. Many bears in the Northern hemisphere hibernate when the weather is cold.
Hibernation is a deep sleep that allows a bear to live without food for long periods of time.
Brown bears for example spend four to six months sleeping in their dens according to the San diego Zoo.
Their temperature drops slightly their heart rate slows and their bodies use stored fat to stay alive.
Most bears are solitary and only interact with their young. Most bears are normally active during the day
unless they encounter humans frequently. Then they may become nocturnal to avoid contact. Asiatic black bears on the other hand are typically nocturnal.
They sleep during the day in trees or caves and hunt at night. Bears are omnivorous meaning they eat vegetation and meat.
Each species of bear has certain foods that they eat more than others though. For example the polar bear eats mostly seals
and the giant panda bear spends 12 hours per day eating bamboo. Termites are the primary food of sloth bears.
Sloth bears have especially long noses that allow them to suck termites from their holes. For the most part bears have their young in dens.
Dens are made homes from hollowed-out trees caves and piles of brush. Bears can also create a den by digging a hole into a hillside or under tree roots.
Because bears are mammals they give birth to live young. Baby bears are called cubs. Cubs are completely defenseless
when they are born and rely on their mothers for food and protection. Sun bear cubs have no hair
and cannot smell or hear when they are born. Their mother will often stand upright like a human and carry their cubs in their paws or mouth according to the San diego Zoo.
Cubs can be smaller than teddy bears. Brown bears weigh as little as 16 to 25 ounces (454 to 709 grams)
when they are born. Newborn sun bears are even smaller and can weigh 7 to 12 ounces (198 to 340 g). The taxonomy of bears according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information system is:
Six of the eight bear species (all except brown bears and American black bears) are endangered or vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The giant panda is endangered the most bear. It is estimated that only 1000 to 2000 remain alive in the wild according to the IUCN.
Polar bears are endangered also. According to the World Wildlife Federation there are only 20000 to 25000 polar bears left.
The IUCN lists sun bears and sloth bears as vulnerable due to habitat loss. e
#Forest Loss and Climate: Empowering Communities Can Help (Op-Ed) Andrew Steer is the president and CEO of the World Resources Institute a global research organization that works in more than 50 countries.
Steer serves on the executive board of the U n. secretary general's Sustainable Energy For All initiative.
He co-chairs the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Natural Capital and is a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.
He contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The need for a successful climate deal has never been clearer change cannot wait until the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris next year.
With nine of the hottest years on record occurring in this young century and a total of $2. 8 trillion in extreme-weather costs since 1980 the evidence of a changing climate is pervasive and alarming.
The time to act is now. No solution to climate change can be found without reducing deforestation which accounts for more than 11 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Every minute of every day the planet loses an area of forest the size of 50 soccer fields.
Forest loss and degradation is also the main reason why species loss is running at a rate 1000 times that of the preindustrial era.
Some political leaders believe their countries must cut down forests to develop their economies. But recent experience shows that healthy economic growth is more likely where forests are maintained
and degraded land is restored. Smart governments are now increasingly seeking to protect their forests while accelerating growth.
And yet despite this new understanding and the best of intentions to protect forests the loss continues.
A major reason is that those who know forests best the communities that have lived with them
and used them for centuries are empowered not to protect them. Some of the strongest advocates for the world's forests are the communities that depend on them for food livelihoods and culture.
A new report by World Resources Institute and the Rights and Resources Initiative finds that strengthening forest rights for forest communities is a valuable tool to protect forests
and fight climate change. The research shows that deforestation rates inside community forests with strong legal recognition
and enforcement are dramatically lower than forests outside those areas: In the Bolivian Amazon deforestation was six times lower;
in the Brazilian Amazon 11 times lower; and in the Guatemala Maya Biosphere 20 times lower.
An added advantage in protecting community forest rights is that the quality of the forests tends to be better often containing about one-third more carbon per hectare than areas outside community forests.
The researchers have identified already a new species of pygmy locust a tiny grasshopper relative and two flies in flagrante.
Other finds include ants beetles wasps midges and mammal hair all crowded together in the amber fragments offering a rich view of the 20-million-year-old forest ecosystem.
Amazing Amber Trove Rediscovered in Illinois This is a massively important resource said Sam Heads an insect paleontologist at the Illinois Natural history Survey who searched the museum's nooks and crannies for the amber collection.
Amber collectors even those working for museums prize intact insects and other intriguing specimens over bits and blobs of bugs.
The insect fossil record has great potential to inform people about ancient climate and climate change Heads said.
and flowed over bugs and debris on branches and tree bark trapping and preserving them for millions of years.
The wee bug is less than an inch long (20 millimeters) and foraged on lichen and algae for food.
The locust's abdomen shows hints of decay and the insect is surrounded by ants inside the amber suggesting the ants might have been carting off the carcass for a meal.
A dinosaur spider armored fish and ghost shrimp are some the other creatures named for the naturalist.
and fudge are among the meals singled out this year for their shockingly unhealthy nutrition content in a new report from a nonprofit watchdog group.
#A Centenary for the Last Passenger pigeon (Op-Ed) Steve Zack is coordinator of Bird Conservation for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS.
Monday is the centenary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon. That timing is precise because we know that the very last bird (Martha after Martha Washington) died in the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1 1914.
It was without doubt the most dramatic extinction ever witnessed. No other bird has darkened so impressively the skies
and stirred wonder and awe in the immensity of its flocks as did the passenger pigeon.
The bird was witnessed by John James Audubon John Muir Thomas Jefferson George washington and countless of their peers in early America.
The number of these birds#was far beyond the power of human calculation wrote Virginia historian Philip Bruce in the 17th century.
With awe he recorded that for hours they darkened the sky like a pall of thunder clouds;
The passenger pigeon was likely the most abundant bird on earth in the 18th century numbering three to five billion individuals.
A ravenous wanderer Ectopistes migratorius. The wanderer that migrates. The passenger pigeon was a bird of eastern North america that moved in search of mast.
Mast is a botanical term for the hard nut fruits produced by trees like beeches and acorns.
The immense flocks of passenger pigeons were most abundant in these forests. They make waste whole forest in a short time and leave a famine behind them for most other creatures noted colonial historian Robert Beverly in 1722...
Images of Rare Passenger pigeon Museum Specimens That seems the essence of the passenger pigeon's ecology (consuming abundant mast)
and its behavior (the massive flights of these birds across the country until such mast was found).
and netted the passenger pigeons in great even astonishing numbers for consumption. As forests were felled
Although massive hunting events are the popular explanation for the passenger pigeon demise I side with Argentine scientist Enrique Bucher's interpretation of how the felling of the forests led to disruption of the copious masting phenomenon and the cascading decline of that once hyper-abundant bird.
The scale of land-clearing was immense and large trees (which produce the most abundant fruits) were preferentially felled.
Valley bottoms dominated by beeches the most important hard nut trees of the pigeons were cleared for farming.
Once abundant mast began to disappear the pigeons also lost the capacity to breed twice in a season across different masting locales.
The market hunting of mere millions of birds paled in comparison to the loss of billions that once darkened the skies in search of mast.
Market hunting was eliminated by U s. Congressional legislation in the early 1900s too late for the passenger pigeon
and acts upon endangered species. When common birds become uncommon However people are less zealous about protecting species when abundant or even common.
when passenger pigeon abundance was in the many millions down from a few billions its fate was sealed.
Old world vultures were once abundant highly social and mobile birds. But poisons intended to kill game
and veterinary medicines given to livestock subsequently consumed by the obligate scavengers have reduced dramatically vulture populations in Asia
Flamingos too are highly social and famously nomadic wanderers. Four of the six flamingo species are endangered because of mining
and other threats to their critically important soda lakes where they feed and breed. African Grey Parrots aggregate in tremendous numbers around fruiting trees and at forest openings rich in salts in Central African forests.
Millions of these birds have now been lost to the pet trade putting the species at risk.
Are vultures flamingos parrots and numerous other abundant highly social and mobile species destined to the same fate as the passenger pigeon?
Can society know the thresholds for the resources that drive such animals'movements and define their ecology?
Martha alone could not darken the skies. But on the important centenary of her death we need to reflect
and act upon what can be learned from the dramatic extinction of the species she represented. The clouds that were once dense flocks of passenger pigeons remind us of the darker future for us all
if we fail to appreciate species in the context of the wider ecological role they play.
#Gorilla Facts Gorillas are large apes that are native to Africa. They are divided typically into two groups.
The mountain gorilla lives in the mountainous regions of Central africa while the lowland gorilla lives in the flat dense forests of central and western Africa.
Though the two types are very similar they have a few differences. For example mountain gorillas tend to have longer hair
whereas lowland gorillas have short soft hair according to the Smithsonian. Another difference is size. Lowland gorillas are 4 to 6 feet (1. 2 to 1. 8 meters) tall
and weigh 150 to 400 lbs. 68 to 181 kilograms. Mountain gorillas are about the same height
though they tend to weigh a bit more. They are 4 to 6 feet tall and weigh 300 to 485 lbs.
135 to 220 kg. According to the World Wildlife Federation& (WWF) gorillas are the world's largest primate.
Mountain gorillas live in Rwanda Uganda and the Democratic republic of the congo on green volcanic mountains. Lowland gorillas live in the forests of central and western Africa in Equatorial guinea Angola Cameroon the Central african republic Congo Gabon and the Democratic republic of the congo.
A group of gorillas can have a territory of up to 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) according to National geographic. Gorillas are generally herbivores.
They usually eat vegetation such as wild celery shoots roots fruit tree bark and tree pulp but they have been known to eat small animals and insects.
A male can eat up to 40 lbs. 18 kg) of vegetation each day. Gorillas'exact diet depends on where they live.
According to Sea world about 67 percent of a lowland gorilla's diet is fruit; 17 percent comes from leaves seeds and stems;
and 3 percent comes from termites and caterpillars. The mountain gorilla eats a diet that is about 86 percent leaves shoots and stems;
7 percent roots; 3 percent flowers; 2 percent fruit; and 2 percent snails ants and grubs.
Gorillas live in groups. Groups of gorillas are called troops or bands. A band of gorillas can have as many as 50 members
though sometimes a band consists of as few as two members. Troops are led by a dominant male called a silverback
which can often be identified by a gray strip of hair on his back. Each time of day has its purpose for a troop of gorillas.
Mornings and evenings are designated as feeding time. In the middle of the day gorillas take a nap play with other gorillas or groom one another.
At night the gorillas settle down in beds made from leaves and twigs to sleep. Like humans female gorillas are pregnant for nine months
and usually give birth to only one infant at a time. Newborn gorillas weigh about 4 lbs. 1. 8 kg.
From the time they're about 4 months to 2 or 3 years old young gorillas ride on their mothers'backs as a form of transportation.
At around 7 to 10 years the young gorilla will become mature enough to have its own offspring.
At this point the gorilla will leave its mother's group to find a mate.
Gorillas can live around 35 years in the wild and more than 50 years in zoos according to the WWF.
The taxonomy of gorillas according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information system (ITIS) is: Kingdom: Animaliasubkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom:
Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordatasubphylum: Vertebratainfraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Primates Suborder:
Haplorrhini Infraorder: Simiiformessuperfamily: Hominoideafamily: Hominidae Subfamily: Homininaegenus & species: Gorilla gorilla gorilla beringeisubspecies: Gallery: Great apes: All 4 Gorilla Subspecies The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Gorilla beringei species (mountain gorillas
and Eastern lowland gorillas) as endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species. They are hunted and their habitat has been destroyed by mining and agriculture.
IUCN estimates that there are about 680 mountain gorillas left in two isolated populations. While data are lacking to determine the population of Eastern lowland gorillas the IUCN says it is believed that the total population has decreased dramatically.
According to the IUCN the Gorilla gorilla species (Western lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas) is endangered critically with a population reduction of more than 80 percent over three generations (a generation is about 22 years.
It is unknown exactly how many of these gorillas are left. The WWF estimates that there are about 100000 lowland gorillas still in existence.
Gorillas'arms are longer than their legs. This allows them to walk on all four limbs
while still remaining somewhat upright. These primates are very intelligent. They can use simple tools
and learn sign language. Gorilla beds are called nests. Young gorillas often make their nests in trees
and older gorillas make their nests on the ground. Gorillas usually don't need to drink water from lakes or streams.
They get all of the moisture they need from their food and morning dew
#Oranges: Health Benefits, Risks & Nutrition Facts Sweet juicy oranges make a delicious and healthy snack or addition to a meal.
A whole orange contains only about 85 calories and has no fat cholesterol or sodium.
And of course oranges are well known for their Vitamin c content said Laura Flores a San diego-based nutritionist.
Oranges may boost your immune system and improve your skin; they also aid with heart health cholesterol levels and other issues.
Oranges may additionally help reduce the risk of respiratory diseases certain cancers rheumatoid arthritis ulcers and kidney stones.
Orange juice is packed also with nutrients but does not contain the fiber of a whole orange.
Orange pith the white substance between the peel and the flesh is high in fiber.
Furthermore it is easy to consume more calories when drinking orange juice than when eating an orange warns the Centers for Disease Control.
Here are the nutrition facts about oranges from the U s. Food and Drug Administration which regulates food labeling through the National Labeling and Education Act:
Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1 medium orange (5. 5 oz/154 g) Calories 80 Calories from Fat 0*Percent Daily Values(%DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Immune system Most citrus fruits have a good deal of Vitamin c and oranges have high levels even compared to their tangy brethren.
Vitamin c protects cells by scavenging and neutralizing free radicals explains a 2010 article in the medical journal Pharmacognosy Reviews.
Free radicals may lead to chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Not only may oranges help reduce the risk of chronic conditions
but they may also boost a person's immunity when dealing with everyday viruses and infections like the common cold.
Vitamin c also helps keep skin looking beautiful by helping fight against skin damage caused by the sun and pollution.
The images also show traces of phytoplankton blooms in the Great lakes and off the North Atlantic coast.
It bears mentioning that many potato chips are flavored now with Hispanic-style ingredients such as jalapeno peppers or nacho cheese.
To start male lactation has been observed in a few domesticated animals including cats goats and guinea pigs on rare occasions.
However male lactation seems to be common only in dayak fruit bats though it's not yet clear why males of this species have the biology to spontaneously produce milk.
If Ebola virus was introduced into Guinea from afar the more likely traveler was a bat he said.
Even if the Ebola virus had been circulating in Guinea for some time animals carrying the virus or other pathogens are not usually in the vicinity of humans
Facts About Male Bighorn sheep Rams are male bighorn sheep animals that live in the mountains and often settle arguments with fights that include ramming their heads into others.
They can live on desert mountains as high as 4000 feet (1200 m). They get most of their water from eating plants to survive according to the Natural history Museum of Los angeles. Rams are herbivores.
One swallow of food isn't enough for these animals. They will regurgitate their food into their mouths.
In the spring the young are born on high ledges that protect them from predators. Lambs are dependent on their mothers for the first four to six months of their lives though they can walk almost as soon as they are born.
Many aspects of Earth including plants animals and clouds fascinate Blorbians; they including Plum have been longing to experience nature On earth.
They are dark gray or black animals that look a lot like bulls. Buffalo are confused often with bison.
Early American settlers called bison buffalo because the animals are similar in appearance. However while bison are also bovines (a subfamily of bovids) they are in a different genus from true buffalo.
It is 8 to 9 feet (2. 4 to 2. 7 meters) from head to rump with its tail adding an extra 2 to 3. 3 feet (60 to 100 centimeters.
They are 4. 26 to 4. 92 feet long (130 to 150 cm) from head to hoof
Buffalo are social animals and live in groups called herds. Water buffalo herds are segregated by gender.
Buffalo are herbivores and so eat only vegetation. Their favorite foods are grass and herbs but water buffalo will also eat aquatic plants.
Buffalo like most mammals bear live young which are called calves. Usually they have one calf at a time
and take care of sick and old members of the herd shielding them from predators
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