greatdinosaurmystery

Hey guys, this I find interesting so i thought that I would post it. Good to see a Palaeontolgist winning this prize.

“Science prize for fossil discovery
10 November, 2008

Dr John Long at the Gogo site where the fossilised placoderm fish was first discovered.Image: Peter LongSource: Museum Victoria
Dr John Long has won the 2008 Australasian Science Prize for his discovery of a 375-million-year-old fossil and embryo.
The find was significant not only because it uncovered the oldest known example of any creature giving birth to live young, but also because the fossilised placoderm fish had an intact umbilical cord. It was found on an expedition to Gogo led by Dr Long in mid-2005.
Dr Long is the Head of Sciences at Museum Victoria. His discovery of the fossil embryo in the Gogo area of north-west Western Australia, published in Nature in May 2008, was also the cover story in the July issue of Australasian Science.
Long describes the fossil as “the Rosetta stone that opened our minds to interpreting other fossils” with less clearly recognisable embryos. The “mother fish” is a major breakthrough in palaeontology, which will help to provide insight into the breeding behaviour of an entire class of extinct species; it constitutes the oldest example of vertebrate sex unearthed to date.
The fossil, a 25-cm long placoderm fish, belongs to the dominant group of vertebrates throughout the Middle Palaeozoic era – sometimes dubbed “dinosaurs of the sea”. It has been named “Materpiscis attenboroughi” after renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Dr Long published the work with collaborators Dr Kate Trinajstic, Dr Gavin Young, and Dr Tim Senden, and was funded by the Australian Research Council. Dr Long commented that the award constitutes “a shot in the arm for palaeontology” and “a fantastic recognition of the way museums are doing high quality science”
The Australasian Science Prize was established in 2000 and is overseen by leading scientific referees. Dr Long is scheduled to receive the 2008 prize on 10 November and then deliver a public lecture, “Live Birth in the Devonian”.”

Here is the link if you want to find otu more:

This titanosaur’s eggs were a foot in diameter.

• LOS ANGELES – Scientists are studying a huge cache of Ice Age fossil deposits recovered near the famous La Brea Tar Pits in the heart of the nation’s second-largest city. Among the finds is a near-intact mammoth skeleton, a skull of an American lion and bones of saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, bison, horses, ground sloths and other mammals.

In a futuristic stadium-sized state-of-the-art laboratory/gym, scientists study a remarkably realistic cast of digital dinosaurs and put them to the test - from running on a treadmill and pulling weights to navigating an obstacle course. Outfitted with a 50-metre long motorized treadmill, a massive water tank and a wind tunnel; plus pulleys, cranes and levers [...]

An early sauropod of the Jurassic period.

• As we celebrate the 200th birthday Charles Darwin, mankind still looks to religion for answers that his theories have tangibly brought fourth. Statistically speaking however, womankind is even more likely to believe and pass on religious dogma, which presents a logical dichotomy given that they’re the gender most oppressed by their faith [NSFW ads]

University of Alberta paleontology PhD student Miriam Reichel has spent the past few years studying T-rex diets, and says the mighty hunter’s teeth may be the giveaway.
“Teeth leave a really good record of what a dinosaur ate,” Reichel tells DiscoveryChannel.ca. “Even after millions of years, we can see what an animal had for its last [...]

, the $300M privately-held BI software vendor headquartered in Manhattan, is announcing a partnership with to expand its presence in India. Information Builders is the maker of the enterprise BI product called WebFOCUS and the integration product named iWay Software.

As a legal entity, Information Builders exists in the United States but works with subsidiaries in other countries, often named “InfoBuild.” For example, Information Builders has partners running firms called InfoBuild South Africa and InfoBuild Sweden. Typically, these third-party organizations are sales offices, helping the American business reach potential customers outside of the United States. This one in India, however, is being positioned differently.

There is some conflicting information in the press releases about the history of , as it seems to have been started in 1997 by Sunny Pokala instead of being a brand new business as reported.

Possibly, Sunny is now getting an infusion of cash and publicity in some type of new relationship with Information Builders. In an October 2008 , Sunny says this is “the next phase of evolution” for his organization:

“Amtex Systems has committed an initial investment of INR 20 crores to the new venture and has already hired over 150 professionals in the first phase to provide marketing, sales and maintenance support for WebFOCUS as well as iWay software adaptors and integration solutions. An important mandate before the new venture is to support Information Builders global clients who are in India already such as Fidelity, Target and Verizon to name a few. The new venture is projected to earn INR 100 crores in revenues in its first two years of operations.

According to Sunny Pokala, Chairman, InfoBuild India and President, Amtex Systems, said, ‘The new venture marks the next phase of evolution of Amtex Systems and builds on the expertise we have built in business intelligence over these years. It also diversifies the revenue stream of Amtex and will mark our first attempt to look at India as a market for our services and solutions. While many have been speaking about the potential of the Indian market, am happy that we are going one step ahead and investing in what we feel is a market replete with tremendous potential.’”

If my monetary conversions are right, Sunny is talking about investing $4M USD and getting an expected annual revenue of $10M USD. With his 150 employees already hired, that is about $67K USD revenue per headcount.

In a different October 2008 , Sunny provided some additional information:

“InfoBuild proposes to take the BI solutions of WebFocus through both direct and channel route, where it would tie-up with solution providers and system integrators across the country.

Explaining the reason behind launching the company during a slow down period, Pokala said, ‘BI is a solution that would benefit companies during these difficult times by identifying the voids in the business and keep the companies informed about that. It will also increase the productivity by cutting unnecessary expenses,’ Pokala said. “

Being one of the smallest players in the highly competitive and rapidly consolidating BI software market, Information Builders has been trying to reduce their operating costs, one noticeable method being by lowering headcount. Just a few years ago, their website reported 2000 employees. Over time, that number has declined to only about 1400 employees today.

Layoffs at IBI were unheard of during the first 25 years of the company’s history, so unsuspecting long-time employees were shocked when the pink slips started coming in the office mail in 2001. InfoBuild India appears to be another way for Information Builders to cut costs.

Using InfoBuild India, Information Builders will have the option of sending software product maintenance jobs as well as their Professional Services work to India where it can be done by lower-cost resources. Sunny identifies WebFOCUS clients such as Target Stores, Fidelity Investments, and Verizon as being some of the beneficiaries of these cost reductions.

Okay guys, this is my first blog here so i suppose i shall introduce myself

My name is Kaylene (although I prefer Kay), you shall know me as Dino Gal 097 (and yes i know it is a bad name). I live in Australia and am still at high school. As for my goals and aspirations, well those havnt really changed since I learnt to talk. I have wanted to be a Palaeontologist since I knew what one was (and trust me that was an extremely young age). I have had a keen interest in dinosaur since I was one (yes thats right one).

My favorite movies are Jurassic Park, all of the Stargate movies, and Twilight. I love books (especially Twilight) and when I am not reading or on my computer I am watching stargate. I know, I know. I am a nerd.

Okay so thats all you really need to know about me. This blog will mainly be about it’s topic (Dinosaurs, Fossils and Palaeontology), although I may occasionally make something more personal.