BlackHoleNews.net
Space, UFO and Science Digest

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell Claims Alien Cover-up

Dr. Edgar Mitchell is a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission and he was the sixth man to walk on the Moon. Dr. Mitchell also insists that aliens have visited Earth and that governments are actively covering it up. "I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr Mitchell said. "It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it. "I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit." Dr Mitchell, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics claimed Roswell was real and similar alien visits continue to be investigated. He told the astonished Kerrang! radio host Nick Margerrison: "This is really starting to open up. I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction." NASA issued a quick denial. In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe. "Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue." If Dr. Mitchell is correct about a cover-up than this is exactly the type of denial one would expect NASA to make. You can listen to the interview with Dr. Mitchell where he discusses the UFO phenomena here. Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds Read more…

Mammals Might Have Soared Before Birds

16.12.2006 06:00 Science - Source: LiveScience.com

Mammals Might Have Soared Before Birds Mammals might have taken to the sky before

birds, scientists announced today.

A new order of mammals has been named based on a recently discovered fossil of a squirrel-sized Mesozoic-era animal [image] that lived at least 130 million years ago and was capable of gliding flight.

The ancient mammal, Volaticotherium antiquus, represents a previously unknown group that bore features adapted for arboreal life. This fossil, found in Inner Mongolia, China, puts the first record of gliding flight for mammals at least 70 million years earlier than had been known, the researchers write in the Dec. 14 issue of the journal Nature.

Pecking Order

In biological classification every organism fits into a hierarchy:

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Previously, the earliest record of flight in mammals was found in fossils of bats dating back to 51 million years ago, said lead study author, Jin Meng from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "Of course the bats at that time already had the ability of flapping flight not just gliding, so proto-bats could have been gliders but we don't have any fossil records of that."

Telling teeth

The specimen was found in a book-sized slab. Bones, teeth and impressions of the soft tissue were preserved. This allowed the researchers to classify this prehistoric animal.

"If you're looking for a mammal, the first thing you will look at is the teeth," Meng told LiveScience.

Mammalian teeth have developed into four sets: incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Incisors are in the front and considered cutting teeth. Canines are the sharp stabbing teeth. Premolars and molars stand behind the canines and are used for grinding food. This specimen has all those features.

"So we can tell that this is a mammal from the dental formula," Meng said. "Also, we can tell from the teeth morphology, because it's very sharp and very hook-like, that this is an insectivore mammal."

Unlike herbivores such as the flying squirrel that eats fruits, leaves, and nuts, this ancient gliding beast fed on insects.

Extinct lineage

The fossil also preserved a large piece of the animal's skin membrane [image].

"We know this [was skin] because it was covered with dense hair," Meng said. "The fur or body hair is another mammalia characteristic. So by finding that, we know that this animal has this large body skin membrane that is used for gliding. And only gliding mammals have that kind of morphology."

The V. antiquus, weighing in at less than a pound, is comparable in size and shape to flying squirrels. However, the mammal is not considered a direct ancestor of these or other flying mammals.

Instead, V. antiquus provides evidence for the independent origin of flight in this now-extinct lineage of mammals, the researchers conclude.

"It's unusual to find such a unique creature," Meng said. "Establishing a new order probably only happens once, if that, in the lifetime of a lucky paleomammalogist."