The Pyrenean Ibex Profile

The Pyrenean Ibex Profile The recently extinct Pyrenean ibex, also known by the Spanish common name bucardo, was one of the four subspecies of wild goat to inhabit the Iberian Peninsula. An attempt to clone the Pyrenean ibex was carried out in 2009, marking it the first species to undergo de-extinction, but the clone died due to physical defects in its lungs seven minutes after its birth. Fast Facts: Iberian Ibex Scientific Name: Capra pyrenaica pyrenaicaCommon Name(s): Pyrenean ibex, Pyrenean wild goat, bucardoBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: Length of 5 feet; height of 30 inches at the shoulderWeight: 130–150 poundsLifespan: 16 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: Iberian Peninsula, Pyrenees mountainsPopulation: 0Conservation Status: Extinct Description In general, the Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) was a mountain goat which was substantially bigger and had larger horns than its extant cousins, C. p. hispanica and C. p. victoriae.  It was also called the Pyrenean wild goat and, in Spain, the bucardo. During the summer, the male bucardo had a coat of short, pale grayish-brown fur with sharply defined black patches. During winter it grew thicker, combining longer hair with a layer of short thick wool, and its patches were less sharply defined. They had a short stiff mane above the neck, and two very large, thick curving horns that described a half-spiral twist. The horns typically grew to 31 inches in length, with a distance between them of about 16 inches. One set of horns in Musà ©e de Bagnà ¨res at Luchon, France, measures 40 inches long. Adult males bodies were just under five feet long, stood 30 inches at the shoulder, and weighed 130–150 pounds. Female ibex coats were more consistently brown, lacking the patches and with very short, lyre-shaped and cylindrical ibexs horns. They lacked the males manes. Young of both sexes retained the color of the mothers coat until after the first year when the males began to develop the black patches. dragoms/Getty Images Habitat and Range During the summers, the agile Pyrenean ibex inhabited rocky mountainsides and cliffs interspersed with scrub vegetation and small pines. Winters were spent in snow-free upland meadows. In the fourteenth century, the Pyrenean ibex inhabited much of the northern Iberian Peninsula and were most commonly found in the Pyrenees  of Andorra, Spain, and France, and likely extended into the Cantabrian mountains. They disappeared from the French Pyrenees and Cantabrian range by the mid-10th century. Their populations began to decrease steeply in the 17th century, primarily as a result of trophy-hunting by people who craved the ibexs majestic horns. By 1913, they were extirpated except for one small population in Spains Ordesa Valley. Diet and Behavior Vegetation such as herbs, forbs, and grasses comprised most of the ibexs diet, and seasonal migrations between high and low elevations allowed the ibex to utilize high mountain slopes in the summer and more temperate valleys during the winter with thickening fur supplementing warmth during the coldest months. Modern population studies were not conducted on the bucardo, but female C. pyrenaica are known to congregate in groups of 10–20 animals (females and their young) and males in groups of 6–8 except in rutting season when they are largely isolated. Reproduction and Offspring Rut season for the Pyrenean ibex began in the first days of November, with males conducting ferocious battles over females and territory. The ibex birthing season generally occurred during May when females would seek isolated locations to bear offspring. A single birth was the most common, but twins were born occasionally. Young C. pyrenaica can walk within a day of birth. After birth, the mother and kid join the females herd. Kids can live independently from their mothers at 8–12 months but are not sexually mature until 2–3 years of age. Extinction While the exact cause of the Pyrenean ibexs extinction is unknown, scientists hypothesize that some different factors contributed to the decline of the species, including poaching, disease, and the inability to compete with other domestic and wild ungulates for food and habitat. The ibex are thought to have numbered some 50,000 historically, but by the early 1900s, their numbers had fallen to fewer than 100. The last naturally born Pyrenean ibex, a 13-year-old female that scientists named Celia, was found mortally wounded in northern Spain on January 6, 2000, trapped beneath a fallen tree. The First De-Extinction in History Before Celia died, though, scientists were able to collect skin cells from her ear and preserve them in liquid nitrogen. Using those cells, researchers attempted to clone the ibex in 2009. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to implant a cloned embryo in a living domestic goat, one embryo survived and was carried to term and born. This event marked the first de-extinction in scientific history. However, the newborn clone died just seven minutes after its birth as a result of physical defects in its lung. Professor Robert Miller, director of the Medical Research Councils Reproductive Sciences Unit at Edinburgh University, commented: I think this is an exciting advance as it does show the potential of being able to regenerate extinct species. There is some way to go before it can be used effectively, but the advances in this field are such that we will see more and more solutions to the problems faced. Sources Brown, Austin. TEDxDeExtinction: A Primer. Revise and Restore, the Long Now Foundation, March 13, 2013.  Folch, J., et al. First Birth of an Animal from an Extinct Subspecies (Capra Pyrenaica Pyrenaica) by Cloning. Theriogenology 71.6 (2009): 1026–34. Print.Garcà ­a-Gonzlez, Ricardo. New Holocene Capra pyrenaica (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Bovidae) Skulls from the Southern Pyrà ©nà ©es. Comptes Rendus Palevol 11.4 (2012): 241–49. Print.Herrero, J. and J. M. Pà ©rez. Capra pyrenaica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T3798A10085397, 2008.Kupferschmidt, Kai. Can Cloning Revive Spains Extinct Mountain Goat? Science 344.6180 (2014): 137-38. Print.Maas, Peter H. J. Pyrenean Ibex - Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica. The Sixth Extinction (archived in Wayback Machine), 2012.Ureà ±a, I., et al. Unraveling the Genetic History of the European Wild Goats. Quaternary Science Reviews 185 (2018): 189–98. Print.

Short Grammar Activities for ESL Classes

Short Grammar Activities for ESL Classes These easy to implement and quick to execute grammar exercises are perfect to use in the ESL classroom when youre short on time but need to get your lesson across.   Jumbled Sentences Purpose: Word Order / Review Choose a number of sentences from the last few chapters (pages) that you have been working on in class. Make sure to choose a nice mixture including adverbs of frequency, time signifiers, adjectives, and adverbs, as well as multiple clauses for more advanced classes. Type (or write on the board) jumbled versions of the sentences and ask the students to reassemble them. Variation:  If you are focusing on specific grammar points, have the students explain why certain words are placed in certain places in a sentence. Example: If you are working on adverbs of frequency, ask students why often is placed as it is in the following negative sentence: He doesnt often go to the cinema. Finishing the Sentence Purpose: Tense Review Ask students to take a piece of paper out for a dictation. Ask students to finish the sentences that you begin. Students should complete the sentence you begin in a logical manner. Its best if you use connecting words to show cause and effect, conditional sentences are also a good idea. Examples: I like watching television because...Despite the cold weather,...If I were you,...I wish he... Listening for Mistakes Purpose: Improving Students Listening Abilities/Review Make up a story on the spot (or read something you have at hand). Tell students that they will hear a few grammatical errors during the story. Ask them to raise their hand when they hear an error made and correct the errors. Intentionally introduce errors into the story, but read the story as if the errors were perfectly correct. Variation:  Have students write down the mistakes you make and check the mistakes as a class when finished. Question Tag Interviews Purpose: Focus on Auxiliary Verbs Ask students to pair up with another student they feel they know reasonably well. Ask each student to prepare a set of ten different questions using question tags about that person based on what they know about him/her. Make the exercise more challenging by asking that each question is in a different tense (or that five tenses are used, etc.). Ask students to respond with short answers only. Examples: Youre married, arent you? - Yes, I am.You came to school yesterday, didnt you? - Yes, I did.You havent been to Paris, have you? - No, I havent.

Financial Statement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Statement Analysis - Essay Example This essay stresses that financial statement analysis has its share of limitations. Some of the most significant include the manner by which financial statement may not always be accurate since it can be distorted by inflation or seasonal factors. There are also instances when it is difficult to compare and analyze data on account of the ambiguity in regard to what industry a firm belongs to or due to the sheer number of divisions being operated by a firm. Gapenski further pointed out that there is also a lack of universal accounting practices standards that makes comparison problematic. All in all, there are other weaknesses entailed in using this analytical method. This paper makes a conclusion that financial statement analysis is important for organizations. This is particularly true in the case health care institutions today. Recent developments have significantly eroded their capability to generate profit. Being able to understand how bad the situation is for the organization allows managers to design corrective measures before it reaches crisis level. Being able to forecast opportunities and risks means better outcomes in terms of performance and profitability. Everything boils down to the importance of information. Financial statement analysis provides all the stakeholders the knowledge and, henceforth, the tools necessary to prevent the erosion of the firm’s financial health.

Fireworks Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fireworks - Term Paper Example Fireworks The properties of firework explosions are force, velocity and heat. The combusting components undergo rapid entropic change, and thus this lends to the term â€Å"firework explosion.† The forces produced are generated by the rapid evolution of gases and heat that force them to expand according to the combined gas law (PV/T=k) where p is pressure, V=volume and T is temperature. The force of explosion is a component of the gas pressure. It is exerted equally in all directions obeying Pascal’s principle. Therefore, P=F/A where the ‘A’ is the area of confined combustibles. The force is responsible for the launching of the fireworks, their dispersion velocity and sound (report). Heat is a consequence of combustion and exothermic reactions such as oxidation and thermite-like redox reactions with the firework. The total summation of the energies produced obeys the first law of thermodynamics by adhering to the basic principle of â€Å"conservation of energy† Fireworks are generally composed of three chemical compounds; a fuel, an oxidizer, color producing compounds, a chlorinator and a binder. Manufacture of the fireworks is mainly done using chemicals that are non-toxic. Some compounds though, elicit high reactivity and toxic properties if handled directly. As will also be seen in later sections, the reactive products given off some other compounds are toxic. The fuel is the main component that allows the fireworks to burn. It is composed of sulphur, carbon based compounds, or metals. Phosphorous is also added to some fireworks for its glow in the dark properties. The most common metals are aluminum and magnesium. These burn brilliantly and are therefore preferred to others such as titanium. They are also cheaper. Often, the alloy, Magnalium is used. This is because magnesium does not form a protective oxide coat. This can be directly attributed to its high reactivity and thus higher risk of uncontrolled combustion. It may also cause serious burns and blindness due to its characteristically high temperatures and brilliance on combustion. The oxidizer is the accelerant used to make the burn more intense and violent. Potassium compounds are mostly preferred for this purpose. They include the nitrates, perchlorate, chlorate and peroxides. The potassium ions may also impart a pink color to the flame. Direct contact with these compounds may ca use an oxidizer burn to human skin or any organic material. Not to mention the fire risk if exposed to already combustible organic materials such as cloth, natural gas or dry grass. The colour imparting compounds are mainly metals. Their cations are the main contributors of the color. Their anion compounds determine how brilliantly they burn. Examples are the chlorides and nitrates that enhance brilliance. Carbonates and oxalates reduce brilliance. This is also where the aspect of toxicity emerges. a) Infra-red color- rubidium nitrate- it is not directly toxic, but is capable of oxidizing compounds b) Silver/ white- antimony sulphide- exists as stibnite and the antimony pentasulphide. The pentasulphide is flammable and can have potentially toxic effects on reacting with strong acids such as HCl. The reaction produces hydrogen sulphide which is a potent nerve toxin. HCl is naturally found in the stomachs of many mammals as a component of gastric juice. The pentasulphide is thus poten tially harmful if ingested. The stibnite form is also potentially toxic c) Blue- copper arsenite- the compound is toxic, and this can be

Causes and effect of stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Causes and effect of stress - Essay Example The feelings of loss can turn to stress if nothing is done to remedy the situation. Phobias also stress people because one has little control over what happens when they experience these stressors. Another cause of internal stress levels includes those issues related to health. If an individual has depression-related ailments or heart diseases, the stress levels increase (Renner 294-5). External issues also affect the way an individual reacts to stress. Pressure from work due to too much work with few or no vacations could have a negative toll on the body. Having to meet deadlines everyday also affects the daily reactions amongst employees. Finances also affect the way people react because they are unemployed, have low wages or have to plan for the future and are yet to get substantial amounts of money to accomplish their goals (Renner 296). People undergo different transitions in life, which define who they are. When they experience stressful situations, some may cave in to pressure. Others result to depression or solve their issues appropriately. Whichever way one looks at it, stress is part of life, but people need appropriate coping

Moral development of Huckleberry Finn in book Adventures of Huck Finn Essay

Moral development of Huckleberry Finn in book Adventures of Huck Finn - Essay Example In comparison with the book 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" we see the other Huck, the boy who has become older. "His moral development is sharply contrasted to the character of Tom Sawyer1". Huck takes his life much more seriously than Tom does. The great difference between Huck and Tom lays in the fact that Tom continue to be a boy, who does not know any hardship in his life, whereas Huck grows up beneath our very eyes, overcomes a lot of difficulties, and gets his own experience. "The gradual development of Huck's ironic struggle to free himself form the moral hypocrisy, romantic conventions, and racial stereotypes of nineteenth-century America reveals a serious, essential satiric thematic purpose.2" On reading the book one may observe the contention of conflicting movements in the main character's spirit. On the one hand is the habitual for the people of that time attitude towards slavery and violence, and on the other hand is an instinctive desire to bid defiance to injustice of society. The author displays this contention with a great expressiveness and psychological persuasiveness. The first great changes happen with Huck when he realizes that his has nobody to care and to protect him. His own father, his only parent, has been constantly drinking. The only time he has really taken an interest in Huck is when he has decided to lay his hands on Huck's wealth. So, there is nothing strange that under such circumstances, Huck grows up very quickly. It is just impossible to remain a naive child, when you have to save yourself from your own father. "By and by he rolled out and jumped up on his feet looking wild, and he see me and went for me. He chased me round and round the place with a claspknife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn't come for him no more. I begged, and told him I was only Huck; but he laughed SUCH a screechy laugh, and roared and cussed, and kept on chasing me up. Once when I turned short and dodged under his arm he made a grab and got me by the jacket between my shoulders, and I thought I was gone; but I slid out of the jacket quick as lightning, and saved myself." (Chapter VI)3On his wandering Jim and Huck meet two hoodlums, one of which masquerades as a King, and the other one plays role of Duck. Jim has had rather romanticized idea of what the nobility is, but Huck ruins his illusion:"Don't it s'prise you de way dem kings carries on, Huck" "No," I says, "it don't." "Why don't it, Huck" "Well, it don't, because it's in the breed. I reckon they're all alike," "But, Huck, dese kings o' ourn is reglar rapscallions; dat's jist what dey is; dey's reglar rapscallions." "Well, that's what I'm a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out." "Is dat so" "You read about them once-you'll see. Look at Henry the Eight; this 'n 's a Sunday-school Superintendent to HIM. And look at Charles Second, and Louis Fourteen, and Louis Fifteen,

STATS Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

STATS - Statistics Project Example The author of this article, titled â€Å"The CDC Conspiracy† has genuinely tried to conduct some media analysis on this subject. Commenting on Brain Hooker’s paper that covered the facts about this topic, the article is critical about its coverage as the paper never bothered to look into the reviews of other media publications like The Washington Post, The New York Times or The Los Angels Times. This provides evidence that Hooker had certain interest to suppress some useful critical statistical data, as claimed by a researcher on the subject and later in a story published in Hooker’s paper by William Thompson. Although CNN tried to present information from two opposite sides, this report also added to confusion of the interested readers. With the background of a senior CDC scientist, who turned a whistle blower: a senior CDC researcher supported the allegation that important data was held-back, intentionally.(Butterworth, 2015) The analysis of this article also throws some light on the media rivalry, which often results in pinpointing each other’s mistakes. However, A few impartial researchers like Rebecca Goldin will always be there, helping anxious readers to reach an impartial