NEWS
POLLUTION UPDATE
BY AMY SCHNEIDER
UO SEMINAR ON
DE-EXTINCTION BRINGS
DINO RESEARCHER TO EUGENE
A
ttention, dinosaur fans: Paleontologist Jack
Horner says it might be possible to make a living
dinosaur, and he’s coming to Eugene April 6 to
explain how it’s done as part of a University of
Oregon seminar series on “de-extinction.”
Horner, a paleontology professor at Montana State Uni-
versity, spends most of his time digging up and studying
dinosaurs — he’s best known as the inspiration for Dr.
Alan Grant, a paleontologist from Jurassic Park played by
Sam Neill. In 2009, Horner wrote the book How to Build a
Dinosaur, in which he describes how to turn a chicken into
a dinosaur. Because birds evolved from dinosaurs, bird
genes contain ancestral information and codes that can be
reverse-engineered to bring back dinosaur-like character-
istics, including long tails, short arms and snouts instead
of beaks.
At the UO, Horner plans “to talk about our efforts to
bring dinosaurs back, and the current dinochicken proj-
ect,” he writes EW from Montana. By tweaking a chick-
en’s genes, he says, we can “learn what characteristics are
turned on or off by switching genes on or off.”
Horner’s “chickenosaurus” project is an example of de-
extinction, a new field of study that focuses on using what
we know about genetics to bring back extinct species.
Another facet of de-extinction explores the idea of us-
ing preserved DNA and cloning to resurrect species
that no longer exist, such as the woolly mammoth.
“The possibilities and the moral and practical im-
plications of this exciting new field are just now be-
ing explored, making this field ripe for talks on the
cutting edge of science,” says Christine O’Connor,
a graduate student in the UO’s Institute of Ecology
and Evolution who helped organize the seminar with
other evolutionary biology and ecology graduate stu-
dents.
The next speaker in the series is Hank Greely,
a professor at Stanford Law School — on April 27,
he’ll discuss the ethics of resurrecting species that
succumbed to extinction. On May 4, Hendrik Poin-
ar, a Canadian anthropologist and geneticist, rounds
out the series with a presentation on bringing woolly
mammoths back to life.
Horner says in his talk, he’ll also bring up the pos-
sibility of creating a mythical creature: “I’ll explain in
detail how we could make a living unicorn,” he says.
But, he adds, “I’m not going to give it away before
my talk.”
Jack Horner speaks 7 pm Wednesday, April 6, at
150 Columbia Hall on the UO campus. The talk is
free and open to the public. ■
The Graduate Evolutionary Biology & Ecology Students
present an educational seminar series
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) assessed
a civil penalty of $6,400 against BJB Milling & Lumber, LLC on
March 22 for BJB’s failure to follow through on a commitment to
construct a bioswale to address elevated levels of total
suspended solids (TSS) in stormwater discharged from its
Eugene facility. BJB identified an alternative means of addressing
TSS levels toward the end of last year. BJB’s Eugene facility is
located at 101 Iowa Street, and BJB is owned by Jolly
Investments, LLC (which is operated by Springfield accountant
James Youel). DEQ is currently accepting comments on erosion
control plans for two Eugene construction projects: Sterling
Woods 2nd Addition (comments due April 4) and Stone Bridge
Apartments (comments due April 6). Visit goo.gl/Yp4iAK for more
information on commenting.
Doug Quirke/Oregon Clean Water Action Project
LANE COUNTY AREA
SPRAY SCHEDULE
• ODOT will soon be spraying roadsides. Call Jim Gamble at
ODOT District 5 at 744-8080 or call (888) 996-8080 for herbicide
application information. Hwy. 101 north of Dunes City and
Florence was recently sprayed.
• Rosboro LLC, 736-2100, plans to spray their roadsides in
Lane County with triclopyr, aminopyralid, glyphosate,
metsulfuron methyl, Dyne-Amic, Induce, Syl-Tac and/or R-11,
See ODF notification 2016-781-03793, call Dan Menk at 935-
2283 with questions.
• Oregon Department of Forestry Western Lane District plans
to spray their roadsides with glyphosate, sulfometuron methyl,
triclopyr, Milestone VM Plus, imazapyr, sulfometuron methyl,
Herbimax, MSO Concentrate and/or LI-700. See ODF notification
2016-781-03649, call Dan Menk at 935-2283 with questions.
• Giustina Land and Timber Company, 345-2301, plans to
spray 35.6 acres between Marlow and Hamm roads with
glyphosate, hexazinone, sulfometuron methyl, clopyralid,
atrazine and/or Dyne-Amic. See ODF notification number 2016-
781-03424, call Brian Peterson at 935-2283 with questions.
Compiled by Jan Wroncy and Gary Hale, ForestlandDwellers.org, 342-8332.
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Dr. Jack Horner 06 April
How to Make Living Dinosaurs and Unicorns
7PM • 150 Columbia Hall University of Oregon
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Hank Greely 27 April
De-extinction: How, Why, and Whether
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