We 💗 Meanders

A correspondent brought THIS ARTICLE to my attention. There was something about this on the BBC news as well. 

It concerns something which got me interested in the natural world when I was a young teenager and led to me becoming a geologist - meanders! There were other things as well of course - the polarising microscope in particular, but meanders and ox-bow lakes have a place in my heart.

It seems meandering streams and rivers are better for wildlife and water companies than fast, straight streams. This has been demonstrated in Swindale in the Lake District. The article tells you all about it so I will not repeat what it says - read it!

Surfing Boulder 

A very cool video! Watch it in full size HERE. Expand the video to full size and watch the top left.

Or you can get the tiny version below.

And an expert discusses it HERE.

 Field Geology in Mid Wales: volcanoes, tropical reefs and copper ores 

Nick Chidlaw has asked me to publicise this course.

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Lifelong Learning 4 day course:

Field Geology in Mid Wales: volcanoes, tropical reefs and copper ores 

Two consecutive weekends in June:  17th / 18th  and   24 / 25th  

10.00 am - 5.00 pm each day. 

The hill country near Kingston and Builth Wells contain some of Britain's oldest rocks, from late Precambrian to Silurian ages. We visit nationally-renowned locations, including active quarries where the geology is clearly visible, and where the collecting of rock types, minerals and fossils is unrestricted. 

No prior knowledge of the area or geology is assumed. 

View of Stanner Rocks and Worsell Wood, near Kington; these are slices of fault-bounded Late Precambrian rocks forming distinct 'hog's back' hills.

Please note you will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements (tutor can advise), with meeting times and places to be confirmed. 

The course is organised through Cardiff University. It carries assessment, which is very difficult to fail!  Attendees usually find assessment on these courses useful for consolidating what they have learned. 

Tuition fee is £175.00   (concessionary fee available £140.00).  

Enrolments can be made by 'phoning  029  2087  0000 or see website www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn 

For more information on course content and specific locations, contact tutor nickchidlaw@gmail.com 

 T. Rex Did Not Have a Toothy Grin

The film Jurassic Park, in 1993, showed Tyrannosurus rex with large teeth which were frighteningly visible. This, except for the exaggerated size, reflected the scientific consensus of the time.  

THIS ARTICLE, based on THIS ACADEMIC PAPER, tells us, with a myriad of data, that this is no longer considered to be true. 

The authors have considered the soft tissue of T. rex and other therapod dinosaurs and come to the conclusion that the fearsome beasties had lips. They were more like present day lizards than crocodiles.

But fear-not, they have not become cuddly. Behind those lips and gums were the same formidable, flesh-rending teeth.

The varying faces of Tyrannosaurus rex. The bottom picture is the most accurate, according to new research. Mark P. Witton