Where is the photo?

Carlos Latuff. IN Opera Mundi, 05/02/2011

The monster of Billings Dam

The plate warns: Warning. Anaconda. Traffic Interrupted. Photo: Ernesto Rodrigues/AE

São Paulo state – In the metropolitan area of Grajau, Parque Residencial Lagos (Residential Park Lakes), on the banks of the Billings reservoir a snake more than 5 meters in length is scaring the 1,2 thousands of families living on site. The monster, an "Anaconda", better known in English as "Anaconda"(probably a Eunectes murinus) is considered one of the largest and most robust amid all snakes in the world.

For now, she only managed to attack animals from small to medium size, such as capybaras, chickens and ducks, but nothing prevents that she can to capture a human being, especially the smaller, such as children and adolescents.

President of the Association of Friends of the Park, Mrs. Vera Lucia baseline, 61 years (in 2011) account: This is a monster. It sticks his head out of the water and then, dives, lifting gigantic tail. Even a dog, she eaten. In the main pier of the park, a plate that was placed warns – Danger: Anaconda. Herself Basali identified the animal: I was born in Mato Grosso. This snake appears there only in the Amazon ... (but this is the anaconda pilgrim of Grajaú ...).

For unknown reasons, far from its original environment, the Anaconda found a home in Billings Dam and nobody knows how the animal got there. Amid the mystery surrounding the origin of the creature, have appeared different versions of its presence in the area.

The tongue of the people puts the blame on an unidentified Japanese. He would have taken the snake to Grajaú and began to create it. Finally, he decided to put it in the pond. The time of appearance of the snake in the water is also controversial: the majority says that it appeared about 20 days but Mrs. Janet Marques da Silva, 53, says: There is talk on this snake since 2003. Mrs. Silva believes that the snake has even some offspring: Ten, at least, the oldest to have about ten years now.

The young marketer Elanes Santos Moreira, 16, was almost a victim of the monster. Even alerted he gone to fish in the Dam. He reports: Suddenly, it appeared, put his head above water. I felt blood to fled of my face.

Mrs. Basali even tells that tried to photograph the creature but complains of fatigue, because of the vigil, day and night. Still not got the picture and describe: She's too ugly. His head has the size of a ball handball. Informed, the firemen were on standby to try to capture the animal. But the beast is unpredictable and only with a patient ambush, will can surprise the creature. Let us follow the case and await a flagrant photo of the monster of the Billings Reservoir.

SOURCE: SAMPAIO, Paulo. Grajaú tem também seu monstro do lago Ness.
IN Estadão/SP, published in 05/01/2011
[http://www.estadao.com.br/estadaodehoje/20110501/not_imp713261,0.php]

Sorcery and violation of grave

ANGOLA/África – In the hamlet of Kayenga, community of Kamoka, Ukuma city - this april (2011), there was a macabre case of violation of grave. The deceased, the corpse, that belongs to Angelina Ngalula, who died aged 32, was found outside the coffin beside the grave stripped of some internal organs: heart, liver, intestines. The crime came two days after the burial.

The complaint was made Tuesday - (april, 12) by the Soba of the village, Aurelio Viyé. He said that was unaware what were the real reasons for this gruesome act committed in his village by unidentified individuals. But he conjectures: Many say sorcery does not exist but, this that happened in the village of Kayenga means what?

The soba that is a traditional regional authority in Angola said he had never seen anything like it in all its long vida. He was shocked by the case and blamed the villagers by the crime, and repeated: This only can be linked to witchcraft.

SOURCE: Desconhecidos desenterram cadáver na aldeia de Kayenga.
IN Jornal de Angola, published in 04/14/2011
[http://jornaldeangola.sapo.ao/14/15/desconhecidos_desenterram_cadaver_na_aldeia_de_kayenga]

Termites, these damn termites

Photo: AP

TAIWAN – A forestry expert that is investigating what caused a train accident in Taiwan said termites, slowly, had been digging a hole in a centennial tree, causing her to fall and crush the train.

The disaster that happened on Wednesday (04/27/2011) caused five deaths near the tourist area of Alishan Mountain were Chinese tourists. Dozens of people were injured.

During the inspection conducted, the expert Wang Ya-nan said that the hole left by termites was hiding, and that the tree fell at a unhappy moment.

Authorities said the driver stopped the train's composition after the wagon be reached by the tree but the huge branches, by hitting other cars on the train, provoked the increase of the tragedy.

SOURCE: Cupins causam acidente ferroviário em Taiwan.
IN Último Segundo/IG, published in 04/29/2011
[http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/ciencia/meioambiente/cupins+causam+acidente+ferroviario+em+taiwan/n1300119918972.html]

Mayas - Stairs that tell Histories

MEXICO – In the archaeological site of El Palmar, southeast of Campeche, a staircase of hieroglyphs was discovered by researchers at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) associated with the University of Arizona and to Mexican National Autonomous University (UNAM). Preliminary analyses have indicated that this pre-Hispanic city was in contact with the cities of Calakmul (Mexico) and Copan, Honduras. The finding has a thousand and three hundred years.

This is not the only staircase carved, decorated with hieroglyphics found in the lowland Maya. Twenty of this kind were cataloged. Evidence of the monument were first found in 2009 among others, which are called Grupo de Guzman. At the time, the evaluation of the stones "in situ" suggested the existence of a stairway.

The field season began in late 2010 and early 2011. According to archaeologists, Javier Lopez and Camacho Kenichiro Tsukamoto, the first four pieces examined, were in good condition, while two others were fragmented. It was necessary to do emergency procedures for conservation.

All blocks, drawings, and specific location of the find were photographed and examined with instruments like a topografic laser, before being transferred to archaeological camp with safety. The INAH's restorers: Yareli Jaida and Diana Leticia Jiménez Arano determined the level of conservation and are working in restoration of the blocks.

Hieróglifos

A preliminary translation of hieroglyphics, led by epigraphist Octavio Olguin Esparza (UNAM) provides important information for understanding the Maya Classic period (250-900 AD). The hieroglyphic stairway relates, among other historical events, the visits by foreign to El Palmar. The events are marked in a calendar. The date shown is "11 Ajaw Sak 18" or 13 September of 725 AD. The stone document also refers to the 'Lords of place' and the contacts they had with cities such as Copan and Calakmul, in the southern of the region that was occupied by ancient mayas.

During the excavations, was discovered a large room whose floor shows signs of having been burned, which indicates the possibility of perform of rituals. There were also fragments of pottery. A funerary instalation with offerings was also found. There were human bones and two objects of polychrome pottery. The anthropologist Jessica Cerezo-Roman, University of Arizona determined that the mortal remains belong to a mature man, as indicated the examination of the jaws and the inlays of jade on the front teeth.

SOURCE: Descubren escalinata con jeroglíficos mayas.
IN Artículo 7, published in 04/25/2011
[http://a7.com.mx/cultura/arqueologia/7105-descubren-escalinata-con-jeroglificos-mayas.html]

The Giant Scorpions

Paleontology – Analyses performed on the fossil of a giant scorpion 417 million years old, a species extinct (thank goodness!) revealed traces of a substance called chitin in the exoskeleton of the creature. This finding demonstrates something that until now was considered impossible: The age of the chitin found, is several hundred million years older than what was considered the maximum possible in terms of conservation of this material.

The discovery was made ​​by a team of scientists led by George Cody of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Analyses were conducted at the ALS (Advanced Light Source) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California

The work of these experts contradicts the classical idea that the organic material can not be mantained for so long because it would be decomposed by microorganisms. However, scientists have found a fibrous mesh of chitin in the fóssil. Chitin is a polysaccharide rich in nitrogen.

Some species of these huge animals had reached over two meters in length. Chitin was also found in younger fossils, like a scorpion 310 million of years and even others, with 25 million years. The size of the giants scorpions is a frightening demonstration that in the past, arachnids, insects, crustaceans and other creatures were much larger than today. It is known that Eurypterids are aquatic ancestors (and extinct) of land scorpions and possibly of all arachnids of today.

SORCE: Detectan vestigios de quitina en el fósil de un aterrador escorpión gigante.
IN NCYT, published in 04/11/2011
[http://noticiasdelaciencia.com/not/862/detectan_vestigios_de_quitina_en_el_fosil_de_un_aterrador_escorpion_gigante/]