In this article, you will encounter an interesting headline for August 2008 that provides a significant piece of a puzzle and involves the discovery of fossils that could shed light on the past of the entire world. In other news, NASA has been forced to destroy one of their rockets while in flight , don’t you want to know where the pieces have fallen?
Saber-Toothed Cat Fossils Discovered in Venezuela
While Venezuelan oil workers attempted to install pipeline, they encountered a curious discovery. A collection of ancient fossils, including a significant species of saber toothed cat was found. The discovery is one of importance since this type of cat has never been found in South America before. The excitement involves the possibility of uncovering intriguing information regarding the cat’s whereabouts and travel patterns. The discovery also gives proof that the cat once dwelled in Venezuela.
The fossils (a mixture of jawbones and skulls of six scimitar-toothed cats) date back 1.8 million years at the site. An assortment of saber toothed cat possessing shorter, narrower canine teeth than other species was also uncovered.
While the announcement of this discovery was made this week, the fossil find actually took place last month. Researchers hope to use the cat fossils to create a link between the North and South American environment before its separation took place. Ascanio Rincon , the Venezuelan paleontologist head of the research team for this project believes that the deposit will serve as one of the most remarkable finds in South America spanning the last 60 years.
The scimitar-toothed cat, which a now-extinct creature had been previously confirmed to live in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, but until now , South America was unable to claim their country as a residence of the cat.
Failure to Launch Properly Means Destruction for NASA Rocket
NASA has dismantled an experimental rocket that transported a pair of research satellites this month, as it deviated from its projected course after taking off in the morning. The rocket did not carry any astronauts, of course, with NASA issuing reports that no one was harmed in the process. No reports of property damage have surfaced as well.
Debris from the explosion could bring hazardous effects, but NASA is confident that the majority of the wreckage plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean , just off of the coast of Virginia. The rocket was a prototype created by Alliant Techsystems Inc (also known as ATK) and was destroyed with the use of a remote control. All of this took place just 27 seconds after the flight lifted into the sky before dawn. When it exploded, the rocket was between 11,000 and 12,000 feet high.
At this point in time, officials do not have any answers as to why the rocket did not stay on course. Nonetheless, it was destroyed so that it would not become a threat to the public. While the accident is deemed a disappointment, NASA shrugs off thoughts that the project suffered a setback. In any case, a great deal of money was lost as a result , a number that officials are not willing to release at this time.
