Clippers Beat Nuggets 112-100 For 14th Win In Row

LOS ANGELES ? The Los Angeles Clippers didn't finish their 14th consecutive victory well. They were good enough through the first three quarters that it didn't matter.

Jamal Crawford led a dominant performance by the Los Angeles reserves with 22 points in a 112-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, extending the team's franchise-record winning streak while claiming the best record in the NBA at 22-6.

"It's about getting better and better," Crawford said. "We're trying to stay locked in and focused."

Matt Barnes added 20 points ? one off his season high ? as the bench outscored the Clippers' starters 64-48 in moving one win ahead of second-best Oklahoma City (21-6), which lost to Miami earlier Tuesday.

"This is fool's gold," cautioned Chris Paul, who led the starters with 14 points. "You don't play for the regular season. Obviously, you want to build something."

Kosta Koufos and Jordan Hamilton scored 16 points each for Denver in the finale of a Christmas doubleheader at Staples Center. The Lakers, who will play the Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver, beat the Knicks 100-94 in the first game.

"They're a very good running team and they're very athletic, so we wanted to just play within ourselves and play smart throughout the game," Koufos said. "I thought we established ourselves early on. We were getting some good looks, but at the same time, shots weren't going in."

Ty Lawson added 15 points for the Nuggets, who fell to 7-13 on the road, where 22 of their first 32 games are being played.

"They've got the respect of the league and they've got the attention of the league," said former Clipper Andre Miller, who had 12 points. "It's tough to come in here and get a win when the team is playing that well."

Crawford's 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter pushed the Clippers' lead to 20 points and kept the starters on the bench for the final 12 minutes. Coming into the game, their average margin of victory during the streak had been 13 points and they exceeded that when the Nuggets failed to make it close in the fourth.

Crawford scored eight points in the quarter. He leads NBA reserves in scoring and topped 20 points for the 12th time this season.

But none of the Clippers were happy about the sloppy final period, when they were outscored 24-19 and the Nuggets shot 61 percent.

"It looked like a layup drill for them," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said about Denver scoring 10 straight points. "I'm big into making sure we play the right way. It's always about the big picture and us getting better."

Blake Griffin added 13 points and Willie Green had 11 among the other leading Los Angeles starters.

Denver rallied after halftime, using a 15-6 spurt to close to 73-63, capped by Andre Iguodala's free throw after Paul received a technical foul.

The Clippers answered with three consecutive 3-pointers, including two by Green from opposite corners, for an 84-67 lead. The Nuggets ran off seven in a row to get within 10 before the Clippers regrouped with a 9-2 run, capped by Paul's 3-pointer, that kept them ahead 93-76 heading into the fourth.

"They have a confidence right now that's pretty powerful," Nuggets coach George Karl said.

The Clippers stretched their lead to 67-48 at halftime with 42 points in the second, their highest-scoring quarter this season. The bench got things going with a 14-10 run before Paul replaced a wild Eric Bledsoe. His presence settled down the second unit until Griffin and DeAndre Jordan eventually came back in during a 28-10 run the rest of the period that produced the Clippers' first double-digit lead. Driving dunks by Barnes and Griffin, alley-oop dunks by Griffin and Jordan, and consecutive 3-pointers by Barnes and Paul highlighted the scoring binge.

"When we are at our best our starters have a great first quarter and our bench elevates that," Griffin said.

Hamilton banked in a jumper at the buzzer to give the Nuggets a 26-25 lead after a back-and-forth opening quarter. There were nine lead changes and eight ties, with neither team leading by more than three points.

NOTES: The Clippers improved to 13-3 at home, where they haven't lost there since Nov. 26 against New Orleans. ... Denver fell to 3-3 in the first game of a back-to-back set. ... Los Angeles wore all-red uniforms, while the Nuggets were in navy. ... Paul flew in 30 family members from North Carolina to enjoy the holiday. ... It was Paul's idea to have his teammates wear ugly Christmas sweaters to the arena, and his mother procured them. "It shows we're a tight-knit group," Crawford said. Some of the Clippers declared F Matt Barnes the unofficial winner. His green-and-cream cardigan had tinsel, bows and ornaments hanging from it. ... Kanye West was part of a contingent of Kardashians in the house, including Kim and Khloe.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/clippers-nuggets-112-100-14-winning-streak_n_2363669.html

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Pyramids 3D

Pyramids 3D ($13.99) is a multimedia journey into some of the most renowned and magnificent structures of the ancient world, the Pyramids, Sphinx, and tombs at Giza, Egypt. With this beautifully designed app, users can read about early Egyptian history, examine 3D-rendered artifacts, and even take virtual journeys into the Pyramids and tombs while a narrator explains what they are seeing. This fun and informative app offers content that will be of interest to anyone from curious youngsters to budding Egyptologists to armchair explorers.

Exploration
When you first open the app, you are treated to a 3D aerial tour of the Great Pyramids, Sphinx tombs, lesser pyramids, and other structures on the Giza plateau. You come to rest, hovering high above the pyramids. By clicking on a pyramid or a tomb, you are transported to it and given the option to enter the structure. (You can also navigate to the various structures from a pull-down menu atop the screen.) When you do so, you are transported along corridors within the building, where you can visit various chambers. If you press Audio Intro, a voice will describe what you are seeing.? Moving your finger across your iPad?s touch screen will let you get a 360-degree view of the chamber or other location.

In the lower left corner of the screen are three buttons with icons: Places, Objects, and Book.

The Book section provides a good overview of Egyptian history from when the Nile valley was settled some 8,000 years ago through Greco-Roman times and including the more recent exploration and excavation of the tombs starting in the seventeenth century. It includes additional illustrations and artifacts, including basic cutaways of the pyramids as well as photos of the structures.

Experts
Anyone who?s watched specials on Egyptology in recent years will be familiar with archaeologist Zawi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt?s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Dr. Hawass wrote the text for this app, as well as selecting the 40 artifacts that appear in the Objects section. They were rendered in 3D by Sandro Vannini and his team, which also spent thousands of hours photographing Giza?s monuments.

Artifacts
The artifacts are largely statues, but also include an urn, a knife, and hieroglyph-covered palettes. There?s also the reconstruction of a boat?found near the Great Pyramid?that had been dismantled into more than 1,200 pieces of wood. It?s known as the Solar Boat, as it is believed to have been built to carry the deceased pharaoh Khufu on his afterlife journey through the sky with the sun god Ra. The centerpiece, though, is the exquisite 3D rendering of the golden funeral mask of King Tutankhamun.

Pyramids 3D shares the solid content and exquisite photography and production of another Touch Press ebook, the Editors? Choice app The Elements: A 3D Exploration (5 stars, $13.99). There are more in-depth books on Egyptology, but Pyramids 3D is a very good overview, and provides a fun and educational multimedia look at some of the grandest structures ever built.

More iPad App Reviews:

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/SIjpGRMysHw/0,2817,2413511,00.asp

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Click, print, shoot: Downloadable guns possible

In this Oct. 3, 2012 photo, "Wiki Weapons" project leader Cody Wilson points to his laptop screen displaying an image of a prototype plastic gun on the screen, while holding in his other a weapon he calls "Invivdual Mandate," in Austin, Texas. At least one group, called Defense Distributed, is claiming to have created downloadable weapon parts that can be built using the increasingly popular new-generation of printer that utilizes plastics and other materials to create 3-D objects with moving parts. Wilson says the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle _ one of the weapon types used in the Connecticut elementary school massacre _ which was built with some key parts created on a 3-D printer. The gun was fired six times before it broke. (AP Photo/Statesman.com, ) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM

In this Oct. 3, 2012 photo, "Wiki Weapons" project leader Cody Wilson points to his laptop screen displaying an image of a prototype plastic gun on the screen, while holding in his other a weapon he calls "Invivdual Mandate," in Austin, Texas. At least one group, called Defense Distributed, is claiming to have created downloadable weapon parts that can be built using the increasingly popular new-generation of printer that utilizes plastics and other materials to create 3-D objects with moving parts. Wilson says the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle _ one of the weapon types used in the Connecticut elementary school massacre _ which was built with some key parts created on a 3-D printer. The gun was fired six times before it broke. (AP Photo/Statesman.com, ) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Downloading a gun's design plans to your computer, building it on a three-dimensional printer and firing it minutes later. No background checks, no questions asked.

Sound far-fetched? It's not. And that is disquieting for gun control advocates.

Rep. Steven Israel, D-NY, said the prospect of such guns becoming reality is reason enough for the renewal of the Undetectable Firearms Act, which makes illegal the building of guns that can't be detected by X-ray or metallic scanners. That law expires at the end of 2013.

At least one group, called Defense Distributed, is claiming to have created downloadable weapon parts that can be built using the increasingly popular new-generation of printer that utilizes plastics and other materials to create 3-D objects with moving parts. University of Texas law student Cody Wilson, the 24-year-old "Wiki Weapons" project leader, says the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle ? one of the weapon types used in the Connecticut elementary school massacre ? which was built with some key parts created on a 3-D printer. The gun was fired six times before it broke.

Though no independent observer was there to verify the test, a short video clip showing the gun firing and breaking was posted to YouTube. Federal firearms regulators said they are aware of the technology's gun-making potential, but do not believe an entire weapon has yet been made.

"What's chilling is that last month a group of kids used a 3-D printer to actually manufacture (key parts) of the AR-15 and fire six bullets," Israel said. "When the (act) was last renewed in 2003, a gun made by a 3-D printer was like a Star Trek episode, but now we know it's real."

Even with gun control pushed to the top of the national political conversation, Wilson is steadfast about reaching his goal of making a fully downloadable gun. This weekend, he and his partners plan to print four new lower receivers ? the segment of the gun that includes the trigger, magazine and grip. He keeps three of these AR-15 parts ? one black, one white and another green ? in his tidy student apartment in Austin, TX.

While saddened by the Connecticut mass killing, Wilson said Thursday that protecting the right to bear arms by giving everyone access to guns is more important in the long term than a single horrible crime.

"Clearly what happened in Connecticut was a tragedy," he told The Associated Press. "Still, by affording the Second Amendment protection, we understand events like these will happen."

He said he discussed with his partners whether they should suspend their effort, and they all decided it was too important to stop.

Wilson acknowledged there still are many technical hurdles to creating a complete gun from a 3-D printer and provided no estimate on when his goal might be reached.

Special Agent Helen Dunkel of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which helps enforce gun laws, said the agency is familiar with Wilson's project. She didn't offer an opinion but noted there is nothing illegal about making many types of guns at home. Exceptions would be high-powered weapons like machine guns and those not detectable by airport scanners.

Advances in 3-D printing technology are fueling Wilson's goal. The printers were developed for the automobile, aerospace and other industries to create product prototypes from the same hard plastics used in toys like Legos. Hobbyists mainly use the printers to design Christmas ornaments, toys and gadget accessories.

Prices on the machines have fallen as the consumer market grows, leading to a surge in interest from people in the so-called "maker" scene. Low-end 3-D printers can now be purchased online from between $1,500-$4,000. The more high-end printers needed to make gun parts are still priced from $10,000 and up.

Stratasys Ltd. Of Eden Prairie, Minn., makes 3-D printers. Shane Glenn, director of investor relations, said gun-making was never something envisioned for the machines.

"The gun issue is something that the 3-D printing industry will have to address going forward," Glenn said.

Right now, most people interested in 3-D printing rent time on one. There are a number of businesses and co-ops in major cities that allow access to the machines for a nominal fee. At San Francisco's TechShop, which features a 3-D printer for its members, "assembling firearms is strictly prohibited and our staff is trained on that policy," company spokeswoman Carrie Motamedi said.

Wilson acknowledged his idea has met resistance from those active in 3-D printing.

"The early adopters of 3-D printing technology seem to be an educated, more liberal group who were against firearms to begin with," he said. Wilson said some are worried the gun project might spur regulations that will hurt or curtail their projects.

Early schematics created by Wilson's group were posted on Thingiverse, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based website that serves as a hub for 3-D printing aficionados. After the school shooting, Thingiverse took down Wilson's links.

The site's spokeswoman Jenifer Howard said its focus is "to empower the creative process and make things for good." Howard said Thingiverse's terms of service state that users cannot use the site to share content that contributes to the creation of weapons.

Wilson said the group has already posted the links on its own website.

Paul Saffo, a Silicon Valley technology forecaster who teaches at Stanford University's engineering school, said Defense Distributed's work carries on a long tradition of tech geeks using innovation to make a political point, in this case on gun control and Second Amendment freedoms.

"If you want to get people's attention in Washington, you say something. If you want to do it in Silicon Valley, you make something," Saffo said.

He said the technology exists now for a highly motivated group to make a plastic gun on a 3-D printer that could avoid airport scanners. But the equipment is still too expensive for most people.

"Nobody right now needs to worry about the bright teenager making a gun on a printer in their bedroom," he said.

___

Freelance video producer Jay Olivier contributed to this report from Austin, TX.

___

Jason Dearen can be reached on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JHDearen

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-12-21-Printable%20Guns/id-f8e6859cc8d34228ac6f8e509e5203bf

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Texas town allows teachers to carry concealed guns

This Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo shows the sign in front of the Harrold Independent School District in Harrold, Texas. The K-12 school has a policy allowing teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons, a controversial policy that's now being considered in at least five other states in the wake of last week's deadly elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/Angela K. Brown)

This Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo shows the sign in front of the Harrold Independent School District in Harrold, Texas. The K-12 school has a policy allowing teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons, a controversial policy that's now being considered in at least five other states in the wake of last week's deadly elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/Angela K. Brown)

In this Aug. 25, 2008 photo, students arrive for the first day of classes at the Harrold Independent School District in Harrold, Texas. School personnel are permitted to carry guns at the school. Attorney General Greg Abbott was asked Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 if teachers or other school personnel should be permitted to carry guns, and he noted that some districts around the state ? like Harrold Independent School District in North Texas ? already allow that. But, he added, that would be a matter for the state Legislature when it reconvenes Jan. 8. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Ron T. Ennis) MAGS OUT; (FORT WORTH WEEKLY, 360 WEST); INTERNET OUT

In Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, the town's water tower rises above the railroad tracks in Harrold, Texas. The rural town's lone school has a policy allowing teachers and other employees to carry concealed weapons on campus. Some lawmakers in at least five other states are looking into similar legislation in the wake of last week's deadly elementary school shooting in Newton, Conn. Anti-gun groups oppose the measure. (AP Photo/Angela K. Brown)

HARROLD, Texas (AP) ? In a tiny Texas town near the Oklahoma border, children and their parents don't give much thought to safety at the community's lone school.

That's because some teachers are carrying concealed weapons.

In remote Harrold, the nearest sheriff's office is 30 minutes away. So the school board voted to let teachers bring guns to school about five years ago. They must have a concealed-weapons permit, and each employee also must be approved by the board.

In the awful aftermath of last week's Connecticut elementary school shooting, lawmakers in at least five states have said they'll consider laws allowing teachers and administrators to carry firearms at school.

Texas law bans guns in schools unless the school has given written authorization. Arizona and some other states have similar laws.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-20-Gun-Toting%20Teachers/id-8e24ddc4232d457cad5db380ca5fb1f4

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Synthetic and biological nanoparticles combined to produce new metamaterials

Dec. 19, 2012 ? Scientists from Aalto University, Finland, have succeeded in organising virus particles, protein cages and nanoparticles into crystalline materials. These nanomaterials studied by the Finnish research group are important for applications in sensing, optics, electronics and drug delivery.

Layer structures, or superlattices, of crystalline nanoparticles have been extensively studied in recent years. The research develops hierarchically structured nanomaterials with tuneable optical, magnetic, electronic and catalytic properties.

Such biohybrid superlattices of nanoparticles and proteins would allow the best features of both particle types to be combined. They would comprise the versatility of synthetic nanoparticles and the highly controlled assembly properties of biomolecules, according to the authors.

The research group also discovered magnetic self-assemblies of ferritin protein cages and gold nanoparticles. These magnetic assemblies can modulate efficiently spin-spin relaxation times of surrounding protons in water by enhancing the spin dephasing and consequently provide contrast enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The gold nanoparticles and viruses adopt a special kind of crystal structure. It does not correspond to any known atomic or molecular crystal structure and it has previously not been observed with nano-sized particles.

Virus particles -- the old foes of humankind -- can do much more than infect living organisms. Evolution has rendered them with the capability of highly controlled self-assembly properties. Ultimately, by utilising their building blocks we can bring multiple functions to hybrid materials that consist of both living and synthetic matter, Kostiainen trusts.

Youtube video link: http://youtu.be/lkkUe5xntNw

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Aalto University, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Mauri A. Kostiainen, Panu Hiekkataipale, Ari Laiho, Vincent Lemieux, Jani Seitsonen, Janne Ruokolainen, Pierpaolo Ceci. Electrostatic assembly of binary nanoparticle superlattices using protein cages. Nature Nanotechnology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.220

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/k-nEDb3zi0M/121219101225.htm

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Forget the Mayan Apocalypse: 6 Real Threats Facing the US

Misguided interpretations of the ancient Mayan calendar have led to rumors of the world ending tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 21. Some doomsayers believe a rogue planet will crash into Earth, or that a solar storm will spell total destruction. Others think the planets and the sun will align to cause cataclysmic tidal effects, or that the North and South Poles will suddenly and catastrophically trade places.

These scenarios have been exhaustively debunked by scientists. In fact, NASA has already issued a press release dated Dec. 22 and titled "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday." The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), meanwhile, has its own message: Flimsy apocalyptic forecasts aside, the Earth still has a fearsome capacity to generate natural disasters on any day of any year.

While any one of these events isn't likely to wipe out all of humanity in one fell swoop, here are six real and sometimes unpredictable threats that the USGS says Americans should be prepared for:

Earthquakes

After a magnitude-6.3 earthquake killed more than 300 people in the Italian city of L'Aquila in 2009, six scientists and one government official were accused of being too reassuring about the risk of an earthquake prior to the deadly temblor. They were put on trial for manslaughter and found guilty earlier this year in a verdict widely condemned by scientists.

Not only is it virtually impossible, for now at least, to make short-term predictions about the time and place of an earthquake, but long-term predictions only touch on the probability of future temblors. For example, the USGS points out that based on past events in California, there's roughly a two-in-three chance that a magnitude-6.7 or larger temblor will strike in the next 30 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. But the agency says scientists are refining their probability models to take into account recent earthquake activity ? for example, to help predict a larger earthquake after an initial smaller one. [Image Gallery: This Millennium's Destructive Earthquakes]

Volcanoes

There are dozens of active volcanoes in the United States, and, according to the USGS, many of them could blow their lid at any time. The Mount St. Helens eruption on May 18, 1980, stands out as the most dramatic in recent memory. It killed 57 people and devastated the surrounding landscape, with the hot gas and debris wiping out countless animals and destroying large swaths of forest.

The blast was preceded by a swarm of small earthquakes. Thought it can be tricky to use such tremors to predict whether an explosive volcanic eruption might actually take place, scientists with the USGS keep a close eye on these signs of unrest, which also might include changes in gas emissions.

Hurricanes

Perhaps in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Americans don't need to be reminded that hurricanes can unleash devastating force on coastal areas. That storm left more than 100 dead, thousands homeless and millions without power from the Caribbean to New England. It caused billions of dollars in damage, hitting New York and New Jersey especially hard. But maybe one of the more remarkable aspects of Sandy was that it lived up to the predictions that weather forecasters laid out days in advance.

Today scientists have better computer models to predict the behavior of the weather patterns in the atmosphere that spawn hurricanes. And researchers with USGS on the ground can help forecast the likelihood of beach erosion, overwash and inundation.

Landslides

Landslides might be underrated natural disasters. A recently assembled database put the death toll from landslides worldwide as much as 10 times higher than previously estimated, finding that 32,300 people died in 2,620 landslides between 2004 and 2010. Previous estimates ranged from 3,000 to 7,000 fatalities.

Landslides occur in all 50 states, but affect some regions more than others. For example, the U.S. West Coast is especially vulnerable during its rainy season from November to March. Landslides can result from earthquakes, volcanoes, man-made construction activities or changes in groundwater; people living on or below steep hill slopes are at especially high risk for landslide damage. The USGS is working with the National Weather Service on a prototype Debris Flow Warning System to map susceptible areas.

Wildfires

Record dry and hot weather in Colorado this summer sent wildfires ripping through the state, scorching some 300 square miles (800 square kilometers) and forcing thousands to evacuate. As the effects of global warming kick in, some scientists warn that such blazes will become more commonplace.

Though the fires often move quickly and unpredictably, scientists are refining their forecasts by learning more about patterns, ignition sources and fire size from past data, according to the USGS. The agency is also involved in response efforts, providing firefighters with real-time maps and satellite images of wildfires, as sometimes the first step in tackling a blaze is to look at it from above.

Solar storms

The sun sometimes bombards our atmosphere with electromagnetic particles in a burst of material?called a coronal mass ejection (CME). The worst such solar storm in history occurred in September 1859. At the time, it set off fires in telegraph offices and colorful aurora, normally visible only in polar regions, were observed as far south as Cuba and Hawaii. A storm that powerful today would wreak havoc on our communications systems, potentially resulting in blackouts that last for months, leaving planes and ships without working GPS units for navigation and putting banking networks offline, among other consequences.

Damaging solar storms occur about four times a decade, according to the USGS, and can be detected days in advance by monitoring the sun. The sun shifts through periods of quiet and high-action, peaking roughly every 11 years. We're currently entering a solar maximum, though it's not expected to be an especially active period.

Preparing for disaster

You might scoff at survivalists like the Chinese farmer who created pods designed to withstand the Mayan apocalypse, but the USGS says it's not a bad idea to always have a disaster kit on hand with food, water and other basic needs.

"The question to consider on Dec. 21, 2012, and every day is: Have I done everything I can to ensure that my family and I are prepared, should a disaster strike?" a statement from the agency reads.

You can find more information about natural disaster threats and preparedness at the USGS's hazards website: http://www.usgs.gov/natural_hazards/

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/forget-mayan-apocalypse-6-real-threats-facing-us-192632908.html

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Inside the head of a dinosaur

Dec. 19, 2012 ? An international team of scientists, including PhD student Stephan Lautenschlager and Dr Emily Rayfield of the University of Bristol, found that the senses of smell, hearing and balance were well developed in therizinosaurs and might have affected or benefited from an enlarged forebrain. These findings came as a surprise to the researchers as exceptional sensory abilities would be expected from predatory and not necessarily from plant-eating animals.

Therizinosaurs are an unusual group of theropod dinosaurs which lived between 145 and 66 million years ago. Members of this group had evolved into up to 7m (23ft) large animals, with more than 50cm (20in) long, razor-sharp claws on their forelimbs, elongated necks and a coat of primitive, down-like feathers along their bodies. Although closely related to carnivorous dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor, and in spite of their bizarre appearance, therizinosaurs were probably peaceful herbivores.

Inspired by this paradox, the international team of palaeontologists decided to take the first close look inside the heads of these enigmatic dinosaurs.

They studied the brain and inner ear anatomy of therizinosaurs using high-resolution CT scanning and 3D computer visualisation to find out more about their sensory and cognitive capabilities and how these had evolved with the transition from meat- to plant-eating.

The focus of the study was the skull of Erlikosaurus andrewsi -- a 3-4m (10-13ft) therizinosaur, which lived more than 90 million years ago in what is now Mongolia.

Lead author, Stephan Lautenschlager of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences said: "Our results suggest that therizinosaurs would have used their well-developed sensory repertoire to their advantage which, for herbivorous animals, must have played an important role in foraging, in the evasion of predators or in social complexity.

"This study sheds a new light on the evolution of dinosaur senses and shows it is more complex than we thought."

Co-author, Professor Lindsay Zanno of the North Carolina Museum of Natural History and the North Carolina State University agrees: "Once you've evolved a good sensory toolkit, it's probably worth hanging on to, whether you're hunting or being hunted."

Fellow author Lawrence Witmer, Chang Professor of Paleontology at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine said: "Of course the actual brain tissue is long gone from the fossil skulls but we can use CT scanning to visualize the cavity that the brain once occupied and then generate 3D computer renderings of the olfactory bulbs and other brain parts."

This study has important ramifications for our understanding of how sensory function evolved in different dinosaur groups and whether it was developed as a response to their environment or simply inherited by their ancestors. In particular, in the light of the transition from dinosaurs to birds, these results should prove to be very interesting.

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Journal Reference:

1. Stephan Lautenschlager, Emily J. Rayfield, Perle Altangerel, Lindsay E. Zanno, Lawrence M. Witmer. The Endocranial Anatomy of Therizinosauria and Its Implications for Sensory and Cognitive Function. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (12): e52289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052289

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/lqTIY3mNy-Q/121219174154.htm

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