Trying something new here. I have either three or four new possible books on deck, though how I will find energy to do them all is a… challenge. One is natural history and ornithology, one a novel, long set -aside, and I am not sure I want to say more about either it or the …
Tag: Paleontology
The Real Indy
Paleoblog reminds us that it is Roy Chapman Andrews’ birthday. (HT Walter Hingley, once again). Naturalist, intrepid explorer, bone digger, hunter (he shot a Mannlicher- Schonauer 1903 carbine like mine, Savage Model 99’s, and Savage bolt actions in .250- 3000), writer, self- promoter, and sometime director of the American Museum of Natural History, he was …
Roy’s Rules
Roy Chapman Andrews’ Rules for his 1920 Mongolian expedition, according to Alan Nichols of the Explorer’s Club: – No cussing the weather. – No grouching against the gasoline in the water. – No profanity (except the picturesque variety). – All male members must take share in pumping tires and other work not requiring hot air. …
Tattoos, Griffins, Dinosaurs, and Indiana Jones
Our friend Sari in Finland sends this link to some tattooed mummies in the Siberian Altai. Here are a couple more from that tradition, from (I think) a bit further south. These are mythical “Griffins”, but are probably based on fossils like the Protoceratops, found in Mongolia in the 1920’s by Roy Chapman Andrews, the …
More Visitors
Who but Arthur Wilderson would visit and bring obscure, beautifully- made Czech battle rifles, other military goodies, a bottle of cherry dessert wine from a Colorado winery, and friends, Nate and (female) Evan, with interests in everything from fossil cat cladistics and Darren Naish’s blog to Asian falconry and cartridges I had never heard of? …
Rude scary poster
From Annie Davidson. My preferred caption is: “So Feduccia: explain to me again how birds aren’t dinosaurs…” More on the “controversy” (not very, actually) here.
Science, Art, Helicoprion, Ray Troll, more…
Dr H at Diary of a Mad Natural Historian just published a piece on Helicoprion, the impossible fossil shark that appears to have a circular saw in its mouth, and mentions artist Ray Troll. All natural history buffs mad or not should buy and read Troll (or wear him– he does T shirts, and pins …
Eevil Killer Dino- Birds
(With apologies to Darren). Walter Hingley sends word of new theories coming out the Museum of the Rockies about the ever- closer similarities becoming apparent between raptorial dinos and modern raptors. The illo is lurid but wonderful: Of course some of us have always thought so, notably John McLoughlin. “Washington and Moscow…” UPDATE: Quote is …
My other side
I was asked by email if I knew anything about the history on my Italian side. Not from books is my answer. Bodios (and my grandmother on that side, Sylvia Arzeni) came most recently from Ispra on the east shore of Lake Maggiore a few miles south of the Swiss border; a village called Bodio …
Headline of the Week
From Arthur Wilderson: “Swedish flamingoes massacred in frenzied anteater attack”. It is actually true if a bit breathless… Prompted by this and perhaps the recent Zoo posts, Arthur added some thoughts on a distant relative, the ground-dwelling late- Pleistocene monster Megatherium: “I saw a mounted megatherium skeleton in Chicago’s Field Museum. I was pretty impressed, …