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2007-07-12 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Frozen baby mammoth carcass found in Siberia

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Posted by Fred 2007-07-12 00:00|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 That is one mighty old baby! Did not know that mammoths reached more than a methusalenian age.

Oh, they mean it died about 10 kya! More like 3.5 kya. They should check their carbon dating calibration.

Posted by twobyfour 2007-07-12 00:28|| 2007-07-12 00:28|| Front Page Top

#2 Last frozen mammoth they found, the Russian mob tried to sell samples to some S. Korean scientist who kept claiming for months that he was going to produce a live one "real soon now." Maybe they oughtta just fry this one up and sell the tusks.

Posted by Greatch Snolusing6399 2007-07-12 00:52|| 2007-07-12 00:52|| Front Page Top

#3 This time the Japanese want to be in the clone game of the Mammoth , also ! Ya know what ? Once they got one successfully cloned of the Mammoth with African , or Indian elephant help from scientists , too ! Which is , the Japanese want to suspend selling all ivory of the Modern Elephant and Mammoth tusks in not ever being sold to the Public ever , Again ! They ( Japanese )and some Conservationalist International Act that goes with it , as well ! Source : BBC

Posted by Elmart Bluetooth9685 2007-07-12 01:34|| 2007-07-12 01:34|| Front Page Top

#4 the Japanese want to suspend selling all ivory of the Modern Elephant and Mammoth tusks

Actually, this has changed. Much to the consternation of wildlife preservationists, some African countries are legalizing limited ivory harvesting and sales.

While elephants certainly are endangered and worthy of preserving, those small refuges left for them cannot support the herds that have flourished therein. A full grown elephant can devour some 300 pounds of vegetation per day. Population pressure is stripping out the understory that these animals need to survive.

Additionally, since their preserves are not fenced, elephants have begun to raid outlying farms. The beasties seem to have a perverse ability to sense when fruits and vegetables are at their ripest and wreak destruction just before harvest time. This is impacting local populations that rely upon subsistence farming. Ergo, thinning of the herds. The fact that ivory shipped out by cash-strapped African nations now fetches hundreds of dollars per kilogram also plays a part in this as well.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-07-12 10:23|| 2007-07-12 10:23|| Front Page Top

#5 An interesting footnote to this story is that there are entire generations of ivory carvers in China and Japan that are rapidly running out of stocks to ply their trade with. At recent jewelery exhibitions I have purchased stunning examples of such carving for exceptional prices. The medium being used is no longer elephant, mammoth or walrus ivory, but instead, Texas longhorn femur. It is easily distinguished from the genuine article due to a smoking process that gives the final product an authentic color. The aroma is unmistakable.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-07-12 10:28|| 2007-07-12 10:28|| Front Page Top

#6 due to a smoking process that gives the final product an authentic color. The aroma is unmistakable.

Yeah, baby! Down here we call it BarBQ!!

Posted by Almost Anonymous5839">Almost Anonymous5839 2007-07-12 11:16|| 2007-07-12 11:16|| Front Page Top

#7 Texas longhorn femur? We picked up a pretty example of Chinese carving at an import shop some years ago that was clearly done on a cow horn of some sort.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-07-12 12:05|| 2007-07-12 12:05|| Front Page Top

Paging Michael Creighton... Paging Michael Creighton... Please remove your pet from the lobby of the sci-fi convention....

Posted by BigEd 2007-07-12 13:52|| 2007-07-12 13:52|| Front Page Top

#9 We picked up a pretty example of Chinese carving at an import shop some years ago that was clearly done on a cow horn of some sort.

Obviously, Chinese carving is not limited to ivory alone. Consider jade, for instance. Horn is preferred for spoons and combs but is also used for decorative work. The Chinese are famous for working just about anything that stands still long enough for them to chisel on. Prized far more than mere elephant tusk was Ho-ting or hornbill ivory. Still there are certain forms of carved ivory that are simply stunning.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-07-12 14:43|| 2007-07-12 14:43|| Front Page Top

#10 Stunning, indeed, Zenster. :-)

Posted by trailing wife 2007-07-12 17:32|| 2007-07-12 17:32|| Front Page Top

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