Extinct Penguin Wore Earth Tones, Fossil Shows Penguins didn’t always wear tuxedos

 

An illustration of Inkayacu paracasensis.

At least a large penguin that lived 36 million years ago looked nothing like Fred Astaire stepping out in high society. Nor anything like the house tom all dressed up in black and white with no place to go. Scientists announced Thursday that the fossils of the first extinct penguin to be found with preserved evidence of feathers showed that it had yet to adopt the tuxedo look of living penguins. Its feathers were predominantly reddish brown and shades of gray.

The findings also corroborated previous skeletal evidence that penguins had by then evolved the flippers and body shape for powerful swimming — birds in “aquatic flight,” as scientists characterize their marine behavior. The shapes and dense arrangement of the feathers appeared to stiffen the flippers and streamline and insulate the entire body, the researchers said.

For reasons not yet understood, the scientists said, the familiar color pattern of living penguins, dark coat and contrasting white shirt front, is a much more recent innovation, long after they evolved the feathers and anatomy for a life as expert divers and swimmers in frigid water.

“Before this fossil, we had no evidence about the feathers, colors and flipper shapes of ancient penguins,” Julia A. Clarke, a paleontologist at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a statement. She was the lead author of the report describing the discovery online and in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.

The fossil specimen was a giant bird about five feet tall that had an exceptionally elongated beak with a grooved tip. Its estimated body mass was twice that of today’s emperor penguin, so it was one of the largest penguins that ever lived. The extinct species has been named Inkayacu paracasensis, meaning the water emperor from the Reserva Nacional de Paracus, the place in Peru where the fossils were uncovered.

Dr. Clarke and her colleagues had already established that the Peruvian site held a rich diversity of giant penguin species from the Eocene period, about 36 million to 41 million years ago. She said that further investigations were expected to yield new discoveries to “change our view of not only penguin evolution, but of other marine vertebrates.”

The research on the feathered fossil penguin was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society.

Although the actual feathers had not survived, distinct impressions of them were left in the stony matrix. The preserved feathering of the left winglike flipper, as well as some of the body cover, was pronounced. To their surprise, the researchers were able to detect in the impressions the microscopic color-imparting structures known as melanosomes.

From a close analysis of the shapes, dimensions and other characteristics of the fossil’s melanosomes, the scientists determined that they were nothing like the large ellipsoidal shape and arrangement of pigmentation packets of living penguins.

Two members of the team, Matthew D. Shawkey and Liliana D’Alba of the University of Akron, compared the fossil specimen’s melanosomes with those of other birds. When there was a close match with well-studied birds, the researchers could then reconstruct the colors of the extinct penguin’s feathers. The Inkayacu feathers, they concluded in the report, were “gray or reddish-brown with high probability.”

Scientists said it was not clear when or why penguins acquired their tuxedo appearance.

“Shifts in penguin plumage coloration indicated by the fossil,” Dr. Clarke’s team wrote in the journal report, “may be linked to differences in ecology, thermoregulatory demands” or the introduction of new predators. Specifically, the scientists speculated that changing demands of underwater propulsion affected the melanosomes and that this led to their black and white feathers.

While such discoveries may yield insights into the ecology and behavior of early penguins, Jakob Vinther, a member of the research team who was the first to note the presence of pigmentation cells in fossils, said, “Most of all, I think it is simply just cool to get a look at the color of a remarkable extinct organism.”

彝族诡异“摸奶节”

 

据传说，隋朝年间连年战争，许多男性连女人都没有碰过就战死沙场，这些枉死之人成为孤魂野鬼四处游荡。他们生不能满足性欲，死了就想物色女子到阴间去做老婆。不过这些孤魂野鬼可是有强烈的“完美处女”情结，被人摸过奶的女子他们都不会要，被许多男子摸过的更是乏鬼问津。因此姑娘们如果不想去阴间当“鬼婆”，在鬼节这三天就得牺牲胸部换取平安。

楚雄位居云南省东北部，自古就是一个彝族部落居住地，行政名称叫楚雄彝族自治州。在这里生活的大部分是彝族人民，随着人口的流动和迁徙，现在汉族在这里居住的人口比例大约在40%。实际上是一个彝汉共居的地区，

彝族的摸奶节是举办在楚雄州双柏县鄂嘉镇，整个楚雄彝族自治州也就鄂嘉镇举办这个摸奶节，摸奶节的由来是在隋朝年间，因为年年征战，鄂嘉的彝族轻壮年很多在20岁以前就战死沙场。当时鄂嘉的轻壮年经过战争剩下的不到10%，所以这里的百姓就请巫师来对这些亡灵进行超度和祭奠，巫师祭奠后对百姓说，这些年轻的勇士在阴间去了后，其它的都不需要我们活着的人准备，他们基本上都没有碰个女人，所以他们需要还没有定亲的黄花闺女10名下去陪伴他们。并且这些亡灵要求只要奶子被男人摸过的都不要。十天后这10名黄花闺女必须送下去。

巫师的这个旨意下达后，家里有姑娘的、和年纪在15岁以上的姑娘们急得不知道怎么办，最后还是聪敏的族长说话了，他们在下面不是说;奶子被摸过的都不要吗？毕竟他们已经不在人世了，我们不能因为他们在阴间的需要，就吧现在还活着的人的性命不当回事了，但是阴间的亡灵也不可得罪，所以族长就决定我们举办一个摸奶节，让我们的黄花姑娘的奶子都被男人摸一下。就这么第一届摸奶节在隋朝年间就举办了。

如今的摸奶节还是在每年的7月14日举办。也就是农历的鬼节这天举办，摸奶节的举办在鄂嘉镇政府和百姓都相当的重视，节日前就会搭好各种舞台，准备好节日物品，摸奶节这天白天所有的男女老少都会集中起来，载歌载舞享受一天，到了晚上9点后，年老的和年幼的都陆续回去休息了，剩下的就是年轻的小伙子和年轻的小姑娘。他们一边喝酒一边跳舞，在深夜的时候男人就开始去摸女孩子的乳房。一般在摸的过程中，女孩子还是会躲避，但是不会生气。这样就出现了调情一般的场面，笑声欢呼声不绝于耳。在整个节日期间所有的男女活动仅仅限于摸奶这个环节，不会有其它的举动。因为这是他们这个地区的百姓延续了1000多年的风俗。节日结束后，女孩子以奶子被摸为高兴的事，男孩子以摸着女孩子的奶而荣耀。并且以摸和被摸的数量的多少为自己成绩。

中国少数民族众多，楚雄的摸奶节和其它民族的节日本质上一样的，都是为了纪念某个节日和事件而举办的。真心希望在看了我这篇文章的朋友，对楚雄彝族摸奶节有个更加真实的认识。如果对此很是好奇的朋友，可以在明年农历的7月14日到楚雄双柏鄂嘉镇去真实感受一下，切记摸奶节准时在7月14举行。

节日活动

鄂家镇简介

鄂家镇位于哀牢山东麓，地处双柏县西南部，距县城175公里，是个有着近两千年悠久历史的古城镇，是我国集古、奇、雅、秀的“袖珍”小城之一。每年农历七月十五至七月十七，就是鄂家镇著名的“鬼节”，又称“东方情人节”或“摸奶节”，是一个知名度很高的地方性民族传统节日。节日期间，四方群众从各地赶来，在小镇上唱3天、跳 3夜，伴着三弦弹奏，万人同乐。

鄂家“鬼节”中，有丰富的文娱活动，包括山歌对唱和民族传统体育比赛，以及通宵电影展映；同时开展商贸交流活动。在农贸市场，白天举行特色农副产品交易，晚上经营冷饮烧烤；虎山路举办外来商品展销会；嘉兴路为特色汤锅、小吃一条街。

“鬼节”的民族特色

山里小镇的“鬼节”蕴含丰富的民族特色，而在楚雄彝人古镇，“鬼节”却是中西文化交融的狂欢舞会。夜幕降临，景区内悬挂的不同形状的南瓜灯吸引了游客的目光，这些南瓜灯被雕刻成了神态各异的面具造形，颇有西方鬼节的风味。在毕摩颂经祈福中，篝火燃起来，游客戴上面具，一场假面锐舞狂欢派对活动拉开序幕。古镇工作人员头戴面具，穿着骷髅服及其他服饰，围绕桃花溪及威楚大道游行，手拿糖果及小礼物向周围人群发送。游行中，“众鬼”一边向围观的观众扮“鬼脸”，还会做出诙谐的搞笑动作，不断和游人互动，最后古镇还会评出最恐怖化装奖，把“鬼节”活动推向高潮。

当地的未婚男女会在这一天出门赶集，找对象。一旦对上了象，就会手牵着手钻进山坡上的松树林子里......而更多的人,包括外来的游人,如果在街上遇见喜欢的姑娘，都可以摸一摸姑娘的胸部。在这一天里，被摸了的姑娘是不会生气的。

鄂家镇位于哀牢山东麓，地处双柏县西南部，距县城175公里，是个有着近两千年悠久历史的古城镇，是我国集古、奇、雅、秀的“袖珍”小城之一。每年农历七月十五至七月十七，就是鄂家镇著名的“鬼节”，又称“东方情人节”或“摸奶节”，是一个知名度很高的地方性民族传统节日。节日期间，四方群众从各地赶来，在小镇上唱3天、跳3夜，伴着三弦弹奏，万人同乐。

鄂家镇“鬼节”中，有丰富的文娱活动，包括山歌对唱和民族传统体育比赛，以及通宵电影展映；同时开展商贸交流活动。在农贸市场，白天举行特色农副产品交易，晚上经营冷饮烧烤；虎山路举办外来商品展销会；嘉兴路为特色汤锅、小吃一条街。

男人摸到为吉祥 女人被摸不生气

云南楚雄彝族自治州双柏县窝家彝族乡很重视这个传统习俗，每逢这几天，青年男女都蜂涌而至到小镇赶鬼节。

原来，双柏县窝家的“鬼节”还有另外一个叫法－－“摸奶节”。据传当地的未婚男女会在这一天出门赶集，找对象。一旦对上了象，就会手牵着手钻进山坡上的松树林子里......而更多的人，包括外来的游人，如果在街上遇见喜欢的女子，都可以摸一摸女子的胸部。在这一天里，被摸了的女子是不会生气的。男人以摸到奶为吉祥，女子们以被摸奶为吉利

 

 

 

 

 

The World's Most Unusual Airports

Flying is anything but routine at these 13 airports around the world.

Unusual Airports: Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten

Be sure to wave at the beachgoers as you land here: The St. Maarten airport is located just beyond this beautiful Caribbean Island’s Maho Beach, and you’ll skim right over their heads before you touch down.

After you get off the plane, you might want to choose a different beach for your own sunbathing — unless you packed earplugs.

Unusual Airports: Kansai International Airport, Japan

What do you do when you don’t have enough land to build an airport? Create some of your own. Japan’s Kansai International Airport rests on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, which passengers reach by car, rail or ferry.

The airport island is so big — 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide — that it reportedly can be seen from space.

Unusual Airports: Gisborne Airport, New Zealand

Gisborne Airport, on New Zealand’s North Island, may be the only airport in the world where planes occasionally have to stop and wait for trains to pass.

The regional airport’s runway intersects a railroad line, which serves freight lines and tourism-centered trains.

Unusual Airports: Barra Airport, Scotland

The island of Barra in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides is the only place in the world that uses a beach as a runway for regularly scheduled flights.

If you’re planning to fly in or out of this airport, you’d better hope for low tide — otherwise the beach, and therefore the runway, will be underwater.

Unusual Airports: Hong Kong International Airport

Care to hit the links before you fly? A nine-hole golf course is just steps away from Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2, complete with floodlights for nighttime golfing.

Presumably the roar of jet engines (or the ear protection you might want to use) makes it difficult to hear “Fore!”

Unusual Airports: Courchevel International Airport, France

Nestled high in the French Alps, the resort town of Courchevel ranks among the world’s most sophisticated ski areas and comes complete with its own airport.

Landing or taking off at the airport can fray nerves, though: It’s right next to ski runs, Alpine weather conditions cause havoc, and the extremely short runway has a steep grade of 18.5 percent.

Unusual Airports: Juneau International Airport, Alaska

There’s very little flat land to be found around Juneau, the capital of Alaska. The mountains surrounding Juneau’s airport, plus the frequent bad weather, make flying here so dicey that Alaska Airlines pioneered new flight technology to make it viable on a modern scale.

Oh, and did we mention that just about the only way to reach Juneau is by air?

Unusual Airports: Gibraltar Airport

In tiny Gibraltar, space is at a premium — enough so that the airport’s runway intersects Gibraltar’s main road, which has to be closed every time a plane takes off or lands.
The airport is only a few minutes away from the center of town, and gates keep cars back when the runway is occupied.

Unusual Airports: Telluride Regional Airport, Colorado

At an elevation of more than 9,000 feet, Telluride Regional Airport is the highest commercial airport on the continent. It’s also surrounded by mountains and built on a cliff.

Pilots have to know what they’re doing here; the airport is flanked on three sides by a 1,000-foot drop into the San Miguel River — with the Rocky Mountains just beyond.

Unusual Airports: Copalis State Airport, Washington

If you’re landing at Copalis State Airport on Washington’s Pacific coast, you could be forgiven for wondering where the airport is. In fact, it’s little more than a strip of beach, which also happens to be open to beachgoers.
The state Department of Transportation advises pilots to do a flyover before landing “to check for obstructions such as exposed rocks, debris and pedestrians.”

Unusual Airports: Toncontín International Airport, Honduras

Toncontín International Airport’s 7,096-foot-long runway is one of the shortest international runways on the planet. The nearby mountains make it dangerous — it can be hard for planes, especially large ones, to get up enough speed to clear the peaks from such a short runway.
Honduras has announced plans to move all commercial flights to Soto Cano Air Base, about 40 miles away.

Unusual Airports: Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport is big — at 53 square miles, it’s the largest in North America — but it walks softly on the Earth.
The airport follows a number of green initiatives, the most notable being a massive solar farm harvesting energy from close to 10,000 high-tech solar panels spread across 7 acres. Estimated reduction in carbon emissions: more than 6 million pounds each year.

Unusual Airports: Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal

Most people who visit Mount Everest begin their Nepal journey at this airport, in the Himalayan town of Lukla. It occupies some rare air: The 9,380-foot elevation is one of the highest of any airport on Earth.
Only helicopters and other small aircraft can use the airport; the short runway, and the 2,000-foot drop at the end of it, make it too dangerous for anything else.

22 Gorgeous Infinity Pools

 

Infinity pools create an intriguing visual effect. Their crystalline water extends to the horizon and stretches to "infinity." Savor these pools that sweep your sights to Polynesian lagoons, the Pacific Ocean, the African plains and even the Himalayas.

Infinity Pools: Bilila Lodge Kempinski

Bilila Lodge Kempinski opened in 2009 in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. The property features 74 guest rooms and suites, including the presidential villa (pictured) with its own infinity pool overlooking a wildlife watering hole. All rooms overlook the Serengeti plains, allowing guests to observe wild game from their private sun decks. The lodge provides private game drives, hot-air balloon rides and bush walks set against the backdrop of Africa’s wilderness. The Serengeti is home to lions, giraffes, gazelles, elephants and buffaloes.

Infinity Pools: Le Méridien Bora Bora

Le Méridien Bora Bora, in French Polynesia, is on the southern point of Motu Piti Aau, a six-mile-long island on a coral reef. The hotel has 99 bungalows, including four lagoon bungalows, 14 beach bungalows and 81 over-water bungalows with glass flooring. Recent renovations added a new infinity pool beneath the Miki Miki bar. The pool is more than 2,000 square feet and has a Jacuzzi, waterfall and deck. The pool overlooks Otemanu Mountain and a lagoon containing more than 100 species, including the endangered hawksbill turtle.

Infinity Pools: Marquis Los Cabos Resort

The Marquis Los Cabos Resort and its sparkling infinity pool are perched on the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Baja peninsula, where the Sea of Cortes meets the Pacific Ocean. The resort has 237 suites, a spa and fitness center, a gourmet restaurant and a collection of Latin American sculptures and paintings. Marquis Los Cabos is a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World and the only member of Leading Spas of the World in Los Cabos.

Infinity Pools: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur

The Post Ranch Inn is a luxury hotel perched on California’s spectacular Big Sur coast. The infinity jade pool next to the Sierra Mar restaurant overlooks the blue Pacific Ocean. The pool is kept at a constant 104 degrees, making it the perfect place to soak in the view. The Post Ranch Inn also has a spa, guided nature hikes, astronomy nights, morning yoga classes and morning meditation classes.

Infinity Pools: Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort

The Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort is nestled in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Take a dip in its 23,600-square-foot infinity pool, where the horizon extends into Banderas Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The resort is 15 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta and has 267 ocean-view suites, spa suites and two- and three-bedroom imperial suites. The resort has a spa, exercise programs including Pilates, yoga and meditation, and a dolphin encounter program that lets you swim with bottle-nosed

Infinity Pools: Gansevoort Miami Beach

The Gansevoort Miami Beach’s infinity pool sits within a pool plaza, which includes an outdoor restaurant and an oversized Jacuzzi. The pool provides the perfect vantage point to see the Atlantic Ocean. The resort has 340 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a nightclub and a rooftop pool and bar dotted with coconut palms and cabanas.

Infinity Pools: Ubud Hanging Gardens

When you do the breaststroke in the main infinity pool at Ubud Hanging Gardens in Bali, you look up at a jungle filled with monkeys, butterflies and exotic birds. You will also have the perfect view of a Balinese temple among the trees. For a special treat, book a room in one of the 38 pool villas, and you’ll have your own private infinity pool a few steps from your dwelling.

Infinity Pools: Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk

The 38-story Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk opened last year in Honolulu. It has 462 rooms and suites. Visit the sixth floor for an infinity pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The pool sits on an expansive lanai fringed with palm trees and sun loungers. Refreshments are available at the poolside bistro.

Infinity Pools: Wildflower Hall Shimla

Wildflower Hall-Shimla in the Himalayas, India, resembles a fairy-tale castle nestled in pine and cedar forests at 8,250 feet. The heated indoor swimming pool has mosaic floors and chandeliers and offers spectacular mountain views. Attached to the indoor pool is an outdoor deck with an infinity whirlpool. It’s the perfect place to relax with a drink and ponder the magnificence of the Himalayas.

Infinity Pools: Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc

The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, on the southern tip of the Cape of Antibes on the French Riviera, is a renowned refuge for royalty, celebrities and politicians from all corners of the world. It boasts a heated, salt-water infinity pool that encourages you to gaze out upon the Mediterranean. You’ll see Lérins Island and the hills of the Estérel encircling the bays of Cannes and Juan-les-Pins.

Infinity Pools: Jumby Bay

Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort, is on a 300-acre private island just two miles off the coast of Antigua in the West Indies. The resort recently underwent a $28 million renovation and added an infinity pool. With its infinity edge, this lagoon-shaped pool gives the illusion of blending with the Caribbean. It’s a great place to sunbathe or have a nosh at the Pool Grille. The resort also features a spa, tennis courts, guided snorkeling tours, sailing, Pilates and scuba diving instruction.

Infinity Pools: Gansevoort Turks + Caicos

The Gansevoort Turks + Caicos, a 91-room resort, has an open-air lobby that overlooks a 7,000-square-foot infinity pool with a view of Grace Bay. The pool has four floating islands with umbrellas and lounge chairs that must be reserved in advance. The pool staff is standing by to bring you refreshments. The resort also features yoga and wellness classes, a fitness center and spa, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and Hobie Wave beach catamarans.

Infinity Pools: Castel Monastero

Castel Monastero, once a residence for nobility, is now a 75-room resort in a medieval Tuscan village surrounded by rolling hills of olive groves and vineyards. The infinity pool outside the spa has a perfect view of the honey-colored 11th century building. The resort has a Gordon Ramsay restaurant and cooking school.

Infinity Pools: Hotel Terra Jackson Hole

The Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is one mile from Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and one hour from Yellowstone National Park. The hotel has an infinity hot tub overlooking Teton Village, which is a great place to relax and take in the ski village views after stomping around the national parks. Outdoor activities in the vicinity include hiking, mountain biking, hot-air ballooning, horseback riding and golf

Infinity Pools: Rosewood Little Dix Bay

Rosewood Little Dix Bay, a resort on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, has a two-level infinity pool at the resort’s spa. Swim here and imagine you’re swimming into the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The resort has opportunities to sail, snorkel, scuba dive, water ski, fish and play tennis. The spa also hosts yoga, Pilates and meditation classes.

Infinity Pools: Hotel Caesar Augustus

The Hotel Caesar Augustus perches 1,000 feet above the sea near Naples on the island of Capri, Italy. Its bi-level infinity pool overlooks the Bay of Naples and offers views of Mount Vesuvius, the famous volcano that buried Pompeii. The hotel can arrange a host of excursions, including those to Monte Solaro and Villa San Michele, through the narrow lanes and past the picturesque houses of Anacapri as far as Damecuta, the Carena Lighthouse and the Grotta Azzurra.

Infinity Pools: Burj Al Arab

The Burj Al Arab, a hotel designed to resemble a mammoth sailboat, sits perched on the Dubai coastline. For an exquisite view of the Persian Gulf, guests can visit the infinity pool on the 18th floor of the hotel in the Assawan Spa & Health Club. If it’s luxury you seek, check into the spa for a caviar facial or body scrub.

Infinity Pools: Radisson Blu Waterfront Cape Town

The Radisson Blu Waterfront Cape Town in South Africa is a 177-room hotel towering over the Atlantic Ocean. Its waterfront bar, Tobago's, features tropical cocktails overlooking both the ocean and the hotel's infinity pool. Swimmers can cool off in the pool’s calm waters while seagulls cruise overhead. Contemplate the thousands of miles the ocean waves traveled before they crashed against the shoreline below you.

Infinity Pools: Hotel Punta Tragara

The Hotel Punta Tragara, originally a private villa, perches atop the cliffs of the island of Capri, Italy. During World War II it was used as the headquarters for the American command and hosted such famous guests as Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill. The hotel’s infinity pool sweeps your gaze out over the cobalt waters of the Bay of Naples.

Infinity Pools: Costa Careyes

Costa Careyes, Mexico, lies between Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta. The Costa Careyes resort boasts villas known as “The Castles of Careyes.” Sol de Oriente, pictured, is a villa with six bedrooms encircled by a giant infinity pool. Swimmers can simply step outside of their rooms, plunge into the water, and take delight in a view that stretches to the great blue Pacific Ocean.

Infinity Pools: Laucala Island

Laucala Island resort is set on a 3,000-acre private island in Fiji. It has 25 villas, each with a private infinity pool, indoor and outdoor shower and outside bath. Each villa, constructed with local timber, thatch and stone, is adorned with traditional Fijian designs and overlooks sandy beaches and turquoise lagoons. Laucala Island also boasts five restaurants, an equestrian center, a fleet of luxury boats, an 18-hole championship golf course and a hilltop spa offering Fijian treatments.

Infinity Pools: Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa

The Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, 40 miles from Dubai, has 42 individual suites. Each one has an infinity pool overlooking the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Arabian oryx and desert gazelles wander freely across the plains and dunes, often stooping to drink within this conservation-focused sanctuary resort. When you’re not soaking in the view, you can sample the resort spa, view more than 2,000 original Middle Eastern artifacts or set up a dune picnic or a camel trek.