Taphonomy is the study of the fate of the remains of organisms after they die. The term taphonomy, (from the Greek taphos meaning burial, and nomos meaning law), was introduced to palaeontology in 1940 by Russian scientist, Ivan Efremov, to describe the study of the transition of remains, parts, or products of organisms, from the biosphere, to the lithosphere, i.e. the creation of fossil assemblages, (e.g. see Shipman 1981 p.5-6, Greenwood 1991, Lyman 1994).

Taphonomists study such phenomena as biostratinomy, decomposition, diagenesis, and epibiont encrustation.

The primary motivation behind the study of taphonomy is to better understand biases present in the fossil record. Fossils are ubiquitous in sedimentary rocks, yet paleontologists cannot draw the most accurate conclusions about the lives and ecology of the fossilized organisms without knowing about the processes involved in their fossilization. For example, if a fossil assemblage contains more of one type of fossil than another, one can either infer that that organism was present in greater numbers, or that its remains are more resistant to decomposition.

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US space tourist set for launch
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:23:32 -0000
US space tourist Richard Garriott will follow in the footsteps of his astronaut father when he blasts off into space on Sunday.
Nature loss 'dwarfs bank crisis'
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:23:07 -0000
The global economy loses more money from deforestation than the current banking crisis, says an EU-commissioned report.
Nasa committed to Mars rover plan
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:26:23 -0000
Nasa pushes ahead with plans to launch its 2009 Mars mission, but acknowledges the need for extra funds to make it happen.

L.A. Times - Science

Bipolar disorder also afflicts children, study finds
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
One key to a proper diagnosis, researchers say, is recognizing grandiose behavior. Their study finds that 44% of those who had manic episodes as children continued having them as adults. A study of 54 people with bipolar disorder found that the illness, long considered an adult affliction, also affects children.
Asteroid arrival is successfully predicted for first time
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The object burned up over Sudan, posing no threat to people. The prediction shows that an alert system is working, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory expert says. Scientists for the first time were able to predict the arrival of an asteroid before it entered Earth's atmosphere.
Fans may prevent SIDS
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Using a fan to circulate air seemed to lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in a study of nearly 500 babies, researchers reported Monday.

Reuters: Science News

Scientists sequence giant panda's genome: report
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:55:25 -0400
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Scientists have sequenced the genome of the giant panda, an achievement which may aid efforts to protect the endangered species, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
Russia says Soyuz space landings will be safe
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:50:21 -0400
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Russian space authorities said on Saturday they had improved safety measures for spaceships returning to Earth from the International Space Station after a series of rough landings.
NASA gives budget-busting Mars probe a reprieve
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:08:49 -0400
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA needs more money to resolve problems with its next Mars mission and keep it on track for launch next year, and is gambling that the U.S. Congress will find the extra funds, officials said on Friday.

AP Top Science News At 3:12 p.m. EDT

Russian space chief reassures US partners
By PETER LEONARD Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:57:12 -0000
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) -- The ongoing global economic turmoil and increasingly strained ties between Moscow and Washington will not stand in the way of further space exploration, Russia's space agency chief said Saturday....
NASA presses ahead for Mars rover launch in 2009
By ALICIA CHANG Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:54:49 -0000
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- NASA said Friday it will press ahead with plans to launch a supersized rover to Mars next year despite spiraling costs and schedule pressures....
Western group petitions for species protection
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:42:41 -0000
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- A tortoise, a hare, a mouse and a half-dozen mussels are some of the creatures that a conservation group hopes to save through a "Western Ark" project aimed at petitioning the government for federal protection....

NOVA scienceNOW | PBS

NOVA scienceNOW: Phoenix Mars Lander
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NASA's latest robot has already found frozen water and is looking for more signs that the Red Planet could support life.
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Even so-called "mild" head injuries turn out to be anything but.
NOVA scienceNOW: Mammoth Mystery
NOVA Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0500
A pair of mammoth skeletons is found locked together by their tusks. What happened?

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New estimates on global warming
The global climate could warm by 2.5 degrees F. by the end of the century, even if countries undertake stringent efforts to curb greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a new study from a team of climate scientists in the United States, China, Japan, and five European nations. This figure is more than ...
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Science News - UPI.com

Space station crew might not be expanded
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:21:59 -0400
MOSCOW, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Plans to add crew members to the International Space Station might be delayed, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos said Saturday.
Rare black barn owl raised in England
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:24:00 -0400
LONDON, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- British conservationists say a rare black barn owl must remain in captivity to protect her from attack by her own species.
Game developer set for space launch
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:08:10 -0400
ZHEZKAZGAN, Kazakhstan, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- An Austin, Texas, man in Kazakhstan is set to become the world's sixth space tourist and the first second-generation space traveler from the United States.

 

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Time dilation experiment An experiment using civilian aircraft and atomic clocks to provide evidence for Einsteins time dilation theory. Source- http://staff.jccc.net/wkoch/Astronomy... Time dilation applies to satellites that orbit the earth as they move forward in time by 0.01 seconds per year. This may not seem much but the clocks on the satellites need to take this into account to stay in sinc with the clocks on earth. The ISS, which has been orbiting the earth for 6 years at 27,685 km/h has moved a total of 0.06 seconds into the future.