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
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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.
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