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Fungi, Feces Show Comet Didn't Kill Ice Age Mammals?
National Geographic ^ | 22 June 2010 | John Roach

Posted on 06/24/2010 8:43:43 AM PDT by Palter

Tiny balls of fungus and feces may disprove the theory that a huge space rock exploded over North America about 12,900 years ago, triggering a thousand-year cold snap, according to a new study.

The ancient temperature drop, called the Younger Dryas, has been well documented in the geologic record, including soil and ice core samples.

The cool-down also coincides with the extinction of mammoths and other Ice Age mammals in North America, and it's thought to have spurred our hunter-gatherer ancestors in the Middle East to adopt an agricultural lifestyle.

But the theory that a comet or asteroid explosion is behind the cooling event is wrong, according to study leader Andrew C. Scott, a paleobotanist at Royal Holloway University in London.

For years proponents of the impact theory have cited tiny spherules of carbon found in a layer of charred sediment throughout North America that dates to the Younger Dryas period.

According to the theory, these spherules are organic matter subjected to intense heat after debris from an exploded meteor rained down on Earth, sparking massive wildfires.

The new research, however, detected carbon spherules in soil layers from before, during, and after the Younger Dryas, making it hard to argue that the particles are products of a sudden impact.

What's more, Scott's team found that most of the spherules are similar to tightly packed balls of fungus found in modern soils that have been exposed to low to moderate heat during wildfires. Plant and soil fungi are known to create these balls of material to help them survive extreme conditions.

Other elongated forms of the spherules match modern fecal pellets from insects.

"All these particles are of natural biological origin and are not related to either intense wildfires or cosmic impacts," Scott said in an email.

"The press and public are very interested in catastrophic explanations," he added. "But it is important that when evidence stacks up to show the theory does not work, then it should be abandoned."

What About the Nanodiamonds?

In fact, most experts acknowledge that carbon spherules are found throughout the geological record, including biological forms associated with wildfires, said James Kennett, an emeritus geologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who supports the cosmic-impact hypothesis.

However, the spherules are not often found in large quantities, he said, and there is "a peak in carbon spherules at the Younger Dryas boundary."

What's more, those spherules are found alongside microscopic diamonds, or nanodiamonds, which often form under the conditions caused by extraterrestrial impacts.

The new study does not report evidence of nanodiamonds, Kennett noted, which is expected, since the team wasn't directly looking for them.

"So their [reported] data is consistent," Kennett said.

Study leader Scott said that his team has studied the nanodiamond issue, but he's not yet able to discuss the results.

He did, however, hint that the particles might not be nanodiamonds at all: Fungal spores the team examined have similar microscopic features.

And, Scott said, "obviously [spores] are not nanodiamonds."

The carbon spherule study has been accepted for publication in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.


TOPICS: Astronomy; History; Science
KEYWORDS: catastrophe; catastrophism; clovis; clovisimpact; comet; fungi; godsgravesglyphs; iceage; impact; youngerdryas

1 posted on 06/24/2010 8:43:46 AM PDT by Palter
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To: SunkenCiv

Shrug.


2 posted on 06/24/2010 8:44:14 AM PDT by Palter (Kilroy was here.)
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To: Palter
"The new research, however, detected carbon spherules in soil layers from before, during, and after the Younger Dryas, making it hard to argue that the particles are products of a sudden impact."

There is a reason hardly anybody reads National Geographic anymore. They have developed a skill for taking an interesting subject and making it dry as hell.

3 posted on 06/24/2010 8:48:16 AM PDT by Artemis Webb (DeMint 2012)
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To: Palter; Slings and Arrows
Tiny balls of fungus and feces may disprove the theory that a huge space rock exploded over North America about 12,900 years ago, triggering a thousand-year cold snap, according to a new study.

The quest for the ancient 'shrooms.

4 posted on 06/24/2010 8:50:37 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I wish our president loved the US military as much as he loves Paul McCartney.)
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To: Palter

Seems the weight of evidence is tilted toward a series of catastrophic extraterrestrial and terrestrial events, including a layer of iridium mixed with ash, et cetera that are concurrent to the Younger Dryas. Science is a long process of work not a short article in National “there is global warming because we wrote a few articles that say so—trust us you are idiots” Geographic.


5 posted on 06/24/2010 8:52:47 AM PDT by egannacht (Inalienable rights granted by...)
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To: Artemis Webb
They have developed a skill for taking an interesting subject and making it dry as hell.

Not to mention becoming part of the Loony Left.

6 posted on 06/24/2010 9:55:09 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Time for Regime Change in America)
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To: Palter; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 240B; 24Karet; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks Palter for the ping, and for the shrug. ;')

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · Mirabilis.ca · LiveScience · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
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· Archaeology · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


7 posted on 06/24/2010 2:27:46 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: Flood, Fire, and Famine in the History of Civilization The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes:
Flood, Fire, and Famine
in the History of Civilization

by Richard Firestone,
Allen West, and
Simon Warwick-Smith

additional topics from the archives:
8 posted on 06/24/2010 2:30:04 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: SunkenCiv

Might have gone with a different headline.....:)


9 posted on 06/24/2010 2:30:24 PM PDT by La Lydia
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To: 75thOVI; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; BBell; ...
Thanks Palter for the ping, and for the shrug. ;')
 
Catastrophism
 
· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·
 

10 posted on 06/24/2010 2:32:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: Palter

Nanodiamonds are a nanogirl’s best friend.


11 posted on 06/24/2010 3:07:18 PM PDT by Condor51 (SAT CONG!)
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To: Palter

That’s right. The causes of the recent extinctions were substantially more major than a comet impact.


12 posted on 06/24/2010 3:24:07 PM PDT by wendy1946
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To: La Lydia

Yeah really! ;’) :’D

And for that matter, “Spray Paint, Anteaters, Show Marlon Brando Didn’t Work in a Car Wash”.


13 posted on 06/24/2010 3:49:35 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: Condor51

Not to mention being the best materieal for nanoneedles so I can play my nanovinyl.


14 posted on 06/24/2010 5:44:42 PM PDT by uglybiker (BACON!!)
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To: La Lydia
Might have gone with a different headline

I thought that was U gathering Liberty Caps

15 posted on 06/24/2010 5:58:29 PM PDT by bigheadfred (I said free association. Not freely associate.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I thought Comet was supposed to clean up stuff like fungus and feces?


16 posted on 06/26/2010 1:02:13 AM PDT by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: Grimmy

Well, it makes your teeth turn green, and tastes like gasoline, AND it makes you vomit, so...


17 posted on 06/26/2010 7:38:49 AM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: Condor51

LOL!


18 posted on 06/26/2010 7:41:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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Looks like Amazon changed its standards links again.

The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: Flood, Fire, and Famine in the History of Civilization The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes:
Flood, Fire, and Famine
in the History of Civilization

by Richard Firestone,
Allen West, and
Simon Warwick-Smith


19 posted on 06/26/2010 7:47:58 AM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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