Purgatorius - Facts and Figures

Purgatorius - Facts and Figures Name: Purgatorius (after Purgatory Hill in Montana); pronounced PER-gah-TORE-ee-us Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About six inches long and a few ounces Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; primate-like teeth; ankle bones adapted to climbing trees About Purgatorius Most of the prehistoric mammals of the late Cretaceous period looked pretty much the samesmall, quivering, mouse-sized creatures that spent most of their lives high up in trees, the better to avoid rampaging raptors and tyrannosaurs. On closer examination, though, especially of their teeth, its clear that these mammals were each specialized in their own distinct way. What set Purgatorius apart from the the rest of the rat pack is that it possessed distinctly primate-like teeth, leading to speculation that this tiny creature may have been directly ancestral to modern-day chimps, rhesus monkeys, and humansall of whom had the chance to evolve only after the dinosaurs went extinct and opened up some valuable breathing room for other types of animals. The trouble is, not all paleontologists agree that Purgatorius was a direct (or even distant) precursor of primates; rather, it may have been an early example of the closely related group of mammals known as plesiadapids, after the most famous member of this family, Plesiadapis. What we do know about Purgatorius is that it lived high up in trees (as we can infer from the structure of its ankles), and that it managed to straddle the K/T Extinction Event: fossils of Purgatorius have been discovered dating both to the late Cretaceous period and the early Paleocene epoch, a few million years later. Most likely, this mammals arboreal habits helped rescue it from oblivion, making accessible a new source of food (nuts and seeds) at a time when most non-tree-climbing dinosaurs were starving to death on the ground.

Dock Line Terms and Best Practices for Securing Your Boat

Dock Line Terms and Best Practices for Securing Your Boat Plenty of poorly secured boats have floated away from the dock after a shift in weather or tide. It happens to everyone once, but after the first time, youll want to learn the basics. To understand how to tie a boat up securely, you need to understand basic boat architecture and terms. These are quite basic, so most of you may already know many of these terms. However, it never hurts to review them. Lets start with the two basic lines that hold each boat to the tying fixtures on the dock. If you are tying to a buoy then you want to review mooring basics since our current discussion is about tying to docks. Bow Line The bow line runs from a cleat or chock and over the forward gunwale, where the line should be fitted with a chafe guard. The line is then finally secured to the tying fixture on the dockside which could be a cleat, bollard, post, or ring. The knot required will vary according to the tie point. Stern Line The stern line is attached to the stern tying fixture that is closest to the dock. Securing the stern from the outboard tying fixture or a central bit is not recommended since it will be more difficult to retain tension. A chafe guard can also be used here, but the stern line moves over the gunwale much less than at the bow. In situations where the boat is in a slip or berth, then the second set of lines is attached to hold the boat in a central position. Lines should be tied tightly unless a spring line is used. Spring Lines A single spring line makes a boat much more secure, so its highly recommended. There are two types of spring lines: forward springs and aft springs. The name of a spring line refers to which direction it is traveling when leaving the boat. So a forward spring travels from the stern forward from one-half to one-third of the vessel length before being secured to the dock. The forward spring brings the stern of the boat close to the face wall by pulling forward. An aft spring line travels from the bow or forward gunwale back to the dock with a length about half the length of the vessel. An aft spring is best rigged after a forward spring to keep tension even throughout all lines. Spring lines are useful to keep winds that are parallel to the dock from pulling the vessel away from its position. Tides and Tying There are plenty of devices of various qualities made to secure boats against tidal forces, but your regular dock lines will do the job if you know how to rig them correctly. Bow and stern lines need to be long enough to slack and keep the vessel from pulling the tying fixtures free. In some cases, boats can sink from poor tidal planning, so be careful and check the tide charts for your area. Spring lines will keep the vessel in position horizontally as long as they are set to the correct length, which should be barely tight at low tide.

How does the regular exercise may help an individual in maintaining Essay

How does the regular exercise may help an individual in maintaining healthy body and mind - Essay Example People who participate in regular activity have less risk of developing many diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and even stroke. According to Hardman and Stensel (2009), the ancient Greek physicians successfully established the tradition of maintaining positive health of a regimen that involves exercise and correct eating. Contrary to the modern world, people are using technology rather than eating healthy and taking part in physical activity. However, a few people work in places that involve little exercise. The responsibility of living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging others to do so should not only be done by concerned individuals, but the government as well (c3 collaborating for health, 2011). Participating in regular exercise has a number of benefits. Some of these benefits of regular exercise help in protecting individuals from developing high blood pressure, which can later lead to stroke. Physical exercise enhances heart muscles, lowers the levels of cholesterol to enhance the flow of blood. Exercise helps in extremely reducing the risk of heart diseases, regular exercise has also been linked to helping protect against the second type diabetes by enhancing the loss of weight, increase the insulin sensitivity for the person, and improve the cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the body. The chances of cancer, especially breast and colon cancer can also be reduced by participating in regular exercise. Physical exercise helps people to lose excessive weight. Regular activities can also enhance the memory of an individual. It reduces the risk of depression and ensures healthy lifestyles.