This article was first published in the May 7, 2019 Virginia Tech News https://vtnews.vt.edu/ An artist's rendering of how Suskityrannus hazelae may have looked. Artwork by Andrey Atuchin. A new relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex – much smaller than the huge, ferocious dinosaur made famous in countless books and films, including, yes, "Jurassic Park" - … [Read more...]
Emergency Preparedness and 4-H Animal Projects
September is National Preparedness Month - a great time to build awareness of the need for emergency planning. New Jersey 4-H now offers a disaster preparedness program for youth, which teaches young people how to plan to shelter in place or evacuate with their families during an emergency. This program is in line with FEMA guidelines for youth emergency preparedness and can … [Read more...]
Paleontologists identify small fossils as that of oldest frog relative found in North America
This article was first published in the February 27, 2019 Virginia Tech News https://vtnews.vt.edu/. A team of paleontologists led by Virginia Tech’s Michelle Stocker and Sterling Nesbitt of the Department of Geosciences have identified fossil fragments of what are thought to be the oldest known frogs in North America. The fossils are composed of several … [Read more...]
Can you read your dog’s mind?
Is he asking to play? Or is he scared? How do you know what a dog is trying to say? Dogs tell us how they are feeling through their body language and vocalization. Some cues are easy for us to understand while others can be confusing. Is she barking because she's excited or because she's upset? Is he standing still because he's relaxed or because he's afraid? 4-H dog … [Read more...]
Dog Themed Tourist Destinations
Summer vacation can take us to new places where we can discover towns, cities, and states that we haven't seen before. Summer can also be a perfect time to do some discovering with our favorite four legged friend or to see things that relate to our interest in dogs. Here are some ideas. Planning a trip to New York City? Be sure to check out the American Kennel Club's (AKC) … [Read more...]
I’m All Ears – Understanding the Universal Ear-Notching System for Swine
The Universal Ear-Notching System used to identify individual pigs in a litter has been around for.., a while.., but finding the actual historical roots of the how and why this system originated has proven elusive. What was found is not altogether that informative, nor does it come from any legitimate primary source. As of this writing, the best guess at the history of the … [Read more...]
How Cool Are These? Extinct Reptiles!
Although we have thousands of extant (currently living) reptiles around the globe, there are many interesting extinct ones as well! Here are just a sampling of some of the amazing fossils that have been found of extinct reptiles! Titanoboa model on display. See the humans in the background for a comparison in size. Photo from Ryan Sommma/flickr. Titanoboa The 50-Foot … [Read more...]
Webinars as Tools for Animal Science Education
In recent months, the University of Kentucky Department of Animal and Food Sciences has been offering biweekly, 20-minute webinars on very specific topics in animal care and animal science. These livecasts are an effective educational tool because they are interactive. The hosts issue a call for questions at the end of each session and give answers in real time and incorporate … [Read more...]
How Cool Are These? Extinct Amphibians!
Although we have thousands of extant (currently living) amphibians around the globe, there are many interesting extinct ones as well! Here are just a sampling of some of the amazing fossils that have been found of extinct amphibians! Beelzebufo ampinga - The devil frog! Article from https://www.popsci.com/beelzebufo-devil-frog-bite-force-dinosaur/ Beelzebufo … [Read more...]
Farm to Fork – What We Get From Pork
When one thinks of a nutrient rich meal, pork products aren’t generally the first food that comes to mind for most. That written, compared to values from a decade ago, pork today is on average leaner, contains less fat (up to 31%), and also has fewer calories (up to 14%). In fact, according to The Ohio State University, it has been estimated that pigs are about 23% leaner … [Read more...]