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Bausteine des Lebens für den Saturnmond Titan gefunden

By Guest PostFebruary 14, 2014Sciencebausteine des lebens, ethan, johannes leitner, maria firneis, methan, regina hitzenberger, saturnmond titan, sonnensystem, universitaet wien, washington state university, wasser, wasser ammoniak gemisch

Es muss nicht immer nur Wasser sein

WissenschaftlerInnen der Universität Wien ist es gemeinsam mit US-amerikanischen KollegInnen von der Washington State University erstmals gelungen, die Synthese der Bausteine des Lebens auf dem urzeitlichen Saturnmond Titan im Labor nachzustellen. Das Team um Johannes Leitner konzipierte dafür ein Experiment, welches bereits die Entstehung von Aminosäuren auf der Erde erklärte. Dazu schufen sie eine hypothetische urzeitliche Titanatmosphäre und verwendeten als besonderen Clou nicht Wasser, sondern ein alternatives Lösungsmittel. Der Erfolg des Experiments, basierend auf einem Gemisch aus Wasser und Ammoniak, stellt auch gleichzeitig einen weiteren Beweis dafür dar, dass es nicht immer nur reines Wasser sein muss, um Lebensbausteine entstehen zu lassen. (more…)

Aztec Conquest Altered Genetics among Early Mexico Inhabitants, New DNA Study Shows

By Guest PostFebruary 3, 2013Science1395 ad, adna, alter, ancient dna, anthropological research, archeological dig, austin, aztec conquest, aztec empire, aztec imperialism, capital, case of xaltocan, colonization, dna study, early mexico inhabitants, exodus, genetic evidence, genetic impact, genetic shift, genetic transition, genetics, historical events, imperial conquest, jaime mata míguez, lisa overholtzer, mesoamerican populations, mexican city state, migration, mitochondrial adna, otomi inhabitants, otomi people, otomi population, otomi skull, post conquest era, pre aztec, university of texas, washington state university, wichita state university, xaltocan, xaltocan dig site, xaltocan households

AUSTIN, Texas — For centuries, the fate of the original Otomí inhabitants of Xaltocan, the capital of a pre-Aztec Mexican city-state, has remained unknown. Researchers have long wondered whether they assimilated with the Aztecs or abandoned the town altogether.

According to new anthropological research from The University of Texas at Austin, Wichita State University and Washington State University, the answers may lie in DNA. Following this line of evidence, the researchers theorize that some original Otomies, possibly elite rulers, may have fled the town. Their exodus may have led to the reorganization of the original residents within Xaltocan, or to the influx of new residents, who may have intermarried with the Otomí population. (more…)

Handful of Heavyweight Trees Per Acre Are Forest Champs

By Guest PostMay 5, 2012Natureandrew larson, biomass, carbon dioxide, dynamic process, fir, incense cedars, james freund, james lutz, little ice age, mark swanson, photosynthesis, plant tissue, sandra hines, sugar, temperate forest, trees, trunk, university of montana, university of washington, washington state university, yosemite national park

Big trees three or more feet in diameter accounted for nearly half the biomass measured at a Yosemite National Park site, yet represented only 1 percent of the trees growing there.

This means just a few towering white fir, sugar pine and incense cedars per acre at the Yosemite site are disproportionately responsible for photosynthesis, converting carbon dioxide into plant tissue and sequestering that carbon in the forest, sometimes for centuries, according to James Lutz, a University of Washington research scientist in environmental and forest sciences. He’s lead author of a paper on the largest quantitative study yet of the importance of big trees in temperate forests being published online May 2 on PLoS ONE. (more…)

Tag Archives: washington state university

Bausteine des Lebens für den Saturnmond Titan gefunden

Aztec Conquest Altered Genetics among Early Mexico Inhabitants, New DNA Study Shows

Handful of Heavyweight Trees Per Acre Are Forest Champs