MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has confirmed the discovery of its first alien world in its host star's habitable zone — that just-right range of distances that could allow liquid water to exist — and found more than 1,000 new explanet candidates, researchers announced today (Dec. 5).
The new finds bring the Kepler space telescope's total haul to 2,326 potential planets in its first 16 months of operation.These discoveries, if confirmed, would quadruple the current tally of worlds known to exist beyond our solar system, which recently topped 700.
The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one which could conceivably harbor life, scientists said.
"We're getting closer and closer to discovering the so-called 'Goldilocks planet,'" Pete Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., said during a press conference today. [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets]
The newfound planet in the habitable zone is called Kepler-22b. It is located about 600 light-years away, orbiting a sun-like star.
Kepler-22b's radius is 2.4 times that of Earth, and the two planets have roughly similar temperatures. If the greenhouse effect operates there similarly to how it does on Earth, the average surface temperature on Kepler-22b would be 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius).
Hunting down alien planets
The $600 million Kepler observatory launched in March 2009 to hunt for Earth-size alien planets in the habitable zone of their parent stars, where liquid water, and perhaps even life, might be able to exist.
Kepler detects alien planets using what's called the "transit method." It searches for tiny, telltale dips in a star's brightness caused when a planet transits — or crosses in front of — the star from Earth's perspective, blocking a fraction of the star's light.
The finds graduate from "candidates" to full-fledged planets after follow-up observations confirm that they're not false alarms. This process, which is usually done with large, ground-based telescopes, can take about a year.
The Kepler team released data from its first 13 months of operation back in February, announcing that the instrument had detected 1,235 planet candidates, including 54 in the habitable zone and 68 that are roughly Earth-size.
Of the total 2,326 candidate planets that Kepler has found to date, 207 are approximately Earth-size. More of them, 680, are a bit larger than our planet, falling into the "super-Earth" category. The total number of candidate planets in the habitable zones of their stars is now 48.
To date, just over two dozen of these potential exoplanets have been confirmed, but Kepler scientists have estimated that at least 80 percent of the instrument's discoveries should end up being the real deal.
More discoveries to come
The newfound 1,094 planet candidates are the fruit of Kepler's labors during its first 16 months of science work, from May 2009 to September 2010. And they won't be the last of the prolific instrument's discoveries.
"This is a major milestone on the road to finding Earth's twin," Douglas Hudgins, Kepler program scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
Mission scientists still need to analyze data from the last two years and on into the future. Kepler will be making observations for a while yet to come; its nominal mission is set to end in November 2012, but the Kepler team is preparing a proposal to extend the instrument's operations for another year or more.
Kepler's finds should only get more exciting as time goes on, researchers say.
"We're pushing down to smaller planets and longer orbital periods," said Natalie Batalha, Kepler deputy science team lead at Ames.
To flag a potential planet, the instrument generally needs to witness three transits. Planets that make three transits in just a few months must be pretty close to their parent stars; as a result, many of the alien worlds Kepler spotted early on have been blisteringly hot places that aren't great candidates for harboring life as we know it.
Given more time, however, a wealth of more distantly orbiting — and perhaps more Earth-like — exoplanets should open up to Kepler. If intelligent aliens were studying our solar system with their own version of Kepler, after all, it would take them three years to detect our home planet.
"We are getting very close," Batalha said. "We are homing in on the truly Earth-size, habitable planets."
You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
NASA Telescope Confirms Alien Planet in Habitable Zone
Monday, December 05, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Largest Fossil Spider Found in Volcanic Ash - Yahoo! News
The largest fossil spider uncovered to date once ensnared prey back in the age of dinosaurs, scientists find.
The spider, named Nephila jurassica, was discovered buried in ancient volcanic ash in Inner Mongolia, China. Tufts of hairlike fibers seen on its legs showed this 165-million-year-old arachnid to be the oldest known species of the largest web-weaving spiders alive today — the golden orb-weavers, or Nephila, which are big enough to catch birds and bats, and use silk that shines like gold in the sunlight.
The fossil was about as large as its modern relatives, with a body one inch (2.5 centimeters) wide and legs that reach up to 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) long. Golden orb-weavers nowadays are mainly tropical creatures, so the ancient environment of Nephila jurassica probably was similarly lush. [Image of fossil spider]
"It would have lived, like today's Nephila, in its orb web of golden silk in a clearing in a forest, or more likely at the edge of a forest close to the lake," researcher Paul Selden, director of the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas, told LiveScience. "There would have been volcanoes nearby producing the ash that forms the lake sediment it is entombed within."
Spiders are the most numerous predators on land today, and help keep insect numbers in check. So these findings help us "understand the evolution of the insect-spider predator-prey relationship," Selden said, suggesting that golden orb-weavers have been ensnaring insects and influencing their evolution since the Jurassic Period. [Read: Ancient Spider Guts Revealed in 3-D]
"There were many large or medium-sized flying insects around at that time on which it would have fed indiscriminately," Selden said.
In modern golden orb-weaver species, females are typically much larger than males. This new fossil was a female, suggesting this trend stretches back at least as far as the Middle Jurassic, Selden said — that is, back before the first known bird, Archaeopteryx, or giant dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.
Although this is the largest fossil spider known to date, it is not the oldest. Two species from Coseley, England, Eocteniza silvicola and Protocteniza britannica, both come from about 310 million years ago.
Selden and his colleagues are now investigating other fossil spiders from China, "as well as those from elsewhere in the world — currently Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Korea," he said.
The scientists detail their findings online April 20 in the journal Biology Letters.
Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
Charles Q. Choi, LiveScience Contributor,
Largest Fossil Spider Found in Volcanic Ash - Yahoo! News: "Largest Fossil Spider Found in Volcanic Ash"
The spider, named Nephila jurassica, was discovered buried in ancient volcanic ash in Inner Mongolia, China. Tufts of hairlike fibers seen on its legs showed this 165-million-year-old arachnid to be the oldest known species of the largest web-weaving spiders alive today — the golden orb-weavers, or Nephila, which are big enough to catch birds and bats, and use silk that shines like gold in the sunlight.
The fossil was about as large as its modern relatives, with a body one inch (2.5 centimeters) wide and legs that reach up to 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) long. Golden orb-weavers nowadays are mainly tropical creatures, so the ancient environment of Nephila jurassica probably was similarly lush. [Image of fossil spider]
"It would have lived, like today's Nephila, in its orb web of golden silk in a clearing in a forest, or more likely at the edge of a forest close to the lake," researcher Paul Selden, director of the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas, told LiveScience. "There would have been volcanoes nearby producing the ash that forms the lake sediment it is entombed within."
Spiders are the most numerous predators on land today, and help keep insect numbers in check. So these findings help us "understand the evolution of the insect-spider predator-prey relationship," Selden said, suggesting that golden orb-weavers have been ensnaring insects and influencing their evolution since the Jurassic Period. [Read: Ancient Spider Guts Revealed in 3-D]
"There were many large or medium-sized flying insects around at that time on which it would have fed indiscriminately," Selden said.
In modern golden orb-weaver species, females are typically much larger than males. This new fossil was a female, suggesting this trend stretches back at least as far as the Middle Jurassic, Selden said — that is, back before the first known bird, Archaeopteryx, or giant dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.
Although this is the largest fossil spider known to date, it is not the oldest. Two species from Coseley, England, Eocteniza silvicola and Protocteniza britannica, both come from about 310 million years ago.
Selden and his colleagues are now investigating other fossil spiders from China, "as well as those from elsewhere in the world — currently Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Korea," he said.
The scientists detail their findings online April 20 in the journal Biology Letters.
Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
Charles Q. Choi, LiveScience Contributor,
Largest Fossil Spider Found in Volcanic Ash - Yahoo! News: "Largest Fossil Spider Found in Volcanic Ash"
Friday, March 25, 2011
Nikon D7000 Review
It’s one of the key truths of the consumer electronics biz: Prices will drop like a rock soon after you buy your new toy. Oh, there are exceptions, like the iPad and iPhone, but you know the drill — buy it today, see a lower price in a month. Amazingly there is a pricey camera, the 16.2-megapixel Nikon D7000, that’s currently defying the laws of CE gravity—if you can even find one. Let’s see why.
Features and Design
The Nikon D7000 doesn’t look radically different than many other mid-range, all-black DSLRs on the market, such as the 18-megapixel Canon EOS 60D ($999 body only). With the 18-105mm kit lens, the Nikon has a no-nonsense vibe that says “I’m a serious camera.” Don’t even think of casually carrying it around. The D7000 measures 5.2 x 4.1 x 3 (WHD, in inches) and weighs 1.5 pounds without a battery, card or lens. Hefty and serious indeed.
Looking closely at the D7000, you get an inkling of its capabilities, but nothing that quite gives away its position as the hottest DSLR on the market. It has the usual Nikon red accent on the grip and a few judiciously-placed logos and icons. Drill down a bit and some of the finer points appear, such as a second LCD readout on the top, and a 3-inch 921K-pixel LCD on the rear. But the real enhancements are internal, as we’ll soon see.
Like any DSLR, the key feature on the front of the D7000 is the lens mount. In this case, it’s a Nikon F bayonet-type, and all functions are possible with AF Nikkor glass. As always, you can spend a small fortune on lenses, but the 5.8x kit lens (18-105mm, 27-157.5mm 35mm equivalent) with built-in Vibration Reduction is a good start. Also up front are an AF Assist lamp and buttons for Function, depth-of-field preview and lens release. There’s a three-pinhole mono mic, so if you want stereo sound for your videos, get ready to spend some extra cash on an aftermarket mic. You can connect one with the handy mic input in one of the side compartments. The pistol grip is solid, and there’s a jog wheel right below the shutter button and power switch.
On the top is the main mode dial, which sits on a perplexing control called a Release-Mode Dial. With it, you change your frame rate (most commonly) such as single frame, continuous low speed (1 to 5 fps) or continuous high speed (6 fps). Access to this dial is good, but in order to turn it, you have to press a nearby locking button at the same time. This seems very convoluted for such a basic and important control. In contrast, Canon cameras have a drive button you simply press to make this adjustment. That said, after some initial fumbling, we made adjustments using the left index and middle fingers. The same dial also gives you access to the self-timer, quiet shutter release option, using a remote control and “Mup” for Mirror up. The main mode dial has the usual options: Auto, Auto flash off, Program AE, Shutter- and Aperture-Priority as well as full Manual. Scene is typical as you can choose specific shooting situations (portrait, landscape and so on, 19 options total). There are also two settings (U1, U2) to save your favorite configurations.
Next to the stacked dials are the flash, hot shoe and control panel LCD, one of the key features separating entry-levels DSLRs from “enthusiast” models (500 clams more is another huge point of difference, but that’s another story). This readout lets you check your settings without having to put the camera in front of your face, and is very handy for shooting on the fly. Next to the shutter are buttons to change metering type and exposure compensation.
The rear has a very good and bright viewfinder with 100-percent field of view and 0.95x magnification (by comparison, the Canon EOS 60D is 96-percent coverage with 0.95x magnification). A diopter control lets you fine-tune it for your eyesight. Below the VF is very good LCD screen rated 921K pixels. The 60D has an articulating 3-inch screen with more dots (1.04 million total), so Canon wins that round.
Surrounding the screen are the usual array of buttons for white balance, ISO and so on, with another jog wheel on the top right to move through menu options and a controller with center OK button. Since this is 2011, there’s a red video dot in middle of the Live View lever—simply pull it to the right, the mirror raises up, press the dot and you can shoot HD video (1920 x 1080 at 24 fps MOV files). There’s a six-pinhole speaker nearby. This is hardly the 1080p at 60 fps of the recently reviewed Panasonic SDT750, but it’s home video nonetheless (more in the performance section).
On the right side is a compartment for two SDHC/SDXC cards. You can put stills on one, video the other if that rings your bell, or just use a single card. The D7000 is the first camera we’re aware of that uses the Ultra High Speed system (UHS-1) for faster read and write speeds. The left side has a compartment with A/V, USB and mini-HDMI outs. A second has inputs for mics and GPS. Near the lens mount is an AF/Manual switch, as well as bracket and flash-open keys.
The bottom of this Made-In-Thailand DSLR has the battery compartment, metal tripod mount, and the contact cover for an optional battery pack. As with lenses, you can spend thousands if you want to trick out your camera. Hold off for a while, since the D7000 is far from cheap to begin with.
What's in the Box
The D700 includes kit includes both the body and 18-105mm VR lens, if you decide on that option. You’ll also get EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery rated up to 850 shots per CIPA, charger, eyepiece cap, rubber eyecup, USB and A/V cables, strap, LCD monitor cover, body cap, accessory shoe cover and ViewNX 2 software on CD-ROM. For good measure, Nikon includes a 328-page user’s manual for light reading.
Since this camera is one of the first that’s UHS-1 compatible, which allows for up to 45 Mbps read speeds, we popped in a new 16GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card and hit the streets.
Performance and Use
The Nikon D7000 uses a 16.2-megapixel APS-C size sensor (23.6 x 15.8mm), a first for the company. Its most expensive DSLRs feature full-frame imagers (23.6 x 36mm) but expect to pay at least $2,500 for one. While not the 18-megapixels of the APS-C 60D, at these levels you’d be hard pressed to notice the difference, unless you’re blowing up your images to fill a Times Square billboard. Both are overkill for most shutterbugs, but if there’s no compromise with image quality at these high numbers, what’s the harm? Note there is definitely harm with many 14- and 16-megapixel point-and-shoots with their tiny CCDs — that’s why we suggest avoiding nose-bleed figures in that category.
At 16.2MP, you’re capturing 4928 x 3264 pixel files. We put the camera into RAW+JPEG Fine mode to test its ability to push piles of pixels. As usual, we started in Auto, then moved to manual options since it’s a shame not to play with a camera of this level. Videos were shot at the highest resolution.
When we were first shown the D7000, Nikon execs were really stoked describing the new 2,016-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix metering system. They claimed it would deliver incredibly accurate exposures. They noted the $8,000 D3x uses the “old” 1,005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II setup. This—along with the new sensor—are among the key advances of this DSLR, as is the speedier burst mode of 6 fps versus the 4.5 of the 12.3-megapixel D90. The Nikon D3s is Nikon’s fastest camera, at 9 fps, but it costs $5,199 (body only). Another advance is increased ISO sensitivity. Native is 100 to 6400, but it hits 25,600 in the Hi 2 setting, for shooting in near darkness. Toss in a new 39-point AF system with nine center cross-type sensors, and you’ve got one impressive DSLR in your hands. Now it was time to see if all the pieces in the puzzle came together.
It’s dead of winter in the Northeast, and it’s hard to find anything moving quickly to test the burst mode in our neck of the woods. Not so in Manhattan, where yellow cabs and red buses fly by along with silver-clad messengers on scooters. We used Continuous H to capture them.
Before getting to the results, let’s state that using the Nikon D7000 is quite enjoyable. Response time is blazing fast even shooting RAW+JPEG Fine; peeling off bursts of 10 to 20 images, the camera barely seemed to breathe hard. Once we got the feel of this beefy DSLR, changing parameters was quite simple, even that odd Release Mode dial.
After filling our SanDisk card, we made prints, reviewed the files closely on a monitor and watched the videos on a 50-inch plasma HDTV via HDMI. Nikon claims with the expanded ISO range you can “capture just about every moment that captures you.” Well, we had to try shooting a single candle in a very dark room at 25,600 ISO — the results were predictable as we had a pixilated mess. Oh, you can clean up the noise in the RAW files, but the JPEGs were pretty bad. You need a full-frame sensor, and to spend twice the money, for solid results at those levels. That on the table, the D7000 handles noise unbelievably well up to ISO 3200, with noise making its presence felt at 6400. At 10,000 the snowstorm turns into a blizzard, but if you stay within the native range of 100 to 6400, you’ll be quite happy.
Colors, as you’d expect, were very accurate. Although we tend to like ours more saturated and vivid, you can tweak the D7000 to whatever level suits you, as Nikon has a suite of retouching options available during playback. We’re talking fine-tuning here, as the basic photos are much better than acceptable. The new metering mode handled some difficult in-and-out of shadow subjects but it’s not perfect — you still need your fill flash and exposure compensation skills for best results. Focusing was super sharp, and very fast, with terrific detail.
We had no trouble capturing fast-moving vehicles flying down Manhattan streets with hardly any blur. This will be a great camera for parents with budding athletes, or if you have a hyper-energetic kid (aren’t they all?).
We can go on and on about the D7000’s still capabilities, but you get the idea, it’s a very fine DSLR. It is not, however, a very fine camcorder.
Our issues with contrast-phase-detection focusing systems remain on the table. Nikon’s AF system works OK, and colors are spot on, but when you touch any of the controls, such as pressing the shutter or working the zoom, the mic picks it up, something no camcorder does. Sony’s SLT-series DSLRs with phase-detect focusing still remain the video leaders, as far as DSLRs are concerned.
Conclusion
Having extensively tested the Nikon D7000, it’s easy to understand why this camera ranks up there in popularity, even with a $1,200 price tag. Simply put, if you’re serious about photography, you want this camera. As for the video, it’s a nice feature, but not the raison d’être for this very impressive DSLR. Good luck finding one—or getting a deal.
Compare Prices on Yahoo! Shopping for the Nikon D7000
Highs:
• 16.2MP APS-C DSLR
• Terrific photos
• Very responsive (6 fps)
• Top ISO of 25,600
• Fast focusing, excellent detail
Lows:
• Hard to find and forget about a price break
• Weird Release-Mode dial
• Heavy noise above ISO 10,000—which is pretty amazing anyway
• HD video still problematic
Nikon D7000 Specifications
Type: Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount: Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)
Effective pixels: 16.2 million
Image sensor: 23.6 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor
Image size (pixels) - 4,928 x 3,262 [L]
- 3,696 x 2,448 [M]
- 2,464 x 1,632 [S]
File format: 1) NEF(RAW), 2)JPEG, 3)NEF(RAW)+JPEG
Media SD: (Secure Digital) memory cards *1, SDHC and SDXC compliant
Frame advance rate: CL：1 to 5frames fps*
CH：6 fps *
*CIPA guidelines
ISO sensitivity ISO 100 to 6400, can be set up to approx. 2 EV (ISO 25600 equivalent) above ISO 6400; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Movie: Frame size (pixels) and frame rate:
[NTSC] 1,920 x 1,080; 24p - 1,280 x 720; 30p - 1,280 x 720; 24p - 640 x 424; 30p [PAL] 1,920 x 1,080; 24p - 1,280 x 720;25p - 1,280 x 720;24p - 640 x 424; 25p
Maximum Recording Time:Approx.20 min.
File format/Video compression: MOV, H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Cording
Audio recording device; Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone
Monitor: 3-in., approx. 921k-dot, TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Power source: Battery; One rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL15
AC adapter(optional);EH-5a AC adapter; requires EP-5B power connector
Dimensions (approx.): (W x H x D) 132 X 105 X 77mm
Weight (approx.): 690g without battery, memory card, or body cap, 780g;with battery and memory card but without body cap
Major supplied accessories: Rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL15, Battery charger MH-25, Camera strap AN-DC1, USB cable, Audio video cable,ViewNX 2 CD-ROM.
A professional feel and features make the ultra-capable Nikon D7000 one of the hardest cameras to find on the market today, for good reason.
By David Elrich, DigitalTrends.com
Nikon D7000 Review: "Nikon D7000 Review"
Features and Design
The Nikon D7000 doesn’t look radically different than many other mid-range, all-black DSLRs on the market, such as the 18-megapixel Canon EOS 60D ($999 body only). With the 18-105mm kit lens, the Nikon has a no-nonsense vibe that says “I’m a serious camera.” Don’t even think of casually carrying it around. The D7000 measures 5.2 x 4.1 x 3 (WHD, in inches) and weighs 1.5 pounds without a battery, card or lens. Hefty and serious indeed.
Looking closely at the D7000, you get an inkling of its capabilities, but nothing that quite gives away its position as the hottest DSLR on the market. It has the usual Nikon red accent on the grip and a few judiciously-placed logos and icons. Drill down a bit and some of the finer points appear, such as a second LCD readout on the top, and a 3-inch 921K-pixel LCD on the rear. But the real enhancements are internal, as we’ll soon see.
Like any DSLR, the key feature on the front of the D7000 is the lens mount. In this case, it’s a Nikon F bayonet-type, and all functions are possible with AF Nikkor glass. As always, you can spend a small fortune on lenses, but the 5.8x kit lens (18-105mm, 27-157.5mm 35mm equivalent) with built-in Vibration Reduction is a good start. Also up front are an AF Assist lamp and buttons for Function, depth-of-field preview and lens release. There’s a three-pinhole mono mic, so if you want stereo sound for your videos, get ready to spend some extra cash on an aftermarket mic. You can connect one with the handy mic input in one of the side compartments. The pistol grip is solid, and there’s a jog wheel right below the shutter button and power switch.
On the top is the main mode dial, which sits on a perplexing control called a Release-Mode Dial. With it, you change your frame rate (most commonly) such as single frame, continuous low speed (1 to 5 fps) or continuous high speed (6 fps). Access to this dial is good, but in order to turn it, you have to press a nearby locking button at the same time. This seems very convoluted for such a basic and important control. In contrast, Canon cameras have a drive button you simply press to make this adjustment. That said, after some initial fumbling, we made adjustments using the left index and middle fingers. The same dial also gives you access to the self-timer, quiet shutter release option, using a remote control and “Mup” for Mirror up. The main mode dial has the usual options: Auto, Auto flash off, Program AE, Shutter- and Aperture-Priority as well as full Manual. Scene is typical as you can choose specific shooting situations (portrait, landscape and so on, 19 options total). There are also two settings (U1, U2) to save your favorite configurations.
Next to the stacked dials are the flash, hot shoe and control panel LCD, one of the key features separating entry-levels DSLRs from “enthusiast” models (500 clams more is another huge point of difference, but that’s another story). This readout lets you check your settings without having to put the camera in front of your face, and is very handy for shooting on the fly. Next to the shutter are buttons to change metering type and exposure compensation.
The rear has a very good and bright viewfinder with 100-percent field of view and 0.95x magnification (by comparison, the Canon EOS 60D is 96-percent coverage with 0.95x magnification). A diopter control lets you fine-tune it for your eyesight. Below the VF is very good LCD screen rated 921K pixels. The 60D has an articulating 3-inch screen with more dots (1.04 million total), so Canon wins that round.
Surrounding the screen are the usual array of buttons for white balance, ISO and so on, with another jog wheel on the top right to move through menu options and a controller with center OK button. Since this is 2011, there’s a red video dot in middle of the Live View lever—simply pull it to the right, the mirror raises up, press the dot and you can shoot HD video (1920 x 1080 at 24 fps MOV files). There’s a six-pinhole speaker nearby. This is hardly the 1080p at 60 fps of the recently reviewed Panasonic SDT750, but it’s home video nonetheless (more in the performance section).
On the right side is a compartment for two SDHC/SDXC cards. You can put stills on one, video the other if that rings your bell, or just use a single card. The D7000 is the first camera we’re aware of that uses the Ultra High Speed system (UHS-1) for faster read and write speeds. The left side has a compartment with A/V, USB and mini-HDMI outs. A second has inputs for mics and GPS. Near the lens mount is an AF/Manual switch, as well as bracket and flash-open keys.
The bottom of this Made-In-Thailand DSLR has the battery compartment, metal tripod mount, and the contact cover for an optional battery pack. As with lenses, you can spend thousands if you want to trick out your camera. Hold off for a while, since the D7000 is far from cheap to begin with.
What's in the Box
The D700 includes kit includes both the body and 18-105mm VR lens, if you decide on that option. You’ll also get EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery rated up to 850 shots per CIPA, charger, eyepiece cap, rubber eyecup, USB and A/V cables, strap, LCD monitor cover, body cap, accessory shoe cover and ViewNX 2 software on CD-ROM. For good measure, Nikon includes a 328-page user’s manual for light reading.
Since this camera is one of the first that’s UHS-1 compatible, which allows for up to 45 Mbps read speeds, we popped in a new 16GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card and hit the streets.
Performance and Use
The Nikon D7000 uses a 16.2-megapixel APS-C size sensor (23.6 x 15.8mm), a first for the company. Its most expensive DSLRs feature full-frame imagers (23.6 x 36mm) but expect to pay at least $2,500 for one. While not the 18-megapixels of the APS-C 60D, at these levels you’d be hard pressed to notice the difference, unless you’re blowing up your images to fill a Times Square billboard. Both are overkill for most shutterbugs, but if there’s no compromise with image quality at these high numbers, what’s the harm? Note there is definitely harm with many 14- and 16-megapixel point-and-shoots with their tiny CCDs — that’s why we suggest avoiding nose-bleed figures in that category.
At 16.2MP, you’re capturing 4928 x 3264 pixel files. We put the camera into RAW+JPEG Fine mode to test its ability to push piles of pixels. As usual, we started in Auto, then moved to manual options since it’s a shame not to play with a camera of this level. Videos were shot at the highest resolution.
When we were first shown the D7000, Nikon execs were really stoked describing the new 2,016-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix metering system. They claimed it would deliver incredibly accurate exposures. They noted the $8,000 D3x uses the “old” 1,005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II setup. This—along with the new sensor—are among the key advances of this DSLR, as is the speedier burst mode of 6 fps versus the 4.5 of the 12.3-megapixel D90. The Nikon D3s is Nikon’s fastest camera, at 9 fps, but it costs $5,199 (body only). Another advance is increased ISO sensitivity. Native is 100 to 6400, but it hits 25,600 in the Hi 2 setting, for shooting in near darkness. Toss in a new 39-point AF system with nine center cross-type sensors, and you’ve got one impressive DSLR in your hands. Now it was time to see if all the pieces in the puzzle came together.
It’s dead of winter in the Northeast, and it’s hard to find anything moving quickly to test the burst mode in our neck of the woods. Not so in Manhattan, where yellow cabs and red buses fly by along with silver-clad messengers on scooters. We used Continuous H to capture them.
Before getting to the results, let’s state that using the Nikon D7000 is quite enjoyable. Response time is blazing fast even shooting RAW+JPEG Fine; peeling off bursts of 10 to 20 images, the camera barely seemed to breathe hard. Once we got the feel of this beefy DSLR, changing parameters was quite simple, even that odd Release Mode dial.
After filling our SanDisk card, we made prints, reviewed the files closely on a monitor and watched the videos on a 50-inch plasma HDTV via HDMI. Nikon claims with the expanded ISO range you can “capture just about every moment that captures you.” Well, we had to try shooting a single candle in a very dark room at 25,600 ISO — the results were predictable as we had a pixilated mess. Oh, you can clean up the noise in the RAW files, but the JPEGs were pretty bad. You need a full-frame sensor, and to spend twice the money, for solid results at those levels. That on the table, the D7000 handles noise unbelievably well up to ISO 3200, with noise making its presence felt at 6400. At 10,000 the snowstorm turns into a blizzard, but if you stay within the native range of 100 to 6400, you’ll be quite happy.
Colors, as you’d expect, were very accurate. Although we tend to like ours more saturated and vivid, you can tweak the D7000 to whatever level suits you, as Nikon has a suite of retouching options available during playback. We’re talking fine-tuning here, as the basic photos are much better than acceptable. The new metering mode handled some difficult in-and-out of shadow subjects but it’s not perfect — you still need your fill flash and exposure compensation skills for best results. Focusing was super sharp, and very fast, with terrific detail.
We had no trouble capturing fast-moving vehicles flying down Manhattan streets with hardly any blur. This will be a great camera for parents with budding athletes, or if you have a hyper-energetic kid (aren’t they all?).
We can go on and on about the D7000’s still capabilities, but you get the idea, it’s a very fine DSLR. It is not, however, a very fine camcorder.
Our issues with contrast-phase-detection focusing systems remain on the table. Nikon’s AF system works OK, and colors are spot on, but when you touch any of the controls, such as pressing the shutter or working the zoom, the mic picks it up, something no camcorder does. Sony’s SLT-series DSLRs with phase-detect focusing still remain the video leaders, as far as DSLRs are concerned.
Conclusion
Having extensively tested the Nikon D7000, it’s easy to understand why this camera ranks up there in popularity, even with a $1,200 price tag. Simply put, if you’re serious about photography, you want this camera. As for the video, it’s a nice feature, but not the raison d’être for this very impressive DSLR. Good luck finding one—or getting a deal.
Compare Prices on Yahoo! Shopping for the Nikon D7000
Highs:
• 16.2MP APS-C DSLR
• Terrific photos
• Very responsive (6 fps)
• Top ISO of 25,600
• Fast focusing, excellent detail
Lows:
• Hard to find and forget about a price break
• Weird Release-Mode dial
• Heavy noise above ISO 10,000—which is pretty amazing anyway
• HD video still problematic
Nikon D7000 Specifications
Type: Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount: Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)
Effective pixels: 16.2 million
Image sensor: 23.6 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor
Image size (pixels) - 4,928 x 3,262 [L]
- 3,696 x 2,448 [M]
- 2,464 x 1,632 [S]
File format: 1) NEF(RAW), 2)JPEG, 3)NEF(RAW)+JPEG
Media SD: (Secure Digital) memory cards *1, SDHC and SDXC compliant
Frame advance rate: CL：1 to 5frames fps*
CH：6 fps *
*CIPA guidelines
ISO sensitivity ISO 100 to 6400, can be set up to approx. 2 EV (ISO 25600 equivalent) above ISO 6400; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Movie: Frame size (pixels) and frame rate:
[NTSC] 1,920 x 1,080; 24p - 1,280 x 720; 30p - 1,280 x 720; 24p - 640 x 424; 30p [PAL] 1,920 x 1,080; 24p - 1,280 x 720;25p - 1,280 x 720;24p - 640 x 424; 25p
Maximum Recording Time:Approx.20 min.
File format/Video compression: MOV, H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Cording
Audio recording device; Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone
Monitor: 3-in., approx. 921k-dot, TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Power source: Battery; One rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL15
AC adapter(optional);EH-5a AC adapter; requires EP-5B power connector
Dimensions (approx.): (W x H x D) 132 X 105 X 77mm
Weight (approx.): 690g without battery, memory card, or body cap, 780g;with battery and memory card but without body cap
Major supplied accessories: Rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL15, Battery charger MH-25, Camera strap AN-DC1, USB cable, Audio video cable,ViewNX 2 CD-ROM.
A professional feel and features make the ultra-capable Nikon D7000 one of the hardest cameras to find on the market today, for good reason.
By David Elrich, DigitalTrends.com
Nikon D7000 Review: "Nikon D7000 Review"
Monday, March 07, 2011
Scientists' amazing California discovery includes fishing tackle 12,000 years old
People are discovering antique fishing tackle all the time, in closets and at garage sales, but none of that compares to discoveries made recently by archaeologists at two of the Channel Islands off Southern California.
Looking for signs of ancient human settlement, they unearthed meticulously-crafted spearheads and other tools (see photo at right) that date back 12,000 years and provide insight into the lives of a seafaring culture that obtained bounty from the ocean.
The astonishing discoveries, at three sites on Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands west of Santa Barbara, strongly support the theory that during an era when the first traces of humans appeared in the archaeological record in North America, a coastal culture existed that was distinct from the well-chronicled inland Clovis culture, which consisted of big-game hunters who subsisted on mastodons and other large mammals.
A 15-member team led by Jon Erlandson of the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History found chipped stone tools, used for fishing and hunting, along with an abundance of discarded seashells and bones.
A story about the finds appears in the March 4 issue of Science; it was summarized by New Scientist and Science Daily. New Scientist's headline: "Found: fine American fishing tackle, 12 millennia old."
In the Science Daily piece, Erlandson said, "This is among the earliest evidence of seafaring and maritime adaptations in the Americas, and another extension of the diversity of Paleoindian economies. The points we are finding are extraordinary, the workmanship amazing. They are ultra thin, serrated and have incredible barbs on them. It's a very sophisticated chipped-stone technology."
The sites are thought to have represented seasonal hunting grounds. Prey items probably included surf perch and rockfish, geese, cormorants and other birds, shellfish and perhaps seals, sea lions and otters. The crescent-shaped stones probably were used at the ends of darts to stun birds. Fish and larger marine mammals were speared.
Team member Todd Braje, of Humboldt State University, is quoted by New Scientist as saying, "We found very thin, expertly made projectile points and it blew us away that these delicate flint-knapped points are this old."
Most of the tools were different from those unearthed at inland Clovis sites on the North American mainland, but some of the spearheads were similar, perhaps implying that trade existed between the cultures.
The newly discovered sites might help scientists learn more about how North America became populated. It's widely believed that people arrived via a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska, but some scientists believe seafaring migration occurred.
Erlandson explained that his team's find supports the notion that mariners were either first to inhabit North America, or that they arrived at about the same time as those via the land route.
While the recent finds are not the oldest in North America, Braje explained in the New Scientist story that "this pushes back the chronology of New World seafaring to 12,000, maybe 13,000 years ago. It gets us a big step closer to showing that a coastal migration route happened, or was at least possible."
-- Top image is of the ancient fishing tackle discovered recently by scientists at Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands off Southern California. Courtesy of Jon Erlandson. Second image, of Santa Miguel Island, and Channel Islands map graphic are from Wikipedia
By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com
Scientists' amazing California discovery includes fishing tackle 12,000 years old: "Scientists' amazing California discovery includes fishing tackle 12,000 years old"
Looking for signs of ancient human settlement, they unearthed meticulously-crafted spearheads and other tools (see photo at right) that date back 12,000 years and provide insight into the lives of a seafaring culture that obtained bounty from the ocean.
The astonishing discoveries, at three sites on Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands west of Santa Barbara, strongly support the theory that during an era when the first traces of humans appeared in the archaeological record in North America, a coastal culture existed that was distinct from the well-chronicled inland Clovis culture, which consisted of big-game hunters who subsisted on mastodons and other large mammals.
A 15-member team led by Jon Erlandson of the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History found chipped stone tools, used for fishing and hunting, along with an abundance of discarded seashells and bones.
A story about the finds appears in the March 4 issue of Science; it was summarized by New Scientist and Science Daily. New Scientist's headline: "Found: fine American fishing tackle, 12 millennia old."
In the Science Daily piece, Erlandson said, "This is among the earliest evidence of seafaring and maritime adaptations in the Americas, and another extension of the diversity of Paleoindian economies. The points we are finding are extraordinary, the workmanship amazing. They are ultra thin, serrated and have incredible barbs on them. It's a very sophisticated chipped-stone technology."
The sites are thought to have represented seasonal hunting grounds. Prey items probably included surf perch and rockfish, geese, cormorants and other birds, shellfish and perhaps seals, sea lions and otters. The crescent-shaped stones probably were used at the ends of darts to stun birds. Fish and larger marine mammals were speared.
Team member Todd Braje, of Humboldt State University, is quoted by New Scientist as saying, "We found very thin, expertly made projectile points and it blew us away that these delicate flint-knapped points are this old."
Most of the tools were different from those unearthed at inland Clovis sites on the North American mainland, but some of the spearheads were similar, perhaps implying that trade existed between the cultures.
The newly discovered sites might help scientists learn more about how North America became populated. It's widely believed that people arrived via a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska, but some scientists believe seafaring migration occurred.
Erlandson explained that his team's find supports the notion that mariners were either first to inhabit North America, or that they arrived at about the same time as those via the land route.
While the recent finds are not the oldest in North America, Braje explained in the New Scientist story that "this pushes back the chronology of New World seafaring to 12,000, maybe 13,000 years ago. It gets us a big step closer to showing that a coastal migration route happened, or was at least possible."
-- Top image is of the ancient fishing tackle discovered recently by scientists at Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands off Southern California. Courtesy of Jon Erlandson. Second image, of Santa Miguel Island, and Channel Islands map graphic are from Wikipedia
By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com
Scientists' amazing California discovery includes fishing tackle 12,000 years old: "Scientists' amazing California discovery includes fishing tackle 12,000 years old"
Thursday, February 03, 2011
1,500-year-old church found in Israel
HIRBET MADRAS, Israel – Israeli archaeologists presented a newly uncovered 1,500-year-old church in the Judean hills on Wednesday, including an unusually well-preserved mosaic floor with images of lions, foxes, fish and peacocks.
The Byzantine church located southwest of Jerusalem, excavated over the last two months, will be visible only for another week before archaeologists cover it again with soil for its own protection.
The small basilica with an exquisitely decorated floor was active between the fifth and seventh centuries A.D., said the dig's leader, Amir Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority. He said the floor was "one of the most beautiful mosaics to be uncovered in Israel in recent years."
"It is unique in its craftsmanship and level of preservation," he said.
Archaeologists began digging at the site, known as Hirbet Madras, in December. The Antiquities Authority discovered several months earlier that antiquities thieves had begun plundering the ruins, which sit on an uninhabited hill not far from an Israeli farming community.
Though an initial survey suggested the building was a synagogue, the excavation revealed stones carved with crosses, identifying it as a church. The building had been built atop another structure around 500 years older, dating to Roman times, when scholars believe the settlement was inhabited by Jews.
Hewn into the rock underneath that structure is a network of tunnels that archaeologists believe were used by Jewish rebels fighting Roman armies in the second century A.D.
Stone steps lead down from the floor of church to a small burial cave, which scholars suggest might have been venerated as the burial place of the Old Testament prophet Zecharia.
Ganor said the church would remain covered until funding was obtained to open it as a tourist site.
Israel boasts an exceptionally high concentration of archaeological sites, including Crusader, Islamic, Byzantine, Roman, ancient Jewish and prehistoric ruins.
By MATTI FRIEDMAN, Associated Press
1,500-year-old church found in Israel - Yahoo! News: "1,500-year-old church found in Israel"
The Byzantine church located southwest of Jerusalem, excavated over the last two months, will be visible only for another week before archaeologists cover it again with soil for its own protection.
The small basilica with an exquisitely decorated floor was active between the fifth and seventh centuries A.D., said the dig's leader, Amir Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority. He said the floor was "one of the most beautiful mosaics to be uncovered in Israel in recent years."
"It is unique in its craftsmanship and level of preservation," he said.
Archaeologists began digging at the site, known as Hirbet Madras, in December. The Antiquities Authority discovered several months earlier that antiquities thieves had begun plundering the ruins, which sit on an uninhabited hill not far from an Israeli farming community.
Though an initial survey suggested the building was a synagogue, the excavation revealed stones carved with crosses, identifying it as a church. The building had been built atop another structure around 500 years older, dating to Roman times, when scholars believe the settlement was inhabited by Jews.
Hewn into the rock underneath that structure is a network of tunnels that archaeologists believe were used by Jewish rebels fighting Roman armies in the second century A.D.
Stone steps lead down from the floor of church to a small burial cave, which scholars suggest might have been venerated as the burial place of the Old Testament prophet Zecharia.
Ganor said the church would remain covered until funding was obtained to open it as a tourist site.
Israel boasts an exceptionally high concentration of archaeological sites, including Crusader, Islamic, Byzantine, Roman, ancient Jewish and prehistoric ruins.
By MATTI FRIEDMAN, Associated Press
1,500-year-old church found in Israel - Yahoo! News: "1,500-year-old church found in Israel"
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Lice DNA shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago | The Archaeology News Network
A new University of Florida study following the evolution of lice shows modern humans started wearing clothes about 170,000 years ago, a technology which enabled them to successfully migrate out of Africa.
Principal investigator David Reed, associate curator of mammals at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus, studies lice in modern humans to better understand human evolution and migration patterns. His latest five-year study used DNA sequencing to calculate when clothing lice first began to diverge genetically from human head lice.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study is available online and appears in this month’s print edition of Molecular Biology and Evolution.
“We wanted to find another method for pinpointing when humans might have first started wearing clothing,” Reed said. “Because they are so well adapted to clothing, we know that body lice or clothing lice almost certainly didn’t exist until clothing came about in humans.”
The data shows modern humans started wearing clothes about 70,000 years before migrating into colder climates and higher latitudes, which began about 100,000 years ago. This date would be virtually impossible to determine using archaeological data because early clothing would not survive in archaeological sites.
The study also shows humans started wearing clothes well after they lost body hair, which genetic skin-coloration research pinpoints at about 1 million years ago, meaning humans spent a considerable amount of time without body hair and without clothing, Reed said
“It’s interesting to think humans were able to survive in Africa for hundreds of thousands of years without clothing and without body hair, and that it wasn’t until they had clothing that modern humans were then moving out of Africa into other parts of the world,” Reed said.
Lice are studied because unlike most other parasites, they are stranded on lineages of hosts over long periods of evolutionary time. The relationship allows scientists to learn about evolutionary changes in the host based on changes in the parasite.
Applying unique data sets from lice to human evolution has only developed within the last 20 years, and provides information that could be used in medicine, evolutionary biology, ecology or any number of fields, Reed said.
“It gives the opportunity to study host-switching and invading new hosts — behaviors seen in emerging infectious diseases that affect humans,” Reed said.
A study of clothing lice in 2003 led by Mark Stoneking, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany, estimated humans first began wearing clothes about 107,000 years ago. But the UF research includes new data and calculation methods better suited for the question.
“The new result from this lice study is an unexpectedly early date for clothing, much older than the earliest solid archaeological evidence, but it makes sense,” said Ian Gilligan, lecturer in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at The Australian National University. “It means modern humans probably started wearing clothes on a regular basis to keep warm when they were first exposed to Ice Age conditions.”
The last Ice Age occurred about 120,000 years ago, but the study’s date suggests humans started wearing clothes in the preceding Ice Age 180,000 years ago, according to temperature estimates from ice core studies, Gilligan said. Modern humans first appeared about 200,000 years ago.
Because archaic hominins did not leave descendants of clothing lice for sampling, the study does not explore the possibility archaic hominins outside of Africa were clothed in some fashion 800,000 years ago. But while archaic humans were able to survive for many generations outside Africa, only modern humans persisted there until the present.
“The things that may have made us much more successful in that endeavor hundreds of thousands of years later were technologies like the controlled use of fire, the ability to use clothing, new hunting strategies and new stone tools,” Reed said.
Study co-authors were Melissa Toups of Indiana University and Andrew Kitchen of The Pennsylvania State University, both previously with UF. Co-author Jessica Light of Texas A&M University was formerly a post-doctoral fellow at the Florida Museum. The researchers completed the project with the help of Reed’s NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award, which is granted to researchers who exemplify the teacher-researcher role.
Lice DNA shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago | The Archaeology News Network: "Lice DNA shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago"
Principal investigator David Reed, associate curator of mammals at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus, studies lice in modern humans to better understand human evolution and migration patterns. His latest five-year study used DNA sequencing to calculate when clothing lice first began to diverge genetically from human head lice.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study is available online and appears in this month’s print edition of Molecular Biology and Evolution.
“We wanted to find another method for pinpointing when humans might have first started wearing clothing,” Reed said. “Because they are so well adapted to clothing, we know that body lice or clothing lice almost certainly didn’t exist until clothing came about in humans.”
The data shows modern humans started wearing clothes about 70,000 years before migrating into colder climates and higher latitudes, which began about 100,000 years ago. This date would be virtually impossible to determine using archaeological data because early clothing would not survive in archaeological sites.
The study also shows humans started wearing clothes well after they lost body hair, which genetic skin-coloration research pinpoints at about 1 million years ago, meaning humans spent a considerable amount of time without body hair and without clothing, Reed said
“It’s interesting to think humans were able to survive in Africa for hundreds of thousands of years without clothing and without body hair, and that it wasn’t until they had clothing that modern humans were then moving out of Africa into other parts of the world,” Reed said.
Lice are studied because unlike most other parasites, they are stranded on lineages of hosts over long periods of evolutionary time. The relationship allows scientists to learn about evolutionary changes in the host based on changes in the parasite.
Applying unique data sets from lice to human evolution has only developed within the last 20 years, and provides information that could be used in medicine, evolutionary biology, ecology or any number of fields, Reed said.
“It gives the opportunity to study host-switching and invading new hosts — behaviors seen in emerging infectious diseases that affect humans,” Reed said.
A study of clothing lice in 2003 led by Mark Stoneking, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany, estimated humans first began wearing clothes about 107,000 years ago. But the UF research includes new data and calculation methods better suited for the question.
“The new result from this lice study is an unexpectedly early date for clothing, much older than the earliest solid archaeological evidence, but it makes sense,” said Ian Gilligan, lecturer in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at The Australian National University. “It means modern humans probably started wearing clothes on a regular basis to keep warm when they were first exposed to Ice Age conditions.”
The last Ice Age occurred about 120,000 years ago, but the study’s date suggests humans started wearing clothes in the preceding Ice Age 180,000 years ago, according to temperature estimates from ice core studies, Gilligan said. Modern humans first appeared about 200,000 years ago.
Because archaic hominins did not leave descendants of clothing lice for sampling, the study does not explore the possibility archaic hominins outside of Africa were clothed in some fashion 800,000 years ago. But while archaic humans were able to survive for many generations outside Africa, only modern humans persisted there until the present.
“The things that may have made us much more successful in that endeavor hundreds of thousands of years later were technologies like the controlled use of fire, the ability to use clothing, new hunting strategies and new stone tools,” Reed said.
Study co-authors were Melissa Toups of Indiana University and Andrew Kitchen of The Pennsylvania State University, both previously with UF. Co-author Jessica Light of Texas A&M University was formerly a post-doctoral fellow at the Florida Museum. The researchers completed the project with the help of Reed’s NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award, which is granted to researchers who exemplify the teacher-researcher role.
Lice DNA shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago | The Archaeology News Network: "Lice DNA shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago"
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Fossilized Bird Brains May Yield Secret of First Flights
By reconstructing the brains of extinct birds, researchers could shed light on when birds evolved into creatures of flight.
Overwhelming evidence suggests birds evolved from dinosaurs some 150 million years ago, but one of the missing pieces to the evolutionary puzzle is how such birds took to the air.
Scientists in Scotland are focusing on changes in the size of a part of the rear of the brain. This part of the cerebellum, known as the flocculus, is responsible for integrating visual and balance signals during flight, allowing birds to judge the position of other objects in midflight. [3-D Image of Raven Brain]
"We believe we can discover how the flocculus has evolved to deal with different flying abilities, giving us new information about when birds first evolved the power of flight," said project leader Stig Walsh, senior curator of vertebrate palaeobiology at National Museums Scotland.
In collaboration with the University of Abertay Dundee, investigators are scanning fossils of at least a half-dozen extinct species and the skulls of roughly 100 modern birds in unusual detail. "Unlike medical scanners, which take a series of slice images through an object that may be up to 1.5 millimeters apart, the 3-D scanner at Abertay University can be accurate up to 6 microns," Walsh said. (The width of a strand of hair is about 100 microns.)
[Photos: More incredible images of dinosaurs and fossils]
When it comes to the modern birds, "we are particularly interested in species that are closely related where there are flying and flightless examples, such as cormorants, pigeons, parrots and ducks," Walsh told LiveScience.
This could reveal whether the flocculus became smaller with the loss of flight.
In addition, the researchers are investigating birds that are particularly fast fliers, such as peregrine falcons; those with acrobatic talents, such as swifts and house martins; those that can hover through powered flight, such as kingfishers; and birds that can fly backward, such as hummingbirds.
The extinct birds the researchers are scanning include recently vanished species such as the dodo, which died out in the late 17th century, as well as fossils of three species from the lower Eocene roughly 55 million years ago, a flightless sea bird from the Cretaceous Period around 100 million years ago, and the oldest known flying bird, Archaeopteryx. Those prehistoric fossils, which retain their original shape, are extraordinarily rare, since most bird fossils are flattened by the earth under which they are buried.
[Related: Fossil records reveal 'explosion' of life]
The researchers are looking for a link between a larger flocculus and a greater ability to process the visual and balance signals during flight. If the relationship is proven, it could mark a major step forward in understanding bird evolution, and even might help resolve the controversy over whether some ancient bird-like fossils were truly those of dinosaurs or simply of birds that lost the power of flight.
"With the heated debate about these animals, this would be an excellent finding, though I'm sure the debate won't end there," Walsh said.
The project is scheduled to run until early 2012.
Charles Q. Choi
LiveScience Contributor
LiveScience.com charles Q. Choi
livescience Contributor
livescience.com – Sat Jan 1, 12:15 pm ET
Fossilized Bird Brains May Yield Secret of First Flights: "Fossilized Bird Brains May Yield Secret of First Flights"
Overwhelming evidence suggests birds evolved from dinosaurs some 150 million years ago, but one of the missing pieces to the evolutionary puzzle is how such birds took to the air.
Scientists in Scotland are focusing on changes in the size of a part of the rear of the brain. This part of the cerebellum, known as the flocculus, is responsible for integrating visual and balance signals during flight, allowing birds to judge the position of other objects in midflight. [3-D Image of Raven Brain]
"We believe we can discover how the flocculus has evolved to deal with different flying abilities, giving us new information about when birds first evolved the power of flight," said project leader Stig Walsh, senior curator of vertebrate palaeobiology at National Museums Scotland.
In collaboration with the University of Abertay Dundee, investigators are scanning fossils of at least a half-dozen extinct species and the skulls of roughly 100 modern birds in unusual detail. "Unlike medical scanners, which take a series of slice images through an object that may be up to 1.5 millimeters apart, the 3-D scanner at Abertay University can be accurate up to 6 microns," Walsh said. (The width of a strand of hair is about 100 microns.)
[Photos: More incredible images of dinosaurs and fossils]
When it comes to the modern birds, "we are particularly interested in species that are closely related where there are flying and flightless examples, such as cormorants, pigeons, parrots and ducks," Walsh told LiveScience.
This could reveal whether the flocculus became smaller with the loss of flight.
In addition, the researchers are investigating birds that are particularly fast fliers, such as peregrine falcons; those with acrobatic talents, such as swifts and house martins; those that can hover through powered flight, such as kingfishers; and birds that can fly backward, such as hummingbirds.
The extinct birds the researchers are scanning include recently vanished species such as the dodo, which died out in the late 17th century, as well as fossils of three species from the lower Eocene roughly 55 million years ago, a flightless sea bird from the Cretaceous Period around 100 million years ago, and the oldest known flying bird, Archaeopteryx. Those prehistoric fossils, which retain their original shape, are extraordinarily rare, since most bird fossils are flattened by the earth under which they are buried.
[Related: Fossil records reveal 'explosion' of life]
The researchers are looking for a link between a larger flocculus and a greater ability to process the visual and balance signals during flight. If the relationship is proven, it could mark a major step forward in understanding bird evolution, and even might help resolve the controversy over whether some ancient bird-like fossils were truly those of dinosaurs or simply of birds that lost the power of flight.
"With the heated debate about these animals, this would be an excellent finding, though I'm sure the debate won't end there," Walsh said.
The project is scheduled to run until early 2012.
Charles Q. Choi
LiveScience Contributor
LiveScience.com charles Q. Choi
livescience Contributor
livescience.com – Sat Jan 1, 12:15 pm ET
Fossilized Bird Brains May Yield Secret of First Flights: "Fossilized Bird Brains May Yield Secret of First Flights"
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