DINOSAURS, AND SABER TOOTHS AND WOOLLY MAMONTHS OH MY



When I was a kid I use to have a major fascination with dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. I remember checking out every book in the school library on dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. This world consisted of ancient lizard, snakes, turtles, bears, horses as well as hundreds of other now extinct animals. Over the years I have even spent my own money buying books about prehistoric animals. I would later learn more about prehistoric animals through shows like Nova and the Discovery channel. I was the only person I knew who had such a fascination with dinosaurs. Which didn’t bother me , I was happy in my own world of exotic animal, plants and landscapes. I learned that the first fossils http://english.people.com.cn/english/199911/26/eng19991126R101.html appeared roughly 500 million years ago. Although that has probably been adjusted somewhat as I am not up to speed on current prehistory research. I also had a strong love and curiosity about science, religion, literature, history, ect. It is this curiosity which compels me to seek knowledge and understanding especially for the subjects I am interested in.

I remember reading a story from one book about prehistoric animals in which a Clam and a
Starfish fought a duel for survival with the clam losing and the starfish http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2000/news00.11.html ending up with a belly full of fresh clam. Paleontologist know from ancient rock samples that the ancient seas were full of fish, sharks, and dolphin like reptiles, shellfish ( clams) and starfish. For a curios kid like myself anything relating to science, history and dinosaur ‘s was eagerly sought after and voraciously consumed. The way I imagined Saber took tigers attacked and devoured their prey.

During my studies of paleontology I read a story about a Russians who had found Woolly Mammoth Remains in the Frozen tundra. After studying it the dogs were allowed to eat the carcass. I tried to imagine this in my mind. I imagined a hairy elephant, surrounded by guys in fur skin coats. The dogs were German Sheppard‘s ( the only dogs I was familiar with) and happily devouring the carcass as they snarled at each other. I desperately wanted to see a picture of the whole scene. But the book had no pictures. Anyway growing up science, history, and books in general created alternate and rich world for me to grow and develop in. Back in 1997 a Woolly Mammoth Carcass was located in the frozen tundra by its tusk that had been exposed above the service

A few years later their was a show about an international paleontology team’s efforts to dig up what they thought was the well preserved remains of a woolly mammoth. The animal which they later discovered was around forty seven years of age had gotten stuck in an ancient creek. and had been frozen. It was during this show that I finally got to see a picture of a preserved woolly mammoth. It was a baby, it was hairless and it looked like it had been flattened. But one could clearly see that it was something that looked like a baby elephant. Which is what a baby mammoth would have more or less looked like. This pictures were used during the program about digging up the mammoth to show the history of frozen mammoths being excavated. Seeing the picture of that ancient mammoth took me back to my childhood days when I first read about those fascinating creatures, finally I had got to see what one actually looked. The satisfaction I felt can be extracted from many such experiences , anyone who has wanted something or wanted to know something for a period of time. When I saw that show about the Jarkov mammoth, http://www.explorenorth.com/library/weekly/aa032400a.htm it was one of those moments where one gets to realize the answer to a long held question they were extremely curious about. The problems is I have always been of the mind, that every answer only reveals more questions. So now I look forward to a time (hopefully in the near future) when they actually make public their attempts to clone a Woolly Mammoth using a female elephant as a surrogate mother. To be honest I just wanted to express reason number infinity times a million why I feel pleased that good has spared me all this time. Most folks on the planet do not have TV’s much less cable. I just would like to thank god for all of the blessing that have been handed to me over the years. Including health, sight, hearing, having enough food to eat ect. Some folks have nothing I was blessed enough to have everything I’ve always needed. Kudos’ to The big G (God) for all of the blessing I have received. Peace. Mark