April 05, 2006

A 9,000-year-old equivalent of a dentist clinic has been unearthed in Pakistan complete with drilled molars. Anaesthesia invented at the same time: rock to head. Meanwhile, 60 million-year-old penguin fossils found in New Zealand to complement the theropod fossils found in the Chatham Islands last week. It's been a busy week for archaeology.
posted by tracicle 18 years ago
  • That means dentistry is at least 4,000 years older than first thought — and far older than the useful invention of anesthesia. There is no basis for that other than highfalutin' imaginatin'. Professor Fordyce expects the fossils to receive huge overseas attention. "These proto-penguins were about the size of yellow-eyed penguins and probably looked a bit like shags. Proto-robot-penguins? Now *that's* news! Wait did he say "shags"? Is he . . is he getting turned on by penguin fossils? How quidnuckian!
  • while in February, a giant "human-sized" 40-million-year-old fossilised penguin was discovered in Kawhia, in the Waikato. Oy vey! To eat us, these giant penguins want!!
  • Emperor penguins are 40 inches tall and weight upwards of 80 pounds. That's a lot of white meat. *Giant penguins hear the term "white meat" begin terrorizing GramMa. *GramMaw picks up her umbrella to fight them off Ack, help Pete!
  • "That's a lot of white meat." I am so tired of hearing women say that.
  • *snkk*
  • Sure, the clinic is 9,000 years old, but the magazines were another ten! Enh? ENH? I've got nuthin'. Nice posts, #1!
  • Monkeyfilter: How quidnuckian!
  • Also in palaeontology news this week, crocodile-fish found in the Arctic.
  • it makes me feel all warm-n-fuzzy inside to know how many of my fellow monkeys are archaeology geeks. thanks for the post numera una, way cool stuff!!
  • I wish I was more of an arch geek, Medusa. Then I might have my 30 page CRM report (due for class tomorrow night) finished. Looks like it's time to start. 26 hours. More irrelevant posts are in the works while I procrastinate further. Nice link, monito primero!
  • Give penguins one goddamn movie, and they're all "Yo, look at me, I'm a giant "human-sized" 40-million-year-old fossil..." Whatever, you eggs-on-your-feet motherfuckers.
  • Grand.
  • The common cormorant or shag Lays eggs inside a paper bag; You follow this idea, no doubt? It is to keep the lightning out; But what these unobservant birds Have never thought of, is that herds Of wandering bears may come with buns And steal the bags to hold the crumbs. -- Christopher Isherwood
  • My mind boggles at the thought of a human-sized penguin carrying a baby-sized egg around on their feet.
  • One thinks, perhaps tragically, of soccer.