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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1955)
Is That So? By Eugene Burnt Ranger-Naturalist Among the most marvelously chors the heavy muscle deep in engineered objects ever created is the framework of animals the skeleton. "Whether for a 100 - foot long Whale or A thr-innVi humming bird, the architectural princi pals involved are the same em ploying those which a modern engineer might use to biuld a suspension bridge, a cantilevered building and a vaulted auditor ium. With this difference. The hu man engineer isn't born who could design a complete skele ton for an animal so that each piece would have the maximum lightness, being reinforced with art and subtlety where addition al strength is needed; flexible yet sturdy enough to withstand shocks, and withal observing a wonderful econnmv of snace. Besides, as the function of each member of that framework differs, so too must design of that individual bone, whether it is intended to encase the brain or the tiny pituitary; to house the lungs and permit expansion; to give attachment to muscles for moving of the body, or to pro vide self-lubricating joints. This is to say nothing of its assembly, the whole framework being held together not with nails and bolts but with bands cf tough sinews ligaments. Intricate as this may sound, add this: the skeleton, however rigid must allow for growth, so that the framework can grow with the body. Or, when growth is done, and the skeleton be comes partly non-living, that it still retain enough life for self repairs should a bone break. But even this it not all. In each species, the skeleton dif fers so that it can best meet the needs of the creature it supports and protects in its special way of life. (I mention nothing of in dividual adjustments stout or slender, tall or short, male or female variations which the skeleton acknowledges and to which it makes adjustments). Few Variations Consider just a few of the specias variations: One skeleton calls for sturdy hovel - shaped hands and a wedge-shaped skull. It is the mole, demanding perfect tools for tunneling in search of edible grubs. Another needs fins. It is the seal and the weblike fins assist it in swimming. Yet another must have an ar mored tailplate attached to the hip bones. It is the pigmy arma dillo. The heavy bone plate, like an attached shield, protects its rear when it pokes its head down a hole dug with its forefeet claws. Still another demands a pow erful set of forelimbs, hollow and light, to be used as wings. It is the heron gull. A muscle connects the wingbones with a keel-lika breatbone which an- the bird to help preserve its balance in flight. What variety! Each wonder fully efficient. Legs for walking and running; legs for clawing and digging: legs for climbing and swimming; legs for flying and diving all assisting the owner in his scramble for food and avoiding enemies. The wonderful development of the framework of backboned animals can be found in animals living today. The beginnings can be seen in a tiny, transulucent little creature, more primitive than the lowliest fish. Here the skeleton is merely a long slen der, unjomted elastic rod run ning from one end of the body to the other. Yet it presages great things the segmented back bone. Is'ext, in the lampreys, sharks and rays the backbone consists of flexible cartilaginous (gristly) material. More advanced, in the primi tive land-dwelling newt, a body skeleton has formed. Here you find a bony skull; long loops, forming ribs, to encircle the lungs and heart; and outside this cage you will find bony limb birdies and limbs attached there to. In the more advanced orders, such as the horse, mountain lion, or the human, much of the skele ton is preformed in gristle dur ing the embryonic stages. After birth, these cartilages are grad ually replaced by bone in most of the skeleton. Series Of Wonders And in this transformation from gristle to bone another wonder rather a series of them continues. At specific bone building centers in each car tilaginous rod usually three in number, at each end and in' the middle the cartilage is grad ually eaten away while bone substances are secreted. In man, the replacement is completed approximately the 20th year of life when growth ceases. The cartilage, meanwhile, allowing the body to grow. But yet, regardless of age, some cartilage persists. And that is good. It remains at joint sur faces, thereby providing smooth, friction-reducing pads which ab sorb shock. These in turn are sealed and filled with a watery liquid: a true, sealed lifetime oiled ball-bearing, sometimes en gineers have just come up with yet in animals it has been in existence for millions of years, if not longer. (Copyright, 1955 by Eugene Burns) (Released by McClure Newspaper Syndicate) Free: By special arrangement with the editors of the Ency clopedia Americana, my panel of judges will award each week to the reader who sends me the best question on nature and wildlife a complete 30-volume set of this world-famous refer ence work in a handsome Seal craft binding. Each week, new questions will be considered. Sorry, I simply can't answer your many friend ly letters. Please address your questions to: IS THAT SO! co Medford Mail Tribune, Box 375, Sausalito, Calif. SO THIS IS SPRING! The Canadian customs house at Niagara-on-the-Lake near Fort Erie, Ontario, has been pushed 30 feet from its original location and is badly damaged by Lower Niagara River ice jam. The jam is described as worst in 46 years. Ice formed at the mouth of the river extends in nine-mile stretch and reaches 30 feet high in some places. Around Hollywood By ALINE MOSBY United Press Correspondent Hollywood U.R) This year's Academy Awards show on tele vision will be history-making. For the first time in many years all the glamorous nominees will show up. Entrants in the Oscar Derby usually are on loca tion or claim Aline Mosby they're home with a cold. Last year Marlon Brando allegedly sent a cab driv er to the event in case he won a statuette. But this year Jean Negulesco, director of the Oscar show, hatched the idea of luring the wandering nominees into the program as presenters of awards. Stroke of Genius "It was a stroke of genius," he said modestly. "People like to see the nominees. Instead of sit ting in the audience with egg on their faces and applauding the winners they are to be a part of the show." Even the elusive Grace Kelly, Marlon Brando and Bing Crosby will be seen. Nominees Nina Foch. Eva Marie Saint, Karl Maiden and Dorothy Dandridge will be telecast from New York. Audrey Hepburn will appear via film from London. The plot for this years tele cast was revealed at an unusual press conference. NBC set up a closed circuit broadcast not heard by the public and rounded up the press and net work and academy officials in New York and Hollywood. The two groups chatted about the program with the New Yorkers noisily eating lunch and clink ing glasses over their micro phone (it was noon there). Each year the press complains about the Academy Award rou tine, and this year's questions went like this: Q. Why weren't the Oscars ALDERS CHICK $TARYEEt GOOD FOR CHICKS irr m . J 1 1 1 J i i"" kasasssvtpei' GEO mmmmm and BEST OF ALLr:: -JL J 3tfr More x large eggs when Albers-fed chicks come into production Plan this year to develop a more productive laying flock from your chicks. Build this flock on the solid foundation of adequate, balanced nutrition, proved effective by years of research. Feed Albers Chick Starter with HE2 and Terramycin and follow the Albers Plan. Albers poultry management booklets ore available without charge. rf I! Ask for your copy at yomr noarost Atbor Doalor. MEDFORD FEED & SEED Chick Starter Mash handed out as the TV Emmys with the dull technical awards omitted from the national tele cast? A: (indignantly) Actors are no more important to us than tech nicians. These awards are made by industry workers to their fel low workers. Want to be Fair Q: Why aren't the second and third place runners-up revealed? A: It wouldn't be fair to the winner or the losers. Q: Why did Frank Sinatra re fuse to sing "Three Coins in the Fountain," which he introduced to the scene, despite the fact the writers (Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne) asked him to? A: Frank already appears on the show as a presenter because he is last year's winner, and he felt it would not be gracious to appear twice. Dean Martin will sing the song. Q: Why are winners pushed off the stage and not allowed to give thank you speeches? They used to be very colorful and now the Oscar awards are cut and dried. A: The TV show has a very limited schedule. . Q: A television commentator (Sidney Skolsky) predicted if Brando doesn't win academy members will resign in droves. A: Sheer nonsense. Q: What was the New York press eating that sounded so good over the microphone. A: Filet Mignon and string beans. Salem (U.R) Gov. Paul L. Patterson has signed a bill in creasing the minimum salaries for Oregon teachers from $2100 to $3000. Sunday, March 27, I95S MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE Uranium IHIunt Grow n IPortDand Vicinity By UNITED PRESS A hunt for radioactive miner als was on in Portland and near by arnfas Saturday. Prospectors in Clark county, Wash., and Clackamas county, Ore., hunted uranium with dreams of riches in their minds. Authorities hunted a capsule of cobalt with the hope of pevent ing seirious injury or possible death. The county clerk at Vancou ver, Wash., said he was kept busy efll day Friday asking ques tions from prospective prospec tors. Pi variety store in east Van couver stocked Geiger counters. The interest began when two men ijiled uranium claim loca tions covering the Maple Pit rock 'crusher. The clerk's office said com plaintsi) hv e been received about uraniutm hunters trespassing on private land. At Oregon City, County Clerk Guy Pace said the number of claims filed on radioactive min eral deposits in the Wilhoit Springs area of southeast Clack amas county had reached 34. Dis- MYSTERIOUSLY missing from Philacfelphia Museum of Art, this pointing by Auguste Renoir is objdctive of search through cut nation. (International) coverer of the ore was reported as L. R. Johnson, who formed the Clacko Mining and Assay company at Molalla. Johnson said he j md rock showing ra dioactive reaction while work ing as : electrician. Seek Missing Cobalt In Portland, the search con tinued for the cobalt capsule that disappeared from its wall recess at the American Pipe and Con struction company. The FBI was studying to see if it had any jurisdiction in the case. Author ities repeated their warning that it could cause death if handled improperly. "OH THE DOT" fwieo a year generous earnings are paid to our investors. It's an unfail ing thrill, this attractive- rate of pay for the use e your hard earned dollars! 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