CompuServe Thread

Hi, Anne– Welcome to the forum/section! I regret the deceptive topic; a copy of the original message of this topic follows on the better-late-than-never theory. The thread immediately veered off the original topic. I used to beat on people here about separating topics; since I was appointed assistant sysop a week or so ago, I look forward to learning how to do sysop tricks like revising topics. I am a little startled to learn there is no manual for such things that anyone will admit to; between that and limited time, it may take a while for me to get that organized. If you post a message indicating the nature of your interest in this or any related topic, you might provoke more discussion of the matters you want to learn more of. We seem to have a lot of people who only show themselves when a topic of interest to them is raised – third-hand news feeds seem to provoke less of this action than questions or announcements from an obviously interested person. –Doug Hi, folks– The following is from the Internet rocks-and-fossils mail list. –Doug Subject: Scottish Scientists Hope to Find Dinosaur Embryos Date: 22-Dec-93 at 16:48 From: Ron Baalke, INTERNET:BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov = LONDON (UPI) — Scottish scientists said they are investigating a clutch of six dinosaur eggs unearthed in northern China which may contain the fossilized embryos of large vegetarian dinosaurs known as sauropods. Further tests are needed to confirm the find, which would be the first of its kind. Two of the eggs are believed to contain embryos. Scientists at Glasgow University's veterinary school are studying and comparing their shells with the shell of a hatched egg to find further signs confirming the presence of embryos. Before opening any of the eggs they will be scanned and x-rayed. The scientists are sceptical, however, whether the scans and x-rays will divulge anything since the embryos would probably be fossilized and therefore not show up. Dr. Neil Clark of Glasgow University's Hunterian Museum said that if any embryos were found they would provide a lot of information on the development of sauropods from the egg to the adult. The museum bought the clutch of 18 million-year-old eggs embedded in a block of sandstone earlier this year from an American dealer for 15, 000 pounds ($22,500). The value of any egg proved to contain an embryo would increase to 250,000 pounds ($375,000). The scientific value of the eggs, however, far outweighs their commercial value, Dr. Clark said.