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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016
US Bank donates
to Liberty Theater
Cindy Johnson/Submitted Photo
From left: Kevin LaCoste, U.S. Bank regional presi-
dent, and Liberty Theater Board members Darren Or-
ange, Betty Smith, Jennifer Canessa, Rosemary Bak-
er-Monaghan,Christine Lolich and Steve Forester. U.S.
Bank representatives said they are proud to support
the arts in our community and to be part of the kick off
to the Liberty Theater 2016 season, which includes Art
a la cARTe, Lady Liberty and Judy Collins.
In the groove: Scrape marks
in ground linked to dinosaurs
Hubble Collaboration via AP
The globular star cluster 47 Tucanae photographed by
the Hubble Space Telescope. On Wednesday, Rosanne
DiStefano of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for As-
trophysics in Cambridge, Mass., said that clusters of
stars on the fringes of our Milky Way galaxy may be
home to intelligent life. DiStefano presented her theory
at the American Astronomical Society’s annual meet-
ing in Kissimmee, Fla.
Star clusters might
host intelligent life
By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer
KISSIMMEE, Fla. —
Densely packed clusters of
stars on the fringes of our
Milky Way galaxy may be
home to intelligent life.
That¶s the word from an as-
trophysicist who¶s new to
probing extraterrestrial ter-
ritory.
The approximately 150
globular clusters in our gal-
axy are old and stable, a plus
for any civilization, said
Rosanne Di Stefano of the
Harvard-Smithsonian Cen-
ter for Astrophysics in Cam-
bridge, Massachusetts. In
addition, so many stars are
clumped together it would
be easy to hop from one
place to another, keeping an
advanced society going.
The ¿rst step, she said,
is to locate more planets in
these clusters. So far, only
one has been found. The
sweet spot would be a hab-
itable zone around a star
where life could Àourish,
yet dense enough to enhance
travel among inhabitants.
Di Stefano presented
her theory Wednesday at
the American Astronomical
Society¶s annual meeting
in Kissimmee, Florida. Her
paper stood out among the
hundreds of research papers;
an AAS of¿cial called the
results “provocative.”
A global cluster can hold
a million stars in a com-
pact ball an average 100
light-years across. This
overcrowding can result
in stars elbowing out other
stars¶ planetary systems. Di
Stefano said smaller solar
systems would be more apt
to last longer; the planets
would orbit closer to their
home star and therefore be
less of a target for encroach-
ing neighbors.
Stars in these clusters
are so close, communica-
tion and travel would be
relatively easy for these any
space-farers out there.
Lida Xing/Yujiang Han
This illustration provided by Lida Xing and Yujiang Han shows theropods engaged in scrape ceremony display activity,
based on trace fossil evidence from Colorado. The scientists who discovered the long grooves say they were dug by
the feet of dinosaurs during a frenzied ritual to attract mates. Such behavior is seen nowadays in some birds, and the
discovery suggests that two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods did it about 100 million years ago, the
researchers said in a report released Thursday.
By MALCOLM RITTER
AP Science Writer
NEW YORK — Scientists say
they¶ve discovered evidence of a fren-
zied mating ritual by dinosaurs: long
grooves in the ground etched by the
pawing of clawed feet.
Such behavior is seen nowadays in
some birds, and the discovery suggests
that two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs
called theropods did it about 100 mil-
lion years ago, the researchers said.
Martin Lockley of the University of
Colorado Denver said the dinosaurs,
probably males, apparently gathered in
groups and “went crazy scraping” with
their clawed, three-toed feet to attract
mates. The beasts were built roughly
like smaller versions of a T. rex. Foot-
prints near the grooves suggest a vari-
ety of body lengths, up to about 16 feet
from snout to tip of the tail.
The grooves they carved are up to 6
feet long.
The ritual would have been enter-
taining to watch, Lockley said in an
interview. “These animals would have
been really frenzied.”
Lockley, an emeritus professor of
geology, is an author of a paper on the
discovery released Thursday by the
journal Scientific Reports. The grooves
were found at three sites in western
Colorado and another just west of Den-
ver.
Dinosaur expert Thomas Holtz Jr. of
Martin Lockley via AP
Dr. Martin Lockley, right, and co-author Ken Cart kneel beside two large Creta-
ceous-age scrapes from western Colorado that are the first physical-reported
evidence that large theropod dinosaurs engaged in courtship behavior.
the University of Maryland, who didn¶t
participate in the work, said it¶s reason-
able to think that theropods created the
grooves. But was it for mating?
Holtz said he wasn¶t convinced that
the new paper had sufficiently ruled
out other explanations. But he added
that there¶s no particular evidence for
rejecting the mating idea.
“Whatever behavior is being record-
ed here, it is an expression of the fact
that dinosaurs — like all animals — did
more than hunt and attack and devour
and fight and all that limited set of be-
haviors that popular culture often por-
trays,” Holtz wrote in an email.
Online: Scientific Reports: http://
www.nature.com/srep
RELIGION BRIEFS
Warrenton United
Methodist
The Warrenton United
Methodist Church, 679 S.
Main, will learn about the
baptism of Jesus and conduct
a baptism renewal service at
10 a.m. Sunday. The sacra-
ment of Holy Communion
will also be offered. Light
refreshments will be served
immediately after the worship
service. The church is acces-
sible for those who are phys-
ically challenged. Off-street
parking is available. Bible
study is held in Fellowship
Hall every Wednesday at 2
p.m. on a drop-in basis and
will continue this week with
a discussion focusing on the
Gospel of St. Luke. For more
information, call 971-704-
4357.
St. Mary, Star of the
Sea
Catholic Daughters annual
baby shower is Sunday after
the 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Masses at St. Mary, Star of the
Sea Catholic Church auditori-
um on 15th Street and Grand
Avenue. This is a fundraiser
to supply newborn layettes to
Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal in Astoria and Providence
Seaside Hospital. It is for
young mothers in need of help
with their newborns. Dona-
tions at the event can be either
in-kind (newborn clothing, di-
apers, etc., or ¿nancial (cash,
check). Breakfast brunch with
cake will be served.
Grace Episcopal
The monthly Second Sun-
day Soup-Supper meal will be
held at 4 p.m. Sunday in the
Parish Hall, free of charge.
Setup is at 3 with dinner at 4.
Cleanup begins at 5 p.m.
The first Taizé Prayer &
Song service of the year will
be 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan.
13. Taizé style worship was
created in France by a small
ecumenical monastic com-
munity during World War
II in the spirit of peace. The
service consists of simple re-
peated chants, periods of si-
lence, prayers individual and
Local, Family Owned Company
3aci¿c Unitarian
Universalist
The Rev. Kit Ketcham will
deliver a sermon titled “Win-
ter ReÀections: Darkness,
Light and Human Living,”
Sunday. Winter can be a time
of deep reÀection on life¶s
meaning. During the past
year, our lives have been both
shaken and eased by powers
beyond our control. Rev. Kit
Ketcham will share some of
her thoughts about chaos and
grace.
Arline LaMear is the lay
leader and Christine Yeigh is
the greeter. The monthly pot-
luck is Sunday.
Caring Professional Service
Serving Families for Generations
Hughes-Ransom
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Mortuary & Crematory
www.hughes-ransom.com
SEASIDE • 220 N Holladay • 503.738.6622
communal, and the lighting
of candles. Grace conducts
this evening prayer service
on the second Wednesday
of each month. All are wel-
come.
Grace Church is located at
1545 Franklin Ave. For addi-
tional information, call the
church at 325-4691or 325-
6580, or visit www.graceas-
toria.org.
The Slack 5
Funerals, burials, and cremations
Onsite crematorium
Reliable 24-hour service
Preplanning available
Special attention to veterans
Special rooms for receptions
ASTORIA • 576 12th Street • 503.325.2535