Link to Chase's Index: Chase's Index.
September 16: "Dogor"
I recently learned of a canine specimen, given the name "Dogor", which was discovered preserved in siberian permafrost. This intrigued me because the degree of its preservation is exquisite given it has been radiometrically dated to around 18,000 years. Furthermore, the genetics of the specimen were analyzed and determined to not quite match either current dog or wolf DNA sequences, thus potentially implying a secondary origin for modern dogs. Another feature about this story that intrigued me was the human presence in the area and its potential impact over time. The name "Dogor" has a Yakut origin and this language is still being studied as it seems to differ from all other Turkic languges due to influence of, possibly, paleo-siberian.
September 17-23: Hyrcanian Forests After becoming aware that the Hyrcanian forest was one of the regions added to as part of the UNESCO world heritage sites, I was intrigued by how out of place it seemed. If you look on a satellite image, you will see the northern part of Iran coated in a green lining of forested massif nestled by the Caspian sea, but to the south it appears more and more desert-like. I found out that the anti-cyclonic summer winds over the Caspian sea actually become saturated with moisture before releasing it as rainfall on the northern slopes of Iran. Intriguingly, the Hyrcanian forest is actually a pocket of biodiversity that has served as an ark for species during challenging climatic episodes like the most recent glacial period. If that is not captivating enough, the forest even was home to the Hyrcanian tiger, which was the western-most species in all of Asia before going officially extinct in 2003 due to over-hunting of it and its most sought after prey, the wild boar. A few more references: anti-cyclone winds video on the Hyrcanian and Pontic Forests September 28: The Mystery of the Platypus After coming across a documentary on Tasmania, I was introduced in passing to the idea that the platypus was at one time debated as to whether or not it constituted a hoax. In an article in the washington post on the subject, an 18th century English zoologist mentions that "it[the platypus] naturally excites the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means." This idea intrigued me because the platypus is a fascinating creature as it seems to have qualities of a real chimera. Further inquiry into the characteristics of the platypus has led me to discover that the it is more remarkable than I had imagined. For one, the mysteries involved in the history of its study are fascinating as debates raged for decades as to whether or not it layed eggs, culminating in 1884 with definitive evidence. Furthermore, I was surprised to learn that the bill of the platypus is actually finely tuned to detect electrical impulses, allowing the playtpus to accurately locate prey. Truly remarkable!